M1 carbine front sight

[sghart3578]

I have an Auto Ordnance M1 carbine. I know it's not a real military rifle but I'm hoping you fellows can help.

It has the adjustable rear sight on it. When new it shot very low, even with the sight set on the highest setting. So I started to file down the front sight. I have gotten it much closer but I am running into a problem.

At the 100 yard setting there is not a lot of front sight left visible above the wooden hand guard. I'm afraid that if I take it down much further I won't be able to see the front sight at all when the rear sight is on the 100 yard setting.

I can always elevate the rear to the 200 or 300 yard setting, which is pretty much what I do now. I just wanted to get this dialed in.

Do I remove wood from the channel of the hand guard? Replace the hand guard with something else?

Thanks in advance for your help.


Steve in N CA

[35 Whelen]

You're probably not going to like this answer, but I'd disassemble the rifle, clamp the receiver in the padded jaws of a vise, slide a piece of pipe or square tubing over the barrel and bend it up, a little at a time, shooting as you go.

I know that sounds redneck, but it worked for me. Last year I bought an Iver Johnson M1 Carbine that shot so far to the right, it was difficult to hit an 18" wide target at 25 yds. So I figured I had nothing to lose and went at it. The process looked something like this-



It worked fine and I can honestly say, in spite of having to bend the barrel a bit, the Iver is about the most accurate of my six carbines. If you wind up having to replace the front sight with a taller one, I'm almost positive any military sight will work.

35W

[sghart3578]

Hey, don't worry about sounding redneck! I love redneck!

I had actually thought of bending the barrel upwards my self. I didn't mention it because I thought that it would sound hokey.

I had the idea of bending the barrel from all of my reading about colonial gun makers and their flintlocks. So thank you for the suggestion.

I will definitely keep it in mind.


Steve in N CA

[Gtek]

Not opposed to "barrel tweaking" but maybe a little on how. Blocking with wood just forward of receiver and at muzzle and bumping center with press would be my approach. Should not take much at all to get you where you need, straight edge for visual down top. With only about 3/4" thread in front of receiver and how much arm you apply may lead you to a pile of parts if vising receiver.

[35 Whelen]

Not opposed to "barrel tweaking" but maybe a little on how. Blocking with wood just forward of receiver and at muzzle and bumping center with press would be my approach. Should not take much at all to get you where you need, straight edge for visual down top. With only about 3/4" thread in front of receiver and how much arm you apply may lead you to a pile of parts if vising receiver.

I doubt seriously that the method I used actually bent the barrel (I think it would be very difficult to bend a short, steel rifle barrel by hand). I was able lay a straight edge along the receiver and it appeared that the receiver was slightly mis-cast as the barrel did not run parallel with the receiver. So I suspect what I was really doing was bending the receiver.

@sghart3578 you might want to try the straight edge just to see if you can tell.

35W

[KCSO]

Crooked barrel needs straightening id guess, had to bend a bunch of military barrels over the years.

[Adam Helmer]

If the Carbine is hitting low, the barrel should be bent slightly DOWN, not UP! Bending up will result in lower hits. I would remove the handguard for shooting, or obtain another lesser quality handguard and gough out the sight channel.

Bending barrels only works for a time because it is not permanent. After much shooting the barrel will 'remember" where it used to point and will return to that position. So, get a bigger hammer, LOL.

Hope this helps.

Adam