Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default botched night sights installation

    I'm hesitant to "name names" in this thread, because I don't want it to turn into a mud slinging fest, I'd really just like your advice on what to do. Okay here's the story:

    About 2 months ago I went to a reputable local shop (I've purchased from them several times, always been happy, but this was my first experience with their gunsmith) to have a set of trijicon night sights installed on my glock 19. I brought the sight set with me as the configuration I wanted wasn't available locally (as far as I could tell). The gunsmith did the work while I waited, I was happy with the price quoted and the guy seemed nice enough. When ringing me up he said "keep the receipt, if they need adjusted, bring it in with a used target and I'll adjust it for you". At the time that seemed like a nice offer, but I figured it wouldn't be necessary. The pistol consistently shoots about 1 foot left at about 25 feet, I've had several others try out the pistol to eliminate "user error", they all agree "it's shooting way left". The pistol in question isn't one I use all the time, so it's mostly been "resting" in the safe. A few days ago I took it out to clean it (I have always cleaned it after shooting, and usually clean it 1/mo when I'm not shooting it) and noticed that rust is starting to appear all over the rear sight. These sights were ordered direct from trijicon, less than 4 months ago. I've never had anything like this happen with any other sets of sights in the past. Is it possible the gunsmith some how scratched them up during installation and thats what's causing the rusting? Or are they most likely defective?

    So here's what I'd like to know: Should I even bother taking it back to said gunsmith for adjustment? (seeing as how I have very little confidence in the guy at this point) and who should I pin the rusting issue on? (the gunsmith, the factory, or myself) Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated...
    Last edited by KMB; June 30th, 2011 at 11:02 AM. Reason: added picture

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Shop X botched night sights installation

    my take on it, the sights need adjustments, so i would suggest taking it back to get it done, however is this just surface rust, is there a scratch on it and the rust generating from there, I personally never had any rust issues with my Triji's on my glock. so it may be something you may have to get with the maker about on the rusting. I do not think it was something from the gunsmith if he used the glock sight tool for installation. but i could be wrong.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: botched night sights installation

    yeah, I was leaning towards the rust being a factory thing. I've never seen anything like it before on any of my other trijicon sight sets, and they're all way older than these.

    So is it common for sights to be off by that much (my original statement that its 1 foot left at 25 feet is being very generous, it's prolly more like 16") after being installed? I'm certainly no expert, but it would seem to me that 2 seconds with a bore sighter would've made it really obvious they were way off.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: botched night sights installation

    Your gun shoots "waaaay to the left"? And you are happy with it?

    I think you should fix that, before you even bother with night-sights or anything else for that matter.

    Im far, far from a pro, but that does seem like a problem with the finish of the sights and not anything that the smith did.
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  5. #5
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    Default Re: botched night sights installation

    i had to drive my rear over a fair bit as well. but keep in mind he just did a quick install while you waited, he did not have a chance to take it out and sight it for you. so definitely, but that amount of rust, and where it is at, to me does not seem normal, maybe there was a bad batch of coatings done or what not, contact them and show them the pic and see what they say. does not look like anything the GS did, unless he ground it under his foot for a while before putting it on, lol

  6. #6
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    Default Re: botched night sights installation

    Quote Originally Posted by LorDiego01 View Post
    Your gun shoots "waaaay to the left"? And you are happy with it?
    Heh, I was happy with the price paid, I thought it was pretty clear I'm unhappy about not being able to hit what I shoot at.

    I'm also unhappy about the rust, I've contacted Trijicon with the pic, and serial # of the sight set. Hopefully they'll just replace them and I'll just have to start from scratch with the installation.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: botched night sights installation

    There's not enough adjustment in that rear sight to move it over 16". If you are local to me I have a Glock sight tool that your more than welcome to use but I don't think that is the problem.

    Was the front site properly installed? Can you post a pick of it.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: botched night sights installation

    It might be my poor eye sight but it looks like there is also rust on the slide, first rib toward the bottom.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: botched night sights installation

    Yeah it's definitely the front sight thats the problem accuracy wise. It's clearly a bit crooked, although the rear sight could come over a bit to the right as well.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: botched night sights installation

    Quote Originally Posted by SammyL View Post
    It might be my poor eye sight but it looks like there is also rust on the slide, first rib toward the bottom.
    Yeah I thought that too when I saw the pic, turns out it was a smudge of that weird glock lube they put on the rails, wiped it right off, unfortunately thats not what's on that rear sight.

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