Front sight tool for 6" guns

[SDM]

Where are you guys getting a tool that will fit through the hole in the long guns? The ones I have won't do it.

[BigTinVA]

Seth,

I use a Meprolight front sight tool. It has worked on every gun that I have put sights on from a G26 to G34's. I have not used it on a G24 or G17L yet, but I'm not sure there would be much difference.

Link to sight tool

One more link

Edited July 5, 2010 by BigTinVA

[pvhendrix]

Where are you guys getting a tool that will fit through the hole in the long guns? The ones I have won't do it.

My smith bought the proper size for the nut head fixed long bladed mechanics allen wrench. He then turned the outside down on his lathe until it cleared the hole. On my 17L the hole in the bottom of the slide is smaller than the one on the 34.

Edited July 5, 2010 by pvhendrix

[SDM]

My smith bought the proper size for the nut head fixed long bladed mechanics allen wrench. He then turned the outside down on his lathe until it cleared the hole. On my 17L the hole in the bottom of the slide is smaller than the one on the 34.

That's my problem. I have two tools that work with the 34, but the "access hole" on the long gun is smaller. I'm thinking about drilling that hole out, so my tool will fit.

[BigTinVA]

Seth,

Here are a couple of pictures showing the Meprolight front sight tool and my 3rd Generation Glock 17L slide. The access hole on my 17L doesn't seem any different than my G34's. There is plenty of room to get this tool into the hole in my slide.

[BigTinVA]

And by the way Seth, Happy Birthday!

[Chris Keen]

Brownells sells one made by Wheeler, that costs about $5 and it fits in a magnetic tip screwdriver for maximum torque.

[dr2e]

i have the ed brown that i bought from brownells and it works in my 24. i also have the one that dawson provided with a sight purchase and it fits also.

Edited July 5, 2010 by dr2e

[RePete]

Brownells sells one made by Wheeler, that costs about $5 and it fits in a magnetic tip screwdriver for maximum torque.

That's the one I use.

Just don't get ham fisted.

[Nik Habicht]

Seth,

Here are a couple of pictures showing the Meprolight front sight tool and my 3rd Generation Glock 17L slide. The access hole on my 17L doesn't seem any different than my G34's. There is plenty of room to get this tool into the hole in my slide.

Apparently there was hole size change at some point, as the hole in the slide of my 24 is considerably smaller than the hole in the slides of my models 34 and 35....

I haven't needed to change the front sight on my 24 yet....

[dirty whiteboy]

Apparently there was hole size change at some point, as the hole in the slide of my 24 is considerably smaller than the hole in the slides of my models 34 and 35....

YEP, my 2 Gen G-24 had to be drilled out a little. Make sure you attempt that with a carbide drill bit.

[SDM]

And by the way Seth, Happy Birthday!

Thank you

YEP, my 2 Gen G-24 had to be drilled out a little. Make sure you attempt that with a carbide drill bit.

Did you try to find a tool? I'm thinking drilling it out will be easier than dealing with finding one that fits.

[SDM]

Figures, I was going to measure it but the battery is dead in my calipers.

[Bob DuBois]

I cut the tip off a 1/4 drive standard socket then glued the tip to the same size allen wrench worked on my 34. You could check the fit of the tip of the socket before cutting.

Only left enough of the socket showing to hold the sight screw. You could turn the socket down by hand on a bench grinder if the fit through the slide was to tight.

[dirty whiteboy]

YEP, my 2 Gen G-24 had to be drilled out a little. Make sure you attempt that with a carbide drill bit.

Did you try to find a tool? I'm thinking drilling it out will be easier than dealing with finding one that fits.

I have a nut driver that had the outside edge turned down. Even the tools from Dawson and some other sight comp. would not fit in the hole before I drilled it. I micd the hole, looks to be .285

Edited July 5, 2010 by dirty whiteboy

[GET A GUN]

YEP, my 2 Gen G-24 had to be drilled out a little. Make sure you attempt that with a carbide drill bit.

Did you try to find a tool? I'm thinking drilling it out will be easier than dealing with finding one that fits.

I have a nut driver that had the outside edge turned down. Even the tools from Dawson and some other sight comp. would not fit in the hole before I drilled it. I micd the hole, looks to be .285

Just cut the slide.

[SDM]

Just cut the slide.

That would do it. It would help the looks a little too.

[MoNsTeR]

Get the factory tool.

[kamikaze1a]

Yup, some do have smaller holes. My Gen 3 35 has a larger hole than my Gen 2 G34. I made a tool from a 3/16 Allen bolt ground it to size on my bench grinder.

[usmc1974]

Brownells sells one made by Wheeler, that costs about $5 and it fits in a magnetic tip screwdriver for maximum torque.

+1 I use the one from Brownells works great on all my Glocks made by Kimber.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=6839/Product/FRONT_SIGHT_WRENCH

[SDM]

I didn’t have to drill it. I have a set of small screwdrivers (the kind that used for glasses) that happens to have a couple of small nut drivers. I was able to thread the handle up through the cut-out in the slide then get it on the front sight screw.

After looking at it, I don’t see how you could turn a regular sight tool down enough to fit through that hole. The walls would have to be awfully thin. I still haven’t gotten a battery so no measurements yet. I will though and I’ll take a couple of pictures. Maybe it will help someone in the future.

[dirty whiteboy]

After looking at it, I don’t see how you could turn a regular sight tool down enough to fit through that hole. The walls would have to be awfully thin.

Thats why I drilled the hole bigger, wasn't much I could take off the nut driver.

[SDM]

Here is the fix I came up with using the small nut driver.

This is the hole compared to the one on my 34.

[kamikaze1a]

I didn’t have to drill it. I have a set of small screwdrivers (the kind that used for glasses) that happens to have a couple of small nut drivers. I was able to thread the handle up through the cut-out in the slide then get it on the front sight screw.

After looking at it, I don’t see how you could turn a regular sight tool down enough to fit through that hole. The walls would have to be awfully thin. I still haven’t gotten a battery so no measurements yet. I will though and I’ll take a couple of pictures. Maybe it will help someone in the future.

It actually wasn't that hard to do...having my friend say that it couldn't be done was a great motivational force. I bought a 3/16" Allen bolt and simply started grinding down the head on my bench grinder. Holding the threaded end of the bolt, I simply turned it slowly as the grinder removed metal. I also removed metal from the front of the "socket" making it shallower so that the sight's screw wouldn't fall into the socket. The drivers that I've seen have such a deep socket and unless you fill it with tape or paper, it's harder to get the screw started as it keeps falling in making it impossible to get the screw started... I then drilled the threaded end at 90° and drove in an inch long roll pin for leverage when tightening. Cost me 29¢ and about and under an hour on the grinder.

[SDM]

It actually wasn't that hard to do...having my friend say that it couldn't be done was a great motivational force. I bought a 3/16" Allen bolt and simply started grinding down the head on my bench grinder. Holding the threaded end of the bolt, I simply turned it slowly as the grinder removed metal. I also removed metal from the front of the "socket" making it shallower so that the sight's screw wouldn't fall into the socket. The drivers that I've seen have such a deep socket and unless you fill it with tape or paper, it's harder to get the screw started as it keeps falling in making it impossible to get the screw started... I then drilled the threaded end at 90° and drove in an inch long roll pin for leverage when tightening. Cost me 29¢ and about and under an hour on the grinder.

That Dawson front sight was long enough that I could hold the screw through the slide and turn the sight to get it started. They are hard to start if that won't work though.