Installing Dawson sights on a PM40

[Texas48]

Has anyone installed Dawson sights on their PM40 or PM9? If so did the Dawson provided tools work well? Any tips on self installation?


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[jtsmall]

Dawson has YouTube videos. I've watched several and found them informative. Running stock sights on my guns so far except for the Glocks.

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[Texas48]

Sent the PM40 slide to Dawson Precision to have the sights installed.


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[allthumbsplusone]

You will most likely find that the factory sights are VERY tight coming out. If you do not have a sight pusher you will most likely need a brass punch (wrap the end with tape as to not leave a mark), a hammer and a vise. Lock the slide in the vice with wood on either side so that you do not mark the slide finish. As you are looking down at slide with the business end of the barrel pointing away from you push the sight from left to right.

When you install new sight you will have to insert in the opposite direction (Right to Left). Most likely the sights will hardly engage the dovetail. Using a file and/or a diamond stone slowly take material off the bottom of the sight. Some sights don't need too much taken off but I had to take almost .010 inch off my Big Dot sight bottoms. It takes a while to take that much off with a file and stone. Each time you try to the fit make sure to take a swipe or 2 off the leading edge corners on the the bottom and side of the sight. Continue to do this until you can push the slide in so that it is about half way into the slide. When you get to this point you can use your punch to tap it in the rest of the way.

Take you time and remove material slowly. Plan on spending an hour on it once you have all the tools and are set up. Make sure the punch is parallel with the dove tail both when removing and when installing. I don't have a press but have mounted a number of sights using this method. Some sights come with a nylon or delrin punch but they are usually too soft to get the originals out and the new ones in. Let us know how it comes out.

[AugWest]

Sent the PM40 slide to Dawson Precision to have the sights installed.


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What did it set you back to have them do it?

[allthumbsplusone]

What did it set you back to have them do it?

Just call them.

[railroader]

They charge $30 per sight and return shipping for the slide .

[b4uqzme]

They charge $30 per sight and return shipping for the slide .

Good luck with your sights Texas. You will like them.

^^^ FYI: A local gunsmith could probably install those for significantly less and no shipping.

[Texas48]

$65.00. Have seen local LGS shops mangle sights or slides when installing. PM40 Sights are really difficult to get off. Dawson did a great job and same cost as Kahr to install sight. Dawson is 1700 miles closer to me than Kahr.

[b4uqzme]

^^^ that makes sense.

[Texas48]

Range report on PM40. Put 20.5 Wolfe springs in my PM40 and the recoil is very manageable now. They have made a huge difference. Dawson sights I had installed by Dawson were a great investment but had several FTE's and new Lakeline followers are all chewed up. Looking for possible causes about the followers.
http://www.kahrtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=14632&stc=1

[Bawanna]

Has to be smacking the feed ramp pretty good.

Regular followers would have been busted for sure by now.

[Texas48]

Has to be smacking the feed ramp pretty good.

Regular followers would have been busted for sure by now.
Can you suggest a fix? Using my loads 155gr XTP 8.7 gr Longshot 1200FPS from a 4 inch barrel. Too hot a load?

[Bawanna]

Only fix is to remove a little metal from the back of the feed ramp in the offending area.

I've never had to do it but I'm told it doesn't take a whole lot to cure it.

If your not comfy doing that yourself, I'd send those pictures to Kahr and see if they'll fit it properly.

[Texas48]

Only fix is to remove a little metal from the back of the feed ramp in the offending area.

I've never had to do it but I'm told it doesn't take a whole lot to cure it.

If your not comfy doing that yourself, I'd send those pictures to Kahr and see if they'll fit it properly.
Thanks to Bewanna and Al for their suggestions and help. If the advice they gave doesn't solve the problem it will go to Kahr , don't know how much they will charge for a fix. Took a look at the clearance and found the feed ramp was really smashing the follower. No clearance at all. I relieved the area on Lakeline follower and have an industrial Metal polishing wheel and did a minor rampectomy and finally the barrel does not move when loading a mag, statically, there seems to be some clearance. Next range trip will be the final test. This is an 11 year old gun, its become apparent why the previous owner got rid of it. I think the issues I have had with it are fixable without a lot of money. Thanks again to Al and Bewanna for their help.