Quoted: Not to hijack your thread, but I have ask.
How much does it usually cost to get your GI slide dovetailed for a front sight?
And what is the size of the rear dovetail on the GI?
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When you get a front DT cut, whether for the standard Novak cut or Heinie cut, you have bare metal left afterwards. Also, after having cut, even if machined perfect, the sight might, and most probably will, need some filing to be a good match, as the size varies a bit from sight to sight. At the very least, you will need to deburr the edges of the sight usually.
With that in mind, some smiths will cut the dovetail and let you install your own front sight, and others will not, knowing that a person with little to no experience is likely to botch the sight and possible the dovetail cut itself. Some smiths feel that letting a customer do this can be a bad business practice. Also, some smiths will cut the dovetail and cold blue, while some will refuse to cut it without refinishing the slide. It just depends on the smith.
A simple front dovetail cut usually runs around $40 - $60. I've seen them as low as $25, and as high as $85. That's without any refinishing, other than cold blue. That's also without fitting your front sight, though there are plenty of places that will cut and install your front sight with cold blue for $40 - $60.
Now, as for the rear dovetail, I've never seen anyone talk about the dovetail size. Pretty much all quality 1911 slides have a standard GI rear sight cut. The exception would be an aftermarket slide with no cuts, but people who buy those usually leave them bald or get a rear cut for Novaks, Heinies, or Bo-Mars. If you're just looking for replacement sights, Colt, Springfield, etc. are all the same rear cut.
The actual nominal specs for the rear cut are: .344" wide by .814" deep by 65 degrees.
BTW GenghisKahn, thanks for posting that link. I noticed that Brownells did not have those sights anymore in their current catalog, and with them all but dropping King's products, it's good to know I can still get those medium tenon sights for the few people that ask me for them. Thanks again.