Filing Front Sights

[Seahawk]

I replaced the sights on my Browning Hi-Power with OEM-like adjustable sights.

Long story from long ago why I took the original sights off and subsequently lost them. Tears for a clown.

I had a gunsmith put the new sight on since I had trouble finding one and a local guy went was able to source one. The install looks great. This past holiday was sighting in time.

Wow - off by six inches at the highest adjustment point. Worse, of course, adjusted lower. I was bench shooting off a bag.

I went out and bought batteries for my old laser boresighter and spent an hour in my shop confirming the range results. The shop is long so I started at 30 feet and went to over 70. Results confirmed. I even rigged a stand so the pistol only moved when required.

I then adjusted the sight picture up and down at numerous setting with the laser on the target. It is clear the front sight needs to be "shaved" (or replaced) to get the sight picture in.

Has anyone here done this? I have done a number of searches and frankly it seems straight forward but the quality of the videos are often sketchy.

Recommended tools, techniques, how to cold blue, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance. I have carried this gun all over the world and love shooting it.

[John Rogers]

The movement of the front sight on any gun, weather pistol or rifle causes opposite reaction to impact. I.E. raise front sight then impact goes down and visa versa. On my muzzle loaders with sights similar to the ones on a pistol usually require the front sight to be shaved or filed to make a 50 yard impact exact. It is easy to do, clamp the barrel in a padded vise so no scratches occur and use a fine file and file the direction of the barrel. Always file from the breech end towards the muzzle end so there is no chance of accidentally scraping the barrel top.

Final item to think about, the impact point of a laser dot will in most cases not match the bullet's impact point, depending on the powder load. Soooooo file a little, shoot it, file a little, etc.

[Seahawk]

Thanks, John.

Recommended file?

In can bring a vice to my range so your advice will be followed.

The laser boresighter was to confirm my range results, which were delusory

Thanks again.

[Jrboulder]

It would probably be easier and cheaper to buy the proper sight.

But if you are going to do it, use a smooth cut file to minimize finishing work and to not go too far too fast. Do the math to figure out how much material you need to remove then lay it out on the work piece with a dial or digital caliper. Alternatively you could measure the dimension from the top of the sight post to the bottom of the dust cover and just check as you go with a caliper or micrometer until you reach your number.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Jrboulder

It would probably be easier and cheaper to buy the proper sight.

This has been the most vexing gun part search in my life. It took a long time to find the proper sight for this gun...and I enlisted the help of some really fine people on this board who became as frustrated as me.

Goofy, I know, but I really wish I could take your advice!

[FOG]

Seahawk,

Some Hi-Powers have slotted front sights some are soldered on. Always possible to find some body who knows what they are doing to mill in a dovetail for a front sight of your choice.

Best advice is to give Brownells a call on their tech line. Best to have pistol in hand and able to answer their questions.

If you are going to file it I’d recommend some vice jaws (either rubber or soft pine) and a couple of layers of rags to prevent scratching the finish. Use a fine single cut file. Do the math to get an idea of how much to cut but with the rear sight at least one turn off of bottom so you keep some adjustment. Use either a depth mike or at least a dial caliper to keep track and sneak up on it as it’s easier to remove than add.

For cold blue I recommend 44/40, from Brownells. Make the sight is absolutely clean of oil etc. and do not use a silicone cloth the bare steel on the way home. Recommend cleaning with both TSP and acetone. Use a heat gun on low or a hair dryer on high to pre-heat and cure. Go for multiple coats. It will not last as well as regular bluing.

If you have access to blast cabinet the alternative to refinish either the slide or whole pistol in one of the better paints. Cerakote for non-pitted thinner finish and Moly for the rougher metal. Both cure in the oven so either need an understanding CInC house or or get a small toaster over for a pistol. Again call Brownells tech guys for specific advice.

S/F, FOG

[John Rogers]

As for files. I buy mine from good old Harbor Freight! I fill the teeth with sidewalk chalk and if they get dull it is not painful to throw them away! I did buy a handy one there earlier in the year and was course on one side and very smooth on the other. Those tricky Chinese are getting better.

As a side note I have some files I bought in a Chinese department store in Singapore in 1977 and they are as sharp as the day I bought them!

[abisel]

https://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=browning+hi+power&ksubmit=y

[dmcummins]

I’ve bought some from Dawson. https://dawsonprecision.com/gun-sights/

They also Do custom work I believe.

[dmcummins]

I may just order me a new front sight for my hi power also. I have the adjustable rear sight, but a fiber optic front would be nice.

[Seahawk]

Excellent suggestions all.

I bought this pistol in 1982. I switched from the original BHP adjustable rear sight and put on modern fiber optic sight very similar to Dawson many years ago.

