So I have the 4506 with the factory adjustable rear sight. It has the sight guards on it. I want to put on my new night sights but just want clarification on the disassembly process. From what I gathered, you have to push in a small silver pin on the sight guard. I'm guessing that allows access to the rest of the sight assembly. How do you remove the sight base after the guard is removed? I want to remove the mag disconnect plunger and spring while I'm at it. Are there any MECHANICAL downsides to removing the mad disconnect plunger and spring? Save me the firearm modification legal ramifications please, I live in Louisiana. You can carry and modify pretty much anything as long as it's ATF compliant. Anyhow, thanks! Oh and I see that the front sight is pressed in, left to right.

How close to Natchez are you?

Push in the plungers on either side and slide the elevator rearward a bit. That will release the spring tension on the elevator spring & plunger which is in the center of the elevator pressing forward in the raised tab of the sight guard.


Once you have the elevator slid aft a bit you pinch it like so to keep the side plungers in place and just lift it out of the guard.


Presto


Cheers
Bill

__________________
Because they don't make a .46

Thanks bill! I'm in Alexandria so that's a good drive for me. I bought my 4 wheeler in Natchez years ago. I have read the front sight is really tough to get out. I'm probably going to let trijicon change that for me. I have a glock that needs re lamping anyway.

You're quite welcome.
FYI the sights and that rear sight guard for that matter come off to the right side of the gun and go back on from the right side only. The dovetails have a slight taper to them so attempting to bump the sight off to the left will only get tighter and likely lead to some breakage.

What mod did you have in mind for the backsight? I installed a Trijicon SA02 set on my gun. You'll need a replacement windage screw & spanner nut to replace the slider on the backsight. The windage screw is a consumable part when changing or repairing the sight.

Cheers
Bill

__________________
Because they don't make a .46

I had no idea I'd need to replace the screw and nut. I also bought the SA02 set. Do you have any insight on removing the mag disconnect plunger and spring? I don't see any downside to removing it.

Yeah you have to break the screw to take the sight apart. I did a brief how-to tutorial on changing a S&W sight slider in post #7 in this thread 625-6 In for spa treatment

As far as the magazine disconnect goes, It doesn't bother me a bit, in fact, I prefer having that safety feature intact. FYI I carry a 3rd gen of some variant every day. In point of fact those are the only sidearms I carry.

In any event, if you are dead set on disabling that safety feature, you do so by bumping the sight guard off and removing the spring & plastic plunger from the recess on the left. The steel plunger & spring on the right is your inertia firing pin safety plunger don't remove that one.

Cheers
Bill

__________________
Because they don't make a .46

Got it thank you sir

I didn't realize there was a detent and spring on the windage screw. This is looking to be more work than what I orginally anticipated. Are you a gun smith or just an enthusiast?

I assume you're referring to the sight guard on his 4506? If so, the sight guard is only held in place by a 3/32" allen head base screw.

Once you loosen it the "winged" rear sight base/guard should come off with a slight tap as it sits flat on the top of the slide & over the access cover for the magazine & firing pin safety mechanisms.

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Adupuy, it's not very hard to do. You can make a spanner/forked wrench from a 1/4" drive flat tip bit or just use a tiny screwdriver to tighten the windage nut, then back off ~1/8 -> 1/4 turn.

You can flare the hollow end of the screw, where it passes thru the nut, with an appropriately sized punch & hammer, so it won't come off when adjusting the sight's windage.

It's basically the same procedure (see below) as for a S&W revolver rear sight blade replacement:

(FYI: The rear sight blade & it's windage screw are not the same as S&W revolver adjustable sights have even though at first glance they might appear so. (The diameter of the 3rd Gen's head is smaller than the revolver's, .185" -vs- .215"). However, the windage screw's nut is the same as the ones used on S&W revolver adjustable sights.)

S&W PN#s: 051070000 & 068480000, windage nut & screw, individually.

MidwayUSA PN#s: 672392 & 254171 respectively.

Smith & Wesson Rear Sight Windage Nut S&W 14 to 19 24 - MPN: 051070000

Smith & Wesson Rear Sight Windage Screw S&W 1006 39 - MPN: 068480000

(I'd suggest buying two sets of windage screw/nuts so you can have an extra if needed.)

As the diagram below shows there are a few springs & plungers to watch for (so you're not surprised) but if you're careful it's not difficult, if you're mechanically inclined.

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Waiting for the break of day

The entire adjustable sight unit, on my old duty gun 4506-1, moves slightly with thumb pressure. Left and right. Probably from striking the door on the Crown Vic getting in and out.

I heard from some LAPD guys that the allen head screw that holds the assembly on the slide can sometimes shear off. Especially on high round count guns. Thanks to all the instructions and diagrams in this thread, I think I will break it out and attempt to take it off and see what the problem is. Hope it is as simple as tightening up the screw.

Thanks to all for the valuable information! Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

Thank y'all very much. I really appreciate the information!

I just looked at my new sight set. It comes with a new windage screw and nut. How bout that!

A little closer look....



That's an 80 degree dovetail.


That capscrew merely secures the base laterally or in windage no different than the grubscrew on a Novak


It's the tight dovetail that holds the base down on the slide in elevation. If I had a sight base that could be moved about by finger pressure I would replace it.
Sight Base, Rear : SMITH & WESSON SIGHT BASE, REAR | Brownells

Cheers
Bill

__________________
Because they don't make a .46

Thanks for the pics. Obviously more vivid than my memory.

The fit on my 1006, when I repaired it, was minimal. It took nothing to tap it out once I removed the screw. Didn't strike me as much of fit. No where near what I've encountered on any other Novak sight I've removed, for sure.

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Waiting for the break of day

I'm trying to remove the sight guard now. Seems super tight

Yup, often times they are pretty disagreable to remove. Especially so if over the years some moisture or sweat wicked under there promoting corrosion welding.

Apply some good penetrating fluid and leave it overnight, I use Kroil for the most part, PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench also work quite well.

Clamp the slide firmly in a vise with soft jaws, even lined with thick cardboard will do to prevent marring the slide. You'll need some sