Crew

I got a used G23 with a set of XS Big Dots on it. The goon that put the sights on over tightened the rear Allen head set screws, I can't get them off.

The set screws will barely grab the correct size wrench, so I tried heading my Allen wrench with a hot soldering iron and it didn't help. Soaked the screws with acetone and it didn't help.


Any tips? Should I drill them out? any tips on drilling?

Put the pointed tip of the soldering iron in the screw hole. This will break loose any loctite on the screw. Then use a new allen wrench for a tighter fit.

if I was in the same boat I'd take a rear sight tool and force the sight off.  You might scuff up the dovetail but it shouldn't impact functionality and it'll be hidden when you put a new sight on.  that assumes you're wanting to replace the sight.    If you don't have a site tool a local GS could do it for you, shouldn't charge too much.  

Then you can try soaking to see if helps but they provide red loctite with big dots and while you're only supposed to put it on the notch folks do tend to put it everywhere and those screws are too tiny to work against that kind of bond.   But it's because it's red loctite to break the bond you need to heat it to the point where you'll destroy the tritium capsule.  If you don't want to keep the sight then no problem, just drive it off and call it a day.

Once I got it off l I'd put it on a mill and use a center drill to remove the screws and then tap it again, trying to do it by hand could lead to drifting.    A gunsmith or machinist should be able to help there as well.  

If you have room, and the screws are not too small, you could use a small cutting wheel to notch the screw heads and use a flat-tip screwdriver to back them out.

Thanks. I tried heating the Allen wrench directly but it did not work. I will get the tip right on the head of the Allen screw.

Great technique, but these are recessed.

Blue: This will be my last resort.

Red: Shop rates are fucking nuts. The cost to do the sights is 3/4 the cost of a sight pusher.

Try a machine shop maybe instead of a gunsmith maybe.