MKII Rear Sight

[Buckeye Bill]

I have this MKII and it has been a while since my last range trip. Took it out to zero it today at 25 yards. Did not bring a fine tip screw driver so I was only able to make elevation adjustments. I used a staple to adjust two clicks of windage to the left but I ended up bending the staple so I gave up.

While looking over the rear sight, it appears that the rear sight has drifted to the right.







I did adjust for elevation and got it shooting more or less where I want it. You can see the first group high right and the second lower and two clicks over to the left.

Once home I was able to make a windage adjustment that I will have to confirm on my next outing.

It appears that the rear sight is sitting too far to the right. I can compensate for this with a large adjustment of the rear sight but was wondering if I need to drift the sight over to the left.

This is a beautiful gun and I am hesitant to break out a hammer.

What do you think?

Bill

 

[james r jr]

I would drift the base to the left like you mentioned. I have a MKIII and it looks like an easy task. I have a nylon dowel for things like this and a soft tip hammer.

 

[dingode]

Loosen up the locking screw before you bang on it. See how tight the sight is in the dovetail also. I had to stick about .025" under the sight of my MKI to make it a snug fit before tightening the lock screw down.

 

[Ol'Freak]

The sight body is well to the right of centered within the dovetail slot. If the sight body used to be centered and neither you nor anyone else intentionally drifted the sight to the right, then evidently the fit of the sight body within the dovetail slot is already loose enough to have been inadvertently moved during normal handling. If so it'll happen again and so again it'll throw off any windage adjustments that were made previous. If it were mine I'd drift the sight body back to the left until it appears to be centered well enough within the dovetail then visually center the sight blade too before firing a couple or three rounds to see where it's sending bullets whilst everything about windage is has been positioned in the center of its available range of travel, and then begin making adjustments from there, firing and tweaking and firing again until it's impacting where you want it whilst shooting from that distance using that particular flavor of ammunition.

Mine has a scope base using the original rear sight's space and I don't remember if the sight had a set screw supposed to help keep the thing from moving. If the sight body needs something extra to help it stay put within the dovetail slot, I'd try a very tiny amount of purple Loctite 222 in the dovetail slot so it'll be acting on a sliding surface of the sight body. The purple Loctite 222 is their lowest strength stuff for threaded fasteners but it's still plenty stout enough, having been made for use on the smallish screws typically found on firearms. Something like a heat gun or most any half decent hair dryer will heat the sight body enough to encourage the purple Loctite 222 to turn it loose, should it ever become necessary...

 

[charlesappel]

If the gun was mine, I would loosen the set screw and remove the rear sight by drifting it to the right. This can be done with a brass hammer and a punch made from brass, nylon or a handy piece of hardwood.

I would clean the sight base, the dovetail, the set screw and the threads of the set screw hole.

The bottom of the dovetail can be roughed up with a punch if the sight came out easily.

Apply loctite to the dovetail and drift the sight back in until it is centered.

Apply loctite to the set screw. Tighten down the set screw.

Allow a day to pass before shooting the pistol.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

james r jr
dingode
Ol'Freak
charlesappel,

Thank you for your well thought out and presented options for this rear sight dilemma. Your posts are the reason why I love this forum so much.

I am the first owner of this MKII and it has not seen a lot of use. I mounted a scope on it soon after purchasing it and I believe that the rear sight has not been moving with use. I suspect that this rear sight has always been sitting too far off to the right. Having been using a scope, I just never noticed the issue.

I loosened the set screw. Thanks dingode for making we aware of it. Once loose, I applied pressure with my fingers firmly on the sight and it did not more.

Using a small hammer and a nylon dowel, I was able to firmly tap to get the sight moving. It took about 8 solid hits to get the sight centered.

I tightened the set screw and adjusted the rear sight back to center. More or less.

I want to avoid Loctite for a while to see if it holds position. I suspect that it will.

I headed out today and test fired the gun at 25 yards.

Ol'Freak,
Thanks for taking the time to write such a clear and concise explanation for how to proceed.

charlesappel,
Great advice and I will consider removing the sight and cleaning the area should I have movement in the sight.

dingode,
Also great advice and I will consider this method should I have movement in the sight.

james r jr
Drifting the sight was an easy task. Thanks!



You can see here that the sight is well centered.


Next, I remounted the LER scope that has been on it from the beginning and zeroed it.





What a great gun! It is a great feeling knowing that the standard sights are zeroed should I want or need to remove the scope again. I will be keeping an eye on the sight checking for drift.

Thanks again!

Bill

 

[james r jr]

You are very welcome. Nice pistol you have there.