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AW93 - Need help re-assembling the rear sight.

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:13 am
by stepme
I have taken off the "Docter" sight but I don't have the instructions on how to re-assemble the iron sights. Specifically, what to do with two small roller bearings, two small springs, and one larger spring... Please help!

Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 4:02 pm
by Walter
Gun pointing downrange for reference. The large spring goes over the drift pin from the right, so that it's captured by the sight frame and the right side of the sight.

The two screws go into the holes in the sight frame and the ball bearings go over the screws. When the sight is put together with the drift pin, it will hold the balls and springs in place.

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:50 pm
by stepme
Thank you, Walter. All done!

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:02 pm
by dante
Been there, done that this week.

My advice to anyone who attempts this is to be very careful, grease the little springs and bearings with lith grease, drop the rear sight elevation all the way down, be gentle, and put a plastic bag over the top of the AW93 while you are working (to catch any fliers). I found that - especially given the massive force needed to seat the sight leaf while compressing the L-R spring - the tiniest pressure on those balls can send them and their springs flying (in one case one went 14 feet). It helps to have a helper. It also helps to put the L-R spring in - as well as starting the pin in the bridge - before you even insert the springs or balls. And for goodness sake, man, keep a finger on each corner of the front to keep the balls in place (hence the helper).

No one in the U.S. seems to stock replacement parts for the sights, so if you blow it and you can't find the parts, you are out of luck. I think that this is pretty shabby, considering that the gun is massively expensive, the spare parts probably cost nothing for a dealer to stock, it takes a month to get anything from FWB, and there is a decent chance of losing the parts every time you change sights.

In terms of production engineering, this is possibly the worst sight design ever conceived for such a great-shooting pistol. But more on that later.