Chris Raper — Retired North Carolina law enforcement (40+ years) · U.S. Air Force Security Police · NRA-certified Pistol, Rifle & Shotgun Instructor · NC DOJ-certified Concealed Carry Instructor · Founder, Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. (Elm City, NC, 2006)
Bill Wilson — Founder, Wilson Combat · 1911 gunsmith since 1974 (manufacturer — disclosed) · Review date: October 31, 2026In addition to my own research and what my students bring into the Concealed Handgun Carry class every week, this guide was reviewed by Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat, whose opinion appears below. [Keep only if true — Chris: I handled the product(s) on this page myself. Details are in the test record at the end.] The method line at the end of the article says exactly how this guide was built.
Sights come up in my class more than you’d think. When a student’s Glock is still wearing the sights it came with, I tell them on the break that the first money they spend on that gun ought to go to a better set. The next question is always the same: how do I get them on without beating up my slide?
Most Glock sight pushers only handle the rear, because Glock’s factory front sight screws in and never sees a pusher. Real Avid’s Universal Glock Sight Pusher is the exception. It also handles dovetailed front sights, which matters the minute you put an aftermarket dovetail front on a Glock or own a second pistol that uses one.
My verdict: for a safe that’s mostly Glocks with a pistol or two of something else, this is the middle-ground tool I’d point you to.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
Specs from the manufacturer listing · owner feedback summarized and labelled · hands-on test notes being added · How we review
Real Avid Universal Glock Sight Pusher – Best Glock Sight Pusher For Front And Rear Sights
HIGHLIGHT:
One tool for Glock rear sights and dovetailed front sights, with the angled Glock shoe in the box.
IN THE BOX:
It comes on a hanging retail card marked Sight Pusher for Glock, and you can see the tool through the front of the package. Real Avid lists the angled Glock shoe as included, so you’re not ordering a second part before you can start.
Lay everything out and check it against the card before the packaging goes in the trash. Small parts and shop carpet don’t mix, and a shoe that rolls under the workbench is a shoe you’ll be looking for all afternoon.
SETUP:
First rule, same as in my classroom: the gun is unloaded, checked twice, and there’s no ammunition on the bench. Not in a box on the corner, not in a magazine nearby. Field strip the pistol and work on the slide by itself.
In the photos you can see the rear end of a bare Glock slide up close. That’s all that goes in the tool. Real Avid has a short YouTube video, “Install Glock Sights in 3 Steps With the Sight Pusher,” that walks through the order of things. Watch it once before you start, then read the instructions that came with your new sights. The sight maker knows his part better than anybody.
CLAMPING THE SLIDE:
Real Avid lists a two-sided clamp that’s profiled for the Glock slide but has the reach to take other slides. That’s the reason I like it for a Glock-heavy safe. Because the clamp is shaped around the Glock first, it shouldn’t have the off-center problem that cheap fixed universals can have on the slimline Glocks.
The close-up shows the open window through the frame and the clamp knob underneath. Snug the slide down evenly. You want it held still, not crushed. If the slide can rock, the shoe can slip, and a slipping shoe is how you mark a sight.
THE PUSH:
The top photo shows a slide sitting in the tool with the big ribbed handle off to the side. That handle drives the push block, and Real Avid lists the block as steel, which is what you want pressing against a steel sight.
Go slow. A quarter turn, look, another quarter turn. I teach trigger press the same way: smooth and steady beats fast and jerky. If the handle starts fighting you hard, stop and check that the shoe is sitting square on the sight base before you lean on it. Force is not a substitute for lining things up.
FRONT SIGHTS:
This is where the Real Avid earns its spot on the bench. Glock’s factory front sight is a screw-in part, and no pusher touches it; it comes off with a 3/16-inch nut driver. Real Avid also sells a 4-in-1 Glock tool with a front sight nut driver if you don’t already own one.
Where this pusher helps is the dovetailed front. Put an aftermarket dovetail front on a Glock, or bring home another pistol with a dovetailed front, and this tool can do that job too. Most Glock-only pushers stop at the rear.
MARKS ON THE SIGHT:
The close-ups show a rear sight sitting in the dovetail of a Glock slide from a few angles, from each side and from behind. That’s how I’d check any sight job: look from straight behind to see that it’s centered, then look along the edges for scuffs.
Shoe placement is the usual cause of marks for first-timers on any pusher. Keep the shoe flat on the sight base, not riding up onto the blade or the dot. If you’re nervous, a layer of tape on the sight doesn’t cost anything. My how to use a sight pusher guide covers the standard setup.
After any sight change, take it to the range and confirm where it hits before you carry it. A sight that moved a hair can move your group, and you want to find that out on paper.
WHICH PISTOLS IT FITS:
Real Avid lists it for every Glock generation, slimlines included, and says it takes many other slides too. For flat-sided slides from other makers, that reach is useful.
