Front sight

[GrumpyIII]

Hi, I'm a new member and hope that I'm in the right place for this question. I have a SA Micro compact that I just got back from the local gunsmith after having a few things done to the pistol. The question I have is how hard is it to replace the front sight, it appears to be a tenon sight and my old eyes just can't seem to pick it up. Any input would be great, the smith did not seem to want to tackle this but did do about 8 weeks of work to the SA.

[John]

It all depends on what sight you want to have on your pistol and what sights there are now on your pistol. I am not familiar with the setup of the Micro Compact, so I can't be more specific, but if it has the same sights as the GI model, then it is a relatively simple job to change them to the sights the Mil-Spec has. These are taller and have three dots.

If you want to go to a more elaborate set-up, such as Novaks etc, you will need to have the slide machined for the dovetails those sights have, and then refinished. Depending on your pistol (blue or stainless) the refinish process can add some significant cost to the job, maybe that's why your gunsmith is not willing to tackle it.

You can always send your pistol back to SA and have them do the job.

[GrumpyIII]

Thanks John, It's the SA GI. I have had the rear sight taken down with the edges removed. I had asked the gunsmith about installing a front bead sight which he would not do. I have seen a replacement sight (tenon) listed at Brownells but I have never attempted to replace one. The smith did offer to machine in a front sight but did not have an opinion on a replacement.

[erwittry]

Springfield GIs are more difficult because they are somewhere between the "large" and "narrow" tenon. I found this out the hardway. I bought a factory "large" colt sight and filed down the tenon to fit. I would say a good vice, one-sided file, and patience were necessary. It may also be a good idea to get the matching rear sight...
As far as staking it yourself, spend the money on a staking tool (which should be comparable to the shipping cost, sub $40?). Good luck.

[GrumpyIII]

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

[John]

Most front sights sold in the market today are taller than the standard GI sights. That means that if you replace the front one (with a stake-on sight) then you also need to change the rear one with a taller sight. The one on the Mil-Spec should do fine.

[sevenL4]

There are hundreds of gunsmiths who can fix you up with sights of known quality. Seems like your 'smith is out of the loop and does not know hotw to research. You only need to send the slide to the 'smith of your choice, thereby eliminating major cost and headaches. First class mail or Priority Mail will work just fine. Look thru a couple of gun mags until you find the set you want. Ask for gunsmith recommendations here.

[Hill]

Grumpy, do you think that your gunsmith meant that he could install one of the dovetail type sights for you when he offered to "machine in a front sight " ?

If so, it might be a good option for you because once the dovetail is cut you will be able to try any number of different types until you find one you like and works for you. It's also possible to round down the outer surfaces of a dovetail sight once you do settle on one to make it appear close to the original GI style.

It'd be difficult to estimate the amount of work ($$$) involved in a tenoned sight replacement because of the risk to the existing finish on the slide, and that may be why he seemed reluctant.

[GrumpyIII]

Thanks all for the input, sorry that I have not been on the site, but just recovering from rotator cuff operation and this is the first time to get back on the computer. I had all of the work done on the SA GI for carry in the old belly gun fashion with the rear sight milled down to about nothing but still being able to hook and rack the slide. The front sight was left alone and the smith can and would dovetail in a new blade, but I was thinking more of a either a XS big dot or replacing it with maybe a trijicon replacement. Any information on this type of work would be great. Thanks to all and Happy Holidays..