Turns out me self installing glock rear sights and eyeballing the zero is not as accurate as I hoped. I've heard calipers can be used to identify the true center of the slide but I can't figure out how to do so and wasn't able to find YouTube videos.
Isn't it more important where your pistol shoots relative to your rear sight, than whether the rear sight is perfectly centered in the dovetail? Make sure your front sight is straight, though, and correct windage with the rear.Originally Posted by Sanch
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
What sights did you install? Do they slide in the dovetail freely and use a set screw or is there a friction fit?
I guess it’s too late now, but when I replace sights, I’ll draw a center line based in the notch of existing sight. I’d then line up the new sight’s notch to that witness mark. That would be only a baseline though. I’d then take the gun and the my sight pushing tool to the range and get everything zeroed in.
You can find inexpensive sight tools. I have a VISM brand tool that costs about $60.
@GJM is correct, I believe. Solid rear sights in a dovetail are “semi-fixed”; that is they can and should be adjusted for windage by the individual. Shoot a group at lest at 10 yards to start, and adjust. I try and confirm at yardages beyond that, to 25 if possible(and confirm on a steel A/C silhouette at 50).
I don’t think any of my GLOCK sights are perfectly centered…ymmv.
First, make sure the front sight is plumb with the slide. Use a straight edge for that. VERY IMPORTANT
Closely eyeball the rear.
Take your adjustment tools with you and shoot at 20-25 yards.
Adjust rear as needed.
Do not worry about rear being dead centered.
You can use a micrometer to center them in the slide using it's OD and get close, but almost all of mine are the width of a credit card or less off that centering based on the OD of the slide after zero'ing them at the range by putting rounds on target.
the simple way with minimal tools, that I used to install dawson adjustables on my 34 was to
measure the slide width, put a pencil mark in the middle (in front of and out a bit from the dovetail)
measure the sight width, put a pencil mark centered on the sight body
adjust until marks touch
That may not be where your sight needs to be for correct POA, but it will get you centered.
I just eyeball it or use calipers. I take my sight pusher to the range and adjust the rear sigh there. Years ago when I was just starting out a retired Marine sergeant range officer adjusted the sights on my P-220. He took two shots and adjusted with a hammer and punch. Two more shots and another minor adjustment. One ragged hole at 15 yds. after that. Not me, him.
Last edited by Borderland; 06-13-2022 at 09:48 AM.
In the P-F basket of deplorables.
If I was a better shooter, yes. But I have a propensity of shooting left at distance. And in analyzing my guns, I realize most have the sights slightly off.
And yes, they do have the set screw and can free float a bit inside the dovetail. Glocks.
I have calipers but I'm too stupid to figure out how to use them to center the sights. And it's probably so simple, not a single person has made a YouTube video on it.
there's a dozen ways to use calipers to measure things and I can't figure out how to apply any of them to glock rear sights.
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