Type 99 Front Sight Question

[JohnCeglarek]

Are there any special tools or tricks for moving the front sight on a type 99 rifle, or is it simply a matter of drifting it in the dovetail? On my rifle, I've tried drifting it with no luck...and I quit before I either broke something or messed it up completely.

Thanks,

John

[Bill Hollinger]

There is no dovetail on any of my Arisaka Model 99s. They are an eared front sight with a pyramid post that would have movement fore and aft but not side to side.

[JohnCeglarek]

Bill,

Agreed...it's an eared front sight with a pyramid post. However, on my rifle it appears that the pyramid post sits on a flat piece of metal that should be movable side-to-side within the front sight base (which contains the ears). See the photo

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii189/john_in_kzoo/pix680978796.jpg

If you look closely, right underneath the opening for the "ear" you'll see the outline of what appears to me to be a moveable piece of metal (of which the pyramid post is a part).

John

[jmoore]

I'm afraid that given the bit of character on your rifle's finish, the sight may be extra hard to drift due to corrosion in the dovetail joint. It'll move w/ a good pop, but there's a risk of peening the sight or, worse, bending or breaking the sight guard. Soak it w/ penetrating oil for a while (heat won't hurt either) and consider "fabbing" a custom sight punch.

Williams also makes a sight pusher that would probably work.

[Bill Hollinger]

Very interesting. I've been collecting these rifles for 30 years, albeit not as a hard core collector, and didn't know of that dovetail. Hummmmmmm.......

[jmoore]

There are some really last ditch rifles w/ no adjustments. Otherwise, they do, not so much for windage adjustment as for fitting the right height front sight. So. sight installed and ends dressed flush.

[JohnCeglarek]

As a side question, does anyone know the distance the battle sight was calibrated for? Also, is the shortest distance on the leaf sight 200 or 300....looks like 300 on my rifle, but some of the numbers are pretty hard to read.

Thanks again,

John

[riceone]

Most collectors just allow for correction and do not try to move the sight as in most cases you ruin it. Best information I have found on the sight distance is 300 meters. When I use to reload a lot I tried to load to the same velocity at the military round with the same weight bullet. riceone

[rayg]

Also a lot of the front sights are staked so they won't move easy after being factory sighted with a thin chisle line. And it's difficult to break the stake in order to move the sight without damaging it, Ray