M14 Iron Sight Guide
This guide is a reference for all of the people that have questions about how to use sights, what sights they should or can use, and any other questions about sights. I have tried my best to answer any possible basic questions. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here.
The information in this guide is from personal experience, TMs, FMs, manufacturer’s websites, Different’s M14 Research, History, and Development, caliper readings, calculations, and drawings. I am missing some information and pictures. If there is a question mark, the information needs added or verified. If you have any helpful comments about sights, please add them. Also, if you have pictures, additional info, or find errors with the guide, PM them to me or post it here so I can edit the thread. The pictures I posted are mostly from manufacturer’s websites and other images I found on Google. If your picture is in this thread and you prefer it be removed, let me know and I will do it.
Basics About M14 Sights
Elevation is adjustable by a knob on the left side of the rear sight assembly. It can be further adjusted by an NM hooded rear sight aperture and/or the SEI hooded gas cylinder lock front sight. Windage is adjustable by a knob on the right side of the rear sight assembly and by moving the entire front sight by loosening a 7/64” set screw.
Sight Alignment and Sight Picture
People unfamiliar with M14 and other "peep" style sights may not know how to properly aim them. First, the head should be placed so that the dominant eye is centered behind the rear sight aperture. Second, the front sight post should be centered left and right inside of the rear aperture and the top of the front sight post should be centered up and down inside of the rear aperture. You should try and focus your eye on the front sight post. It is impossible to have objects at different distances both focused in at the same time. There are two consistent ways of aiming at the target. One way is the 6 O'clock hold and the other is the center hold. The 6 O'clock hold makes it easier to have a consistent aiming point while aiming at a black circle or square shaped target. The 6 O'clock hold is used more in target shooting because of this. The top of the front sight post is held so that it barely touches the bottom of the target and is centered left and right. If you choose to use this sight picture, your rounds will impact higher than the point you are aiming at. The center old is more suited for those aiming at dot targets and silhouettes. This is a more natural aiming method and will put the rounds exactly where the front sight is placed. It is simply a matter of personal preference and type of targets one aims at that decides which is best for a shooter. No matter which style you use, the front sight should be in focus and the rear sight and target should be blurry. Even though the target and rear sight are blurry, you will still be able to center your sights on them.
Sight Adjustments
Each click of the rear sight elevation pinion is approximately 1 MOA, each rotation of a hooded NM rear sight aperture is approximately 0.5 MOA, and each click of the windage knob is approximately 1 MOA or 0.5 MOA. Every approximately 0.007” lateral movement of the front sight on a 22” barrel, approximately 0.006” lateral movement of the front sight on an 18” barrel, and approximately 0.0055” movement of the front sight on a 16” barrel or rifle equipped with a gas cylinder lock mounted front sight is approximately 1 MOA. 1 MOA is approximately 1.05” at 100M. This makes sight adjustments rather easy. If you are shooting at 25M and your round hits 1 inch high, you simply adjust your sights 4 clicks down (1 MOA = approx. 0.25" at 25M, therefore 4 MOA = approx. 1” at 25M). If you are shooting at 400M and your round hits 8 inches right, you simply adjust your sights 2 clicks left (2 MOA = approx. 8” at 400M). Of course, the length of barrel, sight radius, and type of ammunition will cause these adjustments to be slightly different.
The M14 elevation pinion has been calibrated with a bullet drop compensator for the standard M14 using M80 ball ammo for meters. This means, if you zero your rifle at 300M and align the dash that corresponds with 300M on your elevation pinion, you can simply adjust your elevation to the corresponding distance dash and be close. The markings will not be exact since they are lined up divided by MOA and different barrel lengths, sight radii, and ammunition will cause it to be off. I zero my weapon at 300M and rotate my elevation pinion so that the dash for the 300M mark lines up with the dash on the receiver and leave it there. This allows me to be zeroed at about 25M and 300M. everything in between I only have to aim a little low for and everything past 300M I have to aim high for or adjust my sights.
When zeroing your rifle, always do so at the farthest distance you are able to shoot or shoot accurately. If you are limited in range, however, you can zero at a shorter distance and be fairly close at longer distances. If you zero at 25M, your rifle will be close to being zeroed at 300M. If you zero at 50M, your rifle will be close to being zeroed at 200M.
Sight Assembly
Only disassemble your sights if you are mechanically inclined, have experience with working on firearms, or don’t mind throwing money away when you break something. If you have any doubts about yourself, have a competent gunsmith do the work.
Instructions for installing the rear sight assembly can be found here:
http://www.fulton-armory.com/NMRearSight.htm
The only tool necessary is a flat blade screwdriver or combo tool.
You can adjust the tension of the elevation pinion and windage knob. If the tension isn’t set correctly, you either won’t be able to adjust your sights, or they will move while firing. A test to see if your tension is set correctly is to see if you can turn the windage knob and elevation knob easily and also be able to push down on the rear sight aperture without it moving. If you cannot move the elevation knob or windage knob, you need to loosen the tension. To do this: loosen the screw on the elevation pinion, loosen the screw on the windage knob (it will click while turning it), tighten the elevation pinion screw and check the tension again, repeat until you can move the elevation and windage knob. A trick to tightening the elevation screw is holding the elevation knob with padded pliers firmly (but not so hard to bend it) while tightening the screw. If you are able to push down on the rear sight aperture, you need to tighten the tension. To do this: loosen the screw on the elevation pinion, tighten the screw on the windage knob, tighten the elevation pinion screw and check the tension again, repeat until you cannot move the rear sight aperture while pushing down.
