Posted: 6/4/2015 8:46:30 AM EDT
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Hey guys, I was hoping to get a set of trijicon HD's and just install them myself. I have many tools and I'm pretty handy so I figured I could do it, but I thought I'd ask you guys first.
Is it really all that difficult or can most do it themselves? Thanks. |
I have done at least 20 sets for Glock sights between my personal guns and friends/family guns without a pusher. It's extremely easy. Put the slide in a non marring vice and the factory sight will come out extremely easily. Aftermarket sights will go right in most of the time, however, they aren't a one size fits all between the manufacturing tolerances of sights and the dove tail cut in the slide. If you can't get it started in 30-40% ways by hand you need to get an angle file and slowly take away material off the sight until you can get it that far. Then a nylon tipped punch and small hammer will get em right on in. 
I will stress again, **a sight pusher is absolute not necessary to install Glock sights** Dave Dawson of Dawson Precision uses the method I just said. |
| I installed my Triji HD's last week by myself. I had bought the cheap "whia" driver off ebay ahead of time most people use for the front sight so that took 2 seconds. I installed my rear sight by just smashing it in using a nylon dowel and hammer. I was worried i might shatter the tritium vials, since I was beating the shit out of it, but they went it and everything is good. Cant say I would 100% suggest that method, but I did not want to wait a day and spend $30 at my gunsmith. That is the second rear I installed that way with no problems, the first Triji HD rear bent when I dropped my slide on tile so I bought a replacement |
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OK great, that sounds easy enough. Another question though, how do you know when you've gotten the sites lined up to point of impact? The last thing I want to do is eyeball the install and then find out my POI is off. Just centering the rear site is all you can do until you shoot it. There's now way to know if they will be zeroed without shooting the gun. |
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Just centering the rear site is all you can do until you shoot it. There's now way to know if they will be zeroed without shooting the gun. Quoted:
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OK great, that sounds easy enough. Another question though, how do you know when you've gotten the sites lined up to point of impact? The last thing I want to do is eyeball the install and then find out my POI is off. Just centering the rear site is all you can do until you shoot it. There's now way to know if they will be zeroed without shooting the gun. Figured but I had to ask. I will just use digital calipers to make sure the gap in the dovetail is the exact same on both sides. Should be a good starting point. |
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Figured but I had to ask. I will just use digital calipers to make sure the gap in the dovetail is the exact same on both sides. Should be a good starting point. Quoted:
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OK great, that sounds easy enough. Another question though, how do you know when you've gotten the sites lined up to point of impact? The last thing I want to do is eyeball the install and then find out my POI is off. Just centering the rear site is all you can do until you shoot it. There's now way to know if they will be zeroed without shooting the gun. Figured but I had to ask. I will just use digital calipers to make sure the gap in the dovetail is the exact same on both sides. Should be a good starting point. Eyeballing them center is plenty sufficient honestly. I can promise you no one at the factory breaks out with calipers to center sights. 95% of guns will spot on as far as windage goes with centered sights. |
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Eyeballing them center is plenty sufficient honestly. I can promise you no one at the factory breaks out with calipers to center sights. 95% of guns will spot on as far as windage goes with centered sights. Quoted:
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OK great, that sounds easy enough. Another question though, how do you know when you've gotten the sites lined up to point of impact? The last thing I want to do is eyeball the install and then find out my POI is off. Just centering the rear site is all you can do until you shoot it. There's now way to know if they will be zeroed without shooting the gun. Figured but I had to ask. I will just use digital calipers to make sure the gap in the dovetail is the exact same on both sides. Should be a good starting point. Eyeballing them center is plenty sufficient honestly. I can promise you no one at the factory breaks out with calipers to center sights. 95% of guns will spot on as far as windage goes with centered sights. Ok, cool. Thanks! I'm about to start shooting in some local competitions and the stock sites just aren't fast enough. My eye isn't drawn to them like they would be with a really bright front site. Are the HD's pretty good for both night and day? I have a set of tru-glos that are awesome at night, but during the day they leave a little to be desired. |
