Anyone else ever botched a sight install?

[maroonandwhite]

:down:

 

I received my new set of Ameriglo pro I-dot's yesterday and went to put them on. When I changed them out on my M&P I have always just used a steel punch with a towel on the end of it layered about four times. These were going on my Glock 23. After putting on the front sight and drifting out the old rear sight I went at it. I knocked the sight in as far as it would go with a mallet and started using the punch. MAN was it tight. I had to really hit it hard a couple of times and when I pulled the punch/towel back to my horror the punch had cut through the towel and marred the side of the sights up. I have never had a Glock that sights were this hard to get it. I ended up drifting it back out and grinding on it very lightly with a dremel. Still a tight fit but they finally went on. I got in a hurry doing it and now I am paying for it.

 

On the up side this isn't an expensive 1911 and is my carry gun so I am not too upset....but it does suck. Anyone else ever done this? (Make me feel better haha).

[scoutfsu]

Some sights require fitting on Glocks man.  Even some sights from the same manufacturer.  I haven't done it, yet, but I've heard and read about others doing so.  As long as you didn't mash vials or anything, you should be good.

 

I used to do what you do.  I was never really happy with getting the rear perfectly aligned so I invested in a used MGW sight tool.  One of the better Glock purchases I've made....

 

 

ETA: you can use a dremel....but I would try some sand paper next time.  Its too easy to lose too much material with a dremel, IMO.

Edited June 13, 2013 by scoutfsu

[jdw174]

The Warren-Sevigny sights I installed on my G19 required a substantial bit of work with a dovetail file to get them to fit.  Well worth the time and effort though.

[Caster]

Nope, I've never hit a rear sight on an XD45 so hard that I knocked one of the tritium vials out. Never! And I don't appreciate anyone insinuating I'd be so stupid as to mess up a set of sights I paid so much for.





LOL

[maroonandwhite]

Some sights require fitting on Glocks man.  Even some sights from the same manufacturer.  I haven't done it, yet, but I've heard and read about others doing so.  As long as you didn't mash vials or anything, you should be good.

 

I used to do what you do.  I was never really happy with getting the rear perfectly aligned so I invested in a used MGW sight tool.  One of the better Glock purchases I've made....

 

 

ETA: you can use a dremel....but I would try some sand paper next time.  Its too easy to lose too much material with a dremel, IMO.

Yeah I have one of the cheap walmart dremels (on purpose actually) just for the fact that they don't spin as fast as the better ones. On the low setting it barely even spins fast enough to throw sparks.

 

I didn't damage the vials at all just some idiot marks on the sights. Hopefully in a few days the sting won't be so bad and I will stop contemplating ordering a new rear sight haha.

 

Edit: Also I remember when we swapped sights on that glock 19 and 27. That was the first time I had seen one of those tools and thought it was awesome. MAN are they proud of them though. Now that I am pretty set on owning mostly Glocks I may invest in one.

Edited June 13, 2013 by maroonandwhite

[scoutfsu]

Haha, they are expensive but I think they're well worth it if you're going to standardize into Glocks.  Thats pretty much the path I went....got rid of my M&P's, 1911's, etc.  It just made sense to spend the money and be able to do the sights right with no aggravation.

 

I picked mine up like new for $65 I think.  Pay attention to AR15.com's EE.  I've seen them come up from time to time.  If you don't need it right this second, I would wait until one comes up.

 

I've used mine waaaaay more than I thought I would when I got it.  Really, it's turned into one of the better things I've bought for my Glocks.

 

Whenever I'm back in the States, you're more than free to use it.

[maroonandwhite]

Thanks for the offer scout but I'm sure I'll have one soon. Going on vacation saturday so I'll probably pick one up as vacation spending. The wife can't fight it that way haha.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Get a set of brass punches. They will bend and squish rather than the steel. The worst that can happen is ou have some gold colored smearing that comes off easily. The brass puches are expenable items because they do't last forever like steel does.

 

Another option that I routinely do is use a rubber mallet directly against the sights and just beat them into submission. Definitely will not bend or dent the metal but it generally takes a few more hits.

[maroonandwhite]

Any idea where to pick up brass punches? I looked at Lowe's and HD a when I ordered these but couldn't find them. I would settle for Nylon too if I knew where to get them.

[Caster]

Any idea where to pick up brass punches? I looked at Lowe's and HD a when I ordered these but couldn't find them. I would settle for Nylon too if I knew where to get them.

Norther tool should have some. They're so cheap, buy a few sets. Beat em to death and pitch em.


http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_126188_126188 Edited June 13, 2013 by Caster

[Caster]

....just checked, you can get em cheaper than that on slEeze Bay.

[Chadastrophic]

I'd rather have a few idiot marks and know I did it myself, than to pay someone else to do it for me without marks.



Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

[orientalexpress]

I've seen a gunsmith I know use aluminum punches. Softer than steel and easier clean up. Alumiblack to touch up any marks left behind.

[Guest sL1k]

Get a set of brass punches. They will bend and squish rather than the steel. The worst that can happen is ou have some gold colored smearing that comes off easily. The brass puches are expenable items because they do't last forever like steel does.

Another option that I routinely do is use a rubber mallet directly against the sights and just beat them into submission. Definitely will not bend or dent the metal but it generally takes a few more hits.

I used a pot holder to secure my slide in a vice and beat the hell out of it with a rubber mallet to install my glock sights lol

If its too tight just lay sand paper on a flat surface and then slide the base of the sight across it. (Most people try to remove the excess from the sides)
This works much Better.

[crashgordan]

With super tight installs, I have routinely warmed the slide (slowly) with a heat gun and a laser temp monitor and bring the sight to a very cold temp with CO2 or dry ice.

Generally get the parts together and drift to final adjustment w brass punch

As the slide and sight return to normal temp, the fit is very tight

YMMV

[maroonandwhite]

Pic of the damage.

[tomthumb_KTM]

Dawson makes a punch that has a nylon tip. Here is a video with Mr Dawson using it. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4maCQhEIjoA

Here is a link to the five dollar punch

http://www.dawsonprecision.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=80000EB5-1297371469

[Dolomite_supafly]

I NEVER use any type of cloth to shield parts to prevent damage. To hold parts inside a vice I ALWAYS use leather because it works great, holds the parts well and is very difficult to damage a gun. I always use brass punches for smaller stuff and aluminum rods for stuff that needs more brute force.

 

sLk1's method for fitting sights works great on 90% of the sights out there. And if you accidentally take too much off fixing it is easy. I will use a pointed punch to put  few dimples on the slide INSIDE the dovetail or do the same to the underneath of the sight. Some sights are actually hardened material so using a punch to move material can be very difficult. Most slides that I have worked on are soft steel inside the sight dovetail.