Night Sight Install 1911 Question

[DeadWhiteGoose]

I've been considering installing some night sights on my 1911 and had a question about the process. I plan on paying a gunsmith to do the work properly and was wondering how the align the sights correctly so when I take the gun back to the range it's just as accurate as it is now. Even further, how does the factory make the sights line up perfectly for accuracy? Thanks for the insight!

[ojisan]

Factory sights are not always lined up correctly.
Usually they are centered on the slide and that is close enough if everything else is right in the manufacturing process.

Handguns are the most personal of all guns.
We all hold the guns different, our hands are different shapes and sizes, we all squeeze both the gun and trigger differently.
What shoots straight for you may not for the next guy.
You might find that you need a different alignment, this is the advantage of a fully adjustable rear sight.

I would have the new sights centered on the slide and then shoot it to see if any adjustment is needed.

[dchang0]

I've paid gunsmiths to do this 20 years ago, but now, I do it myself using a sight pusher. Usually, the cost of paying a gunsmith approaches the cost of a sight pusher, and the advantage of having your own pusher is that you can fine-tune the sight over time. I would say that MGW's sight pushers kick ***--I have seen the cheaper ones break one too many times, and the MGW is not that much more.