[gmeeks]

My Meprolights arrive tomorrow.  I called a local gunsmith and he wants me to leave it with him for 10 days  

  This my main carry piece and don't want to be without it for nearly that long.

Is this something I can do myself?  How difficult is it and can I get the wrench I need from a typical hardware store?

 

[skister]

I just had meprolights put on mine. It took the gunsmith 10 minutes to get them on. I am not sure how difficult they are to put on, I didn't want to do it wrong, so I let the gunsmith do it for me. Plus, since they had messed up a couple of other things, they put them on for free.

It seems to me like 10 days is a little excessive. Is there another gunsmith you can go to? - Skister

 

[BreakerMorant]

Yeah, it's something you can do yourself, but you'll need to use locktite for the frontsight. -It'll be down for 24 hours as the locktite sets.

The tools you'll need are a radiused screwdriver for the screw in the rearsight. You'll need a 3/16 hex for the frontsight. Be careful with the locktite you want the one that can be undone by pressure not heat. At some point the night sights will wear out and need to be replaced (6-8 years for Mepro's). You don't want to need to heat it while it is mounted to the slide.

-It's not that difficult, but it is easy to mess up. When some people pull off the the rearsight, they lose the "spring loaded" detent. When you slide off the rearsight, be careful. Do it slowly and be ready to put your thumb over it so it doesn't fly. Take the screw out from the rearsight and install it in the Mepro. -Also be careful to get the 3/16 hex screwed in straight and not off at an angle.

Good luck

 

[gmeeks]

I'm still going to try and find someone that isn't as busy and can do it on the spot, but if I can't, I might try it myself.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[lymph]

It's really easy. I used a regular screwdriver (carefully) to get the rear sight off. I have a Glock front sight tool for the front sight, put on some blue lock tight, and that's it.

A normal hex wrench might be hard to use because there isn't much clearance between the screw and the inside of the slide. I got the tool from Brownell's and _maybe_ will find a use for it again!

But 10 days - sheesh. You could order the tool, receive it, put them on, and have the lock tight dry by then.

 

[gmeeks]

Ok, stupid question (or is the stupid question the one you don't ask and screw things up?), what is the difference between a regular screw driver and a radiused one?

 

[BreakerMorant]

Quote[/b] (gmeeks @ Mar. 18 2004,6:51)]Ok, stupid question (or is the stupid question the one you don't ask and screw things up?), what is the difference between a regular screw driver and a radiused one?

A radiused tool is one that has had its edges slightly rounded /smoothed to prevent accidental knicks and scratches.  If you run your finger over the top of a regular screwdriver you'd feel a sharper edge than you'd find on a radiused one.  

If you don't have a radiused screwdriver, you can can take a cloth rag (or an old T-shirt), place the tip of the screwdriver in it, and then place the two into the screw's slot. -Still you'd have to be careful and check that the screwdriver's blade was not tearing through the fabric at its edges.

 

[J Hoss]

I used a 3/16 deep socket and ground off the shoulder area because the taper contacted the slide. A $1 socket and done.

Use the Blue Locktite.

Also, if you use the socket put a small piece of rag in the socket to keep the sight screw from fall in too deep.

 

[gmeeks]

Ok, I got them installed this evening. The only problem I had was that the rear sight was too big to fit into the slide. The instructions said to file down the slot on the slide until they fit. I really didn't want to permanently change the gun so I opted to file down the sights instead. They finally went in fine, but now I have a shiny part on the back side of the sights. Doesn't look great, but I guess it's not a show piece anyway.

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[Herr Walther]

Get yourself a small bottle of Oxpho-Blue from Brownell's and dab a bit of it on. You'll never know the difference. It's good stuff.

 

[Ni3Frontier]

Herr Walther,
Will Oxpho-Blue and other re-bluing products work well on the exterior finish (slide) of the P99? I am wondering if I use it there if it will look like a different color than the factory finish.
I am using the P99 as my carry weapon and it is starting to show minor finish wear on the front edges of the slide from rubbing against the Kydex holster. I wipe it down with oil after I carry so rust is not a concern. I would like to keep the finish looking as good as I can though.

Thanks!
-Yoshi

 

[BreakerMorant]

Quote[/b] (Ni3Frontier @ Mar. 28 2004,3:37)]  I am using the P99 as my carry weapon and it is starting to show minor finish wear on the front edges of the slide from rubbing against the Kydex holster.  I wipe it down with oil after I carry so rust is not a concern.  I would like to keep the finish looking as good as I can though.  

When you use a Kydex holster, it will rub off onto the pistol. The tennifer finish is getting Kydex deposits. It's normal and it cleans up fine.

-A friend of mine used to carry a Glock. His gun had a little copper spot from where his slide rubbed against a copper rivet on his jeans. Basically the softer material (in that case- copper, in yours- Kydex) will rub off and onto the harder tennifer finish. Unless you're experiencing something out of the norm, the gun's finish is probably not wearing off in the way you mean.

-If you're talking about the slow erosion from holster wear like a stone being smoothed by a river, then yeah it's wearing down ever so slightly. Guns are tools and use will cause wear. The thing to keep in mind is some guns will wear better than others and the P99 is one of the more durable pistols on the market.

 

[Ni3Frontier]

BreakerMorant,
Thank you for your reply. I've only been carrying the P99 for about a month, so it probably is the Kydex rubbing off that you mentioned. I'm relieved that its the holster and not the slide that is getting the wear! Next time I clean it I'll give the area a good scrubing with a nylon gunbrush and see if it takes care of it.

Its these great bits of info that people share around here that keep me coming back

-Yoshi