Posted: 12/3/2025 2:34:33 PM EDT
| I'm considering putting on Novaks but I don't want to destroy an otherwise good shooting gun. I've heard about difficulties removing rear sights. |
"I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet and your mom was the bravest one of those." - Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes
| Thanks, I have Siglite sights on my P220 and I was thinking about something like those for this one. |
"I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet and your mom was the bravest one of those." - Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes
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I just ordered a set of these Novaks for my Carry (same sights as a Duty I believe). When they arrive, I'll let you know how the install goes. https://www.novaksights.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=1422741&CAT=13346 |
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Originally Posted By dmk0210: I just ordered a set of these Novaks for my Carry (same sights as a Duty I believe). When they arrive, I'll let you know how the install goes. https://www.novaksights.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=1422741&CAT=13346 |
"I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet and your mom was the bravest one of those." - Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes
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Originally Posted By dogtired: I installed a Fusion FO Novak style sight on a Duty. With some minor fitting I was able to install it. The only issue is the Novak sight pin hole did not line up with the Tisas pin hole. A question for the ages... ETA: loctite is the answer. |
"I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet and your mom was the bravest one of those." - Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes
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@piperpa24 I just got my Novaks installed. Short version: The Novaks fit the Tisas dovetails, but the front sight base needed quite a bit of filing on the bottom to make it fit. Long version: I almost broke my sight pusher and couldn't even budge the Tisas rear sight. That thing is on tight! I got it off by clamping the slide down tight and using a 12 ton hydraulic press to push it out of the dovetail. That got it out easy, but I could tell there was a lot of pressure required to move it. The front sight slid out easy using the press, since I already had everything set up. Installing the rear Novak sight was no problem using my sight pusher. It was a good tight fit, but not too tight. Basically a perfect fit. The front sight just barely would get started in the dovetail but it was too tight to fit in. I had to file the bottom of the base with a file and medium emery paper. A lot of tedious filing, testing, filing, etc. Finally I ran out of patience and carefully used a bearing press and it was still pretty tight. A bit more filing would have made it easier. The roll pin hole in sight lined up perfectly with hole in the frame BTW. This is the original slide on a B9 Carry purchased in June 2023 FWIW. There was some question about the Tisas dovetails being revised at some point, but I think that might be rumor and hearsay. Hydraulic press used to remove rear sight.   Sights removed with no damage to slide! (Tisas rear sight was scuffed but cold blue would fix it)  Success! New adjustable suppressor height Novaks!  |
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Originally Posted By piperpa24: Hmmmm. I always thought it strange to have an adjustable sight with a lock pin hole. What if your zero doesn't line up with their center hole? A question for the ages... Or if you had to have the front sight not centered for some reason, very carefully drill a new roll pin hole in the slide using the front sight's hole as a guide. You'd need a drill press to do that for sure. |
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Originally Posted By dmk0210: @piperpa24 I just got my Novaks installed. Short version: The Novaks fit the Tisas dovetails, but the front sight base needed quite a bit of filing on the bottom to make it fit. Long version: I almost broke my sight pusher and couldn't even budge the Tisas rear sight. That thing is on tight! I got it off by clamping the slide down tight and using a 12 ton hydraulic press to push it out of the dovetail. That got it out easy, but I could tell there was a lot of pressure required to move it. The front sight slid out easy using the press, since I already had everything set up. Installing the rear Novak sight was no problem using my sight pusher. It was a good tight fit, but not too tight. Basically a perfect fit. The front sight just barely would get started in the dovetail but it was too tight to fit in. I had to file the bottom of the base with a file and medium emery paper. A lot of tedious filing, testing, filing, etc. Finally I ran out of patience and carefully used a bearing press and it was still pretty tight. A bit more filing would have made it easier. The roll pin hole in sight lined up perfectly with hole in the frame BTW. This is the original slide on a B9 Carry purchased in June 2023 FWIW. There was some question about the Tisas dovetails being revised at some point, but I think that might be rumor and hearsay. Hydraulic press used to remove rear sight. https://i.imgur.com/ThriLbK.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/1gXrs0A.jpeg Sights removed with no damage to slide! (Tisas rear sight was scuffed but cold blue would fix it) https://i.imgur.com/XbofebC.jpeg Success! New adjustable suppressor height Novaks! https://i.imgur.com/K5i0xpE.jpeg Dang, thanks for posting - I'll have to try that out. Can't budge the rear sight on my Carry. |
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Originally Posted By stiglitz_actual: Dang, thanks for posting - I'll have to try that out. Can't budge the rear sight on my Carry. I forgot to mention, I also pulled the set screw and flooded some Kroil penetrating oil down in there, then let that set a while. Probably didn't matter. That thing is definitely in there tight. The dovetail appears to be in spec. They just use an oversize rear sight. They've gotta be using a beefy hydraulic press to install those in the factory. |
