Well I'm trying to install some new sight's on my trusty old kimber 1911, The front came off fairly easy however the rear sight is really giving me some problems!! I removed the set screw in the rear sight and then tried to use a brass punch to get it out, I rapped on it pretty hard but the thing isn't moving not even a little! I'm just curious if anyone in this forum has removed sight's off a kimber 1911 before, if you have any advise please send it my way.

Also I purchased the sight's from midway and their supposed to be from kimber, does anyone know if the new front and rear sight's will have to be fitted or should I just be able to use a punch and tap them in palce.


Thanks in advance.

Don



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First squirt some Kroil or other very penetrative oil in the dovetail, both sides, back front everywhere you can get it. Let set for about a day. Then with the front of the slide facing away from you, try to drift the sight from your left towards your right. Hope this helps.

A sight pusher is the right tool, a punch is hard to get enough pressure to do this right. Even with a brass drift you will mark up the new sight putting it on.

When drifting out a sight from any slide, the slide should be very rigidly held. If you have a bench vice (if you do not have one, get one it is worth the price), remove the jaws from the vice and reverse them so that you can clamp the slide with the smooth surfaces. One layer of masking tape on the slide sides will prevent any marking of the polished surfaces. Use a starter puch that is as wide as will easily fit through the dovetail and a heavy hammer. Tap as low down on the dovetail as possible.

If you do not get it moving in a couple of taps, the dovetail peens and becomes more firmly wedged. If all attempts at drifting fail, take a hacksaw (careful now) and saw straight down through the setscrew hole, till you are just shy of the slide. Tapping it out will then be easy but the old sight becomes scrap. Before sawing at the sight, file a starter groove with a triangular file so that the hacksaw blade does not slip and run down the sight on to the top of the slide.

Hey guy's thanks for the advice!!