How do I remove the rear sight on my Beretta 92A1?

ranbur

ranbur

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
46   0   0
Location
Okanagan Valley
I ordered and have now received an adjustable rear sight.

Tonight I carefully wrapped the slide in cloth and clamped in a vise, then used a plastic tape covered brass punch and hammer to try and drive out the rear sight.

No luck driving it out from either side ... and I was hitting the punch hard enough that I bent it (the punch), fortunately no marring of the original sight.

So what is the trick to getting this thing out?

Thanks!
 
If you're padding it too much that'll absorb much of the impact. Go with a single layer of leather or use two layers of file folder card stock. Thicker card stock like food boxes and beer box card stock also works for this. Cloth rags are not as good for this because they are more compressible and soak up the shock needed to shift the sight.

If it needs to be struck extra hard then you will want to make up a hardwood block to fit in the slide to resist the bending from the pressure of the jaws. This block should have a slight taper to it so it wedges into the slide from below or finely fitted so it goes in tightly.

Start out with at least a 3/16 (5mm) brass punch too. Anything much thinner is going to be more likely to bend from this sort of off center hitting. Even better than a pin punch is a regular tapered brass punch.

Sight pushers are nice but they tend to be pretty darn specific on which guns they work with. Not to mention quite pricey.
 
BCRider said:
If you're padding it too much that'll absorb much of the impact. Go with a single layer of leather or use two layers of file folder card stock. Thicker card stock like food boxes and beer box card stock also works for this. Cloth rags are not as good for this because they are more compressible and soak up the shock needed to shift the sight.

If it needs to be struck extra hard then you will want to make up a hardwood block to fit in the slide to resist the bending from the pressure of the jaws. This block should have a slight taper to it so it wedges into the slide from below or finely fitted so it goes in tightly.

Start out with at least a 3/16 (5mm) brass punch too. Anything much thinner is going to be more likely to bend from this sort of off center hitting. Even better than a pin punch is a regular tapered brass punch.

Sight pushers are nice but they tend to be pretty darn specific on which guns they work with. Not to mention quite pricey.
Click to expand...

Yes, no kidding, I have a Sig sight pusher I got off eBay ... even then it was well past $100 just to change out a couple of sights ... hoping to avoid that this time.

I have heard they make a "universal" sight pusher ... I haven't done any research yet but maybe that is a long term solution to all this ... I seem to be changing out a lot of sights lately ...

Thanks for the advice, I'll be trying this after work today.
 
ranbur said:
I assume right to left as you are looking from the back of the slide ...?
Click to expand...

Yup. Muzzle away from you like you're sighting down the pistol at a target.

Here's one universal sight pusher that has worked well for me in the past.

h ttp://www.sightpusher.com/
 
ranbur said:
I ordered and have now received an adjustable rear sight.

Tonight I carefully wrapped the slide in cloth and clamped in a vise, then used a plastic tape covered brass punch and hammer to try and drive out the rear sight.

No luck driving it out from either side ... and I was hitting the punch hard enough that I bent it (the punch), fortunately no marring of the original sight.

So what is the trick to getting this thing out?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Were did you purchase your new rear site from. Mine shoots high and I would like to have some adjustment
 
Well, I did successfully remove the old and install my new adjustable sight. Had to clamp the slide very securely in a BIG vise we have at work, used a drift and large hammer, took quite the whack to get it moving ... they must loctite them in ... once it broke loose it came out fairly easily.

I did use a small triangle file and had to take a VERY SMALL amount of material out of the dovetail in order to get the new sight (LPA) in properly ... the install was easy.

Thanks for the assistance to all that replied here.
 
The adjustable sight you have , does it hang off the back over the hammer ? The ones I see do and was wondering if it would interfere with your thumb if you wanted to pull back hammer ?
 
I removed my 92A1 right-to-left with a sight pusher and I can attest it was so tight it indented the steel of the sight regardless; i think they must be pressed in (or close to.)

Bought new sights, so didn't matter about the old anyway.
 
ranbur said:
Well, I did successfully remove the old and install my new adjustable sight. Had to clamp the slide very securely in a BIG vise we have at work, used a drift and large hammer, took quite the whack to get it moving ... they must loctite them in ... once it broke loose it came out fairly easily.

I did use a small triangle file and had to take a VERY SMALL amount of material out of the dovetail in order to get the new sight (LPA) in properly ... the install was easy.

Thanks for the assistance to all that replied here.
Click to expand...

Good stuff. I was also looking at those LPA sights for my 92 but never got around to it. If I recall, they do protrude past the receiver a little bit right?

Did you file the dovetail on the sight or the slide? Always fit the sight to the receiver and not the other way around should you need to change sights down the road.
 
Trinimon said:
Good stuff. I was also looking at those LPA sights for my 92 but never got around to it. If I recall, they do protrude past the receiver a little bit right?
Click to expand...

I have LPA adjustable rear sights on all my Beretta 92/96 models, they do stick out past the rear but do not affect manual cocking or dropping of the hammer. LPA also has a smaller one that is only available as a set, I ordered one from fusionfirearms with the FO front sight for my new M9A3, should be here early next week.

http://www.lpasights.com/en/product...duct_id=259&category_id=30&manufacturer_id=15
 
Last edited:
Pics of sight ...

To answer some of your questions here is the sight as mounted on my 92A1 ... hope this helps ...

1_zpsrkd4nqxx.jpg


2_zpslmjrscvj.jpg


3_zpscf5nypo1.jpg
 
a lot of times sights are installed cooled and slides sometimes hot. hence the tight fit.
 
When I changed the sight on my 92fs and a couple other guns. All I used was a vise, hammer, Allen tipped screw driver with a .22 spent case condomed on top and a piece of thick cloth folded to prevent marking the new sights. If it doesn't move you're not hitting hard enough or you need a bigger hammer
 
Last edited:
Shot the gun for the first time today ... was getting excellent groups and they were actually going where I was aiming! Amazing what adjustable sights will do.

A recommended upgrade for sure, makes the gun fun again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom