A2 rear sight assembly tools?

[Tactically Fat]

A) how necessary are they?

B ) any vids on assembling them without the windage tool / spring compression thingy?

C) Anyone in the greater South Side have a set I can borrow?

Thanks!

 

[Dingleberry]

I've heard that is very difficult. You probably didn't wanna hear that?

 

[Tactically Fat]

I've heard that is very difficult. You probably didn't wanna hear that?

I've heard that... But the vids I've watched - doesn't seem too bad at all. Especially elevation. Windage, though... That's where it's more complicated. Not horrible, but definitely more involved.

About like building an AR lower or a total reassembly of a Ruger .22 pistol.

 

[BigMoose]

I am shocked Youtube hasn't torpedoed the MidwayUSA AR assembly video. But Larry puts an A2 upper together including the sight.

Its a right pain in the arse.. get the tools and do it right.

 

[Tactically Fat]

I did see one of the Midway videos. The vid that I watched, a commenter said that they no longer carry the tool/s, though. I've not shopped for tools myself.

Maybe I'll buy tools and then start a side gig assembling A2 rear sights. Haha!

 

[Ark]

I put one in a while back. Can't remember exactly how but I managed without special tools. Either needlenose pliers or a fortuitous sized screwdriver. It's doable but annoying.

 

[BigMoose]

Here is another type, only $15

Rear Sight Installation Tool, M16A2, Fulton Armory

Your Source for Service Rifles: M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M14 / M1A & AR Types

www.fulton-armory.com

 

[Fordtough25]

I just buy them with the sights for $15 more, I’ve assembled a few but parts of it suck. And what upper versus what parts manufacture matter for fitment.

 

[tcecil88]

I am actually in the process of fixing 2 sets. The A2 upper I have the rear sight was locked up and I used parts off of 2 detachable carry handles to fix it. The hardest is getting the elevation spring compressed to put the roll pin through. There is a tool for that, but it was discontinued. Take your time and you'll be fine.

 

[BigMoose]

I am actually in the process of fixing 2 sets. The A2 upper I have the rear sight was locked up and I used parts off of 2 detachable carry handles to fix it. The hardest is getting the elevation spring compressed to put the roll pin through. There is a tool for that, but it was discontinued. Take your time and you'll be fine.

While all these parts off the detachable carry handles fit in the A2 upper, some of them are designed for the shorter adjustment range of the carry handle.

From memory the Carry handle sight is adjustable from 6/3. While the A2 is 8/3.

Now I realize that no one is going to be shooting their A2 at 800 meters, so maybe not a big deal.

The long of the short of it is, the Detachable carry handle has less space because the rail.. so the shaft is shorter on the sight, and the dial is marked differently to compensate.

They work fine. Doublestar released some A2 upper STARCAR carbines in 2013 during that panic due to that being what they could get, but they put detachable carry handle parts in the A2 upper.

600m Rear Sight Base


800m Rear Sight Base


The elevation knob, index, index spring are different too. Don't mix and match the 600m and 800m parts. Ether user all 600m parts, or all 800m parts.

All the A2 rear parts you could want.

Specialized Armament

 

[bamthetrashman]

I recently assembled an A2 rear sight on a stripped A2 upper for a clone. Most of it was pretty easy. Rock River arms has a video out there that helped a lot.

The hardest part was compressing the large spring that goes into the rear sight. I used a dremel to grind out the middle section of a 1/4 bolt, enough for the retaining pin to get through. Then used a vise grip to hold the bolt down to compress the spring, and then I drove the pin in. It worked fine, but I have to admit there was a lot of luck in that working out.

 

[tcecil88]

While all these parts off the detachable carry handles fit in the A2 upper, some of them are designed for the shorter adjustment range of the carry handle.

From memory the Carry handle sight is adjustable from 6/3. While the A2 is 8/3.

The elevation knob, index, index spring are different too. Don't mix and match the 600m and 800m parts. Ether user all 600m parts, or all 800m parts.

All the A2 rear parts you could want.

Specialized Armament

Fortunately all I had to replace were the index springs and ball bearings on the sight body itself and elevation springs. All are common between the 600/800 meter sights, according to Specialized Armament WS. There is an elevation spring in the elevation knob that is 600 specific, but I didn't have to replace that one. My problems were in the windage adjustments, not the elevation adjustments.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Well - I found, on another message board, someone linking to a 3-D printable slotted tool. And I have a buddy who 3-D prints.

So we'll see how that goes!