Sight Pusher Tool

[Ben]

I'm finally getting around to replacing the sights on my G45 ( with Ameriglo Spartans, just ordered today). I've actually never replaced pistol sights before and have seen recommendations for using a sight pusher vs a hammer and punch.

These tools seem to run from $20-$80. I don't have plans for doing lots of sight swaps, but see myself doing some more in the future. I don't know that I want to shell out $80 for a little used tool, but I can see spending $20-$40. Does anyone have experience with sight pushers? Would the lower end still be worthwhile to buy, or are they useless junk?

[RoadKingLarry]

Definitely a buy once, cry once kind of tool

[WLJ]

Definitely a buy once, cry once kind of tool

Yep, heard of people breaking the cheap ones on Glocks far too often.

[cordex]

I have two. One I bought on the recommendation of someone on another forum from SightPusher.com. I think it was about $60. Bleh.

It works, but is hard to use, looks like it was thrown together in a garage, requires tools, and beats up the sight when using it.  If you want it let me know and I’ll send it to you.

I ended up getting one of these last year:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09NR7KQ7L

I like it much better. If you have any specific questions let me know.

[French G.]

Look at the one you like and make one. And yes, the little glass vials don't like hammers.

[Kingcreek]

I made one.

[Ben]

It seems like everything I want these days is "buy once, cry once" instead of, "Here's an inexpensive item that will do everything you need!" 

Thanks for the replies so far. I guess cheap is out for sure. I was doing some additional interwebz research, and gun websites/people seem to push the Wheeler and the Real Avid. They both appear to run ~$150, but Amazon has the Real Avid for $120 right now.

I guess I need to really weigh how much I think I will use one of these in the future. I do have two 1911s that are old enough that the tritium sights are dead...

https://www.amazon.com/Real-Avid-Master-Sight-Pusher/dp/B08BB6W9ZZ

[Hawkmoon]

I ended up getting one of these last year:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09NR7KQ7L

This one seems to get decent reviews. If you just search "sight pusher" on Amazon, you'll find that same model under myriad different names, at prices ranging from $50 to $80.

I'd buy one, but I have a 1911-specific sight pusher from Brownells, and almost all my handguns are 1911s, so I can't justify buying a universal model at this point.

[MechAg94]

The front sights on most Glocks are easy to swap out.  Just need that little socket tool. 

I have a "cheap" sight pusher.  It will do the job, but you need a wrench most of the time.  Both of those Amazon links look like a big upgrade over what I have.

A guy at a gun range has swapped sights on several pistols for me.  His set up is similar to the orange colored model linked above.  I thought they were more expensive than that or I may have already bought one.

You may already have done this, but get a dry erase marker or a sharpy to mark the location of the old sights before pushing them off.  Going back and forth trying to sight them back in sucks.

[French G.]

For the front site I have taken the appropriate size 1/4 drive socket, cut it off since it is not going to fit thru the hole in the slide, used same size allen key to drive it.

[HankB]

From looking at YouTube reviews, I see that some (many?) of the sight pushers you see on Amazon have steel clamps that will mar the slide if you don't supply your own padding.

. . . If you just search "sight pusher" on Amazon, you'll find that same model under myriad different names, at prices ranging from $50 to $80.

Interesting how identical many of the sight pushers look, differing only in the logo or name applied. It's as if they came off the same production line - and yet, the reviews vary. 

[Ben]

Well, dammit, I ordered the Real Avid. I guess I'll need to rationalize the purchase by buying new sights for the 1911s I referenced. 

[Lennyjoe]

I picked this up in 2020 and it’s worked great for me on several handguns.

[HankB]

Well, dammit, I ordered the Real Avid. I guess I'll need to rationalize the purchase by buying new sights for the 1911s I referenced. 

At least the Amazon listing for this one had a list of pistols it would NOT work with - and your G45 was not among them. (For some reason it's not supposed to work with long slide 1911s, so unless you have one of those, you should be OK.)