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Ok, cool. Thanks! I'm about to start shooting in some local competitions and the stock sites just aren't fast enough. My eye isn't drawn to them like they would be with a really bright front site. Are the HD's pretty good for both night and day? I have a set of tru-glos that are awesome at night, but during the day they leave a little to be desired. Quoted:
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OK great, that sounds easy enough. Another question though, how do you know when you've gotten the sites lined up to point of impact? The last thing I want to do is eyeball the install and then find out my POI is off. Just centering the rear site is all you can do until you shoot it. There's now way to know if they will be zeroed without shooting the gun. Figured but I had to ask. I will just use digital calipers to make sure the gap in the dovetail is the exact same on both sides. Should be a good starting point. Eyeballing them center is plenty sufficient honestly. I can promise you no one at the factory breaks out with calipers to center sights. 95% of guns will spot on as far as windage goes with centered sights. Ok, cool. Thanks! I'm about to start shooting in some local competitions and the stock sites just aren't fast enough. My eye isn't drawn to them like they would be with a really bright front site. Are the HD's pretty good for both night and day? I have a set of tru-glos that are awesome at night, but during the day they leave a little to be desired. I personally have no use for night sights on any of my guns, including my EDC. Not going to get into that thought because it's a whole different thread by itself. If you want something different from night sights, but "bright" I'd suggest a nice fiber optic front like Dawson Precision with a Dawson Precision plain black rear. That's one of my favorite pistol sight combos and I shoot very well with it. |
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It's EZ Yep, just need a driver for the front, a soft faced drift, small hammer, and possibly a file. I bought the cheap 1/4" hex bit driver for the front sight whatever size it is, and it truly is cheap visibly off center and everything, like this, but not as expensive, had to file the bevel off the end so it would get enough engagement to not slip on the screw, and pack the cavity with paper towel so the screw wouldn't fall down in it, but it worked for very little investment. I used a brass drift for the rear, did have to file a little, only issue, got some brass transfer that I am too lazy to get in and scrub off. |
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Yep, just need a driver for the front, a soft faced drift, small hammer, and possibly a file. I bought the cheap 1/4" hex bit driver for the front sight whatever size it is, and it truly is cheap visibly off center and everything, like this, but not as expensive, had to file the bevel off the end so it would get enough engagement to not slip on the screw, and pack the cavity with paper towel so the screw wouldn't fall down in it, but it worked for very little investment. I used a brass drift for the rear, did have to file a little, only issue, got some brass transfer that I am too lazy to get in and scrub off. Quoted:
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It's EZ Yep, just need a driver for the front, a soft faced drift, small hammer, and possibly a file. I bought the cheap 1/4" hex bit driver for the front sight whatever size it is, and it truly is cheap visibly off center and everything, like this, but not as expensive, had to file the bevel off the end so it would get enough engagement to not slip on the screw, and pack the cavity with paper towel so the screw wouldn't fall down in it, but it worked for very little investment. I used a brass drift for the rear, did have to file a little, only issue, got some brass transfer that I am too lazy to get in and scrub off. I used brass too, but it really just wipes off with CLP. My neighbor told me he had a sight pusher the same day I installed mine and showed it to him. I too just eyeballed the rear sights and it's dead on. There was no adjustment needed when I took it to the range. Just don't stare at it too long or it starts to look off no matter what you use to measure it...lol |
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A sight pusher is very handy and a good investment. I've done several for myself and my friends now use it too. The real value of a pusher is not for the installation: you can do that with a punch or dowel rod. It's fine tuning the sights for POI that's the real value. |
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Figured but I had to ask. I will just use digital calipers to make sure the gap in the dovetail is the exact same on both sides. Should be a good starting point. Quoted:
