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Fibre Optic

2K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  sotexas 
#1 ·
Hey all, I'm looking to get some new sights for my M2 and was interested in fibre optic. I've heard FO aren't good for CCW because of the short sight picture? I'm not opposed to night sights, but as a CCW feel fibre optic would serve me better. I know that Dawson Precision makes some but feel like i'm over my head when it comes to the height/width of the sights. Can someone please explain this for me? I'm also attaching a link of the sights i'm interested in. It is a FO front and blacked out rear. Does anyone of experience with this particular part from Dawson? Thanks for the help

 
#2 ·
The link is for a PPQ 45, I'm assuming that's what you have. Walther uses sight picture 3 (see below).



The sights listed in your link feature a .210 tall rear and a .195 tall x .100 wide front. For CCW, I'd go with the .100 wide.

I'm not sure which sight picture Dawson is using, but all it takes is an email or a phone call to get your questions answered.

93776
 
#3 ·
The link is for a PPQ 45, I'm assuming that's what you have. Walther uses sight picture 3 (see below).



The sights listed in your link feature a .210 tall rear and a .195 tall x .100 wide front. For CCW, I'd go with the .100 wide.

I'm not sure which sight picture Dawson is using, but all it takes is an email or a phone call to get your questions answered.

View attachment 93776
Its for a PPS M2 not the PPQ, sorry about that. I was originally looking into replacing only the front site, but there was a lot more options as far as how tall and I didn’t want to affect shot placement. Would you recommend replacing the rear sight as well? The rear sights seem a little wide on the pps m2.
 
#4 ·
My bad....I just went to the link and keyed in on PPQ 45. Think about this...fiber optic depends on some light, usually sun light to hit the plastic and brighten it up. If you're ccw'ing at night, the FO sight will be just as hard to see as a pure 'black' front sight. If you're going to CCW after dark, I highly recommend a tritium sight.

Yep, I'd replace both front and rear.
 
#5 ·
I'm not opposed to night sights, but as a CCW feel fibre optic would serve me better.
I've got Dawsons on several different pistols. They're my favorite FO brand and FO front with all black rear is my favorite combination for target shooting.

For self defense I think that FO is inferior to tritium in many lighting conditions. However, FO is still superior to the tiny, black on black handgun sights that were used effectively in war and peace for decades. If FO is what you want then go for it and try not to overthink the decision.

I agree with Oldfart about contacting Dawson directly. They know their product line and can steer you in the right direction. You'll probably wind up replacing both your front and rear sights.

Whatever you choose let us know how it works out for you.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I decided to go with the charger set from Dawson. I’m pretty excited but have not changed sights out before. I’ve read they drift out left to right. Some people use loctite to secure them in place but that doesn’t sound right to me. Any help is appreciated.

Also, this may be a dumb question. Does changing stock sights void warranty?
 
#7 ·
I’m pretty excited but have not changed sights out before.
It's not a difficult process but here are some tips that may make the job a little bit easier.

First, I wrap my slide in masking tape. The entire slide except for the sight that I'm working on. Then I secure it in a vise with padded jaws. I like using aluminum padded with a thick adhesive paper. Since I'm working over a concrete floor I stand on a rubber anti-fatigue mat to further protect the slide if it's dropped.

Next, the rear sight is driven out left to right. Use a large brass punch for this. Either 9/32" or 5/16" would work well. With the sight removed you will see that the dovetail is ramped so that reinstallation must be right to left. This is a design feature unique to the PPS.

The sight is held in place by a roll pin pressed into the bottom of the sight that creates friction between it and the slide. My Meprolight night sights didn't come with this roll pin so I popped the old one out with a pick but transfering it to my new sight was a little harder. I wound up pressing it in with a pair of smooth jawed parallel pliers. I like the Knipex brand. If you don't have a set of these you can try pressing the roll pin in with your vise but I definitely wouldn't try pounding it in with a hammer.

New sights almost always come oversize to ensure a snug fit. My procedure is to polish the contact surfaces of the new sight with 320 or 240 grit sandpaper until I can press it in place about halfway with my fingers. When it's ready I lubricate the dovetail with a little oil. I only use Loctite 222 for the aluminum slides used on some .22's.

Finally, after you're all done there will probably be some brass residue on the old and new sights. I use a bore cleaner called Montana X-Treme Copper Killer for this. A little on a Q-tip wipes the brass right off.

I doubt replacing the sights will affect the warrenty. You can try asking Walther before you start.

As long as you take your time and think things through you should be fine. Don't be afraid to stop and ask more questions if you need to.

Here's my PPS M2 with the rear sight removed.
 

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