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Introduction |
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| Note:
To improve the reader's ability to find manufacturer's contact and
pricing information in the articles, I have placed the contact info
at the top, right side, and bottom of the articles.
The pricing information can be found in the right column of the page as well as the bottom of the article. Throughout the article you will find hyperlinks (URL) to the manufacturer's website everyplace the manufacturer's name appears. I hope redundancy makes it easy to find the information. |
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I was recently walking around at a gun show and found a Williams aperture sight for the SKS Carbine. I really wanted to purchase it, but I had already spent my budgeted amount for the show and resolved to finding it later on the web when I had money. I have discovered that sometimes when you see something at a gun show, that it may not be manufactured anymore. When I went to the Williams Gun Sight Company website, I was really pleased to find out that Williams still made the aperture sight I had seen at the gun show and they also make a very interesting looking SKS front sight called the Williams Firesight. Both front and rear Williams sights are drop-in replacements for the typical SKS carbine. From what I saw in the product literature on the website and their printed catalog, the Firesight is a very bright fiber-optic sight. I could not wait to get my hands on one and try it out at the range. I sent off a request to Williams for a sample for an article and they quickly mailed me a set of the sights. |
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Prepare yourself for the fiber-optic light gathering sensation that not only allows for higher visibility, but also presents a faster sight and target picture. It's the day time sight that's lightweight, and yet very durable. It's the sight that brightens in low light situations. Made from aircraft strength aluminum (front beads are made of steel) not plastic. |
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My favorite SKS and the test platform for this project is one of my Yugo 59/66. It has a perfect stock with beautiful wood grain. It shoots really well and is as solid as a rock. I think it is one of the better made SKS. I don't think of it as a collectable firearm or a firearm that I have to leave in pristine original condition. I have other Yugo 59/66 SKS that I have left in original condition for the sake of collecting. This Yugo SKS is for me to do with whatever I want. I have removed the pesky grenade sight and it had a very nice Smith Muzzle Brake installed (it was already installed when I received it - it is a California legal Yugo) that replaces the grenade launcher. I left the bayonet attached so the cleaning rod would stay in place. One of the only features I would improve, on my Yugo SKS, would be the sights. As I have said in prior articles, my eyes are starting to fade and an easier to use sighting system would be a great improvement. I hoped that the new Williams Firesights would be the answer to my wishes. Although most SKS carbines are the same, the Yugo 59/66 is a variation on the original theme. Some of the dimensions are not to the original specs. The rear sight of the Yugo 59/66 is interchangeable with other SKS sights but I didn't know if this were true with the front sight. I had my suspicions because recently while using a standard SKS front sight adjustment tool, that fit all of my other SKS, I found it would not fit my 59/66. I finally had to widen the tool so it would fit over the front sight post. Although the Williams Firesight was made to be a drop-in part for a traditional SKS I thought I might have to make some minor adjustments to get it to fit the Yugo. Another reason I chose this SKS for my project is I figured with so many of the readers purchasing the large quantities of the Yugo 59/66 coming into the US lately, they would want to know if the Williams Firesights would work on their SKS. |
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Click
on any of the images below to see a larger version of the image. |
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For more information -
Williams Gun Sight Company, Inc. TOLL FREE: (800) 530 - 9028 email Williamsgunsight@aol.com |
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Removing and Installing the Rear Sight |
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 Figure 1 shows the
package of the Williams SKS
front and rear sights. |
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 The
rear sight of the SKS is really easy to remove.
