Where to get replacement sights for 1911?

[Playboypenguin]

Where is a good place to get replacement rear sights for a Colt 1911? I want standard ones that require no modification to the slide. Preferably ones that will work with the existing front sight.

Also, how easy are they to replace?

[9x19]

www.brownells.com

Best guys in the business... IME.

[SilentHitz]

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but this Novak uses the factory front 80 series sight...http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=9677&title=1911%20AUTO%20CARRY%20REAR%20SIGHT

Universal model I bought protects slide, and pays for itself quickly...there are a couple of less expensive ones there too, but this one holds damn near any slide....http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=17840&title=P500%20UNIVERSAL%20SIGHT%20TOOL

If you put different sights on many of your pistols, you save a lot on smithy charges...my brother just used mine to adjust the rear on his Glock carry. Beats a nylon punch and hammer.;)

[Kreyzhorse]

Try www.midwayusa.com as well. Between them and Brownells, if the part exists, one of them will have it.

[Playboypenguin]

I have tried Brownell's and Midway and canot find a standard rear sight. The Novak style sights require modifying the slide.

[SilentHitz]

Maybe these, if you don't mind changing the front too...
http://www.johnmasen.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=J&Product_Code=4565A&Category_Code=SP

[kristop64089]

What style of sight are ya wanting?

Have ya checked with Colt?

[SilentHitz]

Kings has a couple that might suit your needs...http://www.gunaccessories.com/1911/kings/Sights.asp

[Archie]

The rear sight is mounted in a standard 3/8 inch dovetail slot. Used to was there were all manner of replacements. The original sights were held in (still are) by friction. Drive the original sight out (from left to right) and drive the new one in (from the right to the left). One uses a brass or plastic drift or doodad and a small hammer. A non-scarring vise is handy to hold the slide whilst doing this, but I've done several on a wood table or surface.

However, the limiting factor is the original front sight. The GI sight - and the one on the old style commercial models - is rather short. So the replacement rear sight has to be no higher than the original, or the gun shoots seriously high.

Replacing the front sight - the original - one simply grasps the front sight with a set of vice grip pliers and pulls and wiggles it side to side. If one doesn't rip off half the blade and leave the tenon jammed in the slide...

Once having removed the old front sight, the new front sight is pressed into the mortise and the tenon peened flat on the inside of the slide to fix the sight in place. In order to do this properly, the top of the new front sight has to be firmly on a non-giving but not scarring surface. If the slide is supported, the sight simply gets pushed out. Then the inside must be cleaned up with a small fine file so the barrel bushing will fit.

Doing the front sight is a genuine pain in the foot, unless one has the proper jigs for holding the front sight in place while beating lustily upon the tenon. Again, I've done it on a work bench. I did it, but I cussed a lot.

In any event, the front and rear sight have to be suitably similar in height.

Once upon a time, there was an outfit that made an adjustable sight that would fit in the original rear dovetail and function with the original front sight. I recall the company as MMC sights, but I checked their website and it seems to be different. The other problem with using the original front sight is the original front sight is too dang small to find in a hurry. Even when I was younger and didn't require bi-focals.

http://www.kingsgunworks.com/sights.html
Check out these sights as decent fixed sight replacements for a 1911 pistol. It's simpler to have a local gunsmith install them; shouldn't cost too awfully much.

[hoytinak]

I didn't wanna deal with measuring and fitting so I just sent my slide to Novak and had them fit one of their sights. Turn around time was quick and they did a great job.

[durian]

Try here: http://www.10-8performance.com/id14.html

http://www.10-8performance.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/nh-10-8_4_xl.jpg

[AK103K]

I would highly recommend you get the front sight dovetailed if it isnt already. Over the years, I've had a bunch of GI and later type sights replaced, and pretty much to a one, the replacements came off later, and some within the first mag after getting it back. The bigger the sight, the sooner it seemed they came off too.

If your going to insist on not dovetailing it, I think MMC or Millet(cant remember which) have front sights that have roll crimp rivets that secure the sight to the slide and they will remain on. I had a couple of this type installed before the dovetails came out and they worked well and did not come off.

The rear sight isnt a biggie, and if you get the slide dovetailed, you can keep the original rear, (if its the proper size and width) or use a standard "combat" type Colt or similar. I used to have the front sight replaced with one that matched the standard fixed Colt "combat" three dot type and used them on the rear.

I always used EGW (Evolution Gun Works) for my 1911 work. They do great work, but they are usually somewhat busy.

[Cloudpeak]

Would something like this work?

http://www.stiguns.com/Products/images/SightTacticalAdjustable06_800w.jpg

from the STI site.

Cloudpeak

[Alleykat]

Info already provided!

[dmazur]

If you meant an honest-to-golly 1911, these rear sights may be too high. They work fine with a pre-80 Commander and with a 1991A1 Commander. They fit the Colt dovetails and don't require anything other that light filing as they are a couple thousandths oversize.

I like them. They are a little more rugged than the stock Colt rear sights, but not obtrusively so. The milled rear surface is a big improvement at reducing glare with backlight. The notch is the same depth as the stock rear sight, but just slightly wider. I believe it makes picking up the front sight faster, though it may not be as accurate for certain applications like bowling pins.

retro rear sight (http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=21448&st=&s=)

How easy? Well, I haven't purchased a sight installation tool yet, so I clamped the slides in polyurethane vise protectors and drifted the old sights out, drifted the new ones in with a brass punch. Buff off the brass marks on one side, a bit of cold blue and ... finished. It took more effort than a nylon punch could deliver. If I was going to do a lot of these, I'd invest in a sight tool.

[Sarge]

Where is a good place to get replacement rear sights for a Colt 1911? I want standard ones that require no modification to the slide. Preferably ones that will work with the existing front sight.

Also, how easy are they to replace?

It kinda depends which model of Colt your talking about.

Older guns with the GI style sights will have a .330” x 65° rear dovetail notch which does not otherwise change the round-top profile of the slide. For these I like the plain, black Colt Series 80 rear sight. If you like them with dots, there are plenty available, including the excellent King sights referenced above.

In fact my preference in a front sight is the King 'high hardball' with the gold dot. Used in conjunction with a plain black rear sight, it is quick to pick up but not so distracting that it ruins the sight picture for informal bullseye shooting. GI pattern guns have a staked-in front sight and a good tutorial on staking can be found at http://www.blindhogg.com/gunsmith/stakedfs.html Be aware that there are several sizes of tenons used and you need to order the correct one for your particular 1911. I have staked a few front sights, so I'm proof that it can be done by about anyone.

This set is going on 3000 rounds and they're still solid as a rock.
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x187/SargeMO/AOnHP.jpg

[45_Shooter]

Trijicon makes a set that fits the stock Colt slide, have them on my 1991A1 and I like them. The Yost-Bonitz 'retro' rear sight is another that fits, but you're on your own for a front.