[tawcat]

So I purchased one of the Universal Sight Pusher tools. Attempted this morning to remove the front sight on my P320sc. Not sure of where the pusher tool should be placed on the sight itself. I was trying to line the pusher up on the dovetail portion of the sight, was very hard and the sight never budged.

Should I be pushing against the sight post? Or the edge of the dovetail?

Installing a replacement sight that Sig sent and no one in my area can change out a Sig sight due to no tool. Really, I've called all the big box shops as well as local gun shops/smiths. They can hammer it out, but I don't trust that due to if they screw it up its on me.

I of course can send it back to Sig and maybe thats what I need to do. To have a standard night sights installed it's like $120 and for X-Rays its $199.95 + $14.95 shipping. Just trying to save a few bucks, well a lot of bucks.

Thanks so much.

 

[markbidwell]

The pusher block should rest directly against the side of the sight post itself. Not the dovetails. You need to set up the slide in the tool so that the pusher block just clears the top of the slide, i.e. so that the pusher block does not scrape the top of the slide as it passes across. Try putting a little penetrating oil around the base of the old sight and let it sit for awhile before trying to push it out.

 

[garyji]

It's my experence that you should place the pusher block at the dovetail part of the sight so you push it straight without any binding. Just a tiny hair above the surface of the dovetail on the slide. Some sights are really hard to move and it can feel like something is going to bend or break with the effort required to move it. Just take your time, make sure everything is lined up and all is pushing directly across the dovetail.

Hope this helps.

G.

 

[garyji]

Well, since markbidwell and I just told you two different things, I'm sure you are still confused.

There are some good vidieos on YouTube using the universal sight tool.

G.

 

[JBnTx]

You'll get more pushing force by pushing on the horizontal dove tail base than you will by pushing on the vertical sight blade.

 

[DPeter85]

You'll get more pushing force by pushing on the horizontal dove tail base than you will by pushing on the vertical sight blade.

If it takes more force than you can apply to the sight post, you're doin it wrong.

I've removed and replaced close to a dozen sets on my and friends P320s using the same universal sight pusher. Never had to push super hard, even when I've used loctite.

 

[7.62Kolectr]

Good way to snap a blade or bend it by pushing on it. Push from the base of the sight.

 

[tawcat]

Thanks guys. I'm pretty anal I guess and surely do not want to end up damaging something. Gonna give it another try later on, if I fail, I guess I'll be sending it to Sig.

 

[SteveAikens]

Not sure of where the pusher tool should be placed on the sight itself. I was trying to line the pusher up on the dovetail portion of the sight, was very hard and the sight never budged.

Should I be pushing against the sight post? Or the edge of the dovetail?.

See attached - from Sig Sauer - regarding how to remove and install their sights, on their guns, with their pusher tool...

http://nm-ccw.com/SigArmorer/SightTool.pdf


Sorry - forgot to mention - the notch in the Sig Sight tool fits over the front sight blade...

 

[bumper]

See attached - from Sig Sauer - regarding how to remove and install their sights, on their guns, with their pusher tool...

http://nm-ccw.com/SigArmorer/SightTool.pdf

Agree.

But a couple of important points I think:

The good quality tools, such as those made by MGW, as is the "SIG" branded sight tool and the newer MGW Sight Pro, have a huge advantage over the less expensive "universal" sight tools one might buy on-line for $40 to $80. And that advantage is rigidity and strength of the pusher tool.

Consider what occurs when a truly rigid and well made tool's pusher is placed against the sight blade and pressure is applied. That pressure is applied evenly to the sight blade top to bottom, there is no flexure in the pusher, no cant off to the side that in a cheap tool will have the majority of the force applied to the top of the sight blade as the pusher head is allowed to flex under the load - make no mistake here, even a tiny amount of flexure will unevenly distribute the loading on the sight - and any such top loading will tend to bind the dovetail to make it that much harder to remove.

