I put night sights on my CM40!

[scosgt]

So I ordered the sight pusher referenced here. Did the rear first, since the front has to be broken off and can not be re-installed.

The rear is some baitch to work on! Had to put the pusher in a vice and use a 3/4 wrench, and really work at it. It did finally move, after making some very scary sounds! Got the rear off, now the fun begins.

The new rear was really hard to get on. In retrospect I should have taken a little off the bottom, but silly me, I assumed that a sight made specifically for Kahr and sold by Kahr should fit. NOT.

Had to use a lot of force to move it on, once I got it started (did have to attack the corners with a Dremel just a little to get it started).

I think i bent the pusher bar, which is like a 1/2" bolt. There is some small indents on the side of the sight where it goes into the dovetail from the pusher (should have taken a little off), but it is on and in one piece. The front was quite easy by comparison. Break off the old, put in the new, drop of supplied Lock-tite on the threads, screw in the Philips, make sure to strip the Philips (almost no way to tighten it without stripping the head)! No matter, the screw is so small it could easily be drilled out if the sight needs replacement.

Now off to the range. The sights are Trijicon, and compared to a set of new Metros I have, they are way brighter.

I just hope the tool will still work for Glock sights. And I sure hope they are easier to work with.

The Kahr sights have a reputation of being very very hard to move. The reputation is WELL DESERVED!

[TucsonMTB]

You are a lucky guy!

Traditionally, one files enough material off the bottom of the sight to allow the sight to be pushed in about half way just with finger pressure. Then, you use the sight pusher to position it correctly.

That's pretty much the normal approach for any sights as they are all oversized to ensure they will fit and be stable regardless of gun's manufacturing tolerances or wear on the slide dovetail slot.

The last two sets I installed required only light taps with a soft faced punch, after filing. Getting the originals out did require a few solid taps with a steel punch. Yes, I do own a cheap sight pusher. But, it easier for me to use punches with the slide held in the vise.

Yours now probably looks a lot like mine. Congratulations on getting it done! :D

http://www.kahrtalk.com/picture.php?albumid=103&pictureid=616

[scosgt]

Yep, it has the same dents under where it says "true dot".
I understand the front dovetail is near impossible to remove.
On the CM40, it has the Glock style attachment and was quite easy.

[scosgt]

I just tried the pusher on my G23. Sight moves with a minimum of effort. It is the Kahr that is a problem.
The front on the Glocks may be a treat to get off, depending on what Loctite was used.

[TucsonMTB]

Glad it works so smoothly on the Glock without filing the sight base. They may be more consistent, piece to piece and allow the sight manufacturer to get their size closer to "Glock perfection", pun intended. http://home.mindspring.com/~justsomeguy/icon_lol.gif

Most of my experience installing sights, prior to the two PM40's was with 1911's. It might be that, with so many different 1911 manufacturers, the dovetails vary more widely on that platform. I kind of got into the habit of always filing the sight bases before trying to install them.

Oh, and it may be a reflection or something that gives you the impression that my sight has a dent. It does not. It it had a dent, it would have been a round mark centered on the area where you push the sight.

I used a soft (nylon tipped) punch with a little bit of chamois wrapped around the end avoid making a mark. ;)

It's nice to see that you are adventurous enough to install your own sights. The first time, years ago, that I did it, I sweated bullets. Now, it seems pretty easy and certainly beats shipping the gun off or paying a local smith $40 to install sights for me.

Glad you are having fun too. Life is good! :)

[godan]

To replace stubborn dovetailed sights, I flood the area with Kroil to help with removal. To install, I freeze the sight, touch the empty dovetail cut with a heat gun and apply Kroil to smooth the installation. Careful caliper measurements of the removed factory sight and the replacement new sight will help determine whether a touch of the file may be needed. If the outgoing sight is zeroed, I use a marked piece of tape to assure the replacement returns to zero.

[scosgt]

Will freezing harm the tritium inserts?

[scosgt]

Also, frozen metal gets wet as it warms, won't you trap moisture under the sight eventually rotting the sight and any non-Stainless slides?

[magtf388]

Also, frozen metal gets wet as it warms, won't you trap moisture under the sight eventually rotting the sight and any non-Stainless slides?

Not so much that the lube you use the putting on will hurt anything. Degrease the stripped slide, frezzzzzzzzzz. The as you go about setting the new rear sight remove just enough material from the base of the sight (NOT HE SLIDE DOVETAIL) so you can hand push the sight in the dove about 30 or 40%. Remove and put a drop of CLP on the dove and the bottom of the sight and then tap or sightpusher it into zero.

