I have an International Harvester built M-1 Garand, in about 97% or 98% condition.

It has been many years since I spent 4 years carrying one of those every day, so I bought a book recently on shooting in competition with one.

In the book it tells me that to correctly adjust the tension on the elevation knob on the later style of the rear sights (the version without the locking lever), I should screw the elevation all the way up, then back down two clicks.

Then I should tighten the locking screw in the middle of the windage knob in a clock-wise direction until I can't force the eye-piece down from its top uppermost setting by pushing it with my hand.

At that point it says the windage knob may be too tight to move at all, and if so, I should untighten the locking screw one "click" at a time until I can move the windage knob fairly easily, but still not be able to force the eye-piece downwards.

Okay, I tried that.

Sure enough, when I got to tightening the locking screw, the first thing I noticed was, it doesn't have ANY clicks, either heard or felt.

And, if I turn the locking screw in enough that I can't push the eye-piece down with my thumb, there is NO way I can move the windage knob at all, either way, right or left.

At that point I also noticed there are no clicks on the windage knob either, no matter how tight or loose the locking screw is.

Vas ist los? Is there something amiss in the directions? Have I forgotten some"trick" to the process?

Do I need a new sight assembly? (This one of mine is the standard one, not the NM sight.)

Any comments/suggestions will be appreciated.


P.S.: If I need to buy a new sight assembly, I would like to get a genuine original NM (not aftermarket) assembly. Any ideas where a guy might find one of those?

Hello,
First off, for sourcing true NM Garand/M14 rear sight, might want to talk to Fulton Armory. The hooded rack part of the NM sight is not hard to come by, I have a supply of them myself which would make you a deal on if desired.** However, the base itself, portion which the elevation drum/shaft goes through and serves as rack and pinion system may be more difficult to come by. Std. thread on sight is 32 tpi vs 64tpi for the NM, hence .5moa windage adj. instead of std. 1 moa. Aside from the sight base you would need the windage drum which is threaded @ 64tpi as well. The elevation drum/pinions are all the same.

What you have stated regarding adjustment is not out of line, but tell you how I do it and it works. Loosen both elevation drum screw(slotted screw in middle of elevation drum,) loosen small slotted screw in windage drum. When I say loosen, just that, do not attempt to remove. Push rack/peep down to bottom, lowest setting, grasp elevation drum and tighten the slotted screw firmly. If you do not hold tightly the elevation drum while tightening the screw, the rack/peep will move upward on you.
Now that you have done that, tighten the small slotted screw in the windage drum and you should feel detents as you do so. Usually will take some 2-4 detents before tension is correct.
If you tighten too much, yes the windage drum will not want to rotate, but there is a way to defeat that and that is while attempting to turn windage drum, push in on the elevation drum with thumb and the windage drum will move and clicks indicated or felt/heard. Inside the elevation drum is a non repairable spring washer which gives tension to the entire sight itself and by depressing that with your thumb gives relief to the windage drum permitting you to rotate it. Point to remember is that you do not want to leave the windage drum set that tight for long periods of time and when not using the rifle, back it off a bit to relieve tension. Position windage to mechanical zero, middle hash mark on sight base, and do initial windage adjustment by moving front sight either right or left(allen head screw in front sight rear to provide adj.) Once all that is done, unless someone has altered the front sight post, some 11-13 clks up will put you on target at 200yds.

** You may well know this, but the hooded portion of the peep sight rotates and the aperture/hole is drilled off center and when rotating you gain the .5moa adj. for elevation up or down. One click up is 1 moa and then you can adj. by rotating the hood and a small v is found on the edge of the hood itself. If you want to really get "high tech" there is a lens system you can put in the hood to help for older eyes. Use one myself and it helps.

Again, my method is not by the book, but has worked for me for a long time now and sure others can add to what I have said.

martin

Thank you very much for your very detailed and very clear suggested procedure and explanation.

I am going to try your method tomorrow morning and then will let you know how it works out for me.

I suspect, from what you wrote, that I may need a new elevation drum. There does not appear to be any spring tension in it at all.

I did know about the rotation of the NM hood, but thanks for putting it in there anyway. I might have been someone who didn't.

If you want to cry with me, I'll mention I once had an as new in box Winchester genuine NM Garand rifle, and sold it for $285!! (24 years ago. I got it from DCM.)

Please shoot me a price on the hooded peep rack. I'd rather buy from someone who has tried to help me out than from someone I've never met.
Would also like to find out more about the lens system. My vision is not quite all it used to be, let's say, 70-odd years ago.

Well, I won't tell you how any thousands a Win. NM Garand in mint condition would bring today to collectors, but would buy a very decent double rifle with it. Some ten years ago, one went on the CMP auction site and friend bid 8,000.00 on it and lost. Go figure.

As to whether you will need a new elevation drum/pinion it is hard to say, but if you look on the inside of that drum you will see the
back side of that spring washer and there is not much "spring" to it, but just enough that once assembled you can depress it to relieve the pressure on the right side,windage drum side, to permit rotating of the wind drum. It may well be weakened or even broke, but as a suggestion, would go ahead and purchase a replacement for quality mil spec M1Parts are not as common as they once were. Check out Fulton Armory, Savage, MD for they do carry some inventory of genuine mil spec rear sight parts. If you are going to keep the Garand, should, might consider buying new spring cover, sight base, windage drum, etc. for future use as spares. Believe Fulton offers a complete rear sight pkg. for around 150.00 (easy for me to spend money when it is not mine!!)

Do a search for Bob Jones Sight Lens system and believe that will bring up what you are looking for in the lens I mentioned. It sure helps seeing that post clearly and as you know that is where it happens. I use one in my NM AR15 as well since my eyes are near 70 yrs old.

Drop me a PM w/ your location and most likely one of the NM hooded units will appear in your mail, no problem.

martin