The MGW tools have no measureable flex, they work, and are designed to push on the blade, not the edge of the dovetail! There is reason the good quality tools are built so heavily . . . compare the images below carefully:

This:

Or this:

 

[Scooter22]

Does it matter if you push it to the right or left? I've seen some Glock videos where they mentioned pushing it from the left or right side (I forget), but I don't know if that is necessary or not. Worked fine for me.
I don't want to give bad advice here, but what about applying a little bit of heat to help it out? If it has night sights, this might be a horrible idea, I just don't know.

 

[7.62Kolectr]

Bumper that's not the Fisher Solutions tool. It Is A cheaper and less expensive version.
And yes it probably would not move much.
The Fisher Solutions one is much more beefy. Also the sight pro tool the pushers are not skinny enough to pass thru some dovetails which will force you to push from the blade and not the base.
I won't argue it's quality over the sightpro tool you posted. Only point out cost vs use and ability.
Cost is much more
Use for most is not too often
And ability is the same.

Changing sights is not something we do often to guns.
As I've said here before I used the Fisher Solutions tool I got for $70 on very expensive 1911s as well as other guns and never left a mark or made a mistake.

So one will have to decide what to go with based on their budget and needs.

 

[bumper]

Does it matter if you push it to the right or left? I've seen some Glock videos where they mentioned pushing it from the left or right side (I forget), but I don't know if that is necessary or not. Worked fine for me.
I don't want to give bad advice here, but what about applying a little bit of heat to help it out? If it has night sights, this might be a horrible idea, I just don't know.

No heat required or recommended.* A drop of penetrating oil on the dovetail can help.

SIG's pins and sights, as a general rule, remove from the gun's right to left. When you holding and pointing the gun, this is the same as your right to left. Installation is opposite, from left to right.

*Thermal coefficient of expansion varies a lot with dissimilar materials. The slide and sight would typically have a very small Delta-T. One would have to heat the slide and cool the sight to realize much effect - and then it would be brief once cooling was removed as the small mass of the sight would allow it to equalize rapidly with the slide.

Heat is, of course, commonly used to help remove things, especially where rust, corrosion, etc is present. Penetrating oil is good too, a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF works better than store bought stuff - though on gun sights, any light oil will do.

 

[Scooter22]

No heat required or recommended.* A drop of penetrating oil on the dovetail can help.

SIG's pins and sights, as a general rule, remove from the gun's right to left. When you holding and pointing the gun, this is the same as your right to left. Installation is opposite, from left to right.

*Thermal coefficient of expansion varies a lot with dissimilar materials. The slide and sight would typically have a very small Delta-T. One would have to heat the slide and cool the sight to realize much effect - and then it would be brief once cooling was removed as the small mass of the sight would allow it to equalize rapidly with the slide.

Heat is, of course, commonly used to help remove things, especially where rust, corrosion, etc is present. Penetrating oil is good too, a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF works better than store bought stuff - though on gun sights, any light oil will do.

Great reply!
I'm a newbie here, so I just noticed your signature. Thank you for your service in the Navy and law enforcement! :thumbs up:

 

[markbidwell]

Sorry if my post caused confusion. Sometimes words don't take the place of a picture. What I was trying to describe is as shown in the post above by SteveAikens. In most of the pushers I've seen the pusher block is too deep (forward to back) to slide within the narrow dovetail slot without contacting adjacent surfaces on the slide. The block is typically deeper than the entire front sight. So, I like to align the block so that it evenly contacts as much of the side of the sight post as possible leaving just a hair of space to clear the slide to avoid scratching it. I also agree with bumper that the higher quality tools offer much more precision, albeit at a higher price. I tried several lower priced tools before springing for a MGW. I never look back at that decision. I believe Sig recommends pushing the old sight out towards the left and installing the new beginning on the left pushing towards the right, with right to left oriented from the position of looking from the rear of the slide towards the front.

 

[bumper]

Do to the wide spread in price/perceived value (kind of like the Glock vs SIG debate), there is a somewhat vociferous group of cheap sight pusher proponents. And I will concur that the group of inexpensive tools, made with hardware store bolts and a short section of heavy wall square tubing, will work nicely much of the time, when not up against a hard to remove/install sight.