Wipe the slide down with a bit of oil and let se a few then clean and shot the gun to POA of your liking. :typing:

This is not hard to do.

[muggsy]

There are outstanding How to's on you tube on installing pistol sights from Dawson Precision. You should have asked us for guidance before blundering through the job on your own. let this experience be a lesson for you. Kahr sights are remover from right to left and are installed from left to right and they need to be properly fitted.

[Glock23]

You should have asked us for guidance before blundering through the job on your own. let this experience be a lesson for you. Kahr sights are remover from right to left and are installed from left to right and they need to be properly fitted.
Pretty sure you have that backwards... but yes, I had to take a decent amount off the bottom of mine (and a bit off the front/back sides as well) to get them to fit all flush and proper.

[scosgt]

There are outstanding How to's on you tube on installing pistol sights from Dawson Precision. You should have asked us for guidance before blundering through the job on your own. let this experience be a lesson for you. Kahr sights are remover from right to left and are installed from left to right and they need to be properly fitted.

You have that almost backwards. The REAR sight is removed left to right, the FRONT sight is removed right to left.

[Popeye]

I had the Tru Dots on my PM9 and loved them. They worked well in low light conditions, but were not to bright in the dark. Very easy for you eyes to pick up on.

[TucsonMTB]

You have that almost backwards. The REAR sight is removed left to right, the FRONT sight is removed right to left.
Really!? Must be a Glock thing . . . for Kahrs the right side of both dovetails is just a little wider than the left side.

Yes, I know you don't have to deal with a front dovetail on the CM or CW series guns. But, the rest are removed by tapping to the right and installed by tapping the sight to the left. Trust me. It's basically an industry standard, not limited to Kahrs. ;)

And, yeah, Muggsy may have gotten it backwards. But, his advice on visiting Dawson Precision to see an expert perform a sight install is excellent!

[jocko]

got this off of a tech forum. Have no clue as to how true this post is either. but I sure read different opinions..



The text book is right to left. Some guns it does not matter. Colt 1911 for instance does not nor does Kimber or STI. Anything Novak cut does not matter either. If its made by Sig, Springfield XD, Glock Rears, Kahr, SW M&P and some of the Ruger P series, the sights always push out to the left (if your facing the back of the gun) and install left to right. If you try it any other way, you'll break your sight or your pusher

[scosgt]

got this off of a tech forum. Have no clue as to how true this post is either. but I sure read different opinions..



The text book is right to left. Some guns it does not matter. Colt 1911 for instance does not nor does Kimber or STI. Anything Novak cut does not matter either. If its made by Sig, Springfield XD, Glock Rears, Kahr, SW M&P and some of the Ruger P series, the sights always push out to the left (if your facing the back of the gun) and install left to right. If you try it any other way, you'll break your sight or your pusher

Someone is confused.
IF looking at the gun as if you are firing it, the sights ALWAYS push out from the left to the right. ALWAYS.
Kahr supplies an instruction sheet with their CM/SW night sights. Remove LEFT TO RIGHT. Install RIGHT TO LEFT. ALWAYS

[Glock23]

Someone is confused.
IF looking at the gun as if you are firing it, the sights ALWAYS push out from the left to the right. ALWAYS.
Kahr supplies an instruction sheet with their CM/SW night sights. Remove LEFT TO RIGHT. Install RIGHT TO LEFT. ALWAYS

^^This.

I ordered the Trijicon night sights directly from Kahr. The instructions specifically said to remove the sight from left to right and install from right to left.

[scosgt]

So I went down and shot about 65 rounds through it. NO problem at all.
However, I noticed the front of the new front sight wobbles a bit. Screw is still tight as a drum (red loctite, which is supplied). So, my analysis is this: The front sight has two "tubes" that go through the slidb. The rear "tune" is threaded and takes the screw. The front "tube" just pokes through the hole in the slide, it does not attach in any way. That is where the wobble exists. There is no up and down movement, just a little side to side at that point.
So I am not crazy about the way the sight attaches. Glock sights also have one screw, but there is a rectangular area that goes through the slide, preventing lateral movement.
There should be some way of attaching or staking the front tube, that would be a more solid sight.
However, it did not fly off and the gun and new sights worked great.

[addictedhealer]

When I installed my front site I completely smother it with red lock tight. Thing isn't coming over EVER! Also make sure the barrel isn't rubbing the screw. I had to use a drimmel to make the screw hole bigger so it would seat properly.