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Front Sight Block ( FSB ) Swap / Removal Tutorial


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Allot of AKs have canted sights, even some factory Saigas. How bad is it exactly? If it's only a little off you should be able to adjust the front sight post with an adjustment tool to get the sights on target. My 7.62 was canted ever-so-slightly and all I had to do was push the front sight post over about 1mm and it's good to go now.

 

If it's real bad, and I don't know how it could be, you could try the set-screw method set into a dimple drilled into the barrel under the sight block and stake it on when fully in/flush with the block.

 

You can also tack weld it. If you ever wanted it off again a little tack-weld shouldn't be easy to grind/drill out.

 

i would probably have to adjust the front post 3 or 4 mm to the right. Iam going to try to straighten the front sight block out with either a big hammer or wrench later today.

sight block is straight now verified using string from sight leaf to post. Iput the gas block and barrel in the vise and twisted on the front sight post with a wrench and it budged with not too much effort.

Edited by sharkforce
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OK, I have yet to see a single tutorial for this anywhere. And since a bunch of people have helped me out with my project I figure I would put a tutorial together for anyone else down the road.   I

Here you go  

Thanks. Yeah I went straight back because it's a lot easier to take on and off that way. You can leave it taller at the back but then it makes taking it off and on a lot tricker. Cause then you have t

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  • 4 months later...

I am the new person here, hello all. Thank you for posting the tutorial on removing and replacing the front sight block -- it was very helpful, thanks again. :)

 

 

When my wife gets her camera back I will post some pics of my Saiga .223 that I converted. I am currently saving for a Saiga 5.45 to convert to an AK 74 configuration.

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http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/topic/73344-fixed-my-fsb/page__gopid__716226#entry716226

 

Thanks Classy, I used your tutorial to the letter and everything worked out perfectly.

Some thoughts:

I used a hand drill, make sure you have a good bit, I went through 3 bits getting those 2 holes drilled.

I never used my vice, just hold the rifle and hammer away in both the removing the original FSB, I sed a wood block and a rubber mallet to attach the bulgarian FSB as to not damage the FSB or the crown.

Going to buy paint today, and do the final touch ups on this thing and waiting for my muzzle brake to come in the mail from carolina shooters.

Thanks again for a great tutorial,

Rich

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Classy, I am in a ban state as well. Where did you get the FSB/brake welded and shipped to you? I thought about doing it while on the rifle but doing it your way makes much more sense.

Classy has been banned from the forums for some time now.

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@CK and @Klown......

 

The "dimples" used to attach the FSB...as delivered.....go into pre-made "holes" in the barrel. See the first couple of pics of this thread. By chance.....did anyone here measure how "deep" these holes are??? I am doing something similar, but related to pinning-on a new Brake without threads...so I'd like to know the safe depth that the factory used in the first place.

 

BTW.....you say you "had" to weld the muzzle brake-on, due to your state's (Illinois?) laws. Are you sure? I live in New York state and perthaps we have the same law-language, as NY uses the old Federal Law langauge that the Feds later repealed. I notice that NYS guys say the same thing....that the brake "needs" to be welded-on. In my case, I don't agree. The law ONLY says that NO flash-hiders can be used ( no matter how it's installed)....and that the BARREL CANNOT BE THREADED TO ACCEPT A FLASH-HIDER. Muzzle brakes are NOT flash hiders and in a pinch, can be proven to be a different animal.

 

So.... In a strict interpretation, this means

 

 

- using a FSB that is threaded, meaning it has a threaded front-end that a muzzle brake can be screwed-onto, and leaving the barrel bare.....is OK ( the "barrel" is not threaded.)....OR....

- threading the barrel for a non-standard thread/pitch ( that NO known FH uses)....is also OK, but a bit risky. For example, the Romanian 22mm thread for its muzzle-brake, whereas everyone else does 24 mm, 24mm or 1/2-28,etc. There is no known FH that uses a 22 mm thread.....OR....

- threading the barrel, BUT welding it-on (like you say).....here too we can go 2 ways....1.) Welding on the unit to the gun proper, or 2.) using cross-pins after it's threaded-on, and welding or silver-soldering the pin,so nothing can move.

