Installing Warrent Tactical Sights

[heyyouduh]

Hey all, I'm in the process of installing warren tactical night sights on my G17, have a quick question. Where exactly do I file on the dovetail/trapezoid section on the sight - do I file on the sides of the trapezoid or the bottom of the trapezoid? Or both?

I saw the Dawson sight install video on youtube, it looks like he's filing the sides. I've seen other videos filing only the bottom. It makes more sense to me to file the bottom. But after quite a bit of filing (on both the sides and the bottom) the sight, it's still only fitting in the slide about 1/4" with hand pressure, and I do not want to hammer the sh*t out of it like I did with my last set of sights.

TIA.

[SeriousStudent]

I used an Arkansas stone to slowly remove metal from the bottom of the sights. I also lubed the dovetail cuts in the slide with some Kroil, and then slowly moved the sights in with a sight tool and a ratchet wrench. I held the slide in a padded vise.

As I am sure you know, better to go slow than buy new sights.

Good luck!

[JCIN]

Here's a great video about the subject from a guy who knows a little about installing sights: http://www.dawsonprecision.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=800008E3-1212763896

[heyyouduh]

Thanks for the replies. I saw the Dawson video my question was to clarify something in the video.

[JCIN]

You file on the sides of the dovetail only. The height should be good to go based on the ones I have done. Also its supposed to be a fairly tight press fit without having to beat the hell out of it. I hate fitting things like sights/ 1911 safeties and beavertails because the only real way to do it right I have found is to just keep taking a little off and testing until its right. Some go easy and some take seemingly forever. Good luck.

[Chameleox]

Funny...
I've never needed more than a sight tool to install rear sights on my Glocks, including 10-8s and Warrens. Am I missing something?

[heyyouduh]

I've just been filing the sides and the bottom little by little and test fitting them.

[slimmpd]

They will fit you just have to use a punch and not a sight tool. I have three sets installed on gen 3's. All three sets were a bear but use a good brass punch and it will go on.

[JHC]

Funny...
I've never needed more than a sight tool to install rear sights on my Glocks, including 10-8s and Warrens. Am I missing something?

My favorite LGS has told me they've broken a rear sight tool pushing in Warren's before. They can be tight. Some not bad, some worse I guess.

They've never broken my ball peen hammer however. ;)

[heyyouduh]

You file on the sides of the dovetail only. The height should be good to go based on the ones I have done. Also its supposed to be a fairly tight press fit without having to beat the hell out of it. I hate fitting things like sights/ 1911 safeties and beavertails because the only real way to do it right I have found is to just keep taking a little off and testing until its right. Some go easy and some take seemingly forever. Good luck.

Now that I think about it the width is probabaly what's keeping the sights out right now. I'll keep filing/fittin repeat thanks.

[heyyouduh]

Thanks for the help. I finally got them on. Had to file away quite a bit of stuff from the sides and hammer it in with a nylon punch. So far both of my experiences w/ aftermarket sights (meprolight and warren) are that they reuired quite a bit of material to be removed... might just be my slide. Thanks for the help.

[heyyouduh]

Since I couldn't find many pics showing them with a view from arm's length, showing specifically the light bars on each side of the front post, here's a quick one. The extra light that is let through the rear notch makes it easier to see the front sight as compared to the meprolights. The tritium lamps themselves are not nearly as bright as the meprolights (in both green front and yellow rears), they are a bit smaller as well. They may be a bit harder to pick up in the middle of the night if you just woke up from deep sleep. I think this may be the only drawback to the warren tacticals as compared to the mepros.