So, on my thread "the Beater Pistol Project", I discussed my junker Tisis 1911 9mm, a turd I was trying to polish.
Well, I finally fitted the grip safety properly, and installed the front sight.
I had to file the tenon a little to get it to fit into the slide. Once I got it to where it would fit, it wiggled just a little. But it was enough to annoy me. I get the brownell's staking tool and begin to peen metal. After many smacks, I began to question myself. I began to wonder, if i should have shortened the tenon a little bit. It seemed I was moving metal, but i was no where near "tightening" the fit or securing it.
I was past the point of easily removing the sight without destroying it. I had to smack harder to try and push the metal more, and I realized I had slightly bent the sight. crap... So this was not going well. I did my best and adjusted my bench block as best i could. In the end, the fit was not too good, but it was on, and it was close enough considering I could not rewind and start over. I filed down the excess blob of tenon I had made, so I could re insert the bushing.
I head to the range, and within the first magazine, the fiber optic was gone. I can probably attribute that to the abuse of me smacking the sight into place. So I wont hold that against Fusion. At 7 yards, the group was tight, but high! I was actually impressed. I ran it out to 15, then 25. When I reeled in the target, wow. as in bad, not good. My 1" groups had become 12" groups. Then I noticed the front sight could move about 1/8" in any direction. Crap.
Soooo, long and short is, when the sight held, it grouped well, but 4-5" high at 7 yards. I am planning on going from the .165" height front to the next size up, which I believe is a .195". But I dont want to screw this up on the second go round.
Soooo,
1) When you install this type sight, do you file the tenon down enough to insert it with your finger strength, or do you leave enough material that you have to tap it in with a hammer? Do you add lock tight or any other type of material as a "filler" to take care of gaps?
2) do you file down the tenon to a certain height above the interior of the slide? If so, how much? I left this tenon the length it cam from fusion, and it just felt like too much metal to move.
3) I am assuming going from a .165" front to a .195" front sight will bring my group down considerably... am I in the ball park?
4) Any tricks of the trade you may have from past installs that I can utilize? (You tube was woefully lacking in a quality, detailed instructional video)
5) I have heard all my life Tenon as (TEN-Non), not as (TEE-Non)?? but youtubers all over the place on pronunciation. I am going TENon as I grew up watching "the New Yankee Workshop" on PBS, and that is how Norm Abram pronounced it...
ANY help or advice is appreciated...