Adjusting slotted rear sights

[Roland]

I have a new Beretta PX4 9mm subcompact that is shooting a little to the left, elevation is right on. I was a little reluctant to start beating on my new baby for fear of jacking somehting up or marring the finish. I have a gunsmith friend that would do it for me, but, he is a ways away. When I called Beretta, they told me to use a 'glue stick' as a drift and tap it with a hammer, after removing the slide and mounting it in a soft jawed vise. A glue stick! I would have never thought of that......I was going to use a piece of nylon paint brush handle, but, this is a much better idea. If it is good enough for Beretta, it is good enough for me!!

[MoJo]

I would have never thought of using a glue stick. I have a sight pusher and some nylon punches that I use to adjust and replace sights.

[chabouk]

When you have fixed sights on a defensive handgun, it takes a huge amount of inaccuracy justify adjusting the sights.

Define "A little to the left": do you mean that POI at 15 yards was 2" left of POA? Or do you mean that POI at 3 yards was a foot left of POI?

If you want a Bullseye gun for Bullseye shooting, buy one. if you want a gun that will hit "Minute of Bad Guy" at ranges from "Bad breath!" to 10 yards, then target-type sight accuracy just isn't a priority.

[shootthesheet]

I think a person can choose to move their sights if they want. I do agree that doing so isn't something I would consider. I take it this is a new gun and I assume the OP has not shot it much. My experience with a new gun is that I always shoot a little "off" in some way until I get my grip right. Most of the time after I get the feel my shots go where want. That is one reason I try to shoot whatever gun I carry as much as I can before I carry it. I may carry a .380 single stack or a 9mm or .45 double stack so how I hold any one of those is very different. I have learned that everything from where I put my hand on the gun to pull it, to shooting and reholstering is different for each of my carry guns.

[Roland]

You both bring up very good points and I appreciate your input. However, my main reason for posting was to introduce the use of the glue stick as a drift for moving a sight without the possibility of marring the finish.

At 18 feet, using a rest, I got tight groups of 13 rounds about 2 1/2 to 3 inches left of center. As all my other weapons are spot on, I just felt like this could be improved greatly. What does it really hurt to have a gun shoot where you aim it? I understand the lack of need for extreme accuracy when you can smell the bad guy's breath, but, call me anal or a perfectionist, whatever......I just like things as good as they can be. This is a new gun, Beretta PX4 9mm Storm sub compact, I carry other sub compact 9 mms and, I guess, I don't want to have to remember which one I have to make aiming corrections with, even though this one remains within the "minute of bad guy."

I do thank you both for your very valid and pertinent information.

[OverEasy]

You can take a wooden clothes pin apart and use 1/2 of it and give the other 1/2 to a friend. They are made out of hard wood and you can tap them with a hammer and they won't break apart.

Your welcome, OE

[lrb111]

I use a small brass hammer for this.I picked it up at a gun show. It's about 8 inches long, with about an inch diameter by 3 inch head.
This one might be handy, http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools ... 99895.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[gringop]

When you have fixed sights on a defensive handgun, it takes a huge amount of inaccuracy justify adjusting the sights.
If you want a Bullseye gun for Bullseye shooting, buy one. if you want a gun that will hit "Minute of Bad Guy" at ranges from "Bad breath!" to 10 yards, then target-type sight accuracy just isn't a priority.

Just what self-defense instructor or school taught you this bit of information? Because none that I have ever attended or heard of teaches that all you need is "minute of Bad Guy at 10 yards".

The courses that I have attended indicated that the target area is a triangle from nipple to nipple and up to the bottom of the adams apple. On a normal adult, that's an equilateral triangle with each side of about 10". That "Cardiac Triangle" contains the heart, large blood vessels and spine and part of the brachial nerve plexus.

This upper chest triangle is the target for anyone intending to physiologically stop an attacker quickly. This applies at 2 yards, 10 yards or 25 yards. If the attacker is not facing directly at you, the target area gets smaller.

For a person to put up with maladjusted sights on a defensive handgun because it's not a "Bullseye gun" is a staggering idea to me. Winning or loosing a Bullseye match means at the most a ribbon or 2. Missing a shot in a self-defense situation means lawyer bills or possibly even my death.

