Replacing the sights on the FNX 45 Tactical and hmmm....

2625 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by SeaMac, Jan 31, 2021

Milspec

Discussion Starter · Jan 30, 2021

I've had the Tac for quite some time and the tritium is starting to dim considerably. The rear orange is fading faster than the green front. So, I picked up some fresh OEM sights after waiting almost a year for them to be back in stock.

As I looked closer at my existing sights I saw that the rear was installed slightly to the right in the factory. I never noticed this before. As far as I remember the irons were accurate. I probably never caught this because I only shot it a few times before I installed a red dot.

My question to the group is, could this have been an oversight at the factory when they built it? Or, do you think it was done on purpose? I thought perhaps they test fired it and bumped the rear over to zero it. Then I thought that they probably don't spend that kind of time on these. I have to imagine they fired a few test rounds, called it good and moved on.

I can install the new rear sight in the same position and move it to center if I find it to be off. However, in my experience the rear should typically be centered on the slide to align as closely as possible to the center of the bore. I know some Glock people will shift their rear to compensate for the "low and left" which novice Glock users encounter. In reality they are typically compensating for snatching the trigger.

Any thoughts?

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SeaMac

· #2 · Jan 31, 2021

Hey Mil,

You should have just sent the sights to Trijicon, they would have replaced the tritium lamps for $19 each in any color you wish. I always have me rear sight lamps changed to yellow. Trijicon makes the iron sights for FN, a lot cheaper than new sights.

As for the rear sight, center it, make windage adjustments with the front sight. I will generally take a very fine center punch and mark my sights and slide.

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Milspec

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 31, 2021 (Edited)

Thanks SeaMac,

I've heard that Trijicon can replace the lamps but I didn't know the particulars. $19 per is a pretty nice deal! I'll hang on to the old ones and maybe send them in for replacement down the road.

I have a very high quality sight pusher that works wonders. Although, I have been thinking about buying some sight punches from Dawson Precision to make fine adjustments. They are inexpensive and made of aluminum so one doesn't booger anything up. While the sight pusher does a phenomenal job installing it's hard to see exactly where your at until you remove the slide and look at it in the correct light.

I was under the impression that one would adjust windage with the rear on fixed sights. I thought that was the point of adjustable rear sights. Based on what you've said it sounds like FN was off the mark when they installed these.

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SeaMac

· #4 · Jan 31, 2021 (Edited)

I generally keep my irons centered at first but have always adjusted the front for windage when dovetail, Glocks are a different story. I don't do precision pistol shooting, center of mass is what I aim for unless close then cns. Pistol irons don't need to be perfect!

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FN47

· #5 · Jan 31, 2021

Milspec said:
I've had the Tac for quite some time and the tritium is starting to dim considerably. The rear orange is fading faster than the [...]

Whoa. Rear orange?? Mine are standard green

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Milspec

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 31, 2021 (Edited)

FN47 said:
Whoa. Rear orange?? Mine are standard green

Yep. Well actually the original are orange and it seems that the new rear are more yellow after a side by side comparisson. Then again it could be my eyes. The front post is obviously green.

It doesn't look like a huge difference in brightness but to the naked eye it's quite noticeable. The originals are going on 9 years approaching half life territory. I probably could have waited a couple years. They are serviceable but I'm mounting a new SRO on it. I don't want to install the SRO and in 2 years have to pull it off so I can fit the slide into the sight pusher. That was the point of getting the SRO, not having to take it off every couple of years to change the battery. Then I'd have to re zero etc. I figured I'd just do it now and then I won't have to worry about it for a while.

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New Uninstalled OEM

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theLBC

· #7 · Jan 31, 2021

i have heard others complain that their "sights were off from the factory" so this is certainly possible, based on that.

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SeaMac

· #8 · Jan 31, 2021 (Edited)

Milspec said:
Yep. Well actually the original are orange and it seems that the new rear are more yellow after a side by side comparisson. Then again it could be my eyes. The front post is obviously green.

It doesn't look like a huge difference in brightness but to the naked eye it's quite noticeable. The originals are going on 9 years approaching half life territory. I probably could have waited a couple years. They are serviceable but I'm mounting a new SRO on it. I don't want to install the SRO and in 2 years have to pull it off so I can fit the slide into the sight pusher. That was the point of getting the SRO, not having to take it off every couple of years to change the battery. Then I'd have to re zero etc. I figured I'd just do it now and then I won't have to worry about it for a while.

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New Uninstalled OEM
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On my old 45t the rears were orange too which is one of the lowest illumination tritium colors and one of the lowest life expectancy as well. Yellow and green share the same brightness and 10-11 year life span. I swapped out the OEM to yellow on my 45t. Red tritium is the lowest in brightness and life span...

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