Installation Instructions
HD-001 rear sight
The HD-001 rear sight is designed to fit the dovetail cut for the Bo-Mar BMCS rear sight, in the deluxe “pocket cut” configuration. This is accomplished by the sight's two-piece design and construction. The installed height is in the same range as other popular 1911 aftermarket rear sights. Depending on the fit of the barrel, slide and frame and the degree of lock up, it is possible that you’ll need to alter or replace the front sight to zero your pistol for elevation, after installing the HD-001. Windage corrections are made by drifting the rear sight in its dovetail. The sight is designed to allow a minimum of .030” of windage movement to either side of center.
Confirm that your slide is machined for a Bo-Mar BMCS rear sight. The HD-001 will only fit slides machined for the Bo-Mar BMCS and clones. If your slide mounts another rear sight, it will not accept the HD-001. The HD-001 will not fit the LPA mfg. rear sight found on Springfield Armory and Para-Ordnance factory production pistols with adjustable sights, as well as Kimber slides cut for their adjustable sights. It will also not fit the Ruger SR1911 or some SIG 1911s
We recommend installation be undertaken only by qualified gunsmiths, as there are advanced measuring and fitting steps to be taken. These instructions are therefore written with the professional in mind. Due to the volume of parts sales, I am no longer offering custom installation of stake-in front sights. If you want this service performed, I can recommend JC Mayfield at 417-355-9501, JC@Gunsmithery.us.
Fitting the HD-001
The following steps are necessary to properly fit the HD-001 rear sight to a slide.
1) Measure depth and width of the dovetail base and compare that to the depth and width of the slide’s dovetail. Calculate any adjustment needed and know where to cut before doing so.
2) With great care, file the dovetail base so you achieve a fit that requires a light tap with a soft hammer to install the base in the slide.
3) Test fit the sight body, looking for interference at the front shoulder and in the rear pocket. You want the bottom of sight body to have direct contact with the main flat surface in the sight cut in the slide, but have no contact at either the front most shoulder, or in the rear most pocket. Test assemble sight with 6-32 screws and confirm that they do not protrude below floor of dovetail when tighten fully. Shorten if needed.
4) Some slides (notably STI) are found with shallow rear pocket depth. In those cases, it is necessary to mill off the bottom rear of the sight body enough to have .001” or more clearance between the sight body and the slide. After removing any points of unwanted contact, install the 6-32 screws with a drop of blue loctite on each and tighten snugly. Do not over torque!
5) Test fire the pistol to determine what, if any correction for elevation is necessary. Make any height correction needed to the front sight.
6) I recommend the following steps be done at the range, so you can test fire soon after assembly with loctite. When you are satisfied that the elevation is correct, remove the rear sight and degrease the sight parts and sight mounting surfaces. Keep all solvents away from tritium lamps!
7) Coat the dovetail with 1 drop of Loctite 271 (red) smeared out as much as possible. Install the dovetail base. Put 1 drop on the main flat, in front of the dovetail base and 1 drop on the main flat behind the dovetail base. Keep the Loctite away from the old elevation screw hole. Put a light smear on sides of the pocket of the sight body that engages the top lug on the dovetail base.
8) Assemble the sight body on the dovetail base and install and tighten the screws. Wipe off excess Loctite.
9) Immediately test fire and determine if windage correction is needed. If so, loosen screws, move sight as needed and retighten screws. Verify that the zero is correct before the loctite sets up. You have about 20 minutes.
10) Once the zero is confirmed and you’re satisfied with everything, remove one screw, apply a tiny drop of blue loctite and reinstall. Then do the same to the other screw.
11) Wipe off any loctite that has oozed out the sides and then set the pistol aside for 24 hours to let the loctite cure completely. It has been my experience that the HD-001 or HD-009 rear sight installed in this manner is mounted in an adequately strong manner for serious duty use.
12) Assembled in this manner, the H-D-001 rear sight will be mounted as securely, if not more so than any others on the market. Should removal be necessary, heat the top of the sight around the screws to 400 degrees with a small butane torch to degrade the bond of the loctite first. Once you see a wisp of smoke, you should be able to carefully loosen the screws.
