Fast And Secure Sight Installation
XS Sights GUNSMITH-Series Sight Pusher For GLOCK
The XS GUNSMITH-Series sight pusher comes as a complete kit — made in the USA!
If you do any work on your own handguns, I’m sure you’ve either changed out sights or wanted to. The normal routine is to find sights you like, then grab a punch and hammer and wang away at the rear sight on your slide. What comes next are often shrewd lessons in using the right tools, the importance of having the skills needed and on how to repair damage to the rear sight and slide. And yes, I know all that from plenty of personal experience.
While the old “punch and hammer” method can sometimes work, today’s sights are often pressed by the factory using a mechanical press. If you try to pound them off with a punch (whether brass, nylon or even hardwood), you’ll likely end up with buggered-up sight sides, bent front blades and/or compromised dovetail cuts. The drill here is that if it takes more than a slight “tappy-tap-tap” to get the sight moving, it’s time to stop.
The world of sight pushers runs the gamut from simple to complicated enough to require an engineering degree to figure out and put to work. XS Sights recently entered the arena with a rock-solid, all-metal, simple and effective sight tool for GLOCKs — arguably the most popular semi-auto around. Stock GLOCK sights are plastic and can wear, break or become distorted. XS offers a wide range of steel replacements for GLOCK and has been marketing them for years. But alas, changing sights can still be a challenge for most shooters. The new XS GUNSMITH-Series Sight Pusher solves that problem handily.
Sometimes simple is best. The open design and high-quality parts assure user friendliness and reliable performance.
The Simple Facts
The pusher is 100% American-made by XS in their Fort Worth, Texas facility. Designed by gunsmiths for both DIY and professional gunsmiths, their attention to detail and thoughtful design is impressive. I’ve used nearly all of the current crop of sight pushers out there, and the first time I used the XS tool, I was sold. One of the best points about it is the fact the design lowers the installation force by upwards of 50%. Many pushers require significant amounts of strength and leverage and, frankly, can often distort a sight before it moves.
The GUNSMITH-Series model comes complete with a multi-function handle, magnetic steel GLOCK front sight tool, an extra brass bit, locking wedge, go/no-go gauges, Lucas Extreme Duty gun oil and Vibra-Tite threadlocker. The XS tool also allows sight replacement or windage adjustments on optics or suppressor-equipped guns. That’s handy.
There are centering scribe marks on the brass pusher, making sight centering and adjustments a breeze.
No more banging away with a punch and hammer!
The open design allows you to see what you’re doing. Many pushers are enclosed in heavy metal frames, which makes aligning things challenging and doesn’t allow sight adjustment if the slide is red dot equipped. The magnetic bits supplied with the tool help you not to drop sights, screws or the tool handle. What a great idea! The brass pusher is equipped with centering scribes, so when installing a sight, it’s easy to center it and make windage adjustments during sighting. That can be a challenge to do with the punch and hammer method. “Smack” then, oh darn, too far. Smack … oh darn, not far enough. With the XS tool, you turn the handle, and the sight moves slowly and surely. Get it?
The synthetic wedge and brass pusher help to ensure a scratch-free installation. It’s a simple solution
to hold a slide tight while making adjustments.
The tool fits all GLOCK and OEM aftermarket slides and comes with a magnetic GLOCK front sight tool. If you don’t have a GLOCK front sight tool, I assure you the front sight is not coming off! The non-marring brass pusher bit and nylon wedge ensure no marks are left on a slide when the work is finished. XS says the sight tool is good for 200+ installations, but with some care, like lubing the threads at each use and simply not abusing it, I think the pusher will last much longer. For instance, the effort to install the new XS R3D 2.0 series sights is much less than many standard sights (up to 50% less effort due to the “crush zone” in sight), and if you’re doing a lot of those installations, it’s even easier on the tool.
The pusher system is offered in several kit forms, from the basic pusher to pushers and sight combos. A few friends could pool their resources and share one tool, or you could talk your club into buying one everyone can use. They’re truly simple to use, and you’ll “get it” immediately. The first use saves the cost of having a gunsmith mount sights and precludes the chance of messing up an install by the old “brass punch and hammer” method. Cost ranges from $150 to about $304, depending on the kit and options. To me, like any tool, don’t scrimp. Buy the complete tool, as I promise you’ll soon be installing sights for your friends!
Add in a sight set from XS Sights and you’re ready to upgrade your GLOCK handguns!
The kit comes with a GLOCK front sight tool. Handy!
The XS GUNSMITH-Series Sight Pusher is a top-quality tool made in the U.S. by a family-owned business that prides itself on supporting the USA, law enforcement and the military. To say the crew at XS Sights is patriotic is an understatement, and they are also downright nice people to work with. Supporting this kind of company helps to keep our industry and our passion for shooting strong!
Learn more at XSSights.com.
