From FAQs
Removing Rear Blade

To swap the rear blade:

When changing the rear blade on S&W revolvers, turn the windage screw clockwise until the screw breaks. Then remove the nut by unscrewing if from the base. Use a plastic bag to catch the tiny spring and plunger that is located inside the screw head.

Reinstall the parts and tighten the retaining nut fully then back it off ¼ turn. Use the stacking tool and crimp the nut. Job done!

I ordered a new rear sight blade kit from SW and my luck it did not come with a new nut. Fortunately when I turned the windage screw on the original sight set up, the nut backed out on its own...so I can re-use those parts.

my question when staking so the windage nut does not back out, do you stake the nut or do you flare out the hole on the end of the windage screw? I know it says crimp the nut....just center the punch on the edge of the nut and whack? it seems to make more sense to punch and flare out the hole on the end of the windage screw, but I am no professional.

thanks in advance

I've had this happen before and it's a result of the windage screw not being properly staked (i.e., the end of the screw was not flared enough to keep the screw from being backed out). It probably didn't hurt the threads in the nut and, as long as the nut will thread properly back onto the screw, you should be able to reuse both the screw and the nut.

What you stake is the end of the screw which flares it out enough, in theory, to keep the screw from unscrewing from the nut as you turn the screw.

bls

thanks bls....i thought so.

take care

A tiny dab of blue Loctite works as well as staking and is easy to apply precisely. When you want to disassemble, a soldering iron on the nut loosens the bond and it unscrews easily with no damage to any of the parts.

WOB

The sight windage was intended to be a semi-permanent arrangement. the screw is broken upon dis-assembly and replaced. The screw and the nut must turn together in order to adjust windage. There are some very small parts inside the rear sight that usually fly away upon taking them apart.

If you screw up, I have a lot of the small parts and sight blades...

Sarge

A s&w sight staking tool can be purchased from Brownells. It is inexpensive and designed for that job, i suggest all smith owners have one.