Help removing and installing sights on a 1911

[BNE]

I friend asked if I could help him find a gunsmith to put new sights on his 1911.

He has contacted multiple local gunsmiths and once they find out that he has tritium sights, they say they are not interested in doing the job.

Removing sights and re-installing new ones on a pistol is not something I have done. Why would a gunsmith not want to mess with tritium sights?

The 1911 is a Rock Island M1911A1-FS. the sights are from Trijicon.

Your input is appreciated.

BNE

[Remiel]

The vials in the sights can break If not handled properly, so if they have to use a drift there's a risk, and tritium gets a bad rap cause it's mildly radioactive,

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[hawkenhunter50]

I've done a handful of pistol sights, though not on a 1911. Several have been tritium and I've used both a sight pusher and drifting with a punch and never had any break. I wouldn't be afraid to do it, the Trijicon are good sights.

I would also guess Remiel's answer is probably correct as far as the gunsmiths go.

[cwtebay]

I would suggest purchasing a sight pusher if you're not comfortable drifting it in with a brass punch and mallet. I can't say that I blame your GS, if the sight capsule is damaged there is a risk of radiation exposure.

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[rintinglen]

"Tritium (3H) used in night sights, and in glow-in-the-dark watches and exit signs, is a radioactive material that only emits a very weak beta particle. The beta particle is an energetic electron ejected from the nucleus of the 3H, which has one proton and two neutrons. When 3H decays it becomes helium-3 (3He), which has two protons and one neutron and is not radioactive. The very weak beta particle from the 3H has such low penetrating power that it will not go through a sheet of paper or even a few millimeters of air.

If the night sight, with 2 MBq of 3H, was broken, the 3H released would not present a danger. Normally the 3H would be released and very little would be ingested, inhaled, or deposited on a person's skin. Any 3H deposited on the skin would be shielded from the beta radiation by the dead layer of skin. However, assume that all 2 MBq were ingested or inhaled by a person and stays inside the person as water (3H2O) and is naturally eliminated over time. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 1, states that 80,000 µCi (approximately 3,000 MBq) would result in a "committed effective dose equivalent of 5 rems," equivalent to 0.05 Sv. So, an intake of 2 MBq of 3H might give a maximum dose of 3.3 × 10-5 Sv, which is 3.3% of the annual limit for a member of the public and about the same as a person's average annual dose from natural background radiation." John P. Hageman, MS, CHP (A CHP is a certified Health Physicist.)

Don't eat or smoke night sights.

[Rich/WIS]

Not familiar with the pistol in question but if a GI style front sight you'll need a special staking too to secure the sight. If a dovetail style front then a sight pusher tool is a safe way to do it.

[Remiel]

Not familiar with the pistol in question but if a GI style front sight you'll need a special staking too to secure the sight. If a dovetail style front then a sight pusher tool is a safe way to do it.

If it's a rock island tactical style it's a variation of novak type

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