mosin m-38 rear sight installation? - The Firearms Forum

belercous · 10-07-2009, 10:52 PM

I have an m-38 Mosin-Nagant carbine on which I need to re-install the rear sight. I tried a scout mount & scope, but the rifle wasn't accurate enough (I'm blaming the counter-bore) and I'd now like to try the scope/mount on a 91/30. Getting the rear sight off was easy, re-installing it does not seem to be.
Do I need to disassemble the rifle and use a "C" clamp? Or is there a trick to this? I have been hesitant to use the German method (more force/bigger hammer) I cannot quite compress the leaf spring enought (one-handed) to insert a drift to align the holes so as to insert the pivot pin.
I'm leaning towards the disassembly/C clamp method since I'm not certain that the german method would work, but if anyone out there knows the correct method, I'd be most thankful for this knowledge.
Thank you for your time and assistance in this matter.

gdmoody · 10-08-2009, 01:09 AM

I put a new ladder portion on the rear sight of a Spanish Mauser the other night and it was a real pain in the butt to do by myself. If you are talking about depressing the leaf spring to get the sight and pin back in, you might just get someone to help you insert the pin while you are holding the spring down.

That is what I was going to do but finally I was able to hold the spring down with my right thumb and insert the pin with my left hand, I don't really know how I did it, but it just finally just slipped in as I was about to give up on it and put it away for the night.

I thought of the c-clamp idea too, but did not want to screw up the stock on the other side of the sight! I thought of trying a vise grip and again the thought of the wood made me forget that quick also. My best suggestion is just get someone to help you.

A suggestion that was given to me before I removed the old part, was to take something smaller and put in the hole to hold it there until I could put the roll pin in. I used a large paper-clip but I could not make it work.

I hope what I said makes sense to you, it does to me but then, I was there!

oscarmayer · 10-08-2009, 05:55 AM

not sure if this will help since i've never been faced with this issue , but i've had to use a c-clamp for other smithing type work and would use leather on both ends of the clamp to prevent marring the surface of what ever i was working on.

JLA · 10-08-2009, 04:48 PM

get a helper to hold the rifle still so you can work with both hands. Depress the tip of the spring with a flathead screwdrivwer and simply tap the pin through the holes in the sight base and sight. you can take a dremel and slightly radius the pin to find its hole easier. a little touch up bluing and youd never notice its been radiused...

belercous · 10-08-2009, 10:15 PM

I thank you gentlemen/women for your help. The German method it is. If that fails (I just hate getting a srewdiver in the gut as it tends to disrupt the digestive process), I will disassemble the rifle and use a C-clamp with leather to protect the finish. I have already slightly tapered the pin for ease of insertion.
By-the-by; don't buy any of that new (.40 S&W) DRT frangible personal protection ammo if you intend to shoot it out of a Glock. I did, and at 4 yards I couldn't hit a gallon milk jug in 2 shots. My buddy couldn't either. I know I'm not a great shot, but this was ridiculous. I tried it at the range and had a spread of well over 14 inches at 15 yards. Cheap (and that is a relative term nowadays) Federal Hydrashock and Winchester ball ammo shot around 2-1/4." Could be because Glocks have polygonal rifling, but at over $60.00/50 rds., this ammo is useless to me. Just sayin.' Thanks.

gandog56 · 10-18-2009, 05:29 PM

Blaming the counterbore? Buddy, they counterbored it to make it shoot BETTER! I would hate to see how bad it shot if it was NOT counterbored.

millman · 11-20-2009, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandog56

Blaming the counterbore? Buddy, they counterbored it to make it shoot BETTER! I would hate to see how bad it shot if it was NOT counterbored.

+1 The counterbore is just a way to put a new crown on the rifle, without shortening the barrel. The rifle may not be a good shooter, but it isn't because of the counterbore. IMHO.

10-07-2009, 10:52 PM	#1
belercous Former Guest Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 195	mosin m-38 rear sight installation? I have an m-38 Mosin-Nagant carbine on which I need to re-install the rear sight. I tried a scout mount & scope, but the rifle wasn't accurate enough (I'm blaming the counter-bore) and I'd now like to try the scope/mount on a 91/30. Getting the rear sight off was easy, re-installing it does not seem to be. Do I need to disassemble the rifle and use a "C" clamp? Or is there a trick to this? I have been hesitant to use the German method (more force/bigger hammer) I cannot quite compress the leaf spring enought (one-handed) to insert a drift to align the holes so as to insert the pivot pin. I'm leaning towards the disassembly/C clamp method since I'm not certain that the german method would work, but if anyone out there knows the correct method, I'd be most thankful for this knowledge. Thank you for your time and assistance in this matter. -->

10-08-2009, 01:09 AM	#2
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,409	Re: mosin m-38 rear sight installation? I put a new ladder portion on the rear sight of a Spanish Mauser the other night and it was a real pain in the butt to do by myself. If you are talking about depressing the leaf spring to get the sight and pin back in, you might just get someone to help you insert the pin while you are holding the spring down. That is what I was going to do but finally I was able to hold the spring down with my right thumb and insert the pin with my left hand, I don't really know how I did it, but it just finally just slipped in as I was about to give up on it and put it away for the night. I thought of the c-clamp idea too, but did not want to screw up the stock on the other side of the sight! I thought of trying a vise grip and again the thought of the wood made me forget that quick also. My best suggestion is just get someone to help you. A suggestion that was given to me before I removed the old part, was to take something smaller and put in the hole to hold it there until I could put the roll pin in. I used a large paper-clip but I could not make it work. I hope what I said makes sense to you, it does to me but then, I was there! __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

10-08-2009, 05:55 AM	#3
oscarmayer Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Contributor Posts: 2,387	Re: mosin m-38 rear sight installation? not sure if this will help since i've never been faced with this issue , but i've had to use a c-clamp for other smithing type work and would use leather on both ends of the clamp to prevent marring the surface of what ever i was working on.

10-08-2009, 04:48 PM	#4
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,412	Re: mosin m-38 rear sight installation? get a helper to hold the rifle still so you can work with both hands. Depress the tip of the spring with a flathead screwdrivwer and simply tap the pin through the holes in the sight base and sight. you can take a dremel and slightly radius the pin to find its hole easier. a little touch up bluing and youd never notice its been radiused... __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

10-08-2009, 10:15 PM	#5
belercous Former Guest Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 195	Re: mosin m-38 rear sight installation? I thank you gentlemen/women for your help. The German method it is. If that fails (I just hate getting a srewdiver in the gut as it tends to disrupt the digestive process), I will disassemble the rifle and use a C-clamp with leather to protect the finish. I have already slightly tapered the pin for ease of insertion. By-the-by; don't buy any of that new (.40 S&W) DRT frangible personal protection ammo if you intend to shoot it out of a Glock. I did, and at 4 yards I couldn't hit a gallon milk jug in 2 shots. My buddy couldn't either. I know I'm not a great shot, but this was ridiculous. I tried it at the range and had a spread of well over 14 inches at 15 yards. Cheap (and that is a relative term nowadays) Federal Hydrashock and Winchester ball ammo shot around 2-1/4." Could be because Glocks have polygonal rifling, but at over $60.00/50 rds., this ammo is useless to me. Just sayin.' Thanks.

10-18-2009, 05:29 PM	#6
gandog56 V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mobile AL. Posts: 325	Re: mosin m-38 rear sight installation? Blaming the counterbore? Buddy, they counterbored it to make it shoot BETTER! I would hate to see how bad it shot if it was NOT counterbored.