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STI DVC Limited Front Sight Loose


Baldpriest

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Hi all!  

I recently got a brand new DVC Limited 40.  I have around 700 rounds through it and found that my front sight moves freely 1/8" during the last stage of a Steel match Saturday.  

I have heard opinions of "loctite, due to not being able to drift it all the way off the slide by hand" and "replace with an oversize sight" 

 

I haven't drifted it off yet, but do have the brass punches to do so...

I thought I'd throw a line out for opinions from the guys that have walked this path before me.

 

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

Mike

"baldpriest"

 

 

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Just now, davsco said:

call or email STI Monday morning.  that def shouldn't be loose.  i assume you're talking the metal sight body and not the fiber optic insert.

Correct, the metal body sliding in the dovetail.

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At the time STI quoted six weeks to fit a new front sight. so we bought a manny dot from Brazos and fit it ourselves. 

 

that was just the beginning of the problems we had with the gun. Eventually we sent it to Atlas Gunworks to get it right. 

Edited by Woodsk
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11 hours ago, Sandbagger123 said:

drizzle some wicking loctite into the slot and let it harden.  or you can do like brazo and drill a hole for a 1/16 roll pin.  or call STI and ask them to send you a new sight and fit it yourself.  

 

 

I emailed STI late last night.  Hoping for a response today.  I've fit front sights on other pistols, so that option sounds good to me!  Thanks!

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On 4/24/2017 at 0:58 PM, davsco said:

well the problem is whether the dovetail was cut too large, or the sights are too small or were filed too much.  hopefully the latter.

Agreed... Hoping it's just a small sight... 

I got an email back from STI, and they requested I send my slide in...  I have DoubleTap Championship coming up, as well as some local matches soon, so I asked if they'd send a sight and allow me to fit it.  Hoping they go for that...

 

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Same thing happened on mine.  I removed the sight, staked the dovetail base with a center punch, cleaned off all the oil and debris, and put red loctite on it.  After a couple matches, it is again just a touch loose. >_<

 

So many issues with this gun that I'm swearing off stock STI's.  Custom for any future purchases.  

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this appears to be a fairly common thing with the DVC. Mine did the same with less than 100 rounds through it. I had the same issue and just got new front sights, peened the dovetail and then installed it. Very tough putting it in but I dont think it will ever come off now. The other thing I noticed was the screw under the rear sight is walking out. You might want to check this as I needed to put a bit of loctite.

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17 hours ago, incorrigible said:

Same thing happened on mine.  I removed the sight, staked the dovetail base with a center punch, cleaned off all the oil and debris, and put red loctite on it.  After a couple matches, it is again just a touch loose. >_<

 

So many issues with this gun that I'm swearing off stock STI's.  Custom for any future purchases.  

For the forseeable future, I don't think custom guns are in the realm of possibility for me... So the DVC is my go-to gun, and maybe an Edge for a backup in the future...  

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48 minutes ago, jimbullet said:

this appears to be a fairly common thing with the DVC. Mine did the same with less than 100 rounds through it. I had the same issue and just got new front sights, peened the dovetail and then installed it. Very tough putting it in but I dont think it will ever come off now. The other thing I noticed was the screw under the rear sight is walking out. You might want to check this as I needed to put a bit of loctite.

That's just depressing... Aren't all of these Hand-fit?  If I don't hear back from STI, I'll need to purchase a front sight from Dawson and just get to work on fitting...  when you peen the dovetail, you're talking about peening the sight itself or the slide?

I'll check on the rear sight screw as well.  Thanks for the "heads up"!

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5 minutes ago, Sandbagger123 said:

if you want a almost guarentee no move sight just do like brazo and drill a 1/16" hole in the sight through the slide and put a 1/16" pin in it.  if you ever want to replace the front the hole will be covered anyways with the new sight. 

I just called STI and they agreed to send a new sight out.  I'll fit it myself, and will seriously consider pinning if this one moves... 

It will be interesting to inspect the dovetail in the slide once the old sight is out... I'm curious to find the root-cause here...

Thanks!

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i expect the root cause was the dovetail was cut too big, or the sight was filed a smidgen too much and then it got banged on a port or something. it is not unheard of.

 

my solution to these problems is to remove the sight, pen the bottom of the sight in a few places with a punch and reinstall it. most times that will work and you won't have to beat on the gun itself. 

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20 hours ago, motosapiens said:

i expect the root cause was the dovetail was cut too big, or the sight was filed a smidgen too much and then it got banged on a port or something. it is not unheard of.

 

my solution to these problems is to remove the sight, pen the bottom of the sight in a few places with a punch and reinstall it. most times that will work and you won't have to beat on the gun itself. 

Ah! Good info!  I was hoping it was the sight itself and not the slide that folks peened...  

I talked with Ryan at STI and he is sending a new front sight out.  I'll fit the new sight asap and post results.

 

Thanks all!

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36 minutes ago, Baldpriest said:

Ah! Good info!  I was hoping it was the sight itself and not the slide that folks peened...  

 

 

you can do either (or both). i prefer to start with the sight, but i have a slide or two that has peened under the sight where it's not visible.

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On 4/28/2017 at 7:19 AM, Baldpriest said:

That's just depressing... Aren't all of these Hand-fit?  If I don't hear back from STI, I'll need to purchase a front sight from Dawson and just get to work on fitting...  when you peen the dovetail, you're talking about peening the sight itself or the slide?

I'll check on the rear sight screw as well.  Thanks for the "heads up"!

The dovetail on the slide so that it creates some friction (or traction).

 

 

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On 4/28/2017 at 8:15 AM, motosapiens said:

i expect the root cause was the dovetail was cut too big, or the sight was filed a smidgen too much and then it got banged on a port or something. it is not unheard of.

 

my solution to these problems is to remove the sight, pen the bottom of the sight in a few places with a punch and reinstall it. most times that will work and you won't have to beat on the gun itself. 

 

This was also my first impression (dovetail cut to wide)/ I took a caliper out though and they appear to be within spec (at least with my other STI 2011. So I think they filed the sight itself too small somehow and they keep on repeating this from what I can see as there are lots of us with the same issue.

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