I am new to the forum so I apologize if this has been asked and answered, but I don't see a thread about it.
I recently purchased an M&P 9 2.0. The rear sight is off-center, to the right. I have attempted to center the sight with a hammer and punch, but it wouldn't budge. (Yes, I removed the screw first.) I then bought a sight pusher tool. And that didn't move the sight either! I even tried placing the slide in the freezer for several hours. Nope, didn't work!
Due to a nightmare situation with a different handgun (different manufacturer) in which I still have not received a repaired or replaced gun after more than 18 months, I am hesitant to send this one to S&W.
I have read many complaints online about M&Ps with bad (mis-aligned and difficult to adjust) rear sights. Anyone else in the forum having this problem? What was your solution?
I love my S&W revolvers, but this experience has me wondering if S&W auto-loaders aren't as good. (I know this is just one gun.)

If you think the rear sight is in tight, wait until you try to adjust the front one.
All the rear ones I've moved or replaced were snug, but moved with a couple of whacks. The front ones felt like they were welded in.

When I went to remove the sights on my PC .40, the front one did not want to come out.
I bent the shaft on my sight pusher, then used progressively bigger hammers and brass punch.
I ended up having to drill the old front sight out.

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U. S. Army Veteran

I'm new here also but had a similar problem with the rear sight on a Shield. I finally got it out by holding a soldering iron on the sight base while applying pressure with a sight pusher.
Good luck.

Send it back for free or pay a gun shop a few $$ to align it.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

Check this out. Might be some useful information.
Shield sight change Picture heavy

Before you go nuts, have you shot it enough to see if it needs adjusted? Sometimes slightly off center is where it should be to hit point of aim.

Use a bench vice and a big steel punch with painters tape on the end. And don't be shy about hitting it. I gave up on brass punches years ago for moving sights. I've never found a sight I could not move this way.

Make sure to put a baggie on the M&P slide over the rear sight in case it goes to far and things go flying out of the rear sight.

I am continuously bemused by the folks that believe a drift punch is the answer to all sight moving issues. And you need a plastic bag over your work to keep the sight in front if you hit it too hard. And what the op is trying to do is move the sight a fraction of an inch. I realize a lot of folks think sight pushers aren’t old school enough, but sometimes they are the best bet.

I have both a sight pusher and brass drift punches in two sizes, one for the small front sights, and one for the larger rear sights.
I prefer to use the pusher, but if the sight won't budge I can usually get it to move with the brass punch.

A steel punch can mar the sight, I would not trust painters tape on the end of a steel punch to protect things.
Brass will leave a brass mark but it comes off with some gun oil on a rag.
Brass ( or Aluminum) is softer than your sight and will not damage it.

I have done a lot of small windage adjustments at the range with a punch. Easier to put in a range bag pouch than a sight pusher.
(I always have a hammer in the truck to put steel targets in the ground).

epj, not everyone that reads this forum shoots enough to go out and buy a $140 sight pusher. An old school $5 brass drift punch still works, and works fine.

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U. S. Army Veteran

If you haven't shot the gun yet, don't move the sight. Just because it isn't physically in the middle doesn't mean it's in the wrong place.

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Freedom isn't free.

To answer a few questions/comments:

Previous to posting my question, I've shot the gun, both off-hand and from a rest, enough to know an adjustment is needed.

I have also previously purchased a sight pusher tool (not the same one as EPJ - I didn't know about your tool). It is a NcStar Vism F&R, cost about $75. The sight still wouldn't budge. In fact, I cranked on it so much i am surprised I didn't damage the slide. I definitely damaged the tool.

I have also previously whacked on it with a hammer and punch. No luck.

I guess I am down to three options:
1. Sink more money into another pusher (EPJ's?) and try it.
2. Take it to a local gunsmith. But I don't have a guy I trust.
3. Send it to S&W. Since it came incorrect from the factory, this seems reasonable. But I hate sending my guns away. See previous post. Also, I live close to Portland, Oregon. Enough said.

Well, thanks for the input, guys.

-kc

-- “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.” -- Thomas Jefferson

Well, my sight tool has always been labeled “Xtreme Duty” for a reason. There is a long history of moving very tight sights. However, your most cost effect move would probably be to send it in to S&W. Call customer service and see if they will offer you a shipping label. Ask about turn around. Then make your decision. Good luck and if I can help further, just shoot me an email.

