Who has a shop press??

[sigbrown1297]

I have a XD slide with some Trueglo sights that won't budge.  Anybody around Spring Hill have a hydraulic shop press that can help me remove the rear sights?  I have a MG Sight Pro and tried removing the rear sight with it and it don't move.  I even tried the old punch and hammer, but no luck.

Edited September 19, 2014 by amendment2customcoating

[Dolomite_supafly]

Did you try pushing them out the other way? Some sights, I believe XD's do, only go in and come out one way.

[sigbrown1297]

yes, even verified it with the springfield armors guide. These things are not moving without some serious force. The owner said he used a punch and hammer.

[plank white]

Used a chisel and hammer on my old xd 

[No_0ne]

You need a bigger hammer ...

[DaveTN]

If they won’t move with a hammer and punch I wouldn’t put the slide on a hydraulic press. It may bend or break the slide.
You might try a manual press, but you are getting up there in way too much pressure.

Did you try heat on the slide around the sight? Edited September 20, 2014 by DaveTN

[Sam1]

If they won’t move with a hammer and punch I wouldn’t put the slide on a hydraulic press. It may bend or break the slide.
You might try a manual press, but you are getting up there in way too much pressure.

Did you try heat on the slide around the sight?

 

This should work.  Not sure if you're coating it or not, if you are just just a torch to heat it up and not worry about the finish.  If you're not coating it, toss the slide in the oven for a bit that way it doesn't jack up the coating.

[sigbrown1297]

I tried using a heat gun to it already but I'm gonna try it again

[Sam1]

I tried using a heat gun to it already but I'm gonna try it again

 

Heat gun isn't going to do anything to that slide except cause you to come back on here and ask how to get it off again.

 

You need to hit that thing with some serious heat, metal usually doesn't even start to expand until about 300 degrees.  I would guess that slide is made of stuff to handle much higher than that.

Edited September 20, 2014 by Sam1

[56FordGuy]

I would be concerned that the amount of heat required to cause the slide to expand microscopically and ease its grip on the sight might cause warping as it cooled.

[Verne]

XD's have long been known for the sights being a pain to get out.  Took mine to my smith and asked about getting sights put and he said sure and rattled off price.  Pulled out the XD he looked at me and said if he had known it was one of them it would have been more since they are so hard to change.  He did it for the quoted price but did not like it.

[Garufa]

Kroil.  Soak it and let the oil work it's magic.

[peejman]

Kroil. Soak it and let the oil work it's magic.

Yep. Heat and Kroil.

Don't put the whole slide in the oven. Heating the whole thing defeats the purpose. You need to heat the slide but minimize the heat applied to the sight. You want the slide to expand more than the sight.

I would be concerned that the amount of heat required to cause the slide to expand microscopically and ease its grip on the sight might cause warping as it cooled.

Nah. You can heat the slide until it's cherry red and it won't hurt it. It will ruin the finish, but the metal will be fine.

[sigbrown1297]

I gave up on it.  Broke a roll punch, tried using the heat gun.  Gonna mail the slide back to the owner.   :mad:  :grouchy:  :wall:  :surrender:

[Wingshooter]

I gave up on it.  Broke a roll punch, tried using the heat gun.  Gonna mail the slide back to the owner.   :mad:  :grouchy:  :wall:  :surrender:

I'd say the heat gun was inadequate. I'd heat it with a torch if I really needed that sight out

[Hozzie]

Try freezing it first as one last try.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[peejman]

Like I said above, heat guns are too slow. They heat everything up slowly which doesn't accomplish anything. You need to heat the slide relative to the sight which means putting a torch on the slide and working very quickly before the sight heats up too. You could also dry putting some dry ice on he sight to cool it while heating the slide.

That said, isn't there a purpose made sight pusher for XD's? Edited September 21, 2014 by peejman

[sigbrown1297]

Not sure.  I've been using a MGW Sight Pro and have been able to push sights for everything so far.… Except this XD.

[Sam1]

Don't put the whole slide in the oven. Heating the whole thing defeats the purpose. 


 

 

Not necessarily, both parts are made from different materials or through a different process (slide is probably sintered, sight is probably just cut steel). Heating up the entire thing will cause it to lose the surface tension as the materials expand at different rates then it pops right out.  Had to do this with magnesium and aluminum parts because if you hit that magic point with a torch, it will destroy the part.

[peejman]

Functionally steel is steel. It all expands at the same rate. You can loosen things up with heat, but differential heat is far more effective.

If you're working with aluminum or magnesium in particular, there is no outward sign when you've ruined the heat treatment. Magnesium can lose much of its strength when heated to as little as 350 deg, depending on the specific alloy. Both of them do melt "all of a sudden", but they're both completely soft long before you get them that hot.