Putting on new sights on your handgun can be a difficult job. Back when I first started shooting all we had was a hammer and brass punch. While it got the job done it was a little difficult and the chances of marring your gun finish were substantial. Then came the sight pushers and that made this job a lot easier.
Using A Hammer And Punch
When I first began shooting there was no other way to install new sights. We all had brass punches that we used with a light hammer to install or adjust our sights. We would cover our slides with a towel and put our slides in a vise, clamp them down and punch the sight in or out as we needed. Doing things that way increased our chances of marring the guns finish.
Things To Watch Out For
When doing this procedure, we needed to make sure we covered the slide very well so we did not scratch the slide when holding it in the vise and also during the punching process, we had to be careful not to scratch our gun with the punch as well.
Using A Sight Pusher
Then came the sight pushers! It was some time around 2014 that they came on the market and the good ones made your life much easier. I say good ones because there were many on the market but they did not all work very well. If you wanted a good one then you had to pay for it. These good ones were over $100 and that was a lot of money for a tool that you only used a few times.
My first attempt at a sight pusher was to shop for price only and found a couple that was less than the higher priced ones, but unfortunately, they were garbage and did not work very well. That was very frustrating to me and a lesson well learned, you get what you pay for.
Using The VISM Universal Pistol Rear Sight Tool
Then one day I was looking in the Glock Store and noticed the VISM Universal Pistol Rear Sight Tool and it looked pretty cool. They had a video about it so I watched it, unfortunately I tried to post it but they removed it from Youtube..
It got me intrigued, and it was only $59, so I bought one. That was the best money I spent in a long time. What an excellent sight tool. It made the task of installing new sights a breeze. It took the frustration right out of the process. This should work for many makes of handguns and it is so easy to work.
Final Remarks
So what is the answer? Hammer & punch or a sight tool? If you are talking about using the VISM Universal Pistol Rear Sight Tool then the answer is yes! There are many on the market and not all of them work this easily. This tool is easy to operate and works very well and the chances of marring your gun’s finish is minimal, as long as you follow the instructions. I highly recommend this tool and I think that anyone that changes their sights needs one of these.
If you have any questions about this post or anything related to Everyday Carry (EDC)/Concealed Carry, feel free to leave a comment below and I will be happy to get back to you.
All the best,
Larry
Founder of Everyday Carry Essentials