As mentioned, Achilles heel of all such tools, is lack of rigidity. The harder they push against a sight blade, the more the push block will cant off to the side, and the pushing bias or force applied moves toward the top of the sight. The sight blade responds to this force by flexing as well, with the result that the sight will either flex to the side and spring back when the base finally breaks free, or it will bend, or it will fracture.

Note that many sights are now made using the MIM process. MIM is many things, but what it is not, is suitable for making springs or parts that will be subjected to loading that causes flexure.

The edge of the dovetail is generally used with driving a sight with hammer and punch (put some pencil lead on the surface first to avoid transfer of brass "color" to the sight. Hammer and punch is not recommended for Tritium sights, and I think most proper gunsmiths will have a proper sight pusher tool - - I ain't proper, and I have one!

 

[bumper]

Bumper that's not the Fisher Solutions tool. It Is A cheaper and less expensive version.
And yes it probably would not move much.
The Fisher Solutions one is much more beefy. Also the sight pro tool the pushers are not skinny enough to pass thru some dovetails which will force you to push from the blade and not the base.
I won't argue it's quality over the sightpro tool you posted. Only point out cost vs use and ability.
Cost is much more
Use for most is not too often
And ability is the same.

Sorry, no, I would group the Fisher Solutions tool in the not rigid enough group. No comparison to even some of the "just slightly" I would only use it to push "hard" against the dovetail base.

Spend a hundred bucks more and get a quality tool, doesn't have to be an MGW - avoid all pushers with hardware store thread stock or bolts:

https://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Engineering-Armorers-Handgun-Sight/dp/B01B3NU0U2/ref=sr_1_10?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1489953718&sr=1-10&keywords=sight+pusher

 

[tawcat]

Thank you again to all for taking the time to reply. I surely could have gotten a more expensive tool, however, trying to be frugal, I opted for the universal tool. My thoughts, I have one Sig which happens to be my EDC. Other weapons owned are revolvers that I'll never mess with sights on. This more than likely will be the one and only time I ever mess with sights on my P320.

So yes I was trying to take the cheap way out. Doing one more attempt later on, if I get nervous or begin to stress, it'll be sent to Sig.

Thank you again. Will post what the outcome is.

 

[Scooter22]

Thank you again to all for taking the time to reply. I surely could have gotten a more expensive tool, however, trying to be frugal, I opted for the universal tool. My thoughts, I have one Sig which happens to be my EDC. Other weapons owned are revolvers that I'll never mess with sights on. This more than likely will be the one and only time I ever mess with sights on my P320.

So yes I was trying to take the cheap way out. Doing one more attempt later on, if I get nervous or begin to stress, it'll be sent to Sig.

Thank you again. Will post what the outcome is.

You know, when I was looking for a sight pusher, I called a local gun dealer where I've purchased pistols in the past. They didn't have anything like that in stock but offered to change them for free. I never told them I was a previous customer, they just offered to do it for me. I thought that was really nice, but still ordered the sight pusher for myself. Perhaps you could have a local gun shop do it for you. I appreciated their kind gesture so much that I've bought 5 pistols from them since January 2016. I prefer supporting local businesses such as mine.

 

[tawcat]

You know, when I was looking for a sight pusher, I called a local gun dealer where I've purchased pistols in the past. They didn't have anything like that in stock but offered to change them for free. I never told them I was a previous customer, they just offered to do it for me. I thought that was really nice, but still ordered the sight pusher for myself. Perhaps you could have a local gun shop do it for you. I appreciated their kind gesture so much that I've bought 5 pistols from them since January 2016. I prefer supporting local businesses such as mine.

Scooter: That is part of my delimma, none of the shops in my area do Sig sights. The one or two shop that said they'd do them, were using a hammer and punch. And of course they're not liable for damage.

So at this point have pretty much decided to send it back to Sig. Just hope the turn around time isn't too long.