I am fairly adept mechanically, but I'm reluctant to try to install my own night sights. Should I have a local gunsmith do the work or send back to SA Custom Shop?
If you do install yourself, I recommend using a press to install the new sights. They can be damaged trying to tap them in. Use a measuring device like a caliper or 10's scale to center. I have done my own on several handguns and worked good.
The tool that gunsmiths use can be purchased for less than $125… If you bought that and you changed your own sights with it about 4-6 times, you would have made your money back instead of paying installation fees. From that point on you are saving money… Course, if you aren't going to switch sights that much then just pay your local gunsmith the (usually about $25) fee to have it done properly.
If you buy your sights from AJamesp over at XDTalk.com, he installs them free. XDHS2000.com is his site I think.
If I have to mail off the slide, I'd rather have SA handle it. I'm pretty sure my LGS gunsmith is an SA certified gunsmith, so the guarantee should still apply. Plus I can have him adjust if necessary. Based on what I'm hearing, changing out the sights is not a factory armorer level project. I'll probably have my local guy take care of it. Thanks all!
Yes. He's a sponsoring vendor at xdtalk.com and is very highly regarded. He put TFOs on my XDM for me. Perfect outcome and only without my slide a few days. What is Springfield's turnaround time?
Tru-Glo makes the Tritium Fiber Optic sight. They are similar to the Hi-Vis, except that they are illuminated for night by tritium imbedded in the sight base. I have them on two of my XD pistols, and really, really, like them. In the daylight the fiber optic tube picks up a great deal of ambient light. They are the brightest daytime sight I've ever used. At night the tritium lights up the sight to the rear only. The nature of the fiber optic tube directs the light that way without dissipating it through the sides. You cannot see any glow from the sides. The older version had more liklihood of the tubes sliding out. They replaced my front sight for me that had that problem. Even after the warrantee was over and on at least the second owner, free of charge. The newer generation supposedly has taken care of that problem. I will not hesitate to put them on another of my pistols when I deem night sights necessary.
