Gear Review: Magna-Matic Defense AKFST front sight tool for AK rifles

It’s official, I’ve found the one—sight tool. An earlier review of another device made to adjust AK/SKS front sights was full of disappointment. But this one is a keeper — meaning this review will be short.

To recap, elevation adjustment on the FM-AK47 was an easy task with the other tool. Windage was another matter. I squeezed, cranked, pounded, and took a little finish off the right side of the sight as well as some skin off my thumb trying to move it. In the end, it was the tool, not the sight, that moved, bending itself into uselessness.

Stepping up my sight-adjusting readiness meant spending a few more dollars. For less than $40, I had the AKSFT front sight tool, made by Magna-Matic Defense of Wisconsin, in hand. And in hand, it’s a pleasure to hold and view, like any quality tool. The body of the tool is crafted of hardened steel, plated with a smooth zinc finish. The 4.5-inch handle is stainless steel. It weighs 10.6 ounces and is 4.5 inches long. There’s also a gunsmith edition of the tool, fully CNC-machined and with a selection of non-marring tips for elevation adjustment of various rifle types. It’s $86.99.

Magna-Matic Defense has a list of AKSFT-compatible rifles on their website. With a couple exceptions, it works on most rifles of AK and SKS design.

Given the struggle I’d had with other tools, there was some reservation in my mind about whether this one would work. It fits fully around the front sight post, unlike C-clamp designs that only encircle half of it. I put it on the post and aligned the pusher bar with the side of the sight that needed to move. Tentatively, I put gentle pressure on the handle. There was no breaking-free sensation to the movement of the front sight, but move it did, with astonishingly little pressure applied by me. The longer length of handle makes for mighty leverage, and the high-quality steel materials did the rest.

I took a moment after the mere seconds it took to adjust the sight to appreciate the American ingenuity and excellence in manufacturing that have gone into the design and production of this tool. It’s truly in a class of its own, and a bargain at $34.99 plus shipping.

The post Gear Review: Magna-Matic Defense AKFST front sight tool for AK rifles appeared first on Guns.com.