1911 Front Sight roll pin
- Thread starter Koda94
- Start date
You don't need a roll pin to hold a front sight in place. Just buy a front sight with the proper dovetail and fit it tightly. The roll pin is a fix for sloppy tolerances and sloppy mass production. Several gunmakers do this: front sight is loose in the dovetail, so put a roll pin in to hold it in place. 
About as good as the manufacturers who LocTite their sights in place. Have you ever tried to adjust handgun sights that are LocTited in place?
About as good as the manufacturers who LocTite their sights in place. Have you ever tried to adjust handgun sights that are LocTited in place?You don't need a roll pin to hold a front sight in place. Just buy a front sight with the proper dovetail and fit it tightly. The roll pin is a fix for sloppy tolerances and sloppy mass production. Several gunmakers do this: front sight is loose in the dovetail, so put a roll pin in to hold it in place.
If I have to I will take it to a smith but I'm hoping to avoid handfitting. I'm comfortable inserting roll pins.
You may want to try here: https://www.harborfreight.com/120-piece-roll-pin-storehouse-67591.html?_br_psugg_q=roll+pin
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Weld up the original hole using TIG welds from the top and the underside. Re-mill the upper and lower surfaces, then drill a new hole that's straight.Koda94 said:
think i would call Springfield and see what they say,,,,they just might want it back to fit a new slide ,,,worth a call,,,,if they do want it back,,,you could have some other stuff done on their shipping dime,,,maybe pin the ejector,,,some are glued in,,,maybe a trigger job,,,who knows they may even put the sight you want on for free
my .02
ocharry
my .02
ocharry
Welding would most certainly require a re-blue job. Does he really want to go that route when they may be cheaper alternatives (like ignore/leave the hole alone, locktite the new sight into posistion).
Stainless slide so no need to worry about rebluing. Any new sight is going to have the hole drilled perpendicular so it will never line up with the slanted hole in the frame and thus will never be secure unless I order an oversized sight that requires hand fitting. All I wanted was a night sight up front.
A quick rant is its really frustrating how such a simple task as drilling a straight hole is screwed up on a gun that costs almost a grand to buy is inexcusable, and this isnt the first expensive 1911 Ive had basic manufacturing defects on. What is it about 1911s they need to charge so much when machining technology is at its finest since the guns invention over 100yrs ago?
I should probably call Springfield to give them a chance to rectify this first, I dred the idea of fitting a new slide (Ive actually gone thru that warranty repair with another 1911 and it didnt end well...) or sending the gun in via mail over a simple sight replacement. Theres just no way to properly fix this privately thru a local smith that wont cost me way more than the trouble of some new sights. I think weld the hole and redrill is the only option and thats not gonna be cheap.
A quick rant is its really frustrating how such a simple task as drilling a straight hole is screwed up on a gun that costs almost a grand to buy is inexcusable, and this isnt the first expensive 1911 Ive had basic manufacturing defects on. What is it about 1911s they need to charge so much when machining technology is at its finest since the guns invention over 100yrs ago?
I should probably call Springfield to give them a chance to rectify this first, I dred the idea of fitting a new slide (Ive actually gone thru that warranty repair with another 1911 and it didnt end well...) or sending the gun in via mail over a simple sight replacement. Theres just no way to properly fix this privately thru a local smith that wont cost me way more than the trouble of some new sights. I think weld the hole and redrill is the only option and thats not gonna be cheap.