[hdh]

Long story long...having decided I dislike the tiny bar of the rear XS sight, I set out to remove it. Applying some heat with a small wire attached to a soldering gun I was able to loosen the screws (at least I *think* they're loosened, they turned but in a "clunky" way). I picked up some MEK and applied it to the rest of the sight (for only a few minutes, not too long), and was able to drift it as far as this with the tool included with the XS sights:

I can't get it any further than this. Should I try to drill the screws in case they are not actually loose and still hindering progress? Would a quality sight pusher (MGW) be able to break the seal? What else can I try?

Thanks for any advice,
Howard

 

[tremor64]

the "tool" it comes with is like nylon or something - tried it in a padded vise with a metal "tool"?

 

[RiskPro]

I had the same problem and finally took a punch and tapped it out.

I tried finger nail polish remover, PT Blaster, and a list of other cancer causing agents!

Tap in other direction not the one you are going and you'll need to tap the base of the sight a few hard times and it will come out.

Do not drill, it as it is not necessary.

 

[samuse]

Yeah, delrin ain't gonna get it out.

Use a steel drift and understand that the is trash now.

 

[Jagsfan]

Insert slide into vice, apply tip of soldering iron to rear sight for a few min, hit rear sight with rubber mallet. The rear sight may not completely drift out both directions.

That's how I removed mine anyway.

 

[jack76590]

I removed mine with the MGW sight pusher, but it destroyed the tritium. I think given the shape of rear sight you get flex - anyhow manufacturer does not recommend use of sight pusher.

If you tap sight out need slide to be firmly in place or will move slide not sight. Padded vise good suggestion from other poster. I used cut up radiator hose to pad.

Metal punch also good suggestion from other poster. I will add a suggestion - use old 22 fired rimfire case as insert on end of punch so part hitting sight is brass. This may prevent some damage. Good luck.

 

[Tombo 65]

I removed my XS sights from my G37 this afternoon. I drifted the rear sight out with the nylon punch supplied with the sights when they were installed. I had them installed last week, but it really reduced the accuracy potential of the 37 due to the clunky sight picture. I put them on my 23, which is more of a center-of-mass gun than a target gun, and they work great on it.

The XS rear sight reached a point (on my gun) where I had to really hit the punch to get it to move further. Once I got it past that "hump" it dropped right out. The tritium vial is fine, and the punch worked pretty well for being nylon or plastic.

 

[21Carrier]

First, YOU ARE PUSHING IT THE WRONG WAY! Go back the other way, and it should be a bit easier. Second, like others have said, you need to hit it with a mallet. Get a hard nylon mallet, that's worked for me. If that fails, a steel pin punch and mallet will do it. What do you mean the screws were "clunky"? Are they stripped? I think you just need to manhandle the thing, especially if you will never use it again.

 

[hdh]

Thanks for all the replies. I just ordered an MGW 309 which I would like to have among my tools anyway, but I'll keep trying in the meantime.

How is it that I am pushing it in the wrong direction?

 

[SolidBrass]

How is it that I am pushing it in the wrong direction?

Your sight is offset to one side. Go the other way instead. Just like the pins for glock goes in and comes out from the right side best.

 

[Feanor]

Would a quality sight pusher (MGW) be able to break the seal?

Thanks for any advice,
Howard

Of course! Why would you apply red loctite to the rear sight? I've set at least a hundred different sight sets into Glock pistols, while I will use blue loctite up front the rear dovetail is so tight it is quite impervious to recoil induced drift.

If that XS sight was loose enough to require loctite it should never have been installed in the first place!

 

[Wash-ar15]

There is no left or right on Glock dovetails.

 

[jack76590]

I can only speak to the two Big Dot sights sets I have used. But the rear sight does not fit tightly in the dovetail. If it does not fall thru from it own weight a light finger push will move it completely thru the dovetail. The purpose of the two, yes I said TWO, set screws is to hold sight in place until sighted in and then you apply loctite. Loctite is provided and the provided loctite is red.

How loose is the rear sight pre loctite. Well in addition to being extremely loose in dovetail, with the set screws in place and no loctite you can see light between dovetail and bottom of sight. In short unless design has changed you need loctite, it is no pressure fit sight.

 

[hdh]

Of course! Why would you apply red loctite to the rear sight? I've set at least a hundred different sight sets into Glock pistols, while I will use blue loctite up front the rear dovetail is so tight it is quite impervious to recoil induced drift.

If that XS sight was loose enough to require loctite it should never have been installed in the first place!

XS sights come with red loctite and instructions to use it on both front and rear (thought not on the *screws* of the rear, and I didn't)

 

[Feanor]

XS sights come with red loctite and instructions to use it on both front and rear (thought not on the *screws* of the rear, and I didn't)

Never use red loctite on a rear sight, and frankly, never use XS sights, especially if they clearly don't fit the dovetail.

 

[Jagsfan]

There is no left or right on Glock dovetails.

This may be true but on my 17 the dovetail had a tighter width on one side. I was unable to drift the sight from left to right

 

[Jagsfan]

I can only speak to the two Big Dot sights sets I have used. But the rear sight does not fit tightly in the dovetail. If it does not fall thru from it own weight a light finger push will move it completely thru the dovetail. The purpose of the two, yes I said TWO, set screws is to hold sight in place until sighted in and then you apply loctite. Loctite is provided and the provided loctite is red.

How loose is the rear sight pre loctite. Well in addition to being extremely loose in dovetail, with the set screws in place and no loctite you can see light between dovetail and bottom of sight. In short unless design has changed you need loctite, it is no pressure fit sight.

Mine had this issue as well.

 

[21Carrier]

All of this talk really makes me regret using Red Loc-tite on my G29's Heinie Straight Eights. I did exactly what it said, but I now know I should have used Blue. There's really no need for red, especially on rears. I just used it on the rear set screw, but still. I was thinking about swapping them onto my G20LS, and getting some AmeriGlo Hacks, but I guess I'll have to see about getting them off, first.

 

[Feanor]

All of this talk really makes me regret using Red Loc-tite on my G29's Heinie Straight Eights. I did exactly what it said, but I now know I should have used Blue. There's really no need for red, especially on rears. I just used it on the rear set screw, but still. I was thinking about swapping them onto my G20LS, and getting some AmeriGlo Hacks, but I guess I'll have to see about getting them off, first.

If you're going to glue your rear sight, use blue. Some guy's will use red on the front post's on Glock pistols, thats okay as long as you understand that it likely means that sight is toast if it's gotta come off.

With Glock pistols and trijicon, meprolight, Ameriglo, and most other high quality manufactured sight sets the fit is so snug that even with a decent pusher it's an effort to drift them into the dovetail. If the rear sight you intend to install is not snug as described, don't use it!

 

[arushus]

I just bought some xs sights a few days ago, why is everyone getting rid of them?