New sights, sighting in distance..

[ChrisG164]

Is there a specific distance to use when sighting in a pair of new sights? They are fixed, but this still leaves me with horizontal movement of the front sight and some vertical adjustment with a file on the front sight if it's shooting low, just not high.

Chris

[flyinrock]

Chris
What is your intended use for your pistol? The probable distance is about 10 yards which will set you up for most defensive uses. If you are going to shoot competition 25 yards is more apt and will get you going from 7-25 yds. With fixed sights, I'd also consider if I were shooting reloads or factory ammo. Factory ammo will change POI a lot between "lots" but at 10 yards or less it won't be enough to make much difference. Hand loads are much more predictable once you are dialed in.
The rear sight can be drifted side to side to make up for the horizontal, and as you said, the front sight can be filed to make up for vertical. However, I'd be damned careful about taking off any metal because once its gone, its gone?! Best left to a pro with the 1911 and many gunsmiths are not pros when it comes to them.
Semper Fi
Rocky

[2MoreChains]

Chris,
If I recall your other posts you're planning on shooting your XD in competition, right? I can't remember if you're also planning on reloading or if you're going to shoot factory.

As Flyintock said, dial the sights in for 25 yds, and you'll be fine. However if the sights are not on for elevation, a couple things you could do with fixed sights. Heavier bullets tend to hit higher than lighter weight. So if you're hitting low with 115 gr bullets, you might try and see what your POI is with 125's or 147's.

Another thing to you could do if you're consistently hitting low is to check out Dawson Precision's website for information to calculate how much you need to reduce your front sight height and then start filing, going slow and test firing a bunch off sandbags. Once you get the front sight to the right height, measure it and then order yourself a new front sight at that height. This would be a good time to get one with a fiber optic, or plain black, or with a dot, as well as the width that you prefer (ie .125" or .100" wide).

DP makes a number of front sights that fit the XD dovetail. http://www.dawsonprecision.com/Categ...t=SIGHTS+FRONT

[ChrisG164]

2morechains.. You are correct.. It's an XD modified for competition and will be used as such. I just bought a lee turret press as you'll see in the reloading forums for 1911forum and XDtalk.
Luckily Dawson has this deal where they will (for free) exchange the front sight for a higher or lower version if it doesn't dial in properly. I will find out this week if I need to do that.

[2MoreChains]

Good deal. Tapping out your front sight is not a big deal, provided you use the right technique and tools. Dave has a great video, which I'm sure you've seen which goes over the technique he uses. I've replaced the front sight on three of my competition guns after watching his videos, and its kind of satisfying doing it yourself. The hardest part seems to be getting out the stock sights since all the ones I've replaced are fit extremely tight.

Just remember, whenever doing your own fitting of parts on a gun, do all filing on the CHEAPEST part! Good luck.

[ChrisG164]

Yes, I refuse to touch a file to my gun's dovetails. Can you link me to Dave's videos on youtube when you have a chance? I just want to make sure I HAVE indeed seem them. Thanks much.

Chris

[Jason D]

Most guns are set for 25 yards with standard weight ammo

[ChrisG164]

This is usually done from a prone two-handed position with sandbags? Or?

[2MoreChains]

I usually use sandbags.

Here's the Dawson Precision video: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=do8sHBDfIGk

If this doesn't work, look for the link from his website. http://www.dawsonprecision.com/Categ...m+Front+Sights

[TimG45ACP]

Originally Posted by 2MoreChains

Good deal. Tapping out your front sight is not a big deal, provided you use the right technique and tools. Dave has a great video, which I'm sure you've seen which goes over the technique he uses. I've replaced the front sight on three of my competition guns after watching his videos, and its kind of satisfying doing it yourself. The hardest part seems to be getting out the stock sights since all the ones I've replaced are fit extremely tight.

Just remember, whenever doing your own fitting of parts on a gun, do all filing on the CHEAPEST part! Good luck.

Stock sights on the SA XD are an extreme pain to remove. SA swaged in the dovetail, under the sight. The little bumps the swaging produced hold the sight in EXTREMELY tight. I all but destroyed the aluminum punch that Dawson sent with the sights. I'm not a total clutz, but did manage to whack my thumb (which was surgically repaired not 6 months prior) an 5-6 times. I wasn't joking about the pain.
At this point, I moved from my "hobby room" with the aluminum vise with nylon jaw gaurds and the gun smithing tools the garage and the hardmounted vise, a steel punch and a 2.5 pound hammer. It took several hard whacks to get the front sight to move at all. (Slide was well protected with triple layers of painters tape, both on the slide and on the punch.) Once the sight cleared the swaging on one side of the slide, I was able to tap it the rest of the way with a brass punch and 8 ounce brass hammer.
To put the DP sight in I had to file the swaging bumps to get the sights in without damage.
I did use a laser boresighter at about 30 yards to check alignment.

[ChrisG164]

Ok, well the good news is that you WERE able to remove it yourself.