1911 sights change?

[Mike-Mike]

1911 experts, I have a commander. Is this something I can change myself? I am very good with tools etc. I just dont know if these are commonly changed by gunsmiths with special sight pushers etc. Also, Will these fit an old commander?

Thanks in advance.


http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=633579

 

[Gammon]

1911 experts, I have a commander. Is this something I can change myself? I am very good with tools etc. I just dont know if these are commonly changed by gunsmiths with special sight pushers etc. Also, Will these fit an old commander?

Thanks in advance.


http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=633579

Rear sights can be easily drifted out of the dovetail with a little skill and patience. Stock style front sights must be staked in place and this is best done with a special jig.


The sight package you refer to has a rear sight intended to fit the stock dovetail, but the front is intended for a dovetail also. To install this sight you must have a dovetail cut in the front of the slide. I had Caspian do a couple of slides for me at $20 each. Once the dovetail is cut you can install the front sight yourself.

 

[45collector]

A while back I had Greg Derr put a new set of high profile white dot sights on my series '70.

As Gammon stated, the rear sight is easy enough to replace if you've got the pusher, but the front is more of a challenge. I had Greg dovetail the front sight as well. It's a huge improvement over the original stock low profile Colt sights.

 

[Gammon]

A while back I had Greg Derr put a new set of high profile white dot sights on my series '70.

As Gammon stated, the rear sight is easy enough to replace if you've got the pusher, but the front is more of a challenge. I had Greg dovetail the front sight as well. It's a huge improvement over the original stock low profile Colt sights.

You don't really need the sight pusher, but it is a big help (I own one). You can drift the rear sights in and out with a soft punch (I use a brass rod) and a little patience. The advantage of the pusher is sighting in. The screw in the pusher allows you to move the rear sight in the same manner that you adjust conventional adjustable sights.

One tip. If you measure the location of the newly installed rear sight in the slide carefully and center it, I have found that you will be real close to a perfect windage zero. I use digital calipers. I just installed a Novak rear sight on one of my Glocks and centered it in this manner. The gun was dead on at 50 yds for windage.