The best bet is to have HK do it. Second is have a good gunsmith install it. Third opition, buy a $90 sight tool, some brass punches, and some small fine triangle and flat files and do it yourself. It's not uncommon to have to do a small amount of fitting on the sight bases to get them to fit. OK, repeat after me, the files never touches the gun, the files never touched the gun!!! You can drift the sights out in either direction on HK USPs. A padded vice will make things much easier as does a little bit of grease on the sight and in the slot. If you have to file the sights to fit, suggest you remove them, cold blue them, then reinstall. You can get by without a sight tool, just be very careful and take your time. I just switched out my Trijicons for Truglo TFOs.

 

Ditto Fbuckshot. If you do it yourself clamp the slide in a well padded, such as wood lined, vice. Do NOT over tighten, snug will do it. I install my own sights but it is a job so rarely done that I see no need to invest in any tools other than the file and brass punches. As he said, get the sight file tool from Brownells, the dovetail file is safe on two sides and is about $20, but pay close attention to what he said, THE FILE NEVER TOUCHES THE GUN!!!
I use MMC adjustable night sights and they are oversized and the four sets I have installed must be fitted to the slide so the file is a must, but once again, the FILE NEVER TOUCHES THE GUN!

 

I've used punches to put on all of my sights, and a pair of pliars with a towel to pad the grips was my vice.

If you can, use a brass or nylon punch.

I took it to a gunsmith one time to get him to put them on professionally... and the bastard went in the back and used a punch. Worst $15 I've ever spent. I could've bought the tools for that much.

 

I've used punches to put on all of my sights, and a pair of pliars with a towel to pad the grips was my vice.

If you can, use a brass or nylon punch.

I took it to a gunsmith one time to get him to put them on professionally... and the bastard went in the back and used a punch. Worst $15 I've ever spent. I could've bought the tools for that much.

Don't know if you live near Richmond, but was this done by Dominion? Just asking because I was thinking of having them do my sights, and the $15 price quote sounded familiar.

 

Uh, I'm not keen on mucking up my HK. Looks like a job for the gunsmith. Thanks for the warning!

 

For sure take it to someone if you do not feel you cannot handle it but it is real simple. Hell I used a sturdy piece of wood and a hammer... everything still looks brand new, just go easy and slow.

You'd have to really beat at it with malice to "muck it" up. Good luck.

AWD

 

Sight Installation

MGW makes a nice sight pusher for the usp pistol. I bought one awhile back good investment.

 

If you take it to a smith, make absolutely sure that he is aware that you expect the slide and sites to be undamaged and he needs to take the extra care required to make sure no damage is done to the sights and slide.

See numerous posts about people taking the slide in to a smith for sight installs, only to get a mucked up job with marred sights and slide back for their money. My smith charges $20, I cant tell anything has been touched when the job is done - other smiths (hacks) are not so careful with your expensive H&K - buyer beware!

 

Once they're in I can't imagine much difference from one HK slide to another (as long as no one filed, milled or otherwise cut the slide).

I have a USP 9 and .40 that both have night sights on them. One is a set of new H&K Night Sites and a set of older H&K Night Sites on the other that I would like to trade out for some Fiber Optic sights. There is nothing wrong with either. I shoot IPSC and IDPA and never carry these guns. I like a Fiber Optic front sight and really don't care if I have Fiber Optics, white dots, a box or black rear.

Any takers?

 

Rent a Sight installer

Another way I chose to go was to rent a USP-specific sight installer from this site: BP Custom Shop - http://www.bpcustomshop.com/store/

They rent the sight installer for $25 and you can use it for 20 days, longer if you need to, for $10 more. This gave me time to fiddle with the sight adjustment until it was dialed in just right. Works with Trijicon and Meprolights. Cheaper than buying it ($120 or more)

They even included some instructions on installation and can be called for advice. They sent a brand new one as the rental. Nice experience from a company for a change.

Whenever possible, I try to do things myself. I really don't trust handing over my expensive weapon (which I've tried to keep in the best possible condition) to some knuckle-dragger that is going to turn it into an anvil because, "duh whaddaya expect for 15 bucks? Were you expecting me to care?" Probably not a big enough job to have the armorer do, so I get the "counterguy" who is going to use a ballpeen hammer to do the job.

:5: :10: <--- Counter guy installing my sights

 

... I really don't trust handing over my expensive weapon (which I've tried to keep in the best possible condition) to some knuckle-dragger that is going to turn it into an anvil because, "duh whaddaya expect for 15 bucks? Were you expecting me to care?" ...

I couldn't agree more!

 

Lot's of good advise here on how to install the sights. Unfortunately, it's a little to late for me. I absolutely made a mess on my USPc slide. I forced and forced it, until I made some major scratches to my slide! :10:

 

What happened man?

 

Instal

I simply sent my slide to MMC for adjusable night sights for my USPC .45 and the PSK .40.

 

I just replaced the front sight on a USPc. The original was too short. So, I ordered a taller one from Trijicon. Locked the slide in my vice, padded with leather, and tapped out the old one. Lined up the new one. Used a wide brass punch that had the bottom slightly flattened to it wouldn't mar the slide. Tap...TAP...sheared the sight right off the base. I have replaced lots of sights on lots of guns. That was the first time that has ever happened to me. Trijicon sent me a replacement without question. The metal looked "crystaline" to me. Maybe a bad one. I dunno. I was alot more gentle with the second one and spent more time tapping it low on the base.

 

Am I reading this correctly? You tapped the post and not the base?

 

I installed my sights with no issue using a borrowed brass punch and a vise. If you are mechanically inclined at all, don't hesitate to do it yourself. If you are afraid of field-stripping your USP, you may want to let a professional do it.

 

One thing to remember, only use the punch on the base of the sight and it only takes one slip of the punch to break of the sight blade.

 

I have the HK sight tool. Do I still need to file the new sight for the UPSc? Can I just use the tool to drift out the old and put in the new?