Posted: 12/22/2015 7:07:42 PM EDT
| Waiting on some new sights and since the gunsmithing forum is only two pages, thought I would ask here. When fitting the rear, is It any bettee to use a triangle file to file the side of the dovetail on the sight over using a flast stone to just remove material off the whole bottom of the sight? I have plenty of flat stones but no small triangle file. Thanks |
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Warren Tactical using drift punches. It is a press fit but may need fitted. Don't have the sights yet, so don't know if they will need fitted for sure, but betting a little metal will have to come off. If you must remove material, remove it from the sights. Should something go wrong you will be making a relatively inexpensive mistake on the rear sight versus a potentially expensive one if you screw up your slide. |
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If you must remove material, remove it from the sights. Should something go wrong you will be making a relatively inexpensive mistake on the rear sight versus a potentially expensive one if you screw up your slide. Quoted:
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Warren Tactical using drift punches. It is a press fit but may need fitted. Don't have the sights yet, so don't know if they will need fitted for sure, but betting a little metal will have to come off. If you must remove material, remove it from the sights. Should something go wrong you will be making a relatively inexpensive mistake on the rear sight versus a potentially expensive one if you screw up your slide. Yeah, I know that. I have done a few rifle sights in the past and just ran the bottom of the sight across a whetstone to fit it. I was watching Youtube vids on fitting a rear pistol sight and most guys are using a small triangle file to hit the side of the dovetail on the sight. I'm asking if this is a better method over just running the bottom of the sight over a whetstone. |
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Waiting on some new sights and since the gunsmithing forum is only two pages, thought I would ask here. When fitting the rear, is It any bettee to use a triangle file to file the side of the dovetail over using a flast stone to just remove material off the whole bottom of the sight? I have plenty of flat stones but no small triangle file. Thanks ALWAYS file the cheapest part... |
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sight pusher - no file. Never had to after dozens of installs. Depends on the sights. Some come way oversized and must be filed, such as Dawsons. ETA, I've seen more than one post where someone cracked a slide rail trying to install a rear sight that was too tight with an MGW sight pusher. Sometimes they're just too tight to press fit without some filing... |
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The Dawson video got me wondering about taking the metal off the side of the dovetail on the sight.I mean if he ia doing that way, that means something to me anyway. Just easier for me to take off from the bottom of the sight if that is an acceptable method. There's the easy way to do it and then there's the right way, your choice... 
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There's the easy way to do it and then there's the right way, your choice... Quoted:
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The Dawson video got me wondering about taking the metal off the side of the dovetail on the sight.I mean if he ia doing that way, that means something to me anyway. Just easier for me to take off from the bottom of the sight if that is an acceptable method. There's the easy way to do it and then there's the right way, your choice... Lol. I agree. But I had a smith show me the way I was going to do it years ago. But we all know gunsmiths are not all created equal. So you are saying my way is incorrect then? No skin off my back. I just want to do it the right way. I realize that one smith does something a different way than another too. |
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Lol. I agree. But I had a smith show me the way I was going to do it years ago. But we all know gunsmiths are not all created equal. So you are saying my way is incorrect then? No skin off my back. I just want to do it the right way. I realize that one smith does something a different way than another too. Quoted:
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The Dawson video got me wondering about taking the metal off the side of the dovetail on the sight.I mean if he ia doing that way, that means something to me anyway. Just easier for me to take off from the bottom of the sight if that is an acceptable method. There's the easy way to do it and then there's the right way, your choice... Lol. I agree. But I had a smith show me the way I was going to do it years ago. But we all know gunsmiths are not all created equal. So you are saying my way is incorrect then? No skin off my back. I just want to do it the right way. I realize that one smith does something a different way than another too. Ain't that the truth! 
Filing the bottom might work, but filing the sides will definitely work. You'd be changing the overall height of the sight by filing the bottom; although, probably not enough to noticeably change POI. And with a sight like the Warren that hangs over part of the slide you'd be moving the sight down closer to the slide, if there's not enough clearance then it'll no longer fit or maybe scratch up your slide while installing. I've installed a Dawson sight that was way oversized and there'd be no way filing the bottom would've worked (I've installed others that went in much easier). No experience with Warrens as I prefer the Dawson sights. |
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The instructions state:
Installation by a qualified gunsmith is recommended ...Note: If too much force is needed, remove the sight & slightly file or stone bottom to remove material. The sight should have a light press fit with the slide... Although I think all other sights also advertise gunsmith recommendation, most other sights are advertised as no fitting required. When I was installing mine, they took a considerably greater amount of force than any other sights I had installed, so I fit them. Just because some people choose to gorilla fuck them in place, doesn't mean they shouldn't be fitted. The fact that they are equipped with a set screw also indicates that they are supposed to be fitted so as to not require a large degree of force to install. And there lies the answer to the OPs question. The manufacturer recommends removing material from the bottom. |
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The instructions state: Installation by a qualified gunsmith is recommended ...Note: If too much force is needed, remove the sight & slightly file or stone bottom to remove material. The sight should have a light press fit with the slide... Although I think all other sights also advertise gunsmith recommendation, most other sights are advertised as no fitting required. When I was installing mine, they took a considerably greater amount of force than any other sights I had installed, so I fit them. Just because some people choose to gorilla fuck them in place, doesn't mean they shouldn't be fitted. The fact that they are equipped with a set screw also indicates that they are supposed to be fitted so as to not require a large degree of force to install. And there lies the answer to the OPs question. The manufacturer recommends removing material from the bottom. Thanks. I got a small triangle file now, but find it easier to remove metal more evenly off the bottom of the sight. Now I just need the sight. I'm pretty sure the post office lost them somewhere. A week late now. Left Austin Tx on the 19th and tracking hasn't been updated since then. Delivery date was supposed to be the 21st! |
| Thanks for all the help. USPS finally delivered the sights a few days ago. Ended up having to do a few passes on a course diamond stone to take some metal off the bottom of the sight. Mounted everything up and centered the rear sight on the slide. Windage was pretty close up close, but knocked it over a touch to center it at 25yds. Then just put a drop of blue on the lock screw. I really like this sight setup, BTW. Really easy to keep them all in the black quickly now. |
| Bought a pusher and use it when a sight is super tight. Heck most of the time I just use a punch with a spent 22 case over it and a good heavy plastic mallet to drive them in/out. Oil up the sight always helps. IMO NEVER file the slide. If the rear is absolutely too tight file the sight not the slide. |