 

I've got a separate thread on this issue going in another forum...so I'm interested in hearing what your laws say......

Edited by IPSC45
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When I was doing my swap, I found that Harbor Freight sells metric bits for around $2-something a pack (two of each size from 0.5 to 3mm in steps of 0.5mm). I ended up using these since metric bits were nowhere to be found anywhere else. For cheap bits they did the job reasonably well (went through 3 bits to drill both holes, so about $5). After drilling out the block, the original 3mm pins were too tight, as they weren't going in with the amount of force that I was willing to pound them with. So, I cut the sharpened portion off of the bits that I used, and pounded those (solid sections) in. Even that required a heck of a beating, but at least these went in. After that I just trimmed them to remove the excess. Here's the result:

 

0f291bd1.jpg

Edited by W8lifter
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From there, A little more indexing, and then a wood block on top of the brake, pounded with a sledge hammer. I had a hard time rigging it up in the vice, do I just held it in one hand with the other hand using the hammer. After it was on about 3/4 the way, I took the wood block down and just used hammer to the brake. Once it was fully down, I indexed it one final time. This time I used a piece of string tied to the buttstock, put it in the rear sight notch, and then had the string (dental floss) against the top of the post, and eyeballed how even it was with the barrel. Not really the most scientific way or anything, but I was sober so there's a 1-up on the typical east bloc factory worker biggrin.gif

 

Ha. That last line is funny- hehe. But dude, you're scaring the shit out of me with all this talk about beating on it with a hammer. I'm a pipefitter/ welder/ ironworker by trade, and I'll tell you, I haven't seen a handheld gun barrel yet that I couldn't reduce to a piece of tin foil in about 5 minutes. Are these things really that forgiving? I swear my FSB is canted a little from the barrel- I checked it with a straight edge. In one of these forums, I saw where a guy cut the front of his off with a tubing cutter, and the barrel was threaded. (He was installing a brake) Mine is an '09, same as his, except that I don't have the two pins on the bottom, just flats that have never been drilled out. What is the likelihood that mine is threaded, also? Is there a list of serial numbers somewhere that says which runs had the military threaded barrels installed?

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Ha. That last line is funny- hehe. But dude, you're scaring the shit out of me with all this talk about beating on it with a hammer.

 

So you've never worked on a AK, then...

 

In one of these forums, I saw where a guy cut the front of his off with a tubing cutter, and the barrel was threaded. (He was installing a brake) Mine is an '09, same as his, except that I don't have the two pins on the bottom, just flats that have never been drilled out. What is the likelihood that mine is threaded, also?

 

0%.

 

Is there a list of serial numbers somewhere that says which runs had the military threaded barrels installed?

 

These are 74s. They don't thread the barrels. That's the whole premise of doing the FSB swap. The block itself is threaded, negating any reason to have a threaded barrel. This is why NO 5.45s ever came with factory-threaded barrels.

Edited by W8lifter
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Oh, this is a 5.45 conversion. I thought it was a 7.62. But anyway, I tried to cut the end of my FSB off with a tubing cutter, but didn't have the right wheel. Made a good scored line though, and was able to finish it with a mini plumber's hacksaw. Mine wasn't threaded, so I bought a die from carolina shooting sports and did it myself. And yes, this was my first time working on an AK. Surprisingly easy, I must say. Replaced the gas piston (had to drill out the dimples) and threaded the barrel in about an hour. Now, if I could find an American made wooden monte carlo style stock, I'd be done with it. Think I'm going to have to buy a blank and custom fit it myself. Found an SVD type stock to fit it at Rhineland Arms, just don't like it as much as a monte carlo style. I've never been a big fan of the pistol grip military style. And, it's like my older brother once told me, when they start banning guns, they're going to go after the "scary" looking assault weapon styles first.

Edited by scf8169
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My cheap fix was reaming out the Tapco 74 break and welding it on. Eventually I'll replace it with the real one.

 

As for cleaning a permanently attached break I wash it out, blow it out with an air compressor and then spray Rem oil generously.

Edited by S12KS-K
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