From: glaird@hpscit.sc.hp.com (Gordon Laird)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Satisfied with Metrolite night sights.
Date: 23 Jul 92 14:30:39 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA


   I thought I'd report in on my new Metrolite sights for my Glock 22.  I
like them.  I suppose you want more details.

   I mail ordered them for about $53, including their fraction of the shipping.
My thought is that they would be easy to install.  Wrong, for different reasons
than I expected.  The stock front sight is pressed in to an elliptical hole
and secured by the elastic nature of the plastic blade.  The stock rear sight
is secured by an interference fit into a dove tail joint, and drifted 
(via punch or vise-like tool) into place.
   The metrolite front sight has a post that fits in the hole and a hex head
screw to clamp it into place.  The instructions warn that this new blade must
be glued with Loctite 609.  The rear sight must be drifted into place and
glued with Loctite 609 (according to the instructions).   Now for reality.

   The rear sight needed minor filing of the base to fit the dove tail opening
in the slide.  It drifted in from the left (apparent convention in gunsmithing)
will little problem, after the slight dressing of the base.  [see calculations
on sight adjustments below for sighting in at the range]  We used a brass 
punch to prevent marring of the sight.
   The front sight was a problem.  Because of manufacturing slop, the hole
is larger by a few thousands than the post on the new front blade.  Also,
the postion of the sight makes access to the hex head screw nearly impossible.
We tightened the screw with a pair of needle nose pliers (less than best 
solution, but that is the only tool this gunsmith friend had).  To prevent
movement and loosening, we used a very strong epoxy to glue it in place.
We wetted the threads of the screw with loctite.  We then aligned the blade
longtitudinally with a small cresent wrench before the epoxy set.  It works,
as verified by field conditions.  But, I would rather of had the right tool
to tighten the screw.  However, we could not have applied that much more
torque or we would have stripped the threads [small screw].
    The right tool would be a 1/4" 3/16" socket that had 2 facets ground off
up to 1" up from the end.  That means you'd have to start with a deep socket.
Also, the socket must be very thin to begin with and straight walled.
A very thin/narrow open end (straight jaw w/no offset) wrench might work, 
but the space available is only that within the slide.  A box wrench might
be small enough, but the 2 facets must be ground off.

How they work:
   
   Great!  They really glow in low to no light.  Wow!  Sight picture and 
acquisition in extremely low light is next to miraculous.  Also, as one
poster mentioned, I shoot tighter groups with the new sights.  (I know,
sounds like wishful thinking, but there is a reason and it is true).
The stock sights have a normal but narrow front blade.  That means that
there is a gap on each side of that blade, as seen through the rear notch.
That gap is hard to visibly adjust and get equal on both sides because it
happens to be just wide enough, that the eye has trouble making the correction.
The Metrolites front blade is thicker.  The gap, when properly aligned all
but disappears.  There is a hint of separation, which gives one confidence
that the sight is aligned, but there is no gap to subconsciously try to
balance.  Plus, the unbroken level top of the sight picture seems to be
less distracting because there is no apparent gap.
   Also, I had no problem with elevation on the new sights.  They are 
correct for my pistol.  It is a different picture which took some getting
use to, but the sights are correct for standard combat sight acquisition.
I.E. Actual point of impact, just a hint of underneath the top of the front
blade. VS On top of the blade for target sights.

Sighting in:

   The sight radius on the Glock 22 is 6-7/16".  That means to move the impact
of the bullet 1" at 10 yds, the rear sight must be drifted 17.9 thousands of
an inch.  To move the impact 1" at 25 yds, requires a drift of 7 thousands.
[that is .0179" & .007" respectively].  I used the equation

	       X(drift) / 6-7/16" = 1" / 10yds