Dustin
This guide is a reference for all of the people that have questions about how to use sights, what sights they should or can use, and any other questions about sights. I have tried my best to answer any possible basic questions. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here.
The information in this guide is from personal experience, TMs, FMs, manufacturer’s websites, Different’s M14 Research, History, and Development, caliper readings, calculations, and drawings. I am missing some information and pictures. If there is a question mark, the information needs added or verified. If you have any helpful comments about sights, please add them. Also, if you have pictures, additional info, or find errors with the guide, PM them to me or post it here so I can edit the thread. The pictures I posted are mostly from manufacturer’s websites and other images I found on Google. If your picture is in this thread and you prefer it be removed, let me know and I will do it.
Basics About M14 Sights
Elevation is adjustable by a knob on the left side of the rear sight assembly. It can be further adjusted by an NM hooded rear sight aperture and/or the SEI hooded gas cylinder lock front sight. Windage is adjustable by a knob on the right side of the rear sight assembly and by moving the entire front sight by loosening a 7/64” set screw.
Sight Alignment and Sight Picture
People unfamiliar with M14 and other "peep" style sights may not know how to properly aim them. First, the head should be placed so that the dominant eye is centered behind the rear sight aperture. Second, the front sight post should be centered left and right inside of the rear aperture and the top of the front sight post should be centered up and down inside of the rear aperture. You should try and focus your eye on the front sight post. It is impossible to have objects at different distances both focused in at the same time. There are two consistent ways of aiming at the target. One way is the 6 O'clock hold and the other is the center hold. The 6 O'clock hold makes it easier to have a consistent aiming point while aiming at a black circle or square shaped target. The 6 O'clock hold is used more in target shooting because of this. The top of the front sight post is held so that it barely touches the bottom of the target and is centered left and right. If you choose to use this sight picture, your rounds will impact higher than the point you are aiming at. The center old is more suited for those aiming at dot targets and silhouettes. This is a more natural aiming method and will put the rounds exactly where the front sight is placed. It is simply a matter of personal preference and type of targets one aims at that decides which is best for a shooter. No matter which style you use, the front sight should be in focus and the rear sight and target should be blurry. Even though the target and rear sight are blurry, you will still be able to center your sights on them.
Sight Adjustments
Each click of the rear sight elevation pinion is approximately 1 MOA, each rotation of a hooded NM rear sight aperture is approximately 0.5 MOA, and each click of the windage knob is approximately 1 MOA or 0.5 MOA. Every approximately 0.007” lateral movement of the front sight on a 22” barrel, approximately 0.006” lateral movement of the front sight on an 18” barrel, and approximately 0.0055” movement of the front sight on a 16” barrel or rifle equipped with a gas cylinder lock mounted front sight is approximately 1 MOA. 1 MOA is approximately 1.05” at 100M. This makes sight adjustments rather easy. If you are shooting at 25M and your round hits 1 inch high, you simply adjust your sights 4 clicks down (1 MOA = approx. 0.25" at 25M, therefore 4 MOA = approx. 1” at 25M). If you are shooting at 400M and your round hits 8 inches right, you simply adjust your sights 2 clicks left (2 MOA = approx. 8” at 400M). Of course, the length of barrel, sight radius, and type of ammunition will cause these adjustments to be slightly different.
The M14 elevation pinion has been calibrated with a bullet drop compensator for the standard M14 using M80 ball ammo for meters. This means, if you zero your rifle at 300M and align the dash that corresponds with 300M on your elevation pinion, you can simply adjust your elevation to the corresponding distance dash and be close. The markings will not be exact since they are lined up divided by MOA and different barrel lengths, sight radii, and ammunition will cause it to be off. I zero my weapon at 300M and rotate my elevation pinion so that the dash for the 300M mark lines up with the dash on the receiver and leave it there. This allows me to be zeroed at about 25M and 300M. everything in between I only have to aim a little low for and everything past 300M I have to aim high for or adjust my sights.
When zeroing your rifle, always do so at the farthest distance you are able to shoot or shoot accurately. If you are limited in range, however, you can zero at a shorter distance and be fairly close at longer distances. If you zero at 25M, your rifle will be close to being zeroed at 300M. If you zero at 50M, your rifle will be close to being zeroed at 200M.
Sight Assembly
Only disassemble your sights if you are mechanically inclined, have experience with working on firearms, or don’t mind throwing money away when you break something. If you have any doubts about yourself, have a competent gunsmith do the work.
Instructions for installing the rear sight assembly can be found here:
http://www.fulton-armory.com/NMRearSight.htm
The only tool necessary is a flat blade screwdriver or combo tool.
You can adjust the tension of the elevation pinion and windage knob. If the tension isn’t set correctly, you either won’t be able to adjust your sights, or they will move while firing. A test to see if your tension is set correctly is to see if you can turn the windage knob and elevation knob easily and also be able to push down on the rear sight aperture without it moving. If you cannot move the elevation knob or windage knob, you need to loosen the tension. To do this: loosen the screw on the elevation pinion, loosen the screw on the windage knob (it will click while turning it), tighten the elevation pinion screw and check the tension again, repeat until you can move the elevation and windage knob. A trick to tightening the elevation screw is holding the elevation knob with padded pliers firmly (but not so hard to bend it) while tightening the screw. If you are able to push down on the rear sight aperture, you need to tighten the tension. To do this: loosen the screw on the elevation pinion, tighten the screw on the windage knob, tighten the elevation pinion screw and check the tension again, repeat until you cannot move the rear sight aperture while pushing down.
Dustin