Welcome! I have only been a member of the forum a short myself, but not new to handguns. As far as replacing the sights, I paid a gunsmith to put on Big Dots. He destroyed the factory ones getting them off and mared the Big Dots getting them on. I ended up sending the gun to S&W to get mag problem fixed and asked them to install factory sights. Believe it or not they replaced the Big Dots with factory ones no charge. Everything I have read the rear sight is a real bear to get off. I personally would get a gunsmith with the right equipment to replace them.