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Old 03-21-2013, 04:27 PM
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Default Replace Sight Elevation Nut

How hard is this? I notice there is a small screw and spring involved, which stops the nut at pre-cut detents as you turn it.

I've removed an entire sight assy before, but I don't like it because it's hard to remove the small screw up front without marring it. My sight assy is pristine except for the elevation nut. Can I just back it all the way out until it drops off, and install the new one? I know there's a post underneath, but how would I deal with the small 'detent' screw and spring?

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Old 03-21-2013, 04:57 PM
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Very carefully. There's only one part in a Smith & Wesson that's smaller than that elevation spring. And that's the tiny little plunger that fits into the end. It can actually be absorbed through the pores in your skin if you're not careful. Using tweezers and a dab of grease to hold things in place may help. It's also helpful to hold your breath from beginning to end.
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Old 03-21-2013, 05:56 PM
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Plunger... figures there's a plunger. Of course there's a plunger.

I didn't check Numrich's for the plunger -- I'll bet it's like... negative 02 cents. : )

Thanks. Are you saying that the nut can be backed off the stud, and all the tiny guts will shoot into the cavity that creates under spring pressure, and that I should therefore gather up the small parts, reassemble them, put them back in the channel, and hold them with a small tool while I tighten down the new nut? Something logical like that?

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Old 03-21-2013, 07:28 PM
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Well.....it gets worse. They don't shoot into a cavity. That would make it easy. They are encased in a hole drilled into the side of the nut, and as you're turning it, just when you least expect it, BOING!! they fly off toward the thick, plush, living room carpet. Maybe you should buy three or four of them, just in case.
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Old 03-21-2013, 07:39 PM
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So the nut I get from Numrich's will have a hole in it and I put the parts in there? That sounds a little easier, actually. I'll disassemble it in a box or a plastic bag.

Last edited by brokenprism; 03-21-2013 at 08:48 PM.
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Old 03-28-2013, 01:55 AM
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If you're talking about the elevation nut on top of the assy, there is also a very small snap ring on the bottom of the nut to hold it in place in the sight body. Putting the entire operation inside a plastic bag when working on it is a good idea.....these parts are tiny!
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