Just wondering if you tried to contact CS, and if so, what they had to say.

a Delrin 1/4" or 3/8" rod makes a good punch that will not mar your sight. i ordered some on line, don't remember the cost.

M&P sights are in tight, but the hardest I've ever changed are Bodyguard .380 front sights. Many blows with a 4 lb hammer and Brownells sight punch did the trick.

Have yet to see an M&P front or rear sight that couldn't be removed with a quality pusher. The Shield 9 was the toughest, but it too was removed/replaced with an MGW sight pusher. Not all pushers are the same. From my experience, would not own a pusher unless the adjustment had fine threads, which makes a difference.

I made the mistake of buying a B & J Machine and Tool pusher from Brownells. It was $140. If the sights are the least bit tight, the pusher's shaft will start bending up and the Delrin insert at the end will be slipping off the slide. Pretty worthless unless the sights are fairly easy to move.

Sounds like the MGW pusher is a superior unit.

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U. S. Army Veteran

The baggie is for the ufo and spring, good luck finding those if they go flying.

My point was that the guy only wanted to move his sight a few thousandths of an inch. With the punch/hammer method it’s hard to control the amount of movement.

Besides careful heat, apply some Kroil or other penetrating oil. Let it soak for awhile and then try. Also, you might try moving it right just to break it loose before trying to adjust it.

When I mentioned "careful", remember that there's a plastic sleeve in the striker tunnel as well as plastic parts in the striker assembly.

I did a Rear Sight Removal post on 3/24/2020 in the gun smithing section. This computer is compromised in function, cannot link. Kroil makes an amazing difference.

Changed computers

M&P rear sight removal

I was just about to say put some oil down. Good call.

5 minutes ago I swapped out my front sight with a fiber optic, M&P 4" Compact. Punch and bench Vice. The oil also lets the sight glide on and off easier. It was tight but not as tight as the XD sights.

New one was easier because I filed it to go on easier.

The M&P was more of a challenge using a bench vise because of the shape of the front slide. So beware. Rear of the slide is flat so should not be an issue. I'm not changing the rear because I blacked it and like it that way.

FWIW, buying and using the proper tool always helps...
I used a Sight-Pro, only AFTER messing up on my "first" sight change on an earlier M&P 2.0 WITHOUT the proper tool... Got that one to work, but butt ugly...

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Sandog,

Reference the defective sight pusher from Brownells, they will refund your purchase price if the tool doesn't work, or you are dissatisfied.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

I was finally able to move the sight! I hammered on it with heavier blows than I did before. I needed to move it slightly left in order to center it properly. As suggested, i was able to move it right first and then back left. The blemishes are not too noticeable. I can live with it for now.

To answer, i never called S&W customer service. Given their excellent reputation, i have no doubt they would have fixed it for free, and with a fairly quick turnaround. I just didn't want to send it in if i didn't have to -- I wanted to shoot it!

Thanks for the input!

Add some Kroil and let it set for a bit. If you're using aluminum drift/punch...get a spare.

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USPSA CRO
Patriot Guard rider

My son used his Glock front sight tool to move my front over a bit. Sure made a difference on my target. Always shoot left.

I thought Glocks were a pin/screw in instead of a dovetail ?

A Glock front sight tool is just a hex driver for the nut that holds the front sight on. I'm trying to imagine how a Glock front sight tool can move a dovetailed M&P sight.

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U. S. Army Veteran

I removed both front and rear sights yesterday on my M&P 9mm full size, 1.0 edition using brass punches. Both very tight but after applying penetrating oil, both did come loose. The front had the most resistance and I believe the factory may have added a drop of red Loctite when they installed it. I want to install night sights. I called a referral gunsmith and his sight pusher is broken. So I decided to buy one of US manufacture which should be here in about 10 days.

I’d have sent you one of US manufacture, and had it to you in 2-3 days. 😃

Only way I’m changing the sights is if I’m putting on night sights, and for that I just send the slide to Trijicon. They install free if you buy the sights from them. They’re a bit more expensive than to buy in Amazon but I know it’s done right and hassle free.

I changed out my sights on my 2.0 compact today. That front sight is very tight. It started to go then got hung up. I finally got it out. I did sand down the new front sight and it went in much better. My rear sight came out easy. The screw didn't need to be heated and the sight tapped out fine. I feel lucky things went as well as they did.