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I ordered a set of Trijicon HD Night Sights from Brownells for my new XDm-45 Compact 3.8, and they've been shipped and are enroute.

Anyway, I wanted to know if anyone can tell me whether there are any special tools or procedures involved in removing/installing sights for XDm pistols........i.e. hidden pins, springs, detents, etc. Or, will a simple sight pusher or a drift punch and a mallet do it?

AndyC wrote:XD sights are notoriously hard to remove - personally, I'd take the pistol and sights to a 'smith and let him take the risk.

For "special" occasions.





Can't help ya' TAM, as I don't own an XD. However, if you're dealing with dovetailed sights, they aren't too painful to deal with IMO, as long as you are careful about removing material from the sight to get the right fit.

My Xd45 Stainless - I could and did the rear sight but did not own a jackhammer for the front sight (I boogard up the slide a tiny nit trying a punch and hammer, and saw a youtube a guy use an Impact wrench tool thingy .... don't try it.)
Take it to someone with Springfield's special sight pushing tool for the front sight, the dovetail.sight connection is tight. (And I've replaced sights on lots of other brands of guns many times over 40-somethin' years, but couldn't budge the front sight on my XD)

I got my front sight installed free, but they usually charge only $20.00 at a Lubbock Gun Store (not a gun smith) , which if I'd known that, I wouldn't have boogard up my slide. (I was willing to pay $150 or $200 after admitting defeat)

I got mine done free because the guy who does it all the time on other brands was scared "I can't believe the amount of pressure I'm having to put on these, I'm afraid it will break your sight" He was straining, even with the proper tool.

The guy with the tool had to remove the rear I had put on to get the slide into the tool to install the front sight, then the rear needed reinstalling (which was easier)

Glocks, Taurus, many others, you just need a rubber mallet, block of wood and a punch or screwdriver the size of the slot, not so with XDs. Springfield on the XD, must have named the slide "soul" and the front sight "spirit" (Heb 4:12 ... dividing asunder of soul and spirit...)

Tam I have changed out the sights on two of my XD's. One took 30 minutes and the other took two hours and I have a sight tool. I will not do another. By all means have a smith do it for you.

I just got some Tru Glo's on my Glock 20. I thought about putting them on myself but my smith said it cost 10 bucks. It wasn't worth the hassle. It took them 5minutes and the gun was sighted in perfectly!

TWO WORDS - - - Hack Saw TWO MORE WORDS - - - Dremmel Tool. Take it to a pro save your sanity. I have changed several XD sights the simplest way is to cut the old sight in two. Then fit the new one. A gen-u-ine pain in the glutes.

Alright, you guys convinced me. I would have normally taken the gun to Euless Guns and Ammo, but in the past when I've taken a gun there for the simplest things, it's always "leave it here, it will be done in two weeks." I was hoping to avoid that.

If you have a GT Distributors near you, I recommend them. I've had them do sights on four or five handguns for me. They've done it while I shop (watch out, it's a trap!) and I've been happy with their work every time.

JMPJr wrote:If you have a GT Distributors near you, I recommend them. I've had them do sights on four or five handguns for me. They've done it while I shop (watch out, it's a trap!) and I've been happy with their work every time.

There is one, about 32 miles from here. Meanwhile, Euless Guns & Ammo is about 5 miles from here.

JMPJr wrote:If you have a GT Distributors near you, I recommend them. I've had them do sights on four or five handguns for me. They've done it while I shop (watch out, it's a trap!) and I've been happy with their work every time.

That is brilliant of them. If I spend 20-30 minutes in a gun shop, I'm sure I could talk myself into buying something.

I put these sights on both of my Glocks and let the guy at the Bullet trap do both of them. Now, since I bought them through them they didn't charge me for the installation. I don't know what they would charge if I hadn't.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

JMPJr wrote:If you have a GT Distributors near you, I recommend them. I've had them do sights on four or five handguns for me. They've done it while I shop (watch out, it's a trap!) and I've been happy with their work every time.

There is one, about 32 miles from here. Meanwhile, Euless Guns & Ammo is about 5 miles from here.

Drive 32 miles get the sights installed while you wait - - - Drive 5 miles get the sights installed in two weeks? I don't understand the problem. 32 miles X 2=64 miles round trip divided by 25 mpg = 2.56 gallons x $3.50 a gallon = $8.96 fuel cost. Shoot drive to GT and get the dang things installed!

MoJo wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:

JMPJr wrote:If you have a GT Distributors near you, I recommend them. I've had them do sights on four or five handguns for me. They've done it while I shop (watch out, it's a trap!) and I've been happy with their work every time.

There is one, about 32 miles from here. Meanwhile, Euless Guns & Ammo is about 5 miles from here.

Drive 32 miles get the sights installed while you wait - - - Drive 5 miles get the sights installed in two weeks? I don't understand the problem. 32 miles X 2=64 miles round trip divided by 25 mpg = 2.56 gallons x $3.50 a gallon = $8.96 fuel cost. Shoot drive to GT and get the dang things installed!

Thanks for making up my mind for me.

The "additional" fuel cost (and travel time etc) to get it done right away is even less after you subtract the two 10 mile round-trips to the 5 mile away place.


I'd call first to be certain they have the XD sight tool and that a person is there to do it. (I've never been to one)