Will a Glock 23 front sight fit a SIGMA SW40VE?

Echo40 · Dec 7, 2019

I'd like to upgrade the stock plastic front sight on my SW40VE with a night sight, but front sight options for the SW40VE are limited and surprisingly more expensive.
Meanwhile, when comparing Meprolight's Sigma front night sights to their Glock front night sights, the two look extremely similar, and the installation of both is identical.

So will a Glock front sight fit a SW40VE? I'm looking for a definitive answer from someone who knows for sure based on experience.

Note: I am referring to the SW40VE, not to be confused with the SD40VE, which uses an entirely different front sighting arrangement which is cut to accept M&P Series dovetailed front sights, whereas the SW40VE uses a Glock-esq sighting arrangement in which the front sight is a threaded post which drops into a hole in the front of the slide and is secured with a nut. (Or alternatively, a bolt which threads into a hole on the front sight.)

JAREDSHS · Dec 11, 2019

short answer.....yes.

Echo40 · Dec 11, 2019

JAREDSHS said:
short answer.....yes.

What's the long answer?

edubbie · Dec 12, 2019

The SW40VE has what appears to be a plastic or rubber front site that looks like it's glued in. I have an SW40VE. The SD40VE has a different front site. Make sure folks are talking SW vs SD.

spinr · Dec 15, 2019

Dirty Harry Callahan said:
What's the long answer?

You will most likely have to fit the post on the underside of the sight.

I once installed a HiViz fiber optic front sight made for a Glock on my Sigma. The post was a little too wide for the hole on the Sigma slide. I used needle files to remove material from each side of the post until it had a snug friction fit. I left it very slightly oversize and lightly tapped it in with a plastic punch.

It's not difficult, just a bit tedious working on such a small part and having to check for fit so often.

staylor · Dec 15, 2019

Meprolight

Meprolight has a front night sight for the Sigma (SW9VE AND SW40VE). I put one on my SW9VE and works great. I think it was under 20 bucks at Optics Planet

Edit: Wow, just checked and they have it for 11.89!

Meprolight S&W True-Dot Night Sight, Sigma, - 1 out of 23 models

Echo40 · Dec 15, 2019

Oh man, thank you so much for pointing that out to me! I was just on Optics Planet a few days ago and they wanted like $40 for that very same sight! You just saved me a lot of money, not to mention effort!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, my friend!

staylor · Dec 15, 2019

You're very welcome. Glad I could help. I think you will like the sight. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you too.

Echo40 · Dec 15, 2019

I'm sure that I will. I already bought a Glock Sight Tool for installation as well, so I'm pretty much good to go. Now I just have to figure out the best way to remove the stock front sight which is melted into place or something. (I'm thinking that gripping it with a pair of pliers and giving it a quick twist should do the job. Or is there a better way?)

Steve912 · Dec 15, 2019

staylor said:
Meprolight has a front night sight for the Sigma (SW9VE AND SW40VE). I put one on my SW9VE and works great. I think it was under 20 bucks at Optics Planet

Edit: Wow, just checked and they have it for 11.89!

Meprolight S&W True-Dot Night Sight, Sigma, - 1 out of 23 models

Heckuva deal...I think that will fit the original Sigma .40,
and my sights are surely tired, almost 25 years old.

spinr · Dec 16, 2019

Dirty Harry Callahan said:
I'm sure that I will. I already bought a Glock Sight Tool for installation as well, so I'm pretty much good to go. Now I just have to figure out the best way to remove the stock front sight which is melted into place or something. (I'm thinking that gripping it with a pair of pliers and giving it a quick twist should do the job. Or is there a better way?)

Just yank it like you're pulling a tooth.

JAREDSHS · Dec 16, 2019

DirtyHarry-----seems like I have seen some folks find that the replacement sight may be a little wide in the post area will take a few swipes on each side with small file, to fit into the elongated hole. As I recall mine slipped right in nicely.

staylor · Dec 16, 2019

I just put tape on my slide around the sight so I wouldn't scratch it. Took pliers gripped from the top of the sight close to the slide and slowly twisted. It came off pretty easily and cleanly. The new sight fit in perfectly. Held the slide upside down in my left hand with my index finger on the sight to hold in it, started the little screw/bolt with my right hand and tightened it down with the mini wrench.

Don't forget the blue loctite.