Where I’d slow down is the non-Glock list. If your other pistols are Sigs or M&Ps with tight sights, that’s a better job for the Wheeler or a TRUGLO. Before you buy any pusher, write down every pistol in the safe you plan to work on. That list picks the tool, not the price tag.
HOW IT STACKS UP:
Real Avid makes two pushers. The Master Sight Pusher is their flagship universal, a full bench tool in the Wheeler class, sold through realavid.com and dealers rather than Amazon. The Universal Glock Sight Pusher in this review is the one you can get on Amazon. If you want Master-class features with Prime shipping, the Wheeler is the closest Amazon match.
Against the other Glock tools: the Pridefend is cheaper, but it’s rear-only and Glock-only. The MGW Glock angled tool is machined and more precise, but it’s also Glock-only with no front. The Wheeler is the better true universal with full capture, and it costs more. The Real Avid wins when “Glocks, plus front sights, plus a couple of other pistols” describes your safe.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The Real Avid tool is intuitive once set up and can install night sights on a Glock in about five minutes, provided the slide is centered carefully and the push is made slowly.
Where it falls short: The slide is not always held securely and can shift, which leads to scratches or damage. Parts such as the centering washer or slide-holding piece have broken after light use, and it is not suited to suppressor-height sights.
Who it’s for: A compact, portable Glock pusher for careful work that starts with a centered slide. Not for anyone who needs rock-solid clamping or installs suppressor-height sights.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Don’t buy it expecting the Master Sight Pusher at a lower price. It’s the middle tool in Real Avid’s lineup, and you should judge it as one. And remember it can’t do anything for the Glock factory front sight; that’s a nut driver job.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if your safe is mostly Glocks with one or two other pistols, or you run aftermarket dovetail front sights. Skip it if you’re strictly Glock with factory-style sights, because the Pridefend does the rear for less. Skip it too if your other pistols are Sigs and M&Ps with tight sights; the Wheeler is the better fit there. And if you only ever plan to change one set of sights, I’d price what a local gunsmith charges before buying any tool.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What Real Avid lists |
|---|---|
| Fits | Glock, all generations including slimline; many other slides |
| Shoe | Angled Glock shoe included |
| Front sights | Yes, dovetailed fronts (not the Glock factory screw-in front) |
| Push block | Steel |
| Clamp | Two-sided, Glock-profiled with universal reach |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Does Glock rears and dovetailed fronts in one tool
- Angled Glock shoe included
- Steel push block
- Clamp shaped around the Glock slide, slimlines included
Cons
- Not the best pick for tight Sig or M&P sights
- Can’t remove the Glock factory front; you still need a 3/16-inch nut driver
- Costs more than rear-only Glock tools like the Pridefend
$105.00 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Still shopping? See my best sight pusher for Glock picks.
Hands-on test record
Protocol prepared for Chris. Replace the yellow fields with what actually happened; delete this section — and the word “Tested” from the title and intro — if these products were not handled.
| Who tested | Chris Raper, NRA-certified instructor |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 31, 2026 |
| Products on this page | Real Avid Universal Glock Sight Pusher |
| Protocol (plan) | On a Glock slide Chris owns, remove and install the rear sight, then use the front adapter on a dovetailed front sight on a second slide Chris owns. |
| To measure | Record rear and front results separately, shoe fit, clamp stability at the muzzle end and any marring. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
Real Avid Universal Glock Sight Pusher FAQ
Does the Real Avid Glock sight pusher do the factory front sight?
No pusher does. The Glock factory front is screw-in and comes off with a 3/16-inch nut driver. The Real Avid handles aftermarket dovetailed front sights.
Is the Real Avid Master Sight Pusher on Amazon?
Not as of this writing. It’s sold through Real Avid and dealers. The Universal Glock Sight Pusher is the Real Avid pusher you can buy on Amazon.
Does it fit non-Glock pistols?
Many flat-sided slides, yes. Tight Sig and M&P sights are better served by the Wheeler or a TRUGLO.
Does it come with the Glock shoe?
Yes. Real Avid lists the angled Glock shoe as included.
Should I buy the Real Avid or the Pridefend?
If you only work on Glocks with factory-style rear sights, the Pridefend is cheaper and does the job. If you want dovetailed fronts or a couple of other pistols covered, the Real Avid is the better buy.
Massad Ayoob
Massad Ayoob is an editorial advisor to Conceal & Carry Network on self-defense law and defensive handgun guidance. Founder and director of the Massad Ayoob Group and, before it, the Lethal Force Institute (1981–2009), he has taught armed self-defense since 1974, served as a part-time New Hampshire police officer from 1972 (retiring as a captain), testified as an expert witness in use-of-force cases since 1979, and is the author of more than thirty books including In the Gravest Extreme and Deadly Force. He is president of the Second Amendment Foundation. Advisory role; he does not test products for this site.