install a sight for $75

[shotgunda]

I know the sights on the shields are supposed to be tight but common. Local gun shop sells the sights at msrp and will mount them for free BUT does not have the correct sight pusher for a shield .45 okay So I picked up a TFX sight on optic planet for about 25 less with free shipping then they wanted. I called their suggested gunsmith with reasonable rates and he is asking 75 bucks! I don't want to buy a 100 pusher for one gun. Okay will ask around the area to see who does not want to charge that much.

 

[Jeppo]

How about asking around at your range or posting a note if they have a bulletin board? Maybe someone local to you will lend you a pusher.

 

[shotgunda]

not a bad thought although my local range is shut down for a few weeks ( long story

 

[epj]

I have sight pushers that will work on Shields for $75 in the classifieds.

 

[1sailor]

I had excellent luck installing a set of TFO sights on my old (it's my son's now) Shield45 with this style pusher. Hard to beat the price.
Handgun Sight Pusher Tool "Universal", front/rear of Glocks Sigs1911's and more | eBay

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

i wrapped my Shield slide in a glove. Put it in a vice and tapped the front sight out with a brass punch and hammer. Cost? $0.00.

 

[shotgunda]

thanks I put that on the watch list. as far as putting it a vice I do not have a vice I used to and the it got "lost" in a prior move and never bought another. I am going to call 4 or 5 gunsmiths in my area and ask. The guy I messaged on face book was the one the gunstore recommended as reasonable. They were going to do it for free while I waited ( I don't quite understand they were having M&P day sale with crappy prices had a rep there and did not have the correct tool to put in the sight. ) any way free to 75 was not a reasonable price. This was the same gunsmith who quoted me 80 to install a trigger on the gun not the whole kit I did that myself. I will not call him again. my understanding is that with the proper pusher and some experience it is a 15-20 job. I can read 15 to 40 dollars around the net to do it.

 

[epj]

i wrapped my Shield slide in a glove. Put it in a vice and tapped the front sight out with a brass punch and hammer. Cost? $0.00.

How much did the vise and workbench cost? The punch and hammer weren't free either. Many folks tell me they have beat the hell out of sights and failed to move them. Not saying it can't be done, just saying it doesn't work for a lot of people.

 

[Boogs]

If you plan on changing sights >2 x, buy the pusher

 

[epj]

If you plan on changing sights >2 x, buy the pusher

That's pretty good advice. The only thing I would add is that in order to use the punch and hammer method, you do need a pretty good vise, and it must be mounted to a sturdy bench. For example, my bench is solid steel and weighs probably 250-300 lb. It didn't cost a fortune to build 40 years ago, but I'd hate to have to duplicate it now.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

How much did the vise and workbench cost? The punch and hammer weren't free either. Many folks tell me they have beat the hell out of sights and failed to move them. Not saying it can't be done, just saying it doesn't work for a lot of people.

FREE........ALL over 40 years old......Well used.....Well paid for.......Lots of stuff can be done with tools on hand......If you know how to use "em".

 

[oldiegoldie]

surely you know someone with a pusher who would lend. i would rather do the job myself than take a chance on the cheapest gunsmith around. you might get a good job, but a poor job will be very expensive. experience speaking.

 

[sandog]

All 3 sets of my Tru-Glo TFO's were $76 each on Amazon, I can't imagine having to pay another $75 each to have them installed.
I had a $130 sight pusher, but it wouldn't budge any of the front sights they were on so tight, so I sold it and ended up using a brass punch and hammer.
I took my round brass drift punches to my grinder so they now have a square tip, and made one of them smaller to fit the front sight.

 

[jamppp]

Look at the NC Star. $50 for a rear sight pusher, $75 if you want the one with Front sight too (which I have).
I got mine via optics planet but they are on eBay, Amazon, etc. They work well, like anything else, don't rush.

 

[shotgunda]

for right now it is my only gun I need sights for. I got the TFX so tritium and fiberoptics optic planet had them for 119.00. I am handy have really done most of my own easy gunsmithing install triggers in ar and my tavor. etc. I have a work bench but as said the vice got appropriated in a move funny how some things disappear by the moving company. I never replaced it. Do not want to spend the money on a good vice. anyway I found a smith about 25 mintues away who has a good reputation and he will do it for $40 while I wait. That is a bit more reasonable. The same guy who wanted 75 to install the sights also wanted 80 to install the trigger only He is a former marine armour and I am sure he is good and has more business then he wants but I think that is a bit to expensive for an easy job. As an aside since I was fooling around with sights I realized my XS big dots on my y XD were 12 years old and a bit dim I inquired and they said send the slide in we will replace them for free. i love it when a company goes the extra mile for customer service. the big dots are a good combat sight essentially you do not need to really align them with the rear sight just put the front dot on and pull the trigger.

 

[Boogs]

I took my round brass drift punches to my grinder so they now have a square tip, and made one of them smaller to fit the front sight.

Nice looking setup there, what did you use to clamp 'er in your vice?

 

[hyena]

Glad you found a place with a price quote that was satisfactory.

I had a HiViz Litewave front sight put on my Shield .45. I bought the sight at a shooting range, because their price included free installation. If I recall, their price was only about $10 higher than I could have bought it on line. The gunsmith at the range took it into a back room to install. I asked him what kind of sight pusher he had, and was surprised when he said he uses a hammer and punch. At any rate, having it done at the range meant I could test it immediately, and he "fine tuned" it twice at my request until the point of impact was exactly to the point of aim.

 

[1sailor]

If you're using the punch and hammer method on FO or tritium sights be careful. I'm not saying don't do it, just use caution.

 

[sandog]

Nice looking setup there, what did you use to clamp 'er in your vice?

I have a big vise in the shop that I would have used if it came down to that, but had no problem just holding the slide against a poly bench block on the tabletop.

I've done enough of these that I'm confident.
As 1 sailor said, use caution. One slip and your front (or rear) sight is toast.

 

[shotgunda]

after action report went to guy about 20 minutes away. He had this monster custom built sight remover, man those sights were on tight. he did a first class job, I am glad I didn't do it by banging the heck out of it. Also would have need the sight pusher or a vise plus a micrometer.
It was worth the money. He had a nice shop it is in Lillington NC and called MAD custom guns I ended up putting inf TFX sights.