[nickE10mm]

Has anyone installed a different front sight on their 1911? My pistol uses the standard dovetail size of .33" wide x 65 deg x .070" deep x .190" high. The Fusion sight I'm going to purchase is .33" x 65 deg x .075" x .190". It doesn't look like it would be too hard. I have a vise, a non-marring punch, hammer, a flat mill file, a Brownell's 65 degree dovetail file and some red locktite. I don't see how hard it could be but I don't want to get halfway through and realize that I can't do it. Is there anything else I need to know? Any places on the site I should start removing metal on FIRST? Are there any roll pins I need to know about? Anyone know if DW have the provide these pins or could I get them elsewhere?

Anyone with any experience? Dave? I'd like to go ahead and order my new front sight but will hold off if I have to pay someone to do this since I'm very low on funds.

 

[SSGN_Doc]

If the big dimensional difference is the depth of the male dovetail, then simply filing the bottom down should suffice to get the fit you want. The pins should be available from Novak or Fusion or Brownells. Mine does not utilize the secondary retaining pin.

I sanded the bottom of the sight slowly until it could only be driven into the slide with significant force. I used a piece of scrap marble with 400 grit wet dry paper wrapped around it to ensure that I was keeping things square as I removed metal. After driving the sight into place a drop of red loctite in the pin hole and the dove tail was applied.

I figure that by rmoving metal only from the sight even if I screwed up I still had left the slide dovetails untouched and would only be out a few bucks vice a couple hundred.

 

[nickE10mm]

If the big dimensional difference is the depth of the male dovetail, then simply filing the bottom down should suffice to get the fit you want. The pins should be available from Novak or Fusion or Brownells. Mine does not utilize the secondary retaining pin.

I sanded the bottom of the sight slowly until it could only be driven into the slide with significant force. I used a piece of scrap marble with 400 grit wet dry paper wrapped around it to ensure that I was keeping things square as I removed metal. After driving the sight into place a drop of red loctite in the pin hole and the dove tail was applied.

I figure that by rmoving metal only from the sight even if I screwed up I still had left the slide dovetails untouched and would only be out a few bucks vice a couple hundred.

Thanks..... The main reason I'm being squeamish is because I need it done by my trip to the deer woods Nov 16th so I'm trying to start early. I might order the sight and just go really slow and see if I can manage it myself. Maybe I'll get some differing responses, too. We'll see.

 

[SSGN_Doc]

Definitely go slow when removing metal. As they say, "It is easy to remove but a bear to put back".

File(sand) a little, recheck fit, repeat until it's where you want it.

 

[nickE10mm]

Definitely go slow when removing metal. As they say, "It is easy to remove but a bear to put back".

File(sand) a little, recheck fit, repeat until it's where you want it.

Good advice. When I modded my slide stop because of premature lock backs that's exactly what I kept telling myself.... go slow!

 

[Mirando Ketner]

I have installed many front and rear sights on my 1911's. Without exception they all needed fitting, some more than others. You have allready received the best advise, GO SLOW. It is not very hard to do and itis not very hard to mess up. Good luck Mirando

 

[nickE10mm]

Thanks, Mirando!

 

[servarw]

Call us if you need help, We can walk you though it, 607-343-4013
Bob
:smile::smile: