[603480]

Has anyone had success removing the front and rear sights from the PT 1911? I want to install HiViz sights
but I've heard that Taurus uses "glue" so that sights don't move. Before I invest I want to be sure
it can be done WITHOUT damaging the weapon.

 

[btleslie]

I have been able to adjust my rear sight since it walked itself to the left using the right Allen wrench. I'm sure you can remove the front sight it may take a little tapping using a brass punch and mallet. Just use light taps and ease them out. Also make sure the Allen wrenches fit perfectly so you do not round out your screw heads.

 

[texastaurusguy]

I paid a smith to do mine, with the caveat that I could watch him do it. It's really not that hard - you loosen the set screws and tap them out, from left to right, with a wood dowel. Mine didn't have any stickum under the sights at all but the front sight was VERY tight.

There was just a little filing done to the rear dovetail to get the rear sight to go in. He used a diamond-shaped file and took one or two swipes at the rear part of the dovetail, then would try it again. When he got to where it would start to go in, he tapped it in the rest of the way with a wood dowel and screwed it down. The front sight was a completely different story - it was so tight that he didn't bother with replacing the set screw. Said you'd need dynamite to get it to move around any. And after a couple thousand rounds, I can see that he was right. It hasn't moved a millimeter.

 

[jr612]

As stated, it's not hard just be sure to have the right tools. There are many specialized tools for removing sights but a hammer and some sort of non marring punch will work. You'll need a file to fit the new sights but I don't remember right off the top of my head if you'll need a 60* or 65* file. Also, any necessarily filing should be done to the new sights and not the slide and it's also a good idea to add a drop or two of some sort of lube when punching the new sights in. The sights should have a snug fit but not have to be beaten in place. After fitting the sights I remove them, degrease them and the slide, apply some red locktite, and install them one last time. It's that easy.

 

[oso]

there are sight pushing tools, some are for front sights some are for rear sights some are universal. they however will cost more than paying a gunsmith, unless you will be using them more then once. before i sight tools i improvised, clamp slide in padded vise and try wood dowel i don't think you will hurt anything.

 

[k4swb]

Has anyone had success removing the front and rear sights from the PT 1911? I want to install HiViz sights
but I've heard that Taurus uses "glue" so that sights don't move. Before I invest I want to be sure
it can be done WITHOUT damaging the weapon.

My OSS came with the sights off center. No big deal since I know how to deal with sights. Got out the hex wrench, vise, punches and hammer.
Loosened the hex screw and the danged rear sight almost fell out. Put it where it should be for me and loosened the front one. Same thing.

Took me longer to get the tools out and put them back than it did to just loosen the screws and tighten them back up.

I hear that most are held in with something like Loc-Tite but mine were not.

 

[603480]

Thank you for all the advise. I was told this forum was friendly and now I know what they meant.

 

[olfarhors]

Has anyone had success removing the front and rear sights from the PT 1911? I want to install HiViz sights
but I've heard that Taurus uses "glue" so that sights don't move. Before I invest I want to be sure
it can be done WITHOUT damaging the weapon.

As the gentlemen before have stated if you are the least bit handy with tools and have some patience its not hard at all.
remove the front and rear sights by loosening the set screws, then try to tap them over (i use a brass punch), being careful to stay on the sight base and not the gun,generally a slight tapping will sent them out slowly, if they are tight you might try heating them with a hair dryer, none are the same tension it seems ( i say this from mounting them on 3 different PT1911's.)
to install you will want the sight to go in about 1/3 of the way, then you tap it in and center it, you will need to file, stone the base down as its a bit oversized.
once you get it in it should be very, very snug and will not move, jsut tyr it in the dovetail, then remove a bit more metal from the base, try it again and just continue until it goes about 1/3 of the way in, then tap it in.
Heres a picture of the last one i did, it took about 10 minutes on this one!
I only do the front sights as the rear sights are not of that much importance to me and the sights get to busy with all fiber optics for me.

 

[ptJason]

My rear sight is a little right of center, but it won't go any to the left.
Should I remove from left to right and remove some material from the sights mount?

 

[olfarhors]

My rear sight is a little right of center, but it won't go any to the left.
Should I remove from left to right and remove some material from the sights mount?

HMM? so are you speaking of factory sights?
I have never seen a set of hienie nor novaks on a Taurus 1911 that would not move easily once the set screw was backed out?
some can be moved just using the fingers and none that i ahve encountered was hard to move with a punch and hammer.
I guess the first question is why do you want to move it?
is it not printing where you aim?
if not you could always move the front sight.
in any case IF it will not move then yes you could remove it from the other direction, but then you gonna need to deal with why it won't move in the dovetail?

 

[ptJason]

I don't need to move my rear sight, I just thought I would try to center and straiten it (as it points a little to the left).
I can easily remove my front sight, but my rear sight won't budge either way.

 

[RichO]

I don't need to move my rear sight, I just thought I would try to center and straiten it (as it points a little to the left).
I can easily remove my front sight, but my rear sight won't budge either way.

Are these factory sights? Like Olfarhors said, usually the factory sights will slide right out when you loosen the screw.

Should I remove from left to right and remove some material from the sights mount?

When you say "Sight Mount", do you mean the actual dovetail groove? Unless you are experienced at fitting sights, and have 100% confidence in your abilities,
I highly suggest against removing any material from the gun itself. If the dovetail itself needs filing, most gun shops and ranges will have someone that
does their sights for them at (usually) very reasonable rates, I'd bring it in and have them take a look at it for you.

 

[olfarhors]

I don't need to move my rear sight, I just thought I would try to center and straiten it (as it points a little to the left).
I can easily remove my front sight, but my rear sight won't budge either way.

AHHHMMM???
Ok you do realize that if you move the sight (front or rear) that you also move point of impact, right?
in other words the projectile will not hit where you want it to.
Which is kind of the purpose for having sights on a weapon anyway.
I would fire the weapon from a rested position and see if it prints correctly , if so then i would persoanlly be happy with it, if not then move the sights to make that happen.
But hey thats just me.
as for removing material from the slide dovetail??
well look at it like this, mess up the dovetail and a slide or remilling the dovetail is going to cost more than a new rear sight, file/remove material from the cheapest part, the sight base.

 

[ptJason]

Sorry, yes, stock, novak.
I have no need to move or remove the sight.
I was curious as to how easy it would be.
I was thinking I could relieve, with 600 grit, the base of the sight that fits into the dovetail in order to straighten and center my sight.
When shootinng, my rear sight is somewhat out of focus anyway.

 

[olfarhors]

Sorry, yes, stock, novak.
I have no need to move or remove the sight.
I was curious as to how easy it would be.
I was thinking I could relieve, with 600 grit, the base of the sight that fits into the dovetail in order to straighten and center my sight.
When shootinng, my rear sight is somewhat out of focus anyway.

OK, Perhaps I missed the bus here from the start??
I thought you wanted to move the rear sight right or left??
so are you saying that looking at it on a horizontal plane (as in shooting position) that one side is higher than the other?
IF so this is not that unusaul with any sight that locks in place with a set screw. kind of the nature of the beast and it differs in how much cant there is, its a matter of torquing the screw down and one side of the sight raising up more than the other.??
as for the rear sight being out of focus or blurry well!!
Good for you thats exactly how it should be!
the human eye can only focus on one distance at a time, so the front sight should be in exact focus, the rear sight should be blurry, and the target should be blurry, (with the focused front sight) over the blurry target.
Thats why Chamelions generally are better pistol shots than us humans cause they have the ability to foucus on several things at once!---:icon_rolleyes:
Usually moving the front or rear sight on a PT1911 is pretty straight forward and easy.

 

[ptJason]

My sights are level horizontally.
Laying a pencil in the notch of the rear sight, the pencil points to the left of center.
The rear sight though is right of center.
The gun prints low (1" below 6 o'clock on the front sight) and 1 1/2" left.

 

[TexasAviator]

Mine are in a similar situation as TTG, except you need dynamite to move either screw!

I was going to move them, they are very slightly off, but for defensive purposes they are fine. If I was shooting competition with it, I might pay a smith to do it since they are so tight and I don't want to strip out the screws.

 

[RichO]

My sights are level horizontally.
Laying a pencil in the notch of the rear sight, the pencil points to the left of center.
The rear sight though is right of center.

Ok, I think I understand what you mean. Filing the base of the sight like you suggested should work, although by removing the material
from the sight, you may have problems with the sight working loose. I would be sure to lock-tite it once you get it straight.
Assuming the problem is the actual sight itself, did it come like this or did it get twisted in a fall? If it came that way, and if it's a
Taurus, give the 800 number a call and run the problem by them. When I had an issues with my rear novak, I let them know that I wasn't
very keen on sending my gun in for a sight problem, so they sent me out a new one to try (free of charge).

 

[rsbagley]

Both of my sights are lose. I cannot get either of them to budge. Can anyone confirm the size of allen wrench to use on the front and rear sight?