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Originally Posted By dmk0210: Good luck! I forgot to mention, I also pulled the set screw and flooded some Kroil penetrating oil down in there, then let that set a while. Probably didn't matter. That thing is definitely in there tight. The dovetail appears to be in spec. They just use an oversize rear sight. They've gotta be using a beefy hydraulic press to install those in the factory. Originally Posted By dmk0210: Originally Posted By stiglitz_actual: Dang, thanks for posting - I'll have to try that out. Can't budge the rear sight on my Carry. I forgot to mention, I also pulled the set screw and flooded some Kroil penetrating oil down in there, then let that set a while. Probably didn't matter. That thing is definitely in there tight. The dovetail appears to be in spec. They just use an oversize rear sight. They've gotta be using a beefy hydraulic press to install those in the factory. Wow, that's an impressive amount of force capability in that setup ! - no pun intended. And looks like you did a great job @dmk0210 on yours. Well based on your herculean effort and end result I may need to buy a brute of a sight pusher - I've been wanting one for a while anyway, and I've researched them enough to know that some aren't that strong. I don't have a press setup like yours but I'm willing to invest in a really good one like the MGW makes. Thanks for the info!. ETA: looks like you pushed it R->L |
"I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet and your mom was the bravest one of those." - Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes
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Originally Posted By piperpa24: Wow, that's an impressive amount of force capability in that setup ! - no pun intended. And looks like you did a great job @dmk0210 on yours. Well based on your herculean effort and end result I may need to buy a brute of a sight pusher - I've been wanting one for a while anyway, and I've researched them enough to know that some aren't that strong. I don't have a press setup like yours but I'm willing to invest in a really good one like the MGW makes. Thanks for the info!. ETA: looks like you pushed it R->L  I actually bought the press when I was building AKs from parts kits.  Now that I have it, I find uses for it all the time. That's the way it is with tools sometimes. It was from either Harbor Freight or Northern Tool, can't remember. Wasn't too expensive. The hardest part with big tools like that is just finding someplace to keep it.I pushed the rear sight away from the ejection port. I carefully measured the dovetail with a micrometer and the ejection port side was slightly smaller than the other side. The front sight was the opposite. It slid out towards the ejection port side. Measured that too and the ejection port side was slightly larger than the other side. You could probably remove the rear sight with a big hammer and a strong punch. Just clamp the slide down very solidly so it can't move at all, or it will shift and that's how you ding up the slide. Use a large hammer (a short handle sledge maybe) and short thick punch and really wale on it with a lot of force. Don't even try to save the rear sight, just do everything to can to protect the slide. The front sight came out really easy and getting the new sights in wasn't difficult, just a lot of filing on the bottom of the front sight. So if you can remove the rear sight, you're done with the only hard part of the job. |
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Originally Posted By dmk0210: Yeah that press really crushed it! I actually bought the press when I was building AKs from parts kits. Now that I have it, I find uses for it all the time. That's the way it is with tools sometimes. It was from either Harbor Freight or Northern Tool, can't remember. Wasn't too expensive. The hardest part with big tools like that is just finding someplace to keep it.I pushed the rear sight away from the ejection port. I carefully measured the dovetail with a micrometer and the ejection port side was slightly smaller than the other side. The front sight was the opposite. It slid out towards the ejection port side. Measured that too and the ejection port side was slightly larger than the other side. You could probably remove the rear sight with a big hammer and a strong punch. Just clamp the slide down very solidly so it can't move at all, or it will shift and that's how you ding up the slide. Use a large hammer (a short handle sledge maybe) and short thick punch and really wale on it with a lot of force. Don't even try to save the rear sight, just do everything to can to protect the slide. The front sight came out really easy and getting the new sights in wasn't difficult, just a lot of filing on the bottom of the front sight. So if you can remove the rear sight, you're done with the only hard part of the job. |
"I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet and your mom was the bravest one of those." - Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes
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Originally Posted By piperpa24: I much appreciate all the info Sir and so do others I'm sure. Originally Posted By piperpa24: Originally Posted By dmk0210: Yeah that press really crushed it! I actually bought the press when I was building AKs from parts kits. Now that I have it, I find uses for it all the time. That's the way it is with tools sometimes. It was from either Harbor Freight or Northern Tool, can't remember. Wasn't too expensive. The hardest part with big tools like that is just finding someplace to keep it.I pushed the rear sight away from the ejection port. I carefully measured the dovetail with a micrometer and the ejection port side was slightly smaller than the other side. The front sight was the opposite. It slid out towards the ejection port side. Measured that too and the ejection port side was slightly larger than the other side. You could probably remove the rear sight with a big hammer and a strong punch. Just clamp the slide down very solidly so it can't move at all, or it will shift and that's how you ding up the slide. Use a large hammer (a short handle sledge maybe) and short thick punch and really wale on it with a lot of force. Don't even try to save the rear sight, just do everything to can to protect the slide. The front sight came out really easy and getting the new sights in wasn't difficult, just a lot of filing on the bottom of the front sight. So if you can remove the rear sight, you're done with the only hard part of the job. Indeed. |
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I did attempt to remove the rear sight a couple months ago. I soaked it in penetrating oil for a day then secured it in my vice and started hitting on it with various punches until it was plainly getting dangerous or reckless with this setup. It didn't appear to budge. So I will need some sort of pusher if I want to proceed but put the project off until the fall for now. |
"I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet and your mom was the bravest one of those." - Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes