Milling 2nd and early 2=3rd gens for Novak sights

[mbliss57]

Novak offers this service at a premium to mill the slide..my sights are worn so I want to put Trituim night sights on a 4513TSW and a 6906. Both will need to be milled. Do most local gun smith do the same? I would rather buy the sights and have it done locally to help local business. But is that something most local gun smiths are used to doing? Anyone have an opinion?

 

[WR Moore]

Depends- if all the cut is, is removing some material (relief cut) on the top of the slide, rearward of the dovetail, shouldn't be much of a problem. If it involves remedial work on the dovetail itself that's another story.

Not knowing the skill level of the local smith, their experience and the quality of their equipment, the question is: do you feel comfortable betting the cost of a slide plus their machine time, and the machine time to do it right, on the results?

 

[mbliss57]

On the 4513 it has Novaks already, old and I want the night sights.. but they say it need to be milled anyway.. I have to assume that is very minor.
The 6906 on the other hand has the 2nd gen sights that have a smaller mill footprint.I also assume (maybe incorrectly) that they just have to mill it out more from an already started slot.
I know a Smith who I think does milling but I haven't talked to him about this. If he has, he will be as good as Novak. If not I will have it done there.

 

[epj]

I seem to recall that the Novaks used by Smith have a slightly different dovetail dimension than the standard Novak. I'm not real sure about this, but you might want to check and make sure.

 

[epj]

I seem to recall that the Novaks used by Smith have a slightly different dovetail dimension than the standard Novak. I'm not real sure about this, but you might want to check and make sure.

I think I recall the same thing.

 

[DR DICK]

5904/5906 low mount Novak dovetail size is .435 by 75 degrees smith has novak make them that way ,why i don't know.So about the only thing you could do ,would mill the front down to match the back which is about .070 lower than the front, then recut the dovetail to .495by 65 degrees which is a normal size .Just because it says Novaks just above the allen screw dosen't mean it a normal .330 by 65 if its on a 5904.