Sight pusher for Sigs?

riffraff · February 3, 2020, 01:29 PM

Need a sight pusher for a couple full size Sigs, but ideally it would be adaptable for smaller models too..

Haven't actually asked someone at Sig yet, but looks like the tools they used to sell are non longer available, along with some other Sig specific sight pushers..

Any recommendations? Was thinking maybe one of the MGW models, which appear be adaptable to many handguns by buying the rights plates.

TunnelRat · February 3, 2020, 02:50 PM

There are some universal ones on Amazon that might work well enough. The concern I'd have there is the front sight of a number of SIGs is pretty shallow and if you aren't careful you can bend the sight (firsthand experience). You can always go the route of the brass rod and the hammer if you have a good vise.

I like MGW brand specific sight pushers (I still have one and had a few) but they seem to be sold out like you say. The Pro variant is nice, but sometimes it's not easy to find the shoes and it is pricey.

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**Aguila Blanca** · February 3, 2020, 03:16 PM

Lyman Products was showing a dandy universal handgun sight pusher at the SHOT Show. It's a bit pricey, but it looks like one of those tools that, once you get over the pain of the initial purchase, you wonder how you ever lived without it.

https://www.lymanproducts.com/newproducts/accusight

riffraff · February 3, 2020, 03:47 PM

All things considered the Lyman isn't too pricey, the MGW with shoes is $200 range I believe.. the Lyman there is out of stock but didn't try looking around elsewhere just yet.

I can get the MGW models that are universal and equip them with the shoes, all seems available. Just wondered what everyone uses, definitely want a good reliable tool that isn't going to do damage. Odd that Sig would stop selling one.

**Aguila Blanca** · February 3, 2020, 06:20 PM

https://www.brownells.com/search/ind...sher&ksubmit=y

J.G. Terry · February 3, 2020, 06:36 PM

I never had any problem on SIG's using the brass rod for moving or installing a sight. A mover is nice but I already had the brass rod. I am speaking of 226's and 229's.

Added: I was speaking of the rear sight and should have said so. The SIG's are gone but there is a sack of rear sights from CDNN down in my Skunkworks.

**44 AMP** · February 4, 2020, 12:23 AM

Quote:

The concern I'd have there is the front sight of a number of SIGs is pretty shallow and if you aren't careful you can bend the sight

There is no "pushing" the front sight on my P220s. It appears to be integral with the slide. There is no dovetail. Don't know about other models don't have any.

And, why would you want to push the front sight, anyway? (assuming it came properly centered from the factory)??

riffraff · February 4, 2020, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

There is no "pushing" the front sight on my P220s. It appears to be integral with the slide. There is no dovetail. Don't know about other models don't have any.

And, why would you want to push the front sight, anyway? (assuming it came properly centered from the factory)??

Not saying I need to push this one but it's not integral. Is a recent 220. I have 5 Sigs and they all are the same in that regard.

TunnelRat · February 4, 2020, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

There is no "pushing" the front sight on my P220s. It appears to be integral with the slide. There is no dovetail. Don't know about other models don't have any.

And, why would you want to push the front sight, anyway? (assuming it came properly centered from the factory)??

Most SIGs have a dovetailed front sight (Google). If you're replacing it you need to remove what's there, hence pushing. Also, certain SIGs that are optics capable use a rear optics plate that involves a fixed rear sight. In that case sight adjustment has to be done with the front sight.

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**44 AMP** · February 4, 2020, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Is a recent 220. I have 5 Sigs and they all are the same in that regard.

OK, that's the difference, yours are too NEW!!

Mine say Browning BDA 45, and are vintage 1980.

TunnelRat · February 4, 2020, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

OK, that's the difference, yours are too NEW!!

Mine say Browning BDA 45, and are vintage 1980.

Weirdly enough designs have changed even if slightly in 40 years.

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Fishbed77 · February 4, 2020, 04:18 PM

Quote:

I never had any problem on SIG's using the brass rod for moving or installing a sight. A mover is nice but I already had the brass rod. I am speaking of 226's and 229's.