For the money, you really can't go wrong with this sight.

Edit: After installing mine, I learned Meprolight may have a date/date code on the bottom of the sight indicating year the night sights are supposedly good for. I didn't really want to take it off to see. You might want to check it out before you install yours.

Echo40 · Dec 16, 2019

@staylor
Thank you very much for all of the helpful information/advice.

That being said, is Loctite really 100% necessary or just for the sake of convenience so that you don't have to go tightening the screw periodically after taking it out to the range?
I ask because I don't have any Loctite at the moment and I'm a bit nervous about applying it as I have a bad habit of being sloppy, squeezing too much glue out of the tube, and grossly misjudging the amount necessary for the job. (You'd think that brushing my teeth every day would have granted me the skill to apply less pressure to the tube by now, but alas, it hasn't.)

Besides, I wouldn't mind tightening the screw after every range trip as part of my cleaning procedure. However, if these screws are known to loosen up extremely quickly under recoil resulting in diminishing accuracy, or especially if I would be running the risk of potentially damaging/losing the sight within a single range session, then I'll order some Loctite immediately and just apply it extremely carefully with a toothpick or something.

staylor · Dec 16, 2019

Dirty Harry Callahan said:
@staylor
Thank you very much for all of the helpful information/advice.

That being said, is Loctite really 100% necessary or just for the sake of convenience so that you don't have to go tightening the screw periodically after taking it out to the range?
I ask because I don't have any Loctite at the moment and I'm a bit nervous about applying it as I have a bad habit of being sloppy, squeezing too much glue out of the tube, and grossly misjudging the amount necessary for the job. (You'd think that brushing my teeth every day would have granted me the skill to apply less pressure to the tube by now, but alas, it hasn't.)
Besides, I wouldn't mind tightening the screw after every range trip as part of my cleaning procedure. However, if these screws are known to loosen up extremely quickly under recoil resulting in diminishing accuracy, or especially if I would be running the risk of potentially damaging/losing the sight within a single range session, then I'll order some Loctite immediately and just apply it extremely carefully with a toothpick or something.

It may not be all that necessary if you're going to check it regularly. I've just always been told to use loctite on sights. I always just use one small drop on the threads and tighten it up. You could always install the sight and when you get some loctite take if off and put a little on before reinstalling it. It doesn't really require a lot.

Steve912 · Dec 16, 2019

You could also use nail polish...it'll hold tight, but no so tight
that stuff breaks/strips, if you go to un-do it.

Echo40 · Dec 16, 2019

That's actually some great advice. I've used clear nail polish for similar purposes in the past, yet it had never occurred to me that I could use it to hold the sight screw in place. Thanks.

Steve912 · Dec 17, 2019

Dirty Harry Callahan said:
I've used clear nail polish for similar purposes in the past, yet it had never occurred to me that I could use it to hold the sight screw in place.

"A man's got to know, his limitations...".

Echo40 · Dec 28, 2019

So I installed the Meprolight Tru-Dot SIGMA sights on Christmas Day and I'm really happy with them so far.

Installation was as simple as folks said it would be. I merely twisted off the stock front sight with a pair of needle nose pliers, dropped the sight post into the hole, then tightened it into place with the Glock front sight tool.
Getting it aligned straight was a bit tricky because tightening down the screw obviously caused the sight to move, so I had to hold the slide in my left hand, pinched between my palm my ring finger and pinky, then pinch the front sight between my thumb and forefinger as I tightened the screw with the tool in my right hand.
Also, it could appear deceptively straight at a glance, but once the gun was all back together and I examined it more closely by lining up the sights, I would find that it was just a hair off.

Some advice I would give to anyone else who is looking to replace the sights on their SIGMA is to use a pencil to mark the alignment of the stock sight before removal/replaced, that way you can more easily align the new sights by using the pencil marks on the slide as a guide.

I'm curious to see if the sight will remain tight under recoil as there aren't many threads on the retaining screw, but it's going to be awhile before I go out to the range.

Steve912 · Dec 28, 2019

Wipe off the hex head and slide around it with a paper
towel and rubbing alcohol, and dry it well (get the
residual water off) with a heat gun or blow dryer,
and puddle it with nail polish. Will retain it and show
if it's getting loose, but can be removed if without
excessive drama.

Will a Glock 23 front sight fit a SIGMA SW40VE?

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