Sight Replacement

[lethal93ta]

Originally Posted by thadwilliams

I just purchased a gently used XD-9 subcompact. It has Tru Dot green sights on it. The front sight doesn't fit very tight. A decent press or knock from left to right and it "clicks" out of place to the right a bit uncovering about half of what looks like a set screw hole with no set screw in it, a bit more pressure and I can slide it right out. Not having a complete exploded diagram of the pistol, I'm not sure if there are supposed to be set screws or not. The rear sight moves as well, it "clicks" out of place easily but takes a good bit of thumb pressure to move it. I can slide it out as well but, that reveals no possible set screw holes. Though they seem to fit, I'm wondering if these are not the right sights. The slide seems undamaged in both sight grooves. The rear sight has markings. TRU DOT in green on the right side, M H3 on the top between the blades an 8 inside a circle on the left front blade and a KM on the underside.

Any advice would be appreciated.

there is a hole under the front sight but there is no set screw there, there should be a set screw on the top of the rear sight, as far as them being loose do the sights look like someone ground them a little to make them fit in eaiser for some reason? everyone else on here complanes on how tight they are I never heard of one being loose.

[thadwilliams]

These are the sights. Though the picture is horrible.
http://springfieldxdstore.com/pgroup...gory_id%3D4%26
It doesn't look like the sights have been altered and the rear sight does not have a set screw.
Something sure is wrong though. They move way too easily.
Thanks for the input, I knew that it was odd after having read how hard it normally is to get the sights out.

[Ken O]

Well, I put the slide in the vise, got a brass punch, and it just mushroomed. I tried a steel and it still didn't budge. I put Kroil on it before even trying. I then made up a jig by taking a 3/16 bold and grinding it into a half moon shape like a sight pusher. I mesured down on the vise jaws to where I want it to push. (the fat part of the slide should be under the jaws, or it will just rock). I welded the bolt on a piece of angle iron so I wont have to hold the bolt, the top of the angle iron sits on top of the vise jaw. I put a piece of wood on the side of the slide so the sight will push out without hitting the jaw. The rear sight pushed out with lots of pressure, its an 8" vise that weights 135 pounds. The front didn't budge, it just bent the bolt. So I got out the Metabo with the waffer wheel and cut the sight out.
The new sights http://www.advantagetactical.com/index.html went in without a problem, it has a section of the dovetail that has a hex bolt to lock it in.
I did call Springfield and they offered to get the sights out for free.

[Reeek]

Originally Posted by thadwilliams

These are the sights. Though the picture is horrible.
http://springfieldxdstore.com/pgroup...gory_id%3D4%26
It doesn't look like the sights have been altered and the rear sight does not have a set screw.
Something sure is wrong though. They move way too easily.
Thanks for the input, I knew that it was odd after having read how hard it normally is to get the sights out.

Maybe the previous owner had the dovetails milled a little larger. Often times that is done when sent out to have some sights installed. Can you call the previous owner to find out?

[ESP Mark]

Whenever I am having trouble moving a really tight dovetailed sight, I hold an ice cube on it for abut 2 minutes. That really does shrink it ever so slightly and helps break it loose. Just make sure the slide is clamped tightly in the vise and that you keep the ice off the slide (you only want to shrink the sight).
If you use a brass punch, you will usually leave a slight brass smudge on the sight, but you can quickly darken it with a sharpie pen. Good luck.
Mark