Beretta 96fs Inox, Front Sight Integral

[willurd]

Hey all. I picked up a Beretta 96fs Inox a few days ago. I was looking at it, and it looks like the front sight is integral to the slide. I've got a few questions:

• Is the front sight really integral to the slide, or are my eyes playing tricks on me? A: Yes, the front sight is integral to the slide.
• If so, do I have any options if I wanted to switch out the front sight, or am I SOL?
• If I've got options, who does that kind of work in So Cal?

[jermzzzzzzz]

It is integral, your option is to send it to tooltech and get it done or order some 3-dot tritiums from www.meprolight.com and go to the gunsmith at ade's gunshop to get it done.

[willurd]

It is integral, your option is to send it to tooltech and get it done or order some 3-dot tritiums from www.meprolight.com and go to the gunsmith at ade's gunshop to get it done.

Thanks. So, Tooltech or Ade's gunshop will have to drill (is that the proper term?) the front sight out I'm guessing? And drill an area for a new front sight to fit into?

[orangeusa]

Jermzzz had the PERFECT answer.

Trijicon I think requires that tooltech installs Trijicons. Meprolights - you could probably do your self or any smith do.

HOW THEY LOOK / WORK
Trijicons are drilled right down the front sight where the stock dot was. They look completely stock. White and not as bright as meprolights.

Meprolights are drilled in the SIDE of the sight (two holes) and sit on TOP of the stock sight. They look quite strange... I have both, and the Meprolight seems to be the poorer design (nothing about quality). The reason is that the front sight is now HIGHER, so their rear set is higher. If you remove the front sight, you HAVE to remove the rear. Just free advice, since I pulled the front sight off mine, promptly lost the pin, and can't shoot that slide since the rear sight is too high...

CUSTOMER SERVICE:
I've dealt with Meprolights (they are a company out of Israel and use Kimber as their sales outlet). I had a set that were dead, and they sent me a set that was almost dead as replacements. It was PAINFUL, and I gave up and bought a set here.

Trijicons are not as bright, but they have excellent service and inexpensive relamping.


COST:
Ok - Meprolights overall are probably cheaper, but I think you should go Trijicon. Most everyone I know does (for 92FS's). For Glocks and other guns with removable front sights, they are great - you get color choices and all that. See opticsplanet.com (at least for shopping around). I think you can even get them on eBay....

.

[willurd]

So, drilling the front sight out of the slide...is this something that is dangerous to do, or pretty simple in the right hands? Don't worry, I wouldn't try to do this myself, just wondering if it's easy for a properly trained gun smith.

Also, are there any other places in So Cal, preferably as close to Los Angeles as possible, that do this kind of work?

[jermzzzzzzz]

I have the Meprolights, they're accurate and dead-on for me if I do my part shooting it.

[g17owner]

Send it to tooltech. I would not take it to Ade's. Tool tech is the masters at this for 92's. Its worth it.

[shipwreck]

Yes, I have used tooltech for 2 Beretta slides earlier this year. WIth shipping both to and from, one took 3 weeks, the 2nd was 2 weeks,

Word is that Tooltech does the factory night sight installs for Beretta (I have a 92 with factory night sights, and owned a couple in the 1990s)

It is $150 + $17.50 return shipping. So, $167.50.

Years ago, trijicon would do the sight install - but they were actually only forwarding the slides to Tooltech Gunsight for ya. Tooltech has always done the 92 night sight installs.

[jermzzzzzzz]

I took mine to Ade's to install the meprolights and had no problems. But then again his shop is only like 10 minutes away.