Howdy all!

I'm replacing a rear sight on my K-frame. I've already broken off the windage screw, but the nut on the other side is so stripped that it can't be turned even with the correct spanner bit. My thought is to drill it out until I can break what's left of the windage screw and push out the remains of the nut. Are there any better/easier ways that I'm missing?

Patience is not one of my virtues. Judicious destruction, however, is.

I drilled it right down the center with a small bit, pushing deep enough to dig into the body of the screw (drilling slows WAY down once you get there). I then went back and started chewing away at the nut with progressively bigger bits. Once I started getting close to the edges of the hole, I changed over to a dremel with a fine grinding tip to try to thin out what was left of the nut and screw. I also started trying to tap it through using a punch, winding up rotating between drill, dremel, and punch until the nut finally broke off the screw. It conveniently came out in one piece on my punch.





I need to do some rust cleanup to the underside of the sight and a little re-bluing. It should get reassembled with the new blade shortly.

The easiest way is to purchase a new sight assembly.

You watched Larry Potterfield's video, didn't you? The windage screw must be turned to the right, not left, until it breaks. Then you can just push the sight slide to the left and unscrew the broken screw and but with your fingers. Once the sccrew has been broken by turning the wrong way about all that can be done is to drill the staked end out of the screw to allow the but to be removed as others have suggested!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Yeah, as stated, the bolt was no problem and it was the nut's slot that was mangled. See above - all's well that ends well.

Aaaah, I totally misunderstood you before!

You're saying that Larry's method is incorrect, and I should be going the OTHER way to break the screw, aren't you? That makes a lot more sense.

And I'm back in this thread because I had to do another blade and again, had to drill the nut out. I found a much faster approach - I used a tiny cutting bit on a dremel and cut a deep channel into the nut until I could reach the remains of the screw. One direct hit from a punch into the screw broke the nut and the blade fell out.

So yeah, just turning the screw the other way sounds a lot easier, lol.

I just unscrew the nut from the screw, slide the sight blade out, and re use all the same parts. Why destroy perfectly good parts?

Because the nut was damaged and stripped instead of unscrewing.

I have successfully done that on newer guns, though. The screw deforms enough to come out through the nut and can then be re-staked.

You can't save them all. Good job on getting the stripped one out.

For whoever said, just buy the entire new sight, have you tried to find a "vintage" rear sight (that is the correct length and style for your revolver) lately? A friend of mine is still trying to locate a complete unit for a 29-5, and I hunted for a couple months and when finally found one for a "Pre" model 14 K38 it was rather "pricey" (over $100). Rear sights are not as easily found as many think, keep in mind the changes over the years, and you have to match up the mounting hole correctly.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Save the sight if you can! They are too precious to waste unless there is no alternative. Good job matteekay.

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Billy
Gunsmith, M/C mechanic

Larry Potterfield is a complete moron for posting and maintaining the video telling viewers to turn the windage screw the WRONG WAY!!! In order to break the screw and be able to remove the sight you have to turn the screw to move the sight-blade to the RIGHT not to the left as moron Potterfield claims. If you listen to Potterfield and move it to the left and then break the screw you won't be able to get the sight-blade out!!!

That is exactly what happened to me. Once that happens the only way to get the sight blade out is to drill through the split retainer nut until you go completely through to the screw shaft. You MUST use a drill press in order to make sure that the drill goes straight through the nut, and use a 1/32 inch drill bit. Once you go through the retainer nut then the nut will be left on the drill bit as shown in the photo.

Attached Images

S&W Sight Blade.jpg (26.8 KB, 32 views)

So, exactly how do you feel about Mr. Potterfield?
Perhaps I interpreted him differently, as whatever I did after taking his advice worked flawlessly for me. And had it not, I still likely would not suggest that his mental capabilities were that of a 7 to 12 year old.

Some of us know how to work on cars..........
some of us know how to work on planes......
some of us know how to work on weapons.....
some of us need a BIGER HAMMER !!