True or False: It is a good practice to remove AND install dovetail sights by driving them from left to right (with the muzzle pointing away from you) to avoid potential damage due to tapered dovetail cuts.

True or False: It is a good practice to remove AND install dovetail sights by driving them from left to right (with the muzzle pointing away from you) to avoid potential damage due to tapered dovetail cuts.

• A. FALSE
• B. TRUE
• C. NOT RECOMMENDED
• D. OFTEN

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that dovetail sights sit in a tapered cut, so the amount of contact along the joint changes along its length. Because of that taper, driving the sight in a fixed left-to-right direction can cause the sight to ride on an edge or bind, risking damage to the sight or the slide. The safer, correct approach is to use a proper drift or sight pusher and move the sight along the axis that matches the taper, with the muzzle pointed downrange and the firearm secured. In short, there isn’t a universal rule that left-to-right is best—the direction you drift the sight depends on the taper orientation and manufacturer guidance.

The key idea is that dovetail sights sit in a tapered cut, so the amount of contact along the joint changes along its length. Because of that taper, driving the sight in a fixed left-to-right direction can cause the sight to ride on an edge or bind, risking damage to the sight or the slide. The safer, correct approach is to use a proper drift or sight pusher and move the sight along the axis that matches the taper, with the muzzle pointed downrange and the firearm secured. In short, there isn’t a universal rule that left-to-right is best—the direction you drift the sight depends on the taper orientation and manufacturer guidance.