I just put new sights on my daily carry. You can bet your boots that I'll be out at the range with my hammer, drift pins and calipers tomorrow. My final test shots will be at 25 yards.

To the OP. No matter what you use, glue stick, nylon punch, brass punch, etc., make sure you have a solid surface when you start drifting the sights. Tables and benches don't cut it. I use a hardwood board on the concrete floor. Any give in the surface just makes for frustration.

Gringop

[MoJo]

When you have fixed sights on a defensive handgun, it takes a huge amount of inaccuracy justify adjusting the sights.
If you want a Bullseye gun for Bullseye shooting, buy one. if you want a gun that will hit "Minute of Bad Guy" at ranges from "Bad breath!" to 10 yards, then target-type sight accuracy just isn't a priority.

Just what self-defense instructor or school taught you this bit of information? Because none that I have ever attended or heard of teaches that all you need is "minute of Bad Guy at 10 yards".

The courses that I have attended indicated that the target area is a triangle from nipple to nipple and up to the bottom of the adams apple. On a normal adult, that's an equilateral triangle with each side of about 10". That "Cardiac Triangle" contains the heart, large blood vessels and spine and part of the brachial nerve plexus.

This upper chest triangle is the target for anyone intending to physiologically stop an attacker quickly. This applies at 2 yards, 10 yards or 25 yards. If the attacker is not facing directly at you, the target area gets smaller.

For a person to put up with maladjusted sights on a defensive handgun because it's not a "Bullseye gun" is a staggering idea to me. Winning or loosing a Bullseye match means at the most a ribbon or 2. Missing a shot in a self-defense situation means lawyer bills or possibly even my death.

I just put new sights on my daily carry. You can bet your boots that I'll be out at the range with my hammer, drift pins and calipers tomorrow. My final test shots will be at 25 yards.

To the OP. No matter what you use, glue stick, nylon punch, brass punch, etc., make sure you have a solid surface when you start drifting the sights. Tables and benches don't cut it. I use a hardwood board on the concrete floor. Any give in the surface just makes for frustration.

Gringop

A 2" error @ 15 yards = 13.33" error @ 100 yards or a 13.3 MOA error! I tweak my sights to give me 0" L/R at 20 yards and about 1" high at the same distance. I find I will shoot a tad low when I shoot at speed. Not zeroing your weapon to shoot for you is like not checking your tire pressure before a long trip - - - asking for trouble.

[Quahog]

After installing some new Trijicon night sights on my G19 and taking it to the range, both Teamless and I were shooting left of where we expected. If we lined the front sight up with the right-most vertical on the rear sight, the gun was close to being dead on. You can bet I intend to "adjust" my sights to correct for this since I only eye-balled the rear sight alignment when I installed it.

[Roland]

I didn't mean to start a fracass with my original post, just passing along some info I thought might help others. I do have a brass drift but it leaves marks on black finish. Wood, plastic or the recommended glue stick would be the better solution.

I am glad to see there are others that are as picky about the sights as I am. I have a .45 with a laser and I spent a while at the range dialing it in and I can trust that wherever the red dot is, there will be a hole if I fire........making a hip shot quite accurate.

And, Gringop, you are most correct about having a solid surface to perform the adjustment. I put the slide in a padded vise.

[Mike1951]

And, Gringop, you are most correct about having a solid surface to perform the adjustment. I put the slide in a padded vise.

I have pieces of leather tacked to a 2"x8"x24" It provides a portable surface that can be carried to the range.

I have some holes drilled through the board between pieces of leather that allow for driving pins out.

For sight adjustments, I use the nylon punches that come in some of the punch sets.

[Ol Zeke]

When you have fixed sights on a defensive handgun, it takes a huge amount of inaccuracy justify adjusting the sights.

Define "A little to the left": do you mean that POI at 15 yards was 2" left of POA? Or do you mean that POI at 3 yards was a foot left of POI?

If you want a Bullseye gun for Bullseye shooting, buy one. if you want a gun that will hit "Minute of Bad Guy" at ranges from "Bad breath!" to 10 yards, then target-type sight accuracy just isn't a priority.

Aim Small.... Miss Small