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OK great, that sounds easy enough. Another question though, how do you know when you've gotten the sites lined up to point of impact? The last thing I want to do is eyeball the install and then find out my POI is off. Just centering the rear site is all you can do until you shoot it. There's now way to know if they will be zeroed without shooting the gun. Figured but I had to ask. I will just use digital calipers to make sure the gap in the dovetail is the exact same on both sides. Should be a good starting point. thats all ive ever done and mine are perfect. I installed my first set with a punch, dont be afraid to "fit" the sight to your slide. A rule I always use is you should be able to push the sight halfway into the dovetail by hand, if it dosent go that far it needs to be fitted a little. I also bought this sight pusher for $65 I used it to install my 2nd set and it was a breeze. took maybe 5-10 minutes |
| MGW Sight Pro with shoe's I use on every gun and have yet to have to file anything, or sand to fit to a gun. Even if you just invest in the MGW sight tool for glocks the non armorers model like the sight pro you can install and adjust with ease, and there is no sanding/grinding to be done. |
| It's easy to do installing Glock sights without a sight pusher tool. But I decided I would buy one as it just makes it easier to adjust my sights if it ever needed to be done. You could also borrow one. I was able to borrow one from a member at Sigforums. Great bunch of people. |
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It's EZ This- once do you your first set you'll be thinking how crazy people are for sending them off to have them installed. I use a wooden dowel to set my rear sight. Nothing to wipe off and the wood absorbs the impact instead of transferring it to the sight. Works every time. |
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Or buy another set of sights for another pistol and install them with a punch 
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Done probably close to a thousand (armorer) .... get the sight pusher tool and be done with it. Its not rocket surgery. Or buy another set of sights for another pistol and install them with a punch
This. Buying a sight pusher for Glock Sights is a waste of money. Buy anmo. |
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This. Buying a sight pusher for Glock Sights is a waste of money. Buy anmo. Quoted:
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Done probably close to a thousand (armorer) .... get the sight pusher tool and be done with it. Its not rocket surgery. Or buy another set of sights for another pistol and install them with a punch
This. Buying a sight pusher for Glock Sights is a waste of money. Buy anmo. which is why I bought a universal pusher for $65
worked on 2 glocks, a shield, and a 1911 |
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which is why I bought a universal pusher for $65
worked on 2 glocks, a shield, and a 1911 Quoted:
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Done probably close to a thousand (armorer) .... get the sight pusher tool and be done with it. Its not rocket surgery. Or buy another set of sights for another pistol and install them with a punch
This. Buying a sight pusher for Glock Sights is a waste of money. Buy anmo. which is why I bought a universal pusher for $65
worked on 2 glocks, a shield, and a 1911 Some guns are a flat out pain the ass to not use a pusher. S&W for example. Some of their sights go in and out with no problems. Others take the force of Thor's hammer to get out. Not sure what it is about their sights but some of them are tight as all hell. But yeah, this is not the case at all with Glocks. |
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This. Buying a sight pusher for Glock Sights is a waste of money. Buy anmo. Quoted:
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Done probably close to a thousand (armorer) .... get the sight pusher tool and be done with it. Its not rocket surgery. Or buy another set of sights for another pistol and install them with a punch
This. Buying a sight pusher for Glock Sights is a waste of money. Buy anmo. absolutely not. With Glocks it's not a big deal but if you're looking to start doing things yourself on multiple guns it's pretty much a necessity. |
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absolutely not. With Glocks it's not a big deal but if you're looking to start doing things yourself on multiple guns it's pretty much a necessity. Quoted:
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Done probably close to a thousand (armorer) .... get the sight pusher tool and be done with it. Its not rocket surgery. Or buy another set of sights for another pistol and install them with a punch
This. Buying a sight pusher for Glock Sights is a waste of money. Buy anmo. absolutely not. With Glocks it's not a big deal but if you're looking to start doing things yourself on multiple guns it's pretty much a necessity. I've done 20+ sets without a pusher. Not necessary and if I had 100 sets to install tomorrow, I still wouldn't buy a sight pusher...because it isn't needed. |