Posted: 9/19/2009 6:27:34 PM EDT
Dammit...everything I typed was lost now I gotta do this again, the coding for the reply box messed up or something and I wasnt able to read the bottom line of my typing ARRGGG
Sorry bout the rant. Lemme try this again, I had a nice post too. Basically this gun was a Christmas present from my wife a few years back and has less than a box of ammo through it. The sights suck so I dont shoot it much. The front sight is canted to the left a bit and the rear sight and front sight are a bitch to use in low light or less than sunny situations. I like this gun and I want to be able to enjoy shooting it more so I need to do something with these sights. Is changing the sights something a guy can do at home or do I need a machinest to do it? Does the front sight just push out or is it staked in somehow? I read some of things posted here and didnt see anything to help me out much and my search abilities suck 
Anyone recommend a good set of sights to replace my stock ones with? Anyway I may edit my post or add to it now I just wanna get it up and the pics up before it screws up and pisses me off again. 
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Ok more info on my original post. It shoots several inches low and left at 25 feet. My grouping is within reason but I think if I had some better sights, something I can see better and adjust if needed I would be more happy with this gun. That is what I want.
Thanks, Wes |
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First you need to install anti-virus/spyware on your computer and do your windows updates.
Second find a set of sights that you like contact a local gunsmith and have them install them for you. The rear sight is easy you can just knock it off. The front sight is stacked and you will need a tool to get it off and new one on correctly. |
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First you need to install anti-virus/spyware on your computer and do your windows updates. Second find a set of sights that you like contact a local gunsmith and have them install them for you. The rear sight is easy you can just knock it off. The front sight is stacked and you will need a tool to get it off and new one on correctly. First... I have all the updates from windows... I do it twice a week and I scan it all the time. It is a bug. I have several I contacted microshaft about...comments-we have some known bugs and are working on them  Sometimes IE will just stop working all together. I really noticed it going to shit after the last major flash player update I did.
So I thought the front sight was staked but I didnt know for sure–– thanks good info. Gunsmiths are rare where I live and decent gunstores are moreso. That is why I was asking for recommendations on gunsights. The closest gunshop that handles anything that may be able to show me something at all would be Jay's Guns in Crestview Florida which is an hour away and they are practically never there on weekends cause they are always taking thier stuff to gunshows. By the time I get home from work during the week I wouldn't have time or the patience left in me to deal with the assholes that work down there. Thanks, Wes |
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Springfield will sell you a set of sights used on their Mil-Spec model for a very reasonable amount––I think around $25. They are very similar to your current sights except they are signifcantly taller and have white dots. I have a Mil-Spec and the sights are very usable. As noted, the rear sights slides in and out in the same dovetail. The current front sight has to be surgically removed from the slide, and the new sight, assuming its a staked design, has to be properly staked in its place. The advantage to using a Springfield-supplied front sight, is that Springfield uses an odd-ball tenon (the post that goes into the slide) size that the other sight makers don't make. You can use a "wide" tenon, but it has to be whittled down to the "medium" size used by Springfield. I'd have a pro install the front sight, as it needs to be aligned and staked properly. You could send your slide back to Springfield and they could install the sights for you, and the shipping costs would be nominal.
If you choose to go further and have a dovetailed front sight, there are a lot more sight options, but the sight cost plus the installation cost start to get signifcant. There are other sight options for the rear sight but they are a little limited. Millett and 10-8 make a nice rear and front sight combo. You need to look for a rear sight that will install in a g.i. dovetail, otherwise you'll have to mill a new dovetail in the slide. Shooting low and left is pretty common, and in my experience is caused by anticipating recoil and jerking the trigger. It also could be a sight issue. Lots of dry firing experience is a good idea until you can drop the hammer without changing the sight picture. Easier said than done. You might also want to check the trigger pull. The trigger pull on my Mil-Spec was in excess of 8 lbs. Spec for that model and the G.I. model is 5-6 lbs. I was shooting signficantly low but assumed it was the heavy trigger which proved to be correct, 'cause when SA fixed the trigger the low shooting went away. Suggest you check the trigger pull. Good luck. |
| You need to start doing some gunsmith shopping. A good gunsmith is someone that first of all is friendly.... Let me repeat that again. A good gunsmith is someone that is friendly... From there you establish is he knowledgeable. Brownells can help recommend a good one. There are several good ones that hang around the forums. Take your time and find the one you can work with, then work together on solving your sight problem. |
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Thanks everyone...
