.45 ACP sights
- Thread starter cdoc42
- Start date
bamaranger
New member
agreed, sort of
It appears the front sight is in a dovetail on the TLE as well, not staked. The front sight may be drifted in the opposite direction (left) and thus half the dx necessary to drift the rear. However, there is no allen screw on the front, and getting it to move in it's dovetail might take A LOT of persuasion . My SIG pusher was specially made to secure the blade and push against the base at the same time to achieve movement. Attacking the front with it's thin lip might be a real challenge, but might be an unavoidable solution if the rear gets to far outboard to suit.
It appears the front sight is in a dovetail on the TLE as well, not staked. The front sight may be drifted in the opposite direction (left) and thus half the dx necessary to drift the rear. However, there is no allen screw on the front, and getting it to move in it's dovetail might take A LOT of persuasion . My SIG pusher was specially made to secure the blade and push against the base at the same time to achieve movement. Attacking the front with it's thin lip might be a real challenge, but might be an unavoidable solution if the rear gets to far outboard to suit.
bamaranger, I tried to measure both sides of both sights to see if one is off-center but my attempt was not rewarding. I looked very carefully at the rear because of the caveat that it may be connected to the plunger in the slide for the firing pin block. I magnified it and I get the impression that the front lateral edges may be locked in place by what look like small metal tabs that are a part of the frame. In case a screw holds the front sight, I dismantled the gun and found none. So I may just attempt to move the front sight slightly to the left and test it.
101combatvet: "Are you shooting with your dominant eye? (Yes)
How many rounds were fired? (14)
What distance to the target? (25 yards)
Have you gotten the same results while bench-resting the pistol? (I was doing this off a benchrest)
Have others fired your pistol with the same results?" (No one has ever fired my pistol)
How many rounds were fired? (14)
What distance to the target? (25 yards)
Have you gotten the same results while bench-resting the pistol? (I was doing this off a benchrest)
Have others fired your pistol with the same results?" (No one has ever fired my pistol)
I suggest you do so, ONLY if you are prepared to purchase a replacement and pay for professional installation.
I say this because front sights LOVE to BREAK when you try to move them. Even the proper sight pusher is not a 100% guarantee it won't happen. The proper sight pusher does reduce the risk way down, but there always seem to be those .."hmmm, it shouldn't have done that" moments.
So be prepared, or pay a professional (who is obligated to eat the cost of the sight if THEY break it).
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Or just go off the deep end, like me.
I'm an admitted 1911-holic. I have a drawer full of 1911-specific front and rear sights. As well as the aforementioned 1911 [rear] sight pusher.
I'm an admitted 1911-holic. I have a drawer full of 1911-specific front and rear sights. As well as the aforementioned 1911 [rear] sight pusher.
101combatvet
New member
Have you shot it closer to the target, or was this the first time you fired it?
101combatvet
New member
Also, what is the target size you are shooting at?
stinkeypete
New member
1. It's his gun and it should shoot for him.
2. It sounds to me like the OP shoots at 25 yards and well enough to be hand loading accuracy loads.
3. Pushing a sight 33 thousandths isn't a big deal. Bama gave decent instructions. My only variation would be to use some masking tape to mark the present position and to make sure the distance from the rear sight to the back of the front sight is the 5 inches we are talking about. I suspect it's a bit shorter than that.
Adjusting iron sights is spooky the first time, then you're one of the fellas and it's easy. Proper tools help. $300 to drift a sight is just sillyness. You can do it!
2. It sounds to me like the OP shoots at 25 yards and well enough to be hand loading accuracy loads.
3. Pushing a sight 33 thousandths isn't a big deal. Bama gave decent instructions. My only variation would be to use some masking tape to mark the present position and to make sure the distance from the rear sight to the back of the front sight is the 5 inches we are talking about. I suspect it's a bit shorter than that.
Adjusting iron sights is spooky the first time, then you're one of the fellas and it's easy. Proper tools help. $300 to drift a sight is just sillyness. You can do it!
bamaranger
New member
firing pin block & plunger?
OK, full disclosure, I haven't a clue about a connection between the rear sight allen screw I see in pics and the firing pin block. THAT would be something to ask Kimber. My experience is with 70 series pistols that have driftable rear sights anchored with a set screw in or simply driftable rears, anchored in conventional dovetails.
The front sights can indeed be a booger and I alluded to that in a previous post. I am guilty of breaking a couple myself on SIGS, using a very high dollar pusher no less. We changed them fairly regularly, as the night sights would fail and need replaced .
If the set screw and the block are linked somehow, that might explain why Kimber wants the pistol back to adjust the existing sight. The whole business now seems more complicated than I first thought.
OK, full disclosure, I haven't a clue about a connection between the rear sight allen screw I see in pics and the firing pin block. THAT would be something to ask Kimber. My experience is with 70 series pistols that have driftable rear sights anchored with a set screw in or simply driftable rears, anchored in conventional dovetails.
The front sights can indeed be a booger and I alluded to that in a previous post. I am guilty of breaking a couple myself on SIGS, using a very high dollar pusher no less. We changed them fairly regularly, as the night sights would fail and need replaced .
If the set screw and the block are linked somehow, that might explain why Kimber wants the pistol back to adjust the existing sight. The whole business now seems more complicated than I first thought.
101combatvet: "Have you shot it closer to the target, or was this the first time you fired it?"
Answer to this is on initial post 1/5:
It still shoots less to the left at 7 and 15 yards (offhand) but I've never measured it.
