Newbie Needs Advice on M1 Carbine Rear Sight

[Bill Hollinger]

Pam, I forgot to ask but how did the color/finish match up with your Winchester? I knew the H in a shield (Hemphill Mfg. Co.) was right for the Winchester and I gave you the darkest one I had. I hope it matched up.

[INLAND44]

Before shooting again, center the peep sight with the windage knob. Depending on the exact sight you have, there should be index marks on the back so you can center the aperture. Now set the aperture to the bottom setting, '1-1.5'. You can now fire at 20 to 25 yds WITHOUT MOVING THE APERTURE and record how far left or right you are hitting. If you are still hitting right of the aiming point, you'll have to move the rear sight base more to the left. The sight base will get tighter in the dovetail the more you move it left, so there comes a point on most carbines where additional force may break the dovetail off the receiver, so be mindful of that. Assuming you can move it more left, do so in very small stages. Then fire again and check. Repeat until you get dead on or the sight gets too tight. If you're still a little off, you can turn the windage knob to move the aperture the rest of the way, usually just a few clicks. At this point the sight should be staked in place so it doesn't move. If this is not possible, there is a Loctite product that is made to secure already assembled parts. Just put a drop at a time under the base where it meets the receiver and it'll 'wick' into the joint and lock the sight base.
Now the aperture should not be moved off the '1-1.5' setting unless shooting at 200 yards or more. Elevation adjustments are made with the front sight blade; if you're too low, the blade needs to be shortened. If too high, a new unfiled sight is required. Most shooters would not remove an original/correct front sight for this purpose but would just learn to hold 'under' a bit or learn the '6 o'clock hold' which means you aim at a point below the target, as if the target were a clock. If you want to hit the center, you aim at the 6 o'clock position. This was the theory by which the carbine sighting was designed. The military acceptance targets from WWII and later allow as much as 12" high at 100 yards. In fact, the acceptance zone starts at the 6 o'clock position and goes up, not down, on both the 25 yd and 100 yd targets. 5 out of 7 shots had to be within the acceptance zone or cutting the edge line. More than two shots below the zone would be cause for front sight adjustment.
If I had to guess, based on your description, I'd say by setting the aperture at the correct range and shifting the base to the left should put you on target at 20-25.

Addendum: I forgot something - you didn't say if the aperture was centered in the sight base when you fired, or if you moved it with the windage knob to adjust. Whether or not to move the sight base or by how much depends on the position of the aperture when you last fired. The best thing would be that you would have to crank it to left a few clicks to center it. This would most likely get you on line and the sight base would then be locked into position without further movement.
The worst thing would be if the aperture is already cranked way left, meaning the sight base would have to move left a lot in order to be on line with a centered aperture.
The final option is to just crank a few clicks left on the aperture regardless of base position and let it go at that, but unsecured sights tend to shoot loose.

[AnnieO]

Bill: The color matches up well, thank you. I will take a picture, and maybe Inland44 can help me post it again.

Thanks, all for the comments on aligning the rear sight. I will see how she does next time at the range with the rear sight forward on the 1/1.5.

One more question: do y'all collect/have knowledge of foreign guns, as well as US weapons? I ask because hubby recently discovered he had brought his old Luger pistol here to GA, as well as the M1 carbine. So far, he has researched online and found out it is probably c. 1908. It seems real loose to me, so I won't be firing it, but I can take a photo if you folks are knowledgable about German weapons as well as US arms?

Thanks, all. Annie O.

[Bill Hollinger]

Pam, try posting it here:

Other Military Service Pistols and Revolvers

Some is bound to know something about it.

[INLAND44]

Annie, the Luger is known as the 'P.08' because it was adapted in 1908. They were made from then until the middle of WWII, except for an interruption after WWI. If you have one that is actually from 1908, that would be a find. As a quick read, post the serial number (like 1234b) and any numbers appearing on top, on the barrel ring or toggle parts.