1911 Dovetails

This article was produced by Evolution Gun Works. 

1911s have quite a few different dovetail cuts and unfortunately, the industry doesn't have one or two "standards" when it comes to rear sights. It can be quite confusing when trying to choose the correct rear sight replacement or dovetail mount. It can also be quite difficult when manufacturers use different cuts on the same models, we have seen a few brands use LPA and Bomar cuts depending on when the guns were produced. We have created this chart to help relieve some of the stress involved when choosing the correct dovetail mount. It may be missing some more obscure dovetails, but these are the most common and should be a good starting point.

When trying to figure out your dovetail cut, we always recommend measuring for proper fitment. Measuring dovetails is not always the easiest thing. To be measured correctly you need to utilize a set of calipers or micrometers and a set of pins. Measuring point to point on the bottom of the dovetail is not the correct way to measure, but this measurement can give you a rough estimate and should be able to help you find the correct dovetail mount.
 

Novak - One of, if not the most popular dovetail cuts on the market. This is a .495" width x 65° x .125" depth. There is a whole lot of information on Novak sights available on their webpage.

G.I. - Probably the second most common rear sight cut, if your gun is a G.I. or Government style, chances are you have a G.I. dovetail.

Elliason (Gold Cup) - This rear sight cut is not a dovetail like the rest of the cuts on our list. This rear sight cut uses a screw that adjusts the elevation and a pin cross drilled in the front that allows the sight to pivot. We make a specific mount for this application. Newer model Gold Cups use a Bomar style sight cut.

LPA - It can be quite difficult to distinguish the difference between the LPA and Bomar cut without measuring or having had a decent amount of experience looking at the sights. They are both popular adjustable style rear sights for the 1911 and are quite common. One of the easiest ways to differentiate between the two is the location of the elevation screw. The Bomar cut has the elevation screw located behind the dovetail cut. The LPA cut has the elevation screw located in the center of the dovetail. We have also found that some Sig Sauer 1911s use a Kimber Adjustable style cut rather than the LPA cut. If you measure your dimensions, you should be able to figure out which mount you will require.

Bomar - This dovetail cut is very similar to the LPA dovetail cut and that can make it difficult to differentiate between the two. The easiest way to differentiate between the two cuts is by looking at the location of the elevation screw. The Bomar cut has the elevation screw located behind the dovetail cut. The LPA cut has the elevation screw located in the center of the dovetail.

Sig P220 10mm Hunter / P220 Match Elite (we know, not a 1911) - The dovetail on theses 10mm Sigs is different from the other Sig dovetails which is why it was added to this list. While not a 1911, we have had customers have issues trying to find the correct dovetail mount for this gun. Since it is an adjustable style rear sight that is similar to 1911 cuts we figured we would include it here.

Remington / Para 10mm Long Slide - The Remington and Para long slide (6") 1911s use the LPA cut, but our mount would need to be modified to fit with those applications. Instead, we made a specific mount just for those applications.

S&W 1911 Fixed - We have found that Smith and Wesson 1911s use a licensed Novak rear sight that has different dimensions than the standard Novak. If you have a S&W 1911 with a fixed rear sight, you will need the specific mount for that application.

S&W 1911 Adjustable - Just like the S&W 1911s that use fixed rear sights, we have found that they use a different dimension adjustable rear sight. S&W 1911s with adjustable sights require the use of our specific adjustable mount.

Kimber 1911 Fixed - Kimber 1911s with fixed rear sights utlize their own proprietary dovetail cut. Although it looks similar to the Novak, it is not and requires the use of our Kimber Fixed mounting plates.

Kimber 1911 Adjustable - Kimber 1911s with adjustable rear sights utilize their own dovetail cut as well. We have found that some Sig Sauer 1911s do use this cut as well.