I bought TFX Pro sights for my M&P 2.0 Compact. I tried installing the front sight with a sight pusher tool (which got awesome reviews) and instead of pushing the sight it started to tip it over and the dovetail got messed up. Is this salvageable?

Wow, review the following link, may help out..

YouTube

Mean not to be a jerk, seriously, hope you are able to save the sight.

Good luck

Not trying to be a gunsmith. I'm trying to install sights with a tool. Shouldn't be this hard. I guess the tool isn't worth the money. I've read lots of articles and watched lots of how-to videos. It's not like I went into this blind. One or two turns of the tool and this happened. I stopped as soon as I saw an issue.

All I want to know now if it's fixable.

That sight wasn’t pre-fitted before the force of the tool caused the decoration. Try to file it flat on the bottom and see if it will fit the slot tight.

I will try to file some. The only way to learn sometimes is by making mistakes. And I’m willing to buy a new sight and try again if this doesn’t work. But not with the tool I have.

GL9CK,


I agree with you , the only way to learn is to try and fail sometimes, this makes us all better people. At least it was only the sight and not the gun itself. Good luck, hope the filing will work.

My dad told me, "To learn to shuffle, you have to ruin a few decks." This is true with just about everything.

The biggest mistake people make with installing sights is not understanding the process. Sights are fitted to the dove tail slot and all quality sights are made large to ensure a tight fit.

The front sight on an M&P needs to be installed right to left.
Before trying to use the sight pusher, put the sight in by hand. If it won't go about half way by hand, it needs to have a little taken off the bottom. To do this, use a fine flat file. Place the file on a table and rub the sight back and forth (files only cut one way) with a little down pressure. You can also use some 320 grit sand paper, but the file method is likely to give better results. Only do this a little bit, then check the fit. Once the sight can go about half way by hand, it's ready for the sight pusher.

Your sight is not a total loss. Just use the file to flatten it back out by removing just a tiny bit.

Let us know how it goes.

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Freedom isn't free.

I would file it down and try again. Use some lube and your pusher or punch.

Clamp it in a vice and beat the bottom flat with hammer/punch.

Then fit to the dovetail about 33% in and drive to the center by pusher or punch.

If loose, add sleeve retainer loctite....320, I think

I'm no expert, and the picture is upside down, but it looks to me like that sight was pushed left to right . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I do think I can salvage the sight, but I wanted to check with you guys to make sure it's not going to damage anything else. It seems as though the sight is much softer metal than the slide which makes sense. If that's the case it shouldn't damage the slide.

I pushed the sight in and it went in as far as the stock sight so I thought I was good to go without filing.

It was installed left to right. The information on the internet varies from right to left, left to right, and it doesn't matter...

Many manufacturers use tapered dovetails as pointed out by Rastoff. Pushing the sight left to right is often the cause of damage (not to mention frustration), so I've always pushed into and out of the "passenger" side rather than the "driver" side. Possibly not the case here, but maybe . . .

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ol' country Jim

I wish people would inform themselves more before they repeat misinformation. Which seems to be the consensus on the forums in regards to the sight direction. These guns can be worked from either side. Left to right, right to left. They're uniform.

Anyways. The sight looks like it's able to be used again. From what I can see in my phone there's a Knick in it, which if you think about it is like 5% of the entire area of the dovetail. You need to fit the sight to the gun. File on the bottom or sand it on a flat surface. When you can push it in by finger 1/3 to 1/2 way in (I prefer something between that but no more than half), press it in the rest of the way with your tool or use some wood or a brass punch. The tool didn't fail, the technique did. You need to fit it. It's like fitting a ring to finger. May fit the first time... May not. Where that Knick is if it's not protruding too bad will keep the sight tight as well. A technique used is to dimple sights that are loose fitting with a sharp punch to cause high spots.

I did my Shield front sight with a punch and a hammer. Knocked out the old one and fitted and installed a tritium sight from Dawson Precision. I fit sights by filing on the front or the rear bevel on the sight, one or the other NOT both bevels. I use a steel punch with two layers of masking tape on the tip. When the tip breaks thru the tape stop and re tape the tip. To do yours i would first file that bump on the bottom of the sight just enough to get rid of the bump then fit the sight by filing on the front bevel till it would go in about halfway with finger pressure then go to the punch. If it won't go use one file stroke then try it again. Take your time....it can go from fitting perfect to too loose with one stroke of the file. When you do it right no locktite or adhesive is needed. Good luck.

Looks dry too. Apply some lube to the sight and dovetail before you install.

Well, the factory service instructions for S&W semi-auto dovetail sights specify installation right to left when looking at the rear of the slide.

On the other hand, Colt specifies left to right with the same slide reference. Now, Colt most often had a very slight, hand filed, taper to their rear sight dovetail. It was vary apparent if you tried to insert the sight that had been removed going either direction.

