Ran it last weekend.  took it out to clean, and GaH!

I cant even find these things to replace it.  If I do, and tricks to keeping it in place?









It's been god-knows-what to it over its life, but tends to shoot pretty good, so I enjoy running it from time to time.

Too bad it was refinished in nickel like that, but still a respectable old classic.
Staked on front sights are a pain, but any decent gunsmith should be able to do it properly so it stays in place. Finding a replacement may be tough, you may have to make do with a wwIi era replacement which are still easy to find.

Brownells at one point sold replacement front sites for the pre A1s.

Tenon style front sight. Requires a special tool/fixture to properly install. I have one that's been missing the front sight for over a decade.
It's on the "To Do" list.

Cylinder & Slide Shop sell original type 1911 sights,  but are out of stock right now............

https://cylinder-slide.com/Category/repfsrs

Brownell's list the early 1911 front made by Doug Turnbull, but also out of stock.......

https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/sights/front-sights/1911-reproduction-front-sights-prod58026.aspx?psize=96

I know someone else has them, but can't remember who off hand.

While it’s been a few years & a lot has changed Colt sent me one for free.  May be worth calling their CS.  Any narrow tenon front sight will work but you likely want to keep original in appearance (half moon style).  

I’ve used the Brownells staking tool & an easy to make homemade jig that clamps in a vice on several with no issue.  PM me if interested & I’ll send a pic or post it up.

LOL, who knows - I'll give it a shot.


....

no joy.   Apparently it is out of warrenty.  This is an outrage!  

Look around at older surplus sites, there's still original M1911 front sights out there, small tenon.

That front sight held in place for almost 110 years. There really are no "tricks to keep it in place"; that's how they go.

There's a lot of reasons to not shoot those original M1911s anymore; extractors break, front sights fall off, slides crack. If you want a banger to just beat at the range, Sistemas are out there and cheaper (with much less historical value)...Caspian makes M1911-clone frames and slides, etc etc etc. Basically, unless you already have a pile of vintage/period-correct replacement parts for all the known parts to break on an early M1911, I wouldn't shoot it at all.