Sight replacement on PM9 - DIY or send to Kahr Arms?

[pist]

I'm considering replacing the sights on my PM9 with Williams Firesights. I am familiar with tritium sights, have used them, and am not considering them. So, thanks in advance for the advice, but sight selection is not what this is about.

My question has to do with the swapping of the sights. My PM9 is brand new, having been purchased only a few weeks ago (i.e. April 2017). Are the sights on these guns still super tight, like they were in years prior? I am definitely not entrusting my slide to a gunsmith. I'm just trying to decide if I should attempt the swap myself, or if I should send it to Kahr Arms. Can anyone advise?

I did send my K9 to Kahr Arms for a sight swap, but that was in the 1990s. They did a pretty good job, but there was some cosmetic damage to the rear sight and slide. Can anyone comment on their more recent experience here?

[Bawanna]

Not all gunsmiths are created equal. Some may in fact be better than the fella's at Kahr, many obviously are not near as good.

I don't know if the newer guns are still tight or not, I assume they are.

Sending to Kahr is the least risky option. Then again if you have the stuff and the desire and the patience what one man can do another can do.

I do know it's darn tough to install sights with zero cosmetic damage. Keeping it to a minimum is a success in my book.

[pist]

Thanks for the reply. I'm sure there are excellent gunsmiths in my area, but I have no idea who they are, and I'm not going to take anyone's word on it. I love the expression "what one man can do, another can do", but I don't have a sight tool or any particular training. If I knew the sights would budge, I'd buy a tool and give it a go, but I've been reading lots of horror stores about people who did that and failed, or who tried using a punch and also failed.

[Bawanna]

I think Kahr is your best option.

The best guy I ever knew for sights, appropriately called himself the Sightman. Didn't own a sight pusher tool, or if he did he never used it.

A good vise, a small hammer and some punches. He moved on us, not sure if he retired or not.
Did a lot of sight work for the department.

The sight tool is the ticket for getting old sights off, but I think it's often misused to install the new sights and that was the Sightmans theory as well.

[finpro]

Dovetailed sights are made to be removed and installed. It is not especially hard to replace the sights on a PM9. Put masking tape on the slide and lock it into a vice, unless you have a sight tool. Use non-marking punches of brass, aluminum or plastic and apply them to the base of the sight, not the upper portion. My secret sauce solution is to lubricate the dovetail. I like sharpening stone oil, but any penetrating oil will do or you can mix some hand dishwashing detergent, like Dawn, with water. Tilt the gun so that lubricant can get beneath the sight, which may or may not happen, and lubricate the dovetail in the direction the sight will move. Work from left to right to remove the sights and install them from right to left.
If a new sight will not go into the dovetail by hand about half way, you should sand the bottom of the sight. An easy way to do this is by placing sand paper on a very flat surface and rubbing the sight back and forth sideways, as it will enter the dovetail, to remove some material. Try it in the dovetail often until it will enter halfway. If not, continue sanding and try again. Eventually, it will fit and you should use the punch to finish. As a novice, you should use very fine grit of 1000 or higher. Go slowly and carefully, making sure the sight bottom is flat on the sand paper.
You should know where the sights should be set. The front sight, which is usually weaker, should be centered and the rear should be set wherever you have determined it should be to have the point of impact where you want it. I do not use thread locking compounds until I am sure the sights are aligned properly. When installed, rinse the sights with water or alcohol to remove the lubricant. I recommend shooting the gun before using the threadlocker. Once you determine the sights are set properly, you can consider some Loctite or something similar. While most use Loctite on the underside of the sights, I prefer to use it on the sides of the dovetail as I think it would be easier to remove later, if needed for adjustment or whatever.
If you think you will want to do this on other pistols, it might make sense to buy a sight pusher. I have one and use it when it fits. These make the process easier, but should be used with caution to avoid scarring the finish. Read the directions. Again, push on the sight bases within the dovetails, not the upper portions of the sights. Be especially careful with the weaker front sight. Make sure the tool part that pushes the sight is free to move the sight and not in line to touch the dovetail. Again, use the lubrication and installation process discussed above. Go slowly and check constantly. There will sometimes be a popping sound when the sight begins to move. This does not indicate a problem.
Others will likely have different opinions and you should consider them. This has always worked for me and I have never damaged anything. If this works for you, please let us know. If this does not work, just forget you ever heard of us. ;^D

[pist]

OK, thank you. I'm looking into sight pushers that might work well. The P500 Pro Universal Sight Tool looks promising, but at ~$270, it's pretty steep.

I'm a neurotic control freak with serious trust issues, so while I haven't ruled out sending it to Kahr, I'd really prefer to do it myself. It would also give me a little sense of accomplishment (as stupid as that may sound).

Do the dovetails get progressively tighter from right-to-left?

[Bawanna]

270 bucks is a lot for something you'll likely use one time.

You can do it following Finpro's directions. I do that nearly precisely although I've never heard of the soap trick.

I also if a lot has to be removed use a fine metal file to drag the sight base across. Then switch to fine paper when I know I'm close. With 1000 grit paper you'll be there for weeks if you have to remove much.
I use a good solid (really solid) vise. A very small hammer and if brass or plastic isn't working I carefully go to steel. Emphasis on the tape. Lots of it. Sometimes the steel just gets it moving.
A bit of tape on the sight base and all around of course and things should be fine.

I've also found that sometimes going half way by hand is too much, I go just a bit less, say between a 1/3rd and the half.

I'll know more soon, I have 42 sets to install on our Glock 21's. Powers that be think our night sights are due to expire and found something they like so going to switch. Beats sitting in front of this computer all day although not my favorite thing. Glocks are easy compared to Kahrs and I do have a pusher I use to remove. I install most of the way with punches and fine tune with the pusher.

[pist]

I'd use it more than once. I have two PM9s, a K9 with burned-out tritium sights, and a Glock.

There are some ~$50 sight tools that look very simple and seem like they'd work. I think I'm more comfortable using one of those than punches.

[Bawanna]

Just remember this. A sight pusher can be compared to a holster with a thumb strap. A poor fitting holster that needs a strap to keep the gun from falling out.
You can take a sight that doesn't fit (IE: it needs to be sanded) and make it fit which can be not a good thing.
I wish you good luck.

And lastly if you ding it up and it shows a few scars, at least they are your scars. Wear them with pride and chalk it up to a learning experience. As we get high miles on the odometer it seems we acquire more and more of those learning experiences.

[pist]

Thanks for the advice.

I think I'll do my wife's PM9 first!