How Do I Drift Sights?

Use something softer than the steel of the sight, usually a flat tipped brass punch, and lightly tap it with a small hammer.

If you want your shots to go to the left, move the rear sight to the left. Vice versa, of course, to make them go right.

gobsauce said:

I figured, but they aren't moving. Thought maybe there was a special trick or whatnot. I have two hypotheses:

I'm not hitting it hard enough.
They're stuck.

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Try putting a drop of penetrant on it, give it a little while, try again. You know that big hammer you have,,,,lol

Is the gun being held firmly so movement doesn't take the power out of the hammer and punch?

gobsauce said:

Damn, now i need to find penetrating oil.

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If you have a little automatic trans. fluid and acetone in the garage, a 50-50 mix is the best penetrant there is.

Real men use a big stinkin' hammer. The faint of heart use a sight pusher.
Great advice from speedo'. The only thing I'll add; the rear sight on a Colt Competition wouldn't move, even when flat on my workbench.
Clamped it good and tight in a leather-jawed ShopFox vise, and used a machinists hammer and brass drift, rather than my smaller Lyman. That moved it.
But listen to speedo' as regards penetrating oil, especially on an older gun. There may be dried oil holding things in place.
Good luck,
Moon

gobsauce said:

Hey, thanks for the tip. I'll tap some from my grandma's car (hasn't moved in a year), and steal some acetone from my old lady.

Tell your dog i love him/her

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Thanks, but we try not to let Lukas hear those things so he doesn't get a swelled head. Wheaten Terriers are known for being a little conceited.

Let us know if you have success moving the sight.

https://www.amazon.com/HJP-Products...PN712RVM22F&psc=1&refRID=6JKCEEGJ0PN712RVM22F

$35 on Amazon, it worked for me. Not the best by any means, but I was able to remove and install sights on my LC9S with this.

gobsauce said:

I'm not hitting it hard enough.
They're stuck.

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Third possibility is they aren't dovetailed sights. While most sights are dovetail, some are pinned. Especially on 1911s. I can't tell from the picture if they are.

I have broken a couple brass punches on stubborn 1911 sights. A crank style sight pusher will pay for itself the first few times you use it in gunsmith costs alone.
https://www.amazon.com/ATG-Universa...1&keywords=sight+pusher&qid=1616290496&sr=8-5

heat it up some before putting the penetrating solution on it, and then tap it gently for a few minutes, the vibration can work the fluid in. I do that several times before going after sticking metal parts to give up the grip and let go. tap it both ways as well, when you are tryiny to get it to move, like working a bolt head back and forth until it starts to move. what I would try anyway

Make sure it isn't peened or pinned in place. It also helps to have the slide securely mounted instead of just laying over your lap or soft bench top. A stout blow can be absorbed easily by a a soft backing. You need a good sharp blow to overcome the stiction more than you need brute force. An impromptu brass drift can be made by sticking a spent .22 case over a steel punch, but a hardwood dowel or aluminum/brass rod may also work.

Okay those are dovetailed. They still might be tapered, making them harder to remove. You can take a set of calipers and measure the sight dovetail on both sides. If they are tapered, one side will be noticeably larger than the other.

For removal, get a sight pusher tool if you can afford one. If not, mount it in a padded vice, apply heat and oil, and tap it out going LEFT to RIGHT when viewing from the back of the pistol. Use a steel hammer and a brass punch. Make sure the brass punch is hitting against the chunky part of the dovetail not the top of the sight. If you don't have a vice, you might be able to use a bench block. Either way you have to isolate the movement so you aren't working against yourself getting the sight out.

I've heard that you can put the slide in the freezer overnight and the contraction of the steel will break one
loose. I've never tried it so this is just something I've heard. Best advise is get yourself a sight pusher. You
can get one that will work for front and rear sights for around $75 bucks on Amazon. Be sure it's for front
and rear sights that way when you get ready to add night sights to you weapon, you're all set to do it right
without damaging anything.
Dano

omega5 said:

I've heard that you can put the slide in the freezer overnight and the contraction of the steel will break one
loose. I've never tried it so this is just something I've heard. Best advise is get yourself a sight pusher. You
can get one that will work for front and rear sights for around $75 bucks on Amazon. Be sure it's for front
and rear sights that way when you get ready to add night sights to you weapon, you're all set to do it right
without damaging anything.
Dano

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Sight pusher is the way to go. And putting in freezer overnight will help. When I put Tritium sights on my XD40, I had to put penetrating oil and put in freezer and they were hard to break loose. Springfield dove tails are directional, the sights have to go in and come out to the left. I don't think any of the Yugo's or CZ's are this way, but I could be wrong.

https://www.wyomingsightdrifter.com/store#!


This item works pretty well. Used it on my Winchester 1890 front sight. Could never figure out how Uncle Rudy hit anything with that sight so far to the right.

Btw, I have the brother to this pistol. FEG 32acp (7.65 Browning). It shoots very well and the de-cock still works perfect on mine though I never trust it completely. I also found that Walther PP .380 mags will work in it, might work in yours also.

Have used a flat headed brass punch or rod many times to adjust sights and have seen a small brass hammer used by others. However, for my H&K USBs I used to carry, I purchased an actual H&K sight pusher. Worked slicker than (grease), but only designed to fit H&K (however, did make an adapter for a Sig 239).

https://www.wyomingsightdrifter.com/store/product/wyoming-sight-drifter

Works very well.

Hugger-4641 said:

Sight pusher is the way to go. And putting in freezer overnight will help. When I put Tritium sights on my XD40, I had to put penetrating oil and put in freezer and they were hard to break loose. Springfield dove tails are directional, the sights have to go in and come out to the left. I don't think any of the Yugo's or CZ's are this way, but I could be wrong.

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That would be quite unusual. The industry standard is in from the right, out to the right.