5.25 Dawson Front Sight Height Question

[xdmfan]

First of all, for some reason, the search function here isn't working last night or today, with any browser, so can't bring up the old threads discussing front sight replacement, but I previously written down that many had replaced the wide factory fiber with a Dawson .225T by .100" and were happy with the result. I ordered one and it arrived. I just removed my old sight and measured it as about .215T, and as a sanity check, my new one measures the advertised .225, plus appears slightly taller when held side-by-side. Is there a reason you all went with a taller sight, or should I return this and buy a .215x.100, which they do sell? Just curious as to why you'd go taller, or did they perhaps not have a .215 back then, since the threads were a couple of years old?

On a related note, since I own many XDMs of different sizes, I sprung for a MGW sight tool for about $120, figuring it'd be a worthwhile investment for doing multiple sight changes. I first used it on a 4.5 and it worked great. Last night I discovered it won't fit a 5.25. Major bummer! I went back and checked many on-line seller's descriptions before I found one that mentioned it doesn't fit the 5" and longer barrels. I never could find a site for MGW. I had a fun time whacking the old site out, even after soaking in Kroil. I hosed up the dovetail edge of the sight enough that I may as well have cut it out. Does anyone know if any of the other sight tools fits a 5.25? I could sell this one and get most of my money back.

[d_striker]

I went shorter than OEM on two xdm 5.25's. OEM sight pointed high for my NPA.

FWIW-One of my previous 5.25's front oem sight was .220" tall according to a note I still had in my phone.

I never bothered with a sight pusher. I milled out two when I had access to a mill. I cut another out with a dremel fairly easily.

Edited October 21, 2014 by d_striker

[xdmfan]

As I'm thinking about it, better to err on the side of a little taller than stock than same or a little shorter. I may have to raise the rear sight adjustment a bit, but a lower front would force a lower rear, and my rear is already down most of the way, so I may run out of adjustment in that direction if I change loads in the future. I'm hoping I've got a fair amount of upward adjustment in the mechanism - will play with later.

[Studlee]

I emailed Dawson and they recommended the .225x.100 for the front sight. It's been perfect with no adjustment to rear. Hit POA.

For sight tool I went with Fisher Solutions XL tool: http://www.sightpusher.com/New--XL-Tool.html

[xdmfan]

I'll order another .225 for my other 5.25. I couldn't get the first one installed yet until I get a tool in. Earlier today I went ahead and ordered a Sightmaster Pro ( http://www.glockstore.com/tools-1/sightmaster-pro ) which was more than I wanted to spend but is supposed to work well with almost anything. Maybe I will return or do the sights and sell, buying a more basic one later for other work. The Fisher looks like the basic SighMaster with a bunch of extra spacer blocks thrown in. Darn. I was thinking the more basic tool but I read people were having some problems with the one included spacer. The Fisher looks like a great solution without breaking the bank.

[Loves2Shoot]

I made inserts for holding the 5.25 in our custom made press. If there is interest, I might make them available for sale for use in a standard vise. None of the sight pushers that I've seen out there work very well for the whole XD/XDM line.

[ToddKS]

I used the Fisher tool to do the front sight on my 5.25 XDm. I bought the set with all the blocks because I wanted to have it around for other projects. You have to have the slide shimmed in just right. Bearing surfaces need to meet true or the slide will try to roll. in the tool. The tool definitely needs to be in a vice.

If I do another XD or XDm, I might chose to just cut the factory sight out. If I did not own the tool, knowing what I know now, I might have just sent the slide off and let the pros deal with it. It was that aggravating. It is not the tool's fault but rather the tight fit combined with the profile of the slide that makes it want to roll.

[xdmfan]

I'd contacted Fisher to verify which version to order, telling them I had a 5.25, and they said the 5.25 wouldn't fit. Looking at their pics, if a 4.5 works a 5.25 ought to - same nose geometry, just longer. It's not like the MGW tool where you have a clamp for the internal slide rails. Grrrr. Who knew this could be this damn aggravating? I'm tempted to buy their tool and give it a whirl, or re-order the SightMaster Pro, which I had managed to cancel. The mfg of that said it would do a 5.25, and that his son did his 5.25 with it. Maybe I can start renting it out!