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While checking out the NRA Annual Meeting a few months back, I got to chat with Richard Heinie – a rather remarkable pistolsmith and designer of a line of pistol sights. He said he had an update on his sights and said we should chat after the convention.
The Single Stack Classic intruded as did other projects. I received a message asking upon which gun the sights would be installed. After a bit of thinking, I replied a Gen3 Glock 19.
Now for a bit of back story. I’d carried that particular Glock 19 for the last three years of service. After retirement, I’d had contact with Heinie Specialty Products and received his Slant Pro Straight-8s.
I’d mentioned to him that I preferred a single tritium vial in the front sight with no markings on the rear sight. He replied that his Straight-8 was better. The rear sight, his snag-free Slant-Pro, had a single tritium vial placed at 6 o’clock, centered below the rear sight notch. When aligning the sights in conditions of decreased visibility, put one dot atop the other centering the sights on the threat – voila.
It was quick. These were the sights that stayed on the gun, my most worn pistol since 2001 up until 2016. I had plenty of chance to use those sights over the years. In ‘night fire,’ the figure “8” pattern was quick and a bit more precise than just centering the front sight dot and hoping I was well aligned.
The original Heinie pistol sight is now called the “Classic.” The notch is well aft of the dovetail, making the sight long but offering maximum distance between sights. The rear face of the rear sight is serrated and tilted back toward the user, minimizing the chances of glare.
The Slant-Pro was designed for concealed carry and for holster use – like other after-market sight makers, the concern was getting the gun past clothing items and allowing safe holstering of the pistol without getting caught. The glare-breaking serrations and a rear sight face tilted to the front helps with visibility while maintaining distance between sights. Finally, the Ledge came along after people obsessed about one-handed slide racking. A thick rear sight body, it also slants forward and is serrated on the rear. The sight radius is maintained in this design as well.
The V2 looks like a Ledge from the sight and like the Slant-Pro when you have an angled view of it. From the rear, it’s a generous notch surrounded by serrations. At its base, a tritium vial helps the user with windage issues. The sights appear to have the notch and post dimensions of my older Slant-Pro sights. I didn’t measure them.
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The first issue was installation. In attempting to remove the front sight nut, I broke the ca. $33 Glock sight tool. I contacted Brownells and we sought alternatives. I’ve tried a pair of them.
The Ed Brown Glock Sight Installation Tool fits into a driver handle – like Brownell’s Magna Tip screwdriver set or the screwdriver from Wheeler Engineering. That gives one some distance and more torque. That device broke the screw loose.
When installing the sight, the nut is rather short and can get lost in the Ed Brown installation device. I opened the second envelope and found the Glock Tool Kit from Aro-Tek Limited. A rather robust 3/16th nut driver – shallow at the business end – got the installation accomplished in short order.
The Wheeler Engineering Armorer’s Handgun Sight Tool made short work of changing rear sights and off to the range I went – after the thread locker had time to set.
As is my custom with Glock pistols – and most others, I’m finding out as I age – I shot a bit left at 25 yards.
Hunting Wire Editor/author Richard Mann had mentioned a handy device for managing wayward sights in the field – the Wyoming Sight Drifter. These things are available from Skinner Sights, LLC. I just happened to have one.
The instructions make it self-explanatory -- it’s like a self-contained one-piece hammer and punch. Spring loaded, simply put the brass punch surface against the base of the sight (after loosening the set-screw, if they’re like the Heinie rear sight), draw back the spring-loaded “hammer” and let it go.
No more hammers and punches in the field – if you have a vise or some poor soul to hold the firearm while you beat on it.
One adjustment and I was centered at 25 yards.
Shooting the updated old gun on a ‘comparative standards’ course of my own making, I found that it was completely ‘transparent’ – I hadn’t noticed a change in the sights at all. Hits were centered and the visibility was good.
The old gun was due some new sights. It’d worn the Slant-Pros for many years.
I’m glad the V2 sights are aboard now. For more information, drop ‘em an email -- orders@heinie.com.
-- Rich Grassi