Extra thanks for the LOL sinister–– when you said I want the 'big-ass sight' that was funny as hell. Yea I got to do some gunsmith shopping thats for sure. Did anyone notice the cant on my front sight from the picture? So I just buy the ones I want and get a smith to put them on... easy enough I guess. Gotta find a smith. Thanks, Wes |
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Yeah, I couldn't see that damn little notch, either! :) LOL yea and that low ass front sight is hard to see too. I like the one in your picture. You said you got it from springfield? How do I go about finding one? Is it on thier web site? I'll check I was just looking at Brownell's lots of expensive stuff there thing is I dont know the sizes I need.. Thanks |
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You want the big-ass notch retro sight and a new Springfield MIL-SPEC stake-in front sight: http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/products/p_100002166_1.jpg http://i26.tinypic.com/efi6ic.jpg http://i32.tinypic.com/k36hys.jpg Nice. Looks like an excellent balance of retro cosmetics and better sighting. "Discontinued by the Factory"
I found a shop that still has the retro rear sights and will "Supply & install Yost-Bonitz 'retro' rear sight with staked-in serrated ramp front sight" for $100 plus shipping.  It's easy to find, but I'm not posting a link until my 1911 is shipped.
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Quoted:
Thanks everyone... Extra thanks for the LOL sinister–– when you said I want the 'big-ass sight' that was funny as hell. Yea I got to do some gunsmith shopping thats for sure. Did anyone notice the cant on my front sight from the picture? So I just buy the ones I want and get a smith to put them on... easy enough I guess. Gotta find a smith. Thanks, Wes Harrison Custom service 115. My slide will be there tomorrow. 
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for the rear sight, I really like 10-8s and U notches- so I recommend this:
http://10-8performance.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1P&Product_Code=01-140&Category_Code=1911 
find a smith, and get a nice big ass front sight with something bright on it 
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I just got it back! SEVEN FREAKING DAYS!  That includes shipping from Seattle to Kennesaw Georgia and back! Looks awesome––I can't wait to shoot it. Kudos to Harrison!
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To the OP: Just a low buck option, but you can go get high temp, bake on engine paint (wight) from an auto part store, lightly sand your front sight, mask it off and paint it, then bake it on (mine came off immediatly when I didn't bake it. Make sure the slide is totally stripped and degreased first. This really helped me. I was also advised by others here that I can widen the notch in the rear sight with a file. If you're ready to spend $$$ now anyways, then it'd be no harm to mess with the old sights first. If you like it it'll save you some $$$$.
Try shooting from a rest and see if it still shoots low/left? If so, you need to drift the rear sight right and file donw the front sights height. |
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Hope this isn't too off topic?
The older I get, the blinder I get, I can't properly align the factory steel sights on my SA 1911A1 GI, beyond 25 yards I'm way off the bullseye. Gun store recommended white paint as a cheap and easy aid, maybe glow in the dark paint. I've read some posts here which some say to replace the factory sights with white dot sights (forgot from which pistol model they come from), but it seems it would just be easier to install a Crimson Trace, Lasermax laser sight or simular? Haven't got much experience with these, although I've seen them used in red color under artificial light at the indoor range up to 50 yards, so I figure that for low light or dark combat situations, the laser would be the way to go, question is...are they visible in bright light situations? My cousins, one a CT State Policeman, the other a City Narc officer believe laser grips (if available) would benefit me. I really don't want to hang an external laser, the less add-ons the better, none preferred. Quick target aquisition is critical in self defense; with the short steel sights, its the followup shots are what I have trouble with after recoil from the previous shot, trying to get right back on target is too time consuming in a crisis situation. I wouldn't be using the 1911 for targets beyond 50 yards anyway, for that I have a Bushmaster M4A3 with an Aimpoint CompM4, 3x Mag and Surefire G2Z Combat light; I've got the Henry Big Boy 357 Magnum lever action; a Ruger 10/22 with Simmons scope; anything closer than 25 yards I have a Taurus Judge Magnum with the 3" barrel. Common sense would tell me that wave length, beam size as well as color matter greatly, especially for my fogged up eyes, but I understand green would be best for bright light situations? We never know which of the countless real life situations could come our way, but no matter what, I want to be right back on target. Maybe whats better than lasers is install both white dot sights AND laser. I'll keep reading on and experiment I guess. Choice of ammo for each given situation with any weapon though is just as critical as seeing the target and getting on target. |
I got rid of the small sights on my GI. Ireplaced them with a set of Kings combat sights. You might be able to find a set from this guy. Jeff bregman 818-956-6010 10am-6pm m-f , sat 10-4pm. Another member said he found out this guy bought the inventory of Kings gun works. Its worth a try. The combat sights are real nice addition to the GI. Here is a picture of my GI with the sights.
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The Retro sight is back in production!
http://www.grizzlycustom.com/parts_1911.html |
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Before you do any of this. Go back to the range and shoot your pistol from a rest. preferable sand bags. This should reduce any shooter induced problems and show you where your grouping actually is.
It is possible you are having a shooter problem rather than a sight problem. A wimdage adjustment is not that difficult but to raise or lower the grouping with a fixed sight arrangement will mean changing the height of the front sight. I would hate for you to have the sights changed out and still have the grouping problem. link |