Tactical XD in .45; sight removal.

[High Power Bob]

My Tactical XD,with the thumb safety, is relatively new but I've shot it enough with 230 hardball to know that it doesnt shoot to point of aim at 25 yards. (Offhand or from a fixed rest) In fact if you can hit a 9 inch paper plate at 25, no matter where you hold, you are lucky. I know the XD won't shoot groups like my match grade 1911's, but I should be able to center punch that paper plate.

New adjustable sights were in order. My Dawson Precision catalog had a target adjustable rear with a matching red F/O front sight listed and I ordered them.

I have changed pistol sights before, but this time it kicked my butt. I got the rear to move about 1/16th of an inch. I realized I was in over my head and packed up the slide and took it to my gunsmith. He laughed at the aluminum drifts that Dawson had provided. He said he had a brass drift and his vise would hold the slide so the shock from the hammer would be imparted to the sight. I left it with him since he was preoccupied with a oak tree limb sticking out the roof of his house.

Two days later he called and admitted defeat. He said he had no idea how they got them in the dovetail but he couldn't move either the front or rear sights and he also used heat. He thought Kimbers were tight but this was the first he could not remove. I gave him permission to chuck up the slide in his milling machine and to cut the sights out of the slide.

The point of my post is to let everyone know that if you are going to change sights, you may have a problem, and you may not be able to salvage the factory issue sights.

[jtaliani]

Thanks for the heads up. It is widely discussed that the XD sights have an extremely tight fit, some more than others. This is why I opted to have Gilbert's install mine. (I usually do them myself) Hopefully it will come out okay for you. Keep us posted.

[Kaboom]

I put the Dawsons on my tac 45, just gotta have the right tool .The drifts that come with the Dawsons are ok for putting the new sights in.

[XD9Sub]

Sorry you had problems. This is just more confirmation that you should never trust your local gunsmith with XD sights, UNLESS, he has lots of experience with XDs.

The correct tools and lots of hands on is needed. I've always sent my slide off to James (XD-HS2000.com) for sight installation on all of my XDs.

I hope you got everything worked out in the end.

[Bill in San Jose]

Contact SA customer service, and ask for a Return Authorization #, ship the slide and sights to the them and ask to remove/install since they're so tight. I think they'll do it for free, but check. I know they would remove my factory sights for free.

[Se2002]

My sights have destoyed brass punches...so yeah, I gave up.

[pgreen]

HS Arms notes the correct removal and installation direction on their web site. I guess the dovetails are tapered. Problem could be the wrong direction for removing the factory sites. Link to HS graphic : Sight Change

[Bill in San Jose]

I don't believe there is a taper on the dovetails. That would be a very complex machining cut. I think they're just a fraction of a thousandth inch too 'small' for the sights. Just my opinion.

[Fred Birch]

I also put dawson sights on my xd 9 tach. After many failed attempts trying to punch the fronts out. I took a dremel and drop cut the sights in half a eighth of a inch before the bottom. Came out easy after that. The back sights came out with a brass punch and pretty heavy wacks with a framing hammer. The dawsons went in no problem . Huge improvement over factories

[GARDNER]

My .45 sights came right out with a brass punch and a small hammer. I pushed them out the side they went in by looking at the marks. I guess i got lucky. But the Straight Eights I put in were not secure. Ended up dimpling the bottom of the sight channels to hold them in. Works fine and they stay put.