I recently bought a set of aftermarket sights, front and rear for my M&P 45. I've done a number of Glock installs over the years using the Glock sight tool and never had a problem. I do not presently have a sight tool for the M&P. I tried to remove the rear sight with a drift after unscrewing the set screw, but the thing would not budge. I just had the slide clamped between two pieces of pine in a bench vice, and because of that I decided not to beat on it further.

Can anyone familar with changing sights on the M&Ps tell me if a sight tool would be my better option, or should I just take it to a gunsmith and have it done? That rear sight seems to be set pretty tight.

The M&P sights are in a tapered dovetail and are usually tight. Looking from the rear, drift to the right (ejection port side). I have had them so tight I was afraid to hit them any harder. A sight pusher finally moved them, but I think it was close to breaking the pusher. I think Apex makes a custom drift for the rear, you could check with them.

The local armorer has a $600 sight tool that does the job.
I wouldn't try to drive out the sights on several of the current guns, like M&P and Kimber. They are usually t-i-g-h-t!

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Science plus Art

Thank you. I ended up dropping it off at a gunsmith this morning. I hope its an easy job for him.

The MGW sight tool is one of the best for the M&P, we rent these for $25 if you want to do it yourself, speedshooterspecialties.com. The only drawback is they won't work on the front sight of the 5" M&P's.

Will the MGW work on a regular M&P front sight? I should just break down and acquire one.

I broke down and took my pistol to a gun smith earlier this week. Got it back, but the install was $65. I had a set of 10-8 Performance with a fiber optic front installed. Theirs looked pretty rugged. I think I like it so far. Really draws my almost 50-year old eyes to the front sight. I'll know how they shoot next week.

Put a set of TFOs on my M&P 40. Rear sights were easy but it took me three days to find the little disk retainer that covers the striker safety spring. The front sights were a bloody nightmare, and although they work, I'm really kicking my butt when I look at the final job. So bad cosmetically that I think I'm going to order another one, and I am no newbie to dovetail installations. But the pistol is WAAY worth the effort.

As I have said before, sights on S&W pistols are installed at the factory by a hydraulic press while the slide is held in the fixture. Both sights are installed at the same time as the machine has two rams, one for the front sight and one for the rear sight.

Proper sight installation on a pistol for serious use should NOT depend upon the set screw to hold the sight in place. In fact, even without the set screw, the sight should hold so tightly that a violent impact or a drop on concrete or steel should not move the sight.

A sight pusher is one option, but I have encountered sights so tight that I felt like I needed to attach a crow bar to the portion of the sight pusher that turns the cork screw.

Although some claim to have made it through this process just fine, my guess is that far more folks have really screwed up their guns.

I read one post which described how the sight was so tough to move, even with a sight pusher, that a rail was sheared off the slide.

Use caution when attempting gunsmith or factory work without proper tools. Your firearm will appreciate it.

I used a Brownell 500 sight pusher on the front sight of my M&P Shield and
turn so hard it actually smashed the threads and ruined the sight pusher
sight finally did move Brownell's are replacing the damaged part's on pusher.