There are no pins to drive out. At the front of the sight leaf there are two trunnions that the sight pivots on and is also held in the sight base by. |
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 There is a flat spring that
places upwards pressure on the rear sight leaf and keeps the trunnions
held in a slot at the front of the sight base. |
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If you press down on the flat spring you will be able to pull the sight leaf to the rear and out (as shown in figure 3). |
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 Figure 4 shows a trick to insert the supplied pin that comes with the Williams rear sight. I found it difficult to try and keep pressure held on the rear sight's flat spring and drive the pin in at the same time. This is really a job for three hands! With a plastic quick clamp and a punch (or flat narrow object), I was able to keep the spring held down with constant pressure applied. This left my hands free to handle driving in the pin. |
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Next, drive the pin into the holes on the rear sight base. Note: Be careful to make sure the pin is driven in far (flush) enough to allow the gas release lever to move freely. Otherwise it will stop the lever from moving full arc, when you are trying to remove the gas tube for cleaning. |
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Installing the new aperture sight is also very easy. Just press down on the flat spring and slide the sight under the installed pin. |
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The sight is held in place between the pin and the spring. It is very secure and stable. |
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Removing and Installing the Front Sight |
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 The
original front sight of the SKS is a threaded post that is screwed into
a windage drum. The drum sits in a channel and can be slid back and
forth to adjust for windage. |
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Using an SKS front sight adjustment tool, I unscrewed the post from the windage drum. |
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Next I used a punch and drove the windage drum out of the front sight.
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When I tried to install the Williams Firesight into the vacant slot, I found the it was too large. This was expected because I had found other dimensional differences in the front sight post. |
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I carefully filed both sides of the Williams Firesight. I then tried to install it. I did this several times, only removing a little at a time until it finally fit snuggly into the slot of the front sight. Be careful not to remove too much! |
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Figure 12 shows the new sight post inserted into the front sight awaiting to be secured. |
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Included was a hex screw that is screwed into the new Williams Firesight and tightened. This securely holds the front sight in place.
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Figure 14 shows the completed installation. Note: Notice the brightness of the Williams Firesight - even in indoor lighting. |
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Adjusting the Windage and Elevation |
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The front sight is fixed securely and cannot be adjusted. The rear sight has both windage and elevation adjustments. |
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Figure 16 shows the location of the windage and elevation adjustments on the Williams rear aperture sight. |
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Shooting with the Williams Firesights |
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In my opinion, using the combination of the Williams aperture rear sight and the Williams Firesight emulates the sight picture of a red dot scope (as shown in the drawing in figure 17). What I think is great about this "red dot" sighting system is that you only need a source of light for it to work and don't have to constantly replace batteries (especially if you forgot to turn off the scope the last time you used it). |
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 When I woke up on Saturday morning
and saw a patch of blue, I was very happy and I packed up and sped to
the range hoping I could get there and finish shooting before the downpour
started. |
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 Even in overcast skies the
front sight was intensely bright (as shown in figure 19 and 20).
Note: Figure 20 shows the actual sight picture when using the Williams aperture and Williams Firesight combo. A difficult picture to take. |
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 Accuracy at 50 yards was very
good indeed. Groups were tight and the sights were easy to use
(as figures 21 and 22).
I felt inclined to sight differently. I would place the red dot over the intended point of aim instead of directly below it. I did this because as I said earlier the Williams Firesights remind me of using a red dot scope. It just seemed the natural thing to do. |
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 Because of the wind, I did
not attempt to shoot at 100 yards.
I really like these sights. I like them enough that I plan on installing them on a couple of my other SKS as well. I can use any help I can get when it comes to sighting in a rifle. The sight picture of the new sight set is far superior to the original SKS sights and I do not feel it detracts in any way form the look or functionality of the carbine. Everyone at the range that saw the Williams Firesights installed on my Yugo 59/66, commented on how bright they were and how quick and easy it was to obtain a sight picture! I felt like the "belle of the ball" (I couldn't think of another analogy to use). Even with the modification I had to make to get the front sight post installed, I would still consider the project only low in difficulty to complete. Also the upside to this project is that I did not have to modify the SKS permanently in any way! Overall I would rate this product very highly! |
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Manufacturer Supplied Instructions |
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The SKS Rifle Fire Sight Set # 63464 installed in this article can be purchased for $39.95 at the following - Williams Gun Sight Company, Inc. TOLL FREE: (800) 530 - 9028 email Williamsgunsight@aol.com
jlm ;) |
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