Any recommendations on a “universal” site press?
I’m considering one but it would have to do both front and rear sites and be compatible with all (most) makes of pistols.
I see the prices are all over the place so I’m wondering what experiences others have had.
What’s a site/sight press?
Universal Sight Pusher Tool?
These are used to replace the sights on pistols. Some guys will use a hammer and punch but these can be sloppy (i.e. damage the firearm), not to mention, difficult to fine tune.
Yes, any recommendations? I see them between $40 and $200. Are the cheaper ones junk and/or are the expensive ones worth it or simply over priced?
I am not sure that there is a true “Universal” press. I currently have two, which I accumulated for changing sites on only 3 handguns. I have the e-bay special which does most of what I needed, but my PX4 needed a dedicated pusher for the rear site. I like tools so I paid for the different pushers, but if it was a pure economic matter I would say you probably will be money ahead to let a gunsmith do the work until you have 5 or 6 guns.
Whatever is below $100 - it may work or not. I know few people who are happy with their pusher for $40 - $70 bought at Amazon, but the same time I saw broken ones. So I’d say 50/50 - and this is no go for me.
These 2 work for sure:
The question is how many sights are you gonna replace with this tool? I was thinking about the tool when I replaced my sights, but eventually never bought it.
I had a cheap one off eBay like 40-50 bucks it worked like a 40-50 buck sight pusher a more expensive one is needed and the skills to use it you may honk you can do it till you can’t it can get expensive quick when you gall them
My experience is that most real gunshops that sell sights will install them as well at no extra charge.
If you really need/want one for yourself remember that the rich man pays once (gets the good stuff) and the poor man pays again and again (with one or two use tools)
There’s a gentleman who does my sights and his sight pusher cost 500 dollars. The cheapest ones you can mount them on a vice but they work also.
There’s gun shops that will bang your sights out with a hammer and miss a few times a mess up your slide. I would rather pay more and get the job done right or get the best tool you can and learn yourself.
Thanks for the replies.
The problem I have…I live in Wyoming. While VERY gun friendly, there isn’t a gun smith close to me. So I with money I’d spend shipping or driving I figured I could get a decent tool and do my own and maybe help some friends out.
Mine uses a press/pusher and offers me drinks (coke/pop/coffee) and we BS while they do it. Then I put a few rounds on paper to prove them out before I leave. But so far they have been spot on with a quick check from the calipers to verify center before reassembly.
I looked at getting a pusher a while ago and decided that if it got to where I really needed one I would just make it myself for as silly expensive as they are (if I dont already have something that will work, not a BFH)
Does BFH stand for BIG FREAKIN HAMMER, just curious. Yes I hear you those things are very expensive.
That is a very good reason then. 
If you want to do precise work (specially for friends, who will look into your perfect job) I suggest Wheeler Pusher, which comes with built-in scale for precise adjustment.
I also has big knob for easy “push”, so even tight sitting sights can be easily removed and setup.
I bought a $50 “universal site pusher” a couple of weeks ago. It would NOT budge the rear sight on my Kimber… Sent it to my favorite ‘smith’. I think he has a Wheeler. He said it was tough to get off even with his Wheeler.
I gave my pusher to a friend who swaps sights a lot, usually with just a hammer and punch, it will most likely serve him well for the occasional sight and adjusting sights.
So to make things as clear as mud, the cheap ones might work, the upper end ones will work. Like all tools, you get what you pay for. In all fairness to the ‘universal’ pusher, I have heard Kimber rear sights are notoriously hard to remove compared to other 1911 sights.
My gunsmith is “old School”. He does it right everytime, with proper tools! I had him install the Trijicon HD night sights on my “police surplus” Sig P229, which I bought but the night sights were dying. I thought about doing it my self but I realized I wouldn’t have to do it that often…so I paid my gunsmith 30.00.
That’s about the going rate for sight install I pay $35.00
Wheeler tools are in the $200 range. A cheaper alternative is the VISM/NcStar from amazon or ebay at around $75 (the blue one that does front sights also). It’s been good so far and I’ve already used it enough to warrant the cost. Even loaned it to a friend and he had no problem using it. The downside is that the threading on the adjustment is a bit coarse but a piece of tape and dial caliper does the trick. I even did a Kimber swap with it and yes they are loctite tight. 
I’m playing around with the idea of getting a sight pusher. I just really don’t want to spend the money. I do not currently have a vice set up either.