While I expect that, at least these days, the actual slide dovetails are straight cut, one must assume the factories had some reason to specify a direction to install/remove sights. If for no other reason, the original installation would have swaged the original sight/dovetail to some degree and you should take advantage of that when installing replacements.

You're also assuming the sights have non-tapered dovetails.

I've emailed S&W to get a definitive response on removal and installation direction. I tested fit on both sides before installing. It fit equally well in both sides. I'm not convinced there is any taper, but I will let you guys know what they tell me.

Truglo sights are very tight and need to be fitted. They appear to be melonited so crush fitting them to the dovetail isn't going to happen. Ameriglos on the other hand are very soft steel, so you can usually crush fit those. The Truglo sights will either bend or crack if you try this.

Contact Truglo, they replaced a Tritium Pro Sight that I mucked up free of charge.. Real stand up company. (My MGW Sight pusher wasn't completely compatible with my M&P45 2.0 slide, so it pushed in at a slight cant.)

Just filing the bottom with a ******* file is enough to fit the sight. Make sure you aren't removing too much material though. You can get away with the rear sight being looser than normal, but the front doesn't have a set screw.

Edit: Bass(like the fish)tard file gets filtered, really?

Good tips. Thanks.

I contacted TruGlo earlier today. They said a replacement front sight would be $65+$7.95 shipping. You probably got lucky that they replaced yours, but I don't expect them to replace it because of my screw up.

Some companies use, or have used in the past, tapered dovetails and some don't. Fact, not misinformation. Makes installation easier during the manufacturing process. Use a dial caliper to see if your is one of them.

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ol' country Jim

Maybe too late to measure each side since the one is marred up.

I should have mentioned I installed the TFX Pro rear sight without any issues.

If it's specified, it's probably so it comes out with the sight over the striker safety block, easier to catch, less chance of your tool mashing the plunger if going right to left (since the plunger is on right) for the rear sight. But the dovetail are cut symmetrical. I promise.

Stock sight is not tapered at all. It measures .259" on both ends.

Gunsmithing is just not as easy as it looks.

This statement confuses me. If the sight was all the way in, why did you take it out? If it was all the way in and crooked, that took a serious amount of force.

Sight pushers should be used carefully. They can generate a lot of force, much more than really necessary. If you have to crank on the sight pusher, something is wrong.

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Freedom isn't free.

I started the sight by hand. About 1/3 of the dovetail was in when I pushed it by hand. It was never all the way in.

Got it. Yep, the recommended depth before using the sight pusher is 1/2 way.

I think you've got it now. Live and learn. I look forward to seeing the completed project.

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Freedom isn't free.

It sure can. I put an XS big dot on my 2.0 compact. I got the front site right but on the rear I went from "no way that is going on" to a bit looser than I wanted in that one stroke on the file. Even with steel sights a file can take off a lot of metal quickly. Next time I am using sandpaper.

The only other sites I have changed have been on Glocks where I was able to borrow a brand specific tool that holds the slide in place using the rails and was a lot more secure than a generic tool that holds the slide in place by gripping it on sides. I didn't have any trouble installing the new sights but the factory front was hard to break loose. I kind of wish I had bought a vice instead of the tool and used a punch.

Some good info here, some not so good.......I prefer wet-or-dry sandpaper (320grit is good) with oil upside down on a mirror or glass. Super flat, and by rocking the sight slightly either way can control how much is taken off, front, rear, both, etc. VERY difficult to make a cut that flat with a file. If the sight is steel, as most are, a little cold blue on a Q tip will help hide the damaged areas. This takes no longer than a file, and will give you a much cleaner result. Almost any Smith has buggered up a sight at one time or another. As far as the pusher, I have a real cheapo and a very expensive one as well. With proper setup, I find I use the cheap one mostly with good results. Don't beat yourself up too much over this..!! Good Luck

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CERAKOTE Svcs.
Class 01 FFL

well, it can be...just depends how You want it to end up.

I give you credit for trying. if it the sight tool I started with, recycle it.

if You must use a file, SLOWLY. one half a swipe too much and You're hosed.

a dab of lube may not be an awful idea....a drop...

I received a response from S&W. It does NOT matter which direction the sights are removed or installed. Hopefully people stop spreading false information.

I'm torn between ordering an MFW Rangemaster or taking it to a gun smith. He returned my call and left a voicemail, but didn't give a price like I asked.

You were told this by S&W. I was told to install right to left from S&W. One of us got bad info and both of us got it from the manufacturer. Oh well, in the end it doesn't matter does it.

Thanks for reporting what you were told.

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Freedom isn't free.

Here's proof of what I was told. I did respond, as a triple check, to ensure they can also be installed from either direction.

I never doubted you.

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Freedom isn't free.