It is not the first time I've fired it. It has done this since I own it; I've just tried various holds to try to overcome it.
The target size is an 8.5" x 11.5" sheet of white paper with a 4" white center in a 7" black circle. With my 80-y.o. eyes the front sight at 25 yards covers the white center with a small area of white surrounding it.
Answer to this is on initial post 1/5:
It still shoots less to the left at 7 and 15 yards (offhand) but I've never measured it.
It is not the first time I've fired it. It has done this since I own it; I've just tried various holds to try to overcome it.
The target size is an 8.5" x 11.5" sheet of white paper with a 4" white center in a 7" black circle. With my 80-y.o. eyes the front sight at 25 yards covers the white center with a small area of white surrounding it.
101combatvet
New member
So your groups are hitting three inches to the left of the white center circle, meaning you are five inches left of the center of the aiming point at 25 yards. Is that correct?
101combatvet
New member
Good idea.
I had two identical series 70 Govt Colts. One shot dead on with 230 Ball. The other not so good. I bought a adjustable rear sight that solved windage and elevation. Goes in standard dove tail and is model that works with standard front. Got to be careful with adj rears for 1911s, most require replacing front blade too. I have sight pushers only because I’m fooling all the time. If you just doing one, I would just use a brass punch with slide in vice. Give a smart strike to get it moving. Guys tend to peck away with many light strikes, more chance of marring that way. Leave the pecking to the shoemakers, plenty of them around.
HighValleyRanch
New member
I can't see how the sight set screw would be "connected" to the firing pin block. Many guns have the same setup like a Kahr and SW shield. Moving the sight slightly will not affect the firing pin block which is floating under the sight base. Only if you remove the sight entirely will you have to worry about the block spring up and getting lost. Just covering this as the finally remove the sight is the prevention.
On some guns, like the shield you have to heat the Allen screw sometimes as it might have red locktite. The set screw is only to secure the sight in place.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
I don't think the set screw is in any way "linked" to the firing pin safety, but my understanding is that the plunger is retained in the slide by the rear sight. Pushing the sight to adjust POI should not be a problem, but when replacing the rear sight, care should be taken not to launch the plunger spring.bamaranger said:
Owner's manual -- scroll almost to the end for an exploded schematic: https://www.kimberamerica.com/pub/m...464900031c7/1911-Full-Size-Manual_11-2015.pdf
PolarFBear
New member
Also shown on page 41, left side under "OPERATION". Unlike the Colt Series 80, this looks like a "cheap" way to install a firing pin Blocker.
Have an Ultra Carry II. Used a mid range (price) sight pusher to push the rear sight slightly and don't remember any difficulties. The rear is listed as the same part on the parts diagram. In fact, the rear sight has a larger flatter side making it easier (after loosening lock screw) to push than a lot of sights that had been adjusted. According to the parts diagram it appears the firing pin lock and spring may be contained by the bottom rear of the rear sight, but the lock screw is well forward of the firing pin lock and spring.
Here are some comments from a site called 1911 Forum. It seems a few more guys than me find their Kimber shoots to the left. As well, trying to move the sight doesn’t look encouraging:
“I have the same problem with my stock Kimber TLE II. Shooting 1 to 2 inches low left from center bull at 25 yards….”
“I'm having the same problem. I need to adjust my POI at 15 yards 3/4" to the right on my Kimber CDP Pro II.”
“ I'm having the same issue. 1911's are somewhat of a new addiction, so I don't have a lot of experience with them. Just bought a new TLE took it to the range for the first time today. Very accurate, better than my TRP. I could put entire mags into about a 3 inch ring at about 12 yds. But I was having to hold high and right”
As far as moving the sight:
“I've never had much luck trying to move Kimber fixed sights. There will be people who will tell you they've done it with a hammer and others with a cheaper sight pusher. Of the 6 Kimber fixed rear sights I've tried to move, three wouldn't budge at all. Two broke the B&J sight pusher I used to use and one wouldn't move with the Meprolight sight pusher I have. BTW, the MGW sight pusher you linked (I've got one of those also) won't begin to do the job even if you could get the jaws over the Kimber sight.”
“Yep. Forget about that one pushing it out. The guy at my LGS destroyed the $600 version that Brownells sells trying to push a Kimber sight”
“I have the same problem with my stock Kimber TLE II. Shooting 1 to 2 inches low left from center bull at 25 yards….”
“I'm having the same problem. I need to adjust my POI at 15 yards 3/4" to the right on my Kimber CDP Pro II.”
“ I'm having the same issue. 1911's are somewhat of a new addiction, so I don't have a lot of experience with them. Just bought a new TLE took it to the range for the first time today. Very accurate, better than my TRP. I could put entire mags into about a 3 inch ring at about 12 yds. But I was having to hold high and right”
As far as moving the sight:
“I've never had much luck trying to move Kimber fixed sights. There will be people who will tell you they've done it with a hammer and others with a cheaper sight pusher. Of the 6 Kimber fixed rear sights I've tried to move, three wouldn't budge at all. Two broke the B&J sight pusher I used to use and one wouldn't move with the Meprolight sight pusher I have. BTW, the MGW sight pusher you linked (I've got one of those also) won't begin to do the job even if you could get the jaws over the Kimber sight.”
“Yep. Forget about that one pushing it out. The guy at my LGS destroyed the $600 version that Brownells sells trying to push a Kimber sight”