I did not replace the front sight since it didn't appear easily done:



This pistol was my aircrew carry on all my cruises and during the first GW...been with me (or under lock and key in the ship's armory) a long time so I decided to return it to original kit last year.

Oops. Can't find the originals and it has been a bear working this. The adjustable rear sight is not original spec but it was the closet I could find.

Rather than file, I think I will keep working on getting the OEM rear sight. I will call Brownell's after I find a Hi-Power technical site like Pelican and confess my sins.

Thanks again to all.

[Jeff Higgins]

Just by the nature of what I like to shoot, I file a lot of sights. This is a very, very easy thing to do with the right file and proper technique.

Get the biggest, finest cut mill file you can find. These are sometimes called "single cut" files. The teeth are cut into it in only one direction, as opposed to "bastard" or "crosscut" files, which have teeth cut in two directions.

Clamp the gun in a vise, making sure it is level both front to back and side to side. Put tape over everything you don't want to scratch. Hold the file level and at about a 10-15 degree angle to the bore centerline. Stroke from the rear of the gun to the front in full strokes, lifting the file at the end of each stroke. Never pull a file backwards across the work - the teeth don't cut that way anyway, and you just dull them by rolling their tops over.

Use a felt pen to color the sight between strokes. This helps you confirm you are making full, even, level contact. Use a dial caliper every few strokes to see how fast you are removing material. Shoot it before you think you have removed enough, just to make sure.

When you are happy with how much material you have removed, it's time to finish the surface through a technique known as "draw filing". Using the same file, put it across the sight perpendicular to the bore. Holding it level, push it forward towards the muzzle then draw it back towards the breech. The file never leaves the work - very short strokes are used. This is where a big, wide mill file really helps. It will cut in both directions when used to draw file like this. Draw filing does not remove an appreciable amount of material; all it does is take the file marks off, leaving the surface dead flat and polished. When you are done draw filing, apply the finish of your choice, and you are done.

[FOG]

Seahawk,

Possible issue is people in the 80’s would get lazy and install a rear sight on HPs with a 1911 dovetail vice the correct HP specific model. This happened more than occasionally with _______s using the incorrect Milletts, usually by modifying the dovetail in the slide vice file on the cheaper rear sight and still being unable to zero for elevation.

Corrective action depended specifics of pistol (blue, hard chrome, nickel, or paint) and how much the customer wanted to spend. Spent a couple of college years addressing this and would get one or two a month.

If filing I strongly suggest using a padded vice to keep the finish from being marred while holding the slide.

Web sites to look at include the FALFiles, 1911.org, and hipowersandhandguns.

S/F, FOG

[flipper35]

I am still confused, I thought it was shooting high. It is 6" low at the highest adjustment on the rear sight?

[fred cook]

If it is the original Hi-Power front sight, it is probably shooting high as the stock HP front sights are quite small and the adjustable rear sight is most likely taller than the original. So, as said earlier, if it is shooting "high" then it needs a taller front sight. If it was my gun, I would have a gunsmith cut a proper dovetail and fit the correct height sight. I don't understand why the gun is shooting even higher when the rear sight is adjusted down?? The standard rule of thumb is rear sight, adjust down to lower bullet strike and up to raise it. On the front, a taller front sight will lower the strike and a shorter one will raise the strike. Good luck with your project!

[dmcummins]

Changed the sights on mine since reading this thread. I had the dovetailed front sight so it wasn’t as difficult. I had the original adjustable and went to Dawson fiber optic. I put a fiber optic on my sig and love it. I’ll probably go to the range this week, hopefully the point of impact is close.



I also put the stock grips back on.

[Tim Hancock]

Seahawk,
Here is a link from when I built some comptition sights for my Glock.... I used a padded vice at 25 yards to find out how much metal to remove from my new front sight posts. I calculated it out, but still did it in multiple steps. I used my mill each time, but a file will obviously work just as well. Just make sure to measure with calipers as others have stated so that you dont remove too much.

New Glock 34... Of course I "MUST" mod it

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Seahawk,
Here is a link from when I built some comptition sights for my Glock.... I used a padded vice at 25 yards to find out how much metal to remove from my new front sight posts. I calculated it out, but still did it in multiple steps. I used my mill each time, but a file will obviously work just as well. Just make sure to measure with calipers as others have stated so that you dont remove too much.

New Glock 34... Of course I "MUST" mod it

Thank you, Tim, as always.

Great what you are doing with the Kitty Cat, btw. How close are you to Cincinnati?

[Tim Hancock]

About 3 hrs north of Cincinnati.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

About 3 hrs north of Cincinnati.

I am are working a contract with L3 in north Cincinnati. Let me see what I can work out. I usually drive since the fly/drive equation is about equal.