Tonight I tried installing a Heinie rear sight on my Colt XS Commander. I've installed a couple of dozen sights (Bomar, MMC, Colt, Novak, Baer, LPA, etc., etc.) including very tight Kimber sights. Anyway, I slide the sight into the dovetail and using a light plastic mallet I tapped on it with medium light force. The sight started lifting up so I gently tapped it out. When I got it out I couldn't believe how chewed up the dovetail was on the sight. It was almost as if the sight was made out of potmetal. I've never had this happen with another sight, even after pounding the hell out of it (which I did not do with the Heinie sight). Did I just get a bad sight or are Heinie sights made with especially soft metal?
Problem with with Heinie sights
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I have also noticed that my sights get dented and banged up much easier than my other metal sights. I believe the sights are made of a soft metal.
Although I love the sight picture, I won't be putting them on anymore of my pistols because of this, and the fact they come loose quite regularly on my lightweight .45s even with loctite.
Although I love the sight picture, I won't be putting them on anymore of my pistols because of this, and the fact they come loose quite regularly on my lightweight .45s even with loctite.
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79 Posts
First Off. The Sights are not made from Soft Cheap Metal. Installing them on a Colt XS is
not a job that is a "Drop In" installation.
Colt did a real poor job when cutting the dovetails on these Pistols. The Sights are made slightly larger to fit the biggest dovetail we found. Some fitting is required.
Send the slide to me and I will install them
the Right Way.
not a job that is a "Drop In" installation.
Colt did a real poor job when cutting the dovetails on these Pistols. The Sights are made slightly larger to fit the biggest dovetail we found. Some fitting is required.
Send the slide to me and I will install them
the Right Way.
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79 Posts
JM,
Who installed the Sights on your Pistol? If they keep coming loose I would like to see
the Installation. It sounds to me like the dovetail was cut to big.
It seems that we have been thru this, Soft Metal B.S. before on another Forum.
Who installed the Sights on your Pistol? If they keep coming loose I would like to see
the Installation. It sounds to me like the dovetail was cut to big.
It seems that we have been thru this, Soft Metal B.S. before on another Forum.
Mr. Heinie,
Thanks for the reply. The sights were installed in your shop on a Kimber Pro Carry in April 2000. The rear sight first came loose after about two hundred rounds. The rear sight seems to continue to loosen up every few hundred rounds or so even with blue loctite applied. I also have a set on a Kimber Ultra that does the same thing, but a local 'smith installed those.
I was going to have a detent drilled into the slide dovetails to give the set screws something to hold onto. I shoot only full power 230 gr ammo in the guns so the pistols take quite a pounding.
I do notice the sights get nicked up alot more than my stock Kimber sights though.
Thank you for your assistance.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JM on 2001-09-20 13:39 ]</font>
Thanks for the reply. The sights were installed in your shop on a Kimber Pro Carry in April 2000. The rear sight first came loose after about two hundred rounds. The rear sight seems to continue to loosen up every few hundred rounds or so even with blue loctite applied. I also have a set on a Kimber Ultra that does the same thing, but a local 'smith installed those.
I was going to have a detent drilled into the slide dovetails to give the set screws something to hold onto. I shoot only full power 230 gr ammo in the guns so the pistols take quite a pounding.
I do notice the sights get nicked up alot more than my stock Kimber sights though.
Thank you for your assistance.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JM on 2001-09-20 13:39 ]</font>
can you imagine if a sight was harder then a slide, it would cost more to replace a slide.
i think a little tight fit is good, I have fit a few sets now and i left it tight so that the edges of the slide cut in to the sight, then i took it out and cleaned the shavings. that gave a super tight fit.
I now have heinie sights on all my guns including my glock overseas which gets banged up alot :smile:
IMO the heinie slants are the best flash picture available.
i think a little tight fit is good, I have fit a few sets now and i left it tight so that the edges of the slide cut in to the sight, then i took it out and cleaned the shavings. that gave a super tight fit.
I now have heinie sights on all my guns including my glock overseas which gets banged up alot :smile:
IMO the heinie slants are the best flash picture available.
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79 Posts
JM,
If you have been having a problem with the sights, why didn't you contact us? If there is something wrong with the Sights or the Installation, I will fix it. FREE. If I screwed up I will fix it. It is very simple,
just give us a call. I don't understand why I have to find this out by reading it on a Forum. Especially the words, you used about never buying any again. Like I said, I stand behind all of my products and work.
If you have been having a problem with the sights, why didn't you contact us? If there is something wrong with the Sights or the Installation, I will fix it. FREE. If I screwed up I will fix it. It is very simple,
just give us a call. I don't understand why I have to find this out by reading it on a Forum. Especially the words, you used about never buying any again. Like I said, I stand behind all of my products and work.
Jm,
Just as a casual observer, I have to say it is a bit odd you never contacted Mr. Heinie. He has an amazing reputation for quality and standing behind his work. Everyone can make a mistake and there is always room to improve both products and installation methods. I would have thought you would have sent it back almost imeadiatly to have him work on it.
Just as a casual observer, I have to say it is a bit odd you never contacted Mr. Heinie. He has an amazing reputation for quality and standing behind his work. Everyone can make a mistake and there is always room to improve both products and installation methods. I would have thought you would have sent it back almost imeadiatly to have him work on it.
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113 Posts
Heinie is an Artisan of the first order, and his Straight Eights are quite simply the best in class.
I see no point in dog-piling on our members, but I think it was evident from the start that the problems reported had little to do with Richard -- or with the quality of his products. Both are absolutely above reproach in this business.
Chuck
I see no point in dog-piling on our members, but I think it was evident from the start that the problems reported had little to do with Richard -- or with the quality of his products. Both are absolutely above reproach in this business.
Chuck
Mr. Heinie,
I am sincerely sorry if I offended you; it wasn't my intention by any means. I should choose my words more carefully when writing to a public forum.
I don't shoot or carry the pistol with the sights your shop installed very much anymore so having it fixed isn't a high priority for me. I carry and shoot Gov't models almost exclusively now. I would not expect your shop to responsible for the sights I had another gunsmith install on my Ultra Carry.
Best Regards
I am sincerely sorry if I offended you; it wasn't my intention by any means. I should choose my words more carefully when writing to a public forum.
I don't shoot or carry the pistol with the sights your shop installed very much anymore so having it fixed isn't a high priority for me. I carry and shoot Gov't models almost exclusively now. I would not expect your shop to responsible for the sights I had another gunsmith install on my Ultra Carry.
Best Regards
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79 Posts
JM,
I would like to see the Slide. I usually install Kimber Sights, so they fit very tight. It would be nice to see this one to see if there is a problem I am not aware of,
that could crop up on another Pistol. I will
even send a Fed-X pickup for it so you won't have to spend a dime. Since you don't use it much surely you could spare it for 3-4 days.
I would like to see the Slide. I usually install Kimber Sights, so they fit very tight. It would be nice to see this one to see if there is a problem I am not aware of,
that could crop up on another Pistol. I will
even send a Fed-X pickup for it so you won't have to spend a dime. Since you don't use it much surely you could spare it for 3-4 days.
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79 Posts
Thanks to all for your Support and Confidence
in my Services and Products.
in my Services and Products.
I've got a standard Heinie rear on my plainclothes 1911- it stands up to abuse just as well as any other sight I've used. I've seen Novaks get chewed to crap during hard use on a uniform duty gun. The rear notch was still intact, though. Heinies are all I will put on my guns, now.
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