I changed out the sights on a pistol and took it to the range yesterday. I shot it with my elbows resting on the firing line ledge at an indoor range. It consistantly grouped about 3" to the left of where I was aiming with target 15’ out. I shot a different pistol I own with OEM factory set sights and it grouped right down the center, so I don’t think too much of the shift left was me. Also, the pistol in question always shot where it was pointed with the OEM sights.
It has a sight radius of 5.5" now (about 0.5" shorter than the OEM sights). I lost the 0.5" sight radius due to the new front sight:
When I did the geometry, it says I need to push the rear sight 0.092" to the left to come into alignment. That looks like a lot to me!
I’ve never installed sights myself before, so hopefully someone with experience can tell me if this is not unusual, or maybe I should be moving the front sight instead, or maybe moving both? FWIW, I aligned the base of the new sights as close to center as I could measure.
15 feet divided by 5.5 inches is 32.7272. 3” divided by 32.7272 equals .09166 sounds about right.
Since you are shooting to the left you want to move the sights to where you are shooting. Either move front to left or back to right. If you are OCD you can move the front .046 to left and rear .046 to right.
I got tired of using a punch and a hammer, bought a sight pushing tool, much happier.
Move it shoot it, move it shoot it.
Center the front sight, move the rear sight.
If it’s shooting to the left move the rear sight to the right.
@Gary_H
Your calculation is correct, however direction is wrong.
If you shoot to the left, you want your impact to be moved to the right, so you push the rear sights to the right.
Also I will do another test at the longest distance you can accurately shoot.
40’ should be ok. Verify if your group goes about 8" left. That means you really need 0.092" adjustment.
No you got that wrong his impact can’t move but his sights can. He has to move his sights. Your direction is correct. That will just confuse at least in my mind. One adjusts the sights to the impact not the impact to the sights.
Don’t worry about it. If you can consistently hit where you aim, make the adjustment.
I have pistols I shoot dead on with the sights physically centered.
Then I have Glocks, where I have to push the rear sight quite obviously to the right, but I can put most into the black of a B8 at 25 yards. I even push the rear sight to the right for slow careful fire of my SIRT 'Glock"
I don’t do the math, I shoot it and bump it until it’s right.
FORS front opposite rear same. So moving the rear sight, you move the rear the direction you want the impact to move. Front Opposite Rear Same
I have a dedicated MGW sight pusher for Shield, for Glock, and a universal sight pusher with shoes/adapters for my other pistols.
I’ve used Bore Sight to align the sights on all my guns. Since I carry and target I’ve set each one to 7 yards. I have a hallway that I marked off the distance from a wall for the 7 yards. I can consistently hit 3” metal targets at 8-10 yards.
Upon detailed measuring it was revealed that the front and rear sights were a combined 0.030" off center from each other. Will have to retest next range trip.
Also, a thank you shout out to @Enzo_T for recommending the sight pusher
What sight pusher is that? It looks pretty fancy. The cheap one that I have only works on my Glocks and not very well. The one that @BRUCE26 linked to looks like a step up from mine as well.
There are a number of them listed on Amazon that all look the same. My “internet research” indicates they all come from the same place. What I did was put several of them in my Amazon “Shopping List” and checked every day because each one of them will usually periodically have a price drop for one day. I got the one I have for $59 (Dec, 2022)
I did the same thing on the new sights. Instead of $112, I got them for $63.
Excellent strategy! I’m happy to report that mine is holding up very well and has more than paid for itself by saving me trips to the gunsmith to replace sights and upgrades. Just used it to upgrade the sights of my Dan Wesson 10mm 1911. Quick and easy! Also very portable so easy to take to the range to do the final fine tuning.
I bought the Wheeler universal sight pusher a few months ago. So far, I am very happy with it. I have only pushed the sights on my Sig M17 and my P365 so far. It went well both times.
Still, I found that using some WD-40 brand penatrating oil took the drama out of it. I let the sight blade soak for an hour. I also tapped on the pusher blade/block (the part contacting the sight blade) a couple of times to get it moving while under pressure. The directions tell you about this procedure.
I am glad I bought a pusher. It is a nice tool to have in the box. My friends have borrowed it from me already. Lol
While we’re on this topic, I’ve owned a Wheeler Engineering “Fat Wrench”for many years. If you install your own scopes or do any stock work on precision rifles you need to know the torque that you’re tightening screws to to avoid getting in trouble.
I’m in the process of packing for my upcoming move and I can’t find the damn thing so I decided to “upgrade”. Found this on Amazon for HALF the price of the mostly plastic Fat Wrench. About $31. This is a much better tool so I think when I find my Fat Wrench it’s getting retired.
I think from now on, as much as I love Midway for a lot of reasons, I’ll skip their tool section.
@Enzo_T Take that to your local Snap-On or Mac guy. They usually have a torque wrench calibrator on their trucks. Some may let you test for free others have a fee. Best to know what you are about.
When I replace sights I always mark the centers on the slide with a pencil. Then it’s as easy Al lining up the lines and you are centered. I have a couple pushing tools and well let’s just say some work better than others I like the wheeler knockoff I got a while back off Amazon. But a good old hammer and a dovetail punch works pretty good. My main issue was figure if our that most sights had a direction you had to push them to get them out.
That will just confuse at least in my mind. One adjusts the sights to the impact not the impact to the sights.
