The popularity of Gaston Glock's pistol design has skyrocketed since its 1985 introduction to the United States. The most common pistol in use by law enforcement and private citizens in the U.S. today, the Glock is a tested and proven reliable performer, with few weaknesses.
The most commonly mentioned drawback to the Glock series of pistols is the poor design of the sights. Like most service pistols, the Glock comes from the factory with small, hard to use sights. Many people want to replace them immediately. The first step to that is removing the rear sight.
Items you will need
padded-jaw vise
non-marring drift punch
light mallet
Unload and clear your Glock service pistol. Remove the magazine from the weapon, cycle the slide to remove any chambered round, and visually inspect the chamber to ensure it is empty. Double-check the unloaded status of the weapon.
Disassemble your Glock. Remove the slide assembly, the barrel, the operating rod, and the recoil spring. You do not need to remove the trigger group assembly or any other parts in the lower receiver portion of the weapon. Any modifications made to the lower receiver and trigger group assembly should be completed by a competent, trained gunsmith.
Place the slide assembly of your pistol in a vise with padded-jaws. If you do not possess a gunsmith's padded-jaw vise, you may pad the jaws of a normal workbench vise with scraps of rubber, carpet, or a similar material that will prevent the metal vise jaws from damaging the polymer slide assembly. The slide assembly should be placed right-side up, so you are looking down at the top of the slide assembly.
Use a non-marring drift punch and a light mallet to drive the rear sight out of the dovetail-cut slot in the slide assembly where it rests. Drive the sight out slowly, to the right side of the slide assembly. Driving it toward the left will result in a gradually tighter fit that will prevent complete removal of the rear sight.
Warnings
- Firearms can be inherently dangerous. Please seek out competent professional instruction in safe weapons handling prior to handling a firearm.
Tips
- It really is that simple to remove the rear sight of a Glock. Please leave any other modifications of your Glock to a competent, qualified gunsmith or certified Glock armorer.
References
- "How to Customize Your Glock: Step-by-Step Modifications You Can Do at Little Cost;" Robert H. Boatman; 2005
- "The Gun Digest Book of the Glock, 2d Ed;" Patrick Sweeney; 2008
Tips
- It really is that simple to remove the rear sight of a Glock. Please leave any other modifications of your Glock to a competent, qualified gunsmith or certified Glock armorer.
Warnings
- Firearms can be inherently dangerous. Please seek out competent professional instruction in safe weapons handling prior to handling a firearm.
Writer Bio
A classical Rennaissance man since serving in the U.S. Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment, Ragnar Danneskjold has worked as a ranch cowboy, a Department of Defense contractor, a strength and conditioning coach, a martial arts instructor, a freelance writer and a horse trainer.
