Swapping out the sights on my PM45

[kingfhb]

Well, I took the plunge and attempted to swap out my factory sights for some night sights on my PM45... or actually just getting them removed would have been nice.

I was able to remove the rear sight with a sight pusher relatively easy, however, even my LGS wasn't able to get the front sight off. Every pusher they had got blocked by the lower part of the slide and didn't allow the sight to line up with the pusher.

My sight tool actually ROUNDED OFF trying to push the front sight out of it's detent. The tool actually slipped from the side of the sight base and snapped the vertical part of the sight right off leaving just the flat base of the sight in the dovetail. That's how much pressure I was putting on the sight and it wouldn't budge.

I finally broke down and brought it over to a local gunsmith who said he should have it back to be next week with the night sight on.

Oh well... it was worth a shot. Those damn dove tails!

[kahrnut1]

if you have that happen again all u had to do was drill a 3/16" hole in the flat plate that was left after it broke. this does 2 things it removes a lot of tension from the sight and you use hole with pin punch and it will drive right out

[CJB]

The key to getting that @#$@#$ out, is to make sure you have the slide locked firmly in a vice.... a big vice. And then you just tap tap tap it out... little taps when the slide is immovable. Works!

[kingfhb]

The key to getting that @#$@#$ out, is to make sure you have the slide locked firmly in a vice.... a big vice. And then you just tap tap tap it out... little taps when the slide is immovable. Works!



Nope. Had it in a vice... big vice. Tried tapping, tried wailing, tried sight pusher... Like I said, rear sight came out fine, front sight was welded! lol.

[CJB]

You pushed to the right...yes?

[kingfhb]

Yep


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[smo79]

Those dovetails are tight. It took me 2-3 hours with my sight pusher to get the old sights off and my new night sights on to my cw9.

[muggsy]

Sometimes you can get the sights to come off more easily by putting the slide in the freezer over night. I hide the slide near the frozen broccoli where the wife isn't likely to find it. You have to work fast while the metal is still cold and so the wife doesn't catch you in the refrigerator again. Women can be very nosy and become irate at the drop of a hat. My wife came totally unglued when I first started storing my night crawlers in the fruit keeper section, but that's another story. :)

[CJB]

If those sights are stubborn, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean.

Or something like that that Josie once said.

Sight pushers are for fairly loose fitting sights, not sloppy loose, but not like those @#$$ Kahr fronts, or the Sig fronts for that matter too. If you hand fit a sight, and it taps in as it ought to, a sight pusher is great for alignment, and minor adjustment.

[kingfhb]

I thought about soaking it in some liquid nitrogen... That's how we dealt with stubborn in the military... But the freezer may have worked.

I'm just waiting to hear from the gunsmith so I can find out how he did it.


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[b4uqzme]

....when I first started storing my night crawlers in the fruit keeper section, but that's another story. :)

That still creeps me out ... but you gotta do what you gotta do. ;)

When it comes to Kahr sights, I follow the advice I got on this very forum. I go straight to the gunsmith. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200....:)

[wyntrout]

You should only be applying pressure to the lowest part of the base... as close as you can get to the bottom of the dove tail. The tops of the sights will break off and you really must take care with night sights. You can break the glass Tritium vials. :eek:

I keep rechecking to make sure that I'm not hitting the dove tail's sides or the slide. The slide must be secured in a vise or good pusher, though.

I "hear" that some kind of penetrating lubricant might help, too, but sometimes there's something like Red Loctite used to secure them in place.:rolleyes:

Wynn:)

[kingfhb]

You should only be applying pressure to the lowest part of the base... as close as you can get to the bottom of the dove tail. The tops of the sights will break off and you really must take care with night sights. You can break the glass Tritium vials. :eek:

I keep rechecking to make sure that I'm not hitting the dove tail's sides or the slide. The slide must be secured in a vise or good pusher, though.

I "hear" that some kind of penetrating lubricant might help, too, but sometimes there's something like Red Loctite used to secure them in place.:rolleyes:

Wynn:)


Thanks... but I tried that also. Penetrating oil didn't help. I and my LGS had the pusher on the lowest flat part of the sight... not touching the slide or anything. Like I said, it even rounded the 90 degree angle of my pusher!


I'm anxious to see what the Gunsmith can do.

[par3]

Sometimes you can get the sights to come off more easily by putting the slide in the freezer over night. I hide the slide near the frozen broccoli where the wife isn't likely to find it. You have to work fast while the metal is still cold and so the wife doesn't catch you in the refrigerator again. Women can be very nosy and become irate at the drop of a hat. My wife came totally unglued when I first started storing my night crawlers in the fruit keeper section, but that's another story. :)

Doesn't cold make metal contract? It seems that using a heat gun (or hair dryer) would expand the slide and be more effective.

[kingfhb]

Well, I picked up my PM45 today from the gunsmith and I gotta say he did a great job! He was able to get the sight out and install my new sights. $125 Lesson learned.

[DJK11]

My lgs sent my PM45 slide to kahr for a set of trijicons and he charged me $115. He said Kahr loves to to have dealers send pistols in for service and gives them the "dealer discount" so he passed it on to me.

[kingfhb]

Did that include the $80 sights that kahr sells?


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[DJK11]

Yes, total cost $115

[kingfhb]

Great deal. Considering I purchased my sights... Then had to pay $125 to have the old mangled sight removed and the new sights put on.


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[ChuckR45]

Didn't think I could do it so I sent my CW380 slide to Kahr to have the night sights installed. The front is attached by 2 tiny screws. One month and $65 later, got the slide back.

[Pointblank]

I gave up trying that stuff a long time ago. My mechanical ability stops with tightening screws. :madgrin:

[xr1200guy]

those dove tailed front sights are tight.i just got my dremel and cut what was left in the dovetail in 2.worked down the new front sight till it slid in a good ways then a dab of lock sight and your good to go.