Ditto. A small brass hammer and brass punch have always worked perfectly for me.

bamaranger · February 6, 2020, 01:04 AM

As noted, many P220's do have dovetailed front (and rear) sights. I cannot advise if any or all of the BDA versions were made in such a fashion, but all the SIG marketed P220's ( and other P series) that I had dealings with from (about 1990) as agency firearms, several dozen of them, had both front and rear sights that could be removed via a dovetail, and SIG sold a very high quality sight tool for that purpose. There were actually two versions of that tool, if I recall correctly, or at least I had two versions in my armorers box. One fit the stamped slide versions, and the other fit the later milled slide models. Much the pity, I had to give them back when I retired.

Moving, or removing the front sight could be desirable for several reasons. SIG sold numbers those pistols with tritium based night sights, and it was not uncommon in duty use to have one of those tritium sights go bad and the front sight "lamp" no longer function. Occasionally, a pistol would be issued at the academy and NOT have night sights, and the recipient would desire same,and the task would fall onto the park level armorer. SIG also sold both front and rear sights in different heights. Very occasionally, a P220 (or other P model for that matter) would not shoot to point of aim and have an elevation issue. Fine tuning the rear and sometimes front sights with different sight heights could allow an exact zero to be obtained. The P series came with certain sight heights as standard. If one examines the factory sights on their P- SIG closely, a sight number is usually visible on both front and rear units. I'll add that for a windage adjustment on the rear sight, the tool allows for precise and incremental movement, not the pound and guess process of using a hammer and punch.

I would caution that moving the front sight on a P-series can indeed be tricky. Though the tool took them off easily enough, care had to be taken to start the sight back in its dovetail aligned precisely. The base on the front sight is VERY thin, and if bound in any fashion as it is moved, the post itself can can shear from the base. If that happens, the Chief Ranger will not be happy with you, as those tritium night sights are expensive.

**4V50 Gary** · February 6, 2020, 01:20 AM

My old West German P220 has a dovetail cut for the front sight.

Do not use a brass rod if you are installing a tritium sight. You don't want to break the glass vial. Use a sight pusher or find someone who does (I do).

Fishbed77 · February 6, 2020, 10:58 AM

Quote:

My old West German P220 has a dovetail cut for the front sight.

Do not use a brass rod if you are installing a tritium sight. You don't want to break the glass vial. Use a sight pusher or find someone who does (I do).

Not saying a brass punch is the best method by any means, but I have installed close to a dozen sets of tritium night sights (including on a P228 & P228) with no issues by using a punch and a vice (using plastic vice inserts so as not to mar slide finishes).

As always, proceed at your own risk.

**4V50 Gary** · February 7, 2020, 12:59 PM

A punch can do the job and I used to use punches all the time. However, with glass vial tritium sights the gunsmith risks breaking the customer's sight and if that happens, it's $$$ out of the gunsmith's pocket. That's why I won't use a punch on a tritium sight.

Rather that use a punch, I'd mount the slide in a vise that is clamped down in place and use a drill press to press it in. Cut a piece of brass to fit the sight dovetail just lower the quill slowly.

Of course, I'd rather use a milling machine to do this. You get .0001" precision rather than eyeball and moving the vise around haphazardly on a drill press; but this is not rocket science. A table top drill press with a vise you can clamp down will do the job.

February 3, 2020, 01:29 PM	#1
riffraff Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2016 Posts: 629	Sight pusher for Sigs? Need a sight pusher for a couple full size Sigs, but ideally it would be adaptable for smaller models too.. Haven't actually asked someone at Sig yet, but looks like the tools they used to sell are non longer available, along with some other Sig specific sight pushers.. Any recommendations? Was thinking maybe one of the MGW models, which appear be adaptable to many handguns by buying the rights plates.

February 3, 2020, 03:16 PM	#3
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,460	Lyman Products was showing a dandy universal handgun sight pusher at the SHOT Show. It's a bit pricey, but it looks like one of those tools that, once you get over the pain of the initial purchase, you wonder how you ever lived without it. https://www.lymanproducts.com/newproducts/accusight __________________ NRA Life Member / Certified Instructor NRA Chief RSO / CMP RSO 1911 Certified Armorer Jeepaholic

February 3, 2020, 06:20 PM	#5
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,460	https://www.brownells.com/search/ind...sher&ksubmit=y __________________ NRA Life Member / Certified Instructor NRA Chief RSO / CMP RSO 1911 Certified Armorer Jeepaholic

February 3, 2020, 06:36 PM	#6
J.G. Terry Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2014 Posts: 577	Brass rod mover I never had any problem on SIG's using the brass rod for moving or installing a sight. A mover is nice but I already had the brass rod. I am speaking of 226's and 229's. Added: I was speaking of the rear sight and should have said so. The SIG's are gone but there is a sack of rear sights from CDNN down in my Skunkworks. __________________ Intentionally Antagonizing Another MemberInsults and Ad Hominems Last edited by J.G. Terry; February 4, 2020 at 04:09 AM.

February 6, 2020, 01:04 AM	#13
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,303	front sights As noted, many P220's do have dovetailed front (and rear) sights. I cannot advise if any or all of the BDA versions were made in such a fashion, but all the SIG marketed P220's ( and other P series) that I had dealings with from (about 1990) as agency firearms, several dozen of them, had both front and rear sights that could be removed via a dovetail, and SIG sold a very high quality sight tool for that purpose. There were actually two versions of that tool, if I recall correctly, or at least I had two versions in my armorers box. One fit the stamped slide versions, and the other fit the later milled slide models. Much the pity, I had to give them back when I retired. Moving, or removing the front sight could be desirable for several reasons. SIG sold numbers those pistols with tritium based night sights, and it was not uncommon in duty use to have one of those tritium sights go bad and the front sight "lamp" no longer function. Occasionally, a pistol would be issued at the academy and NOT have night sights, and the recipient would desire same,and the task would fall onto the park level armorer. SIG also sold both front and rear sights in different heights. Very occasionally, a P220 (or other P model for that matter) would not shoot to point of aim and have an elevation issue. Fine tuning the rear and sometimes front sights with different sight heights could allow an exact zero to be obtained. The P series came with certain sight heights as standard. If one examines the factory sights on their P- SIG closely, a sight number is usually visible on both front and rear units. I'll add that for a windage adjustment on the rear sight, the tool allows for precise and incremental movement, not the pound and guess process of using a hammer and punch. I would caution that moving the front sight on a P-series can indeed be tricky. Though the tool took them off easily enough, care had to be taken to start the sight back in its dovetail aligned precisely. The base on the front sight is VERY thin, and if bound in any fashion as it is moved, the post itself can can shear from the base. If that happens, the Chief Ranger will not be happy with you, as those tritium night sights are expensive.

February 3, 2020, 02:50 PM	#2
TunnelRat Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 12,215	There are some universal ones on Amazon that might work well enough. The concern I'd have there is the front sight of a number of SIGs is pretty shallow and if you aren't careful you can bend the sight (firsthand experience). You can always go the route of the brass rod and the hammer if you have a good vise. I like MGW brand specific sight pushers (I still have one and had a few) but they seem to be sold out like you say. The Pro variant is nice, but sometimes it's not easy to find the shoes and it is pricey. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

February 3, 2020, 03:47 PM	#4
riffraff Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2016 Posts: 629	All things considered the Lyman isn't too pricey, the MGW with shoes is $200 range I believe.. the Lyman there is out of stock but didn't try looking around elsewhere just yet. I can get the MGW models that are universal and equip them with the shoes, all seems available. Just wondered what everyone uses, definitely want a good reliable tool that isn't going to do damage. Odd that Sig would stop selling one.

February 6, 2020, 01:20 AM	#14
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	My old West German P220 has a dovetail cut for the front sight. Do not use a brass rod if you are installing a tritium sight. You don't want to break the glass vial. Use a sight pusher or find someone who does (I do). __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

February 7, 2020, 12:59 PM	#16
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	A punch can do the job and I used to use punches all the time. However, with glass vial tritium sights the gunsmith risks breaking the customer's sight and if that happens, it's $$$ out of the gunsmith's pocket. That's why I won't use a punch on a tritium sight. Rather that use a punch, I'd mount the slide in a vise that is clamped down in place and use a drill press to press it in. Cut a piece of brass to fit the sight dovetail just lower the quill slowly. Of course, I'd rather use a milling machine to do this. You get .0001" precision rather than eyeball and moving the vise around haphazardly on a drill press; but this is not rocket science. A table top drill press with a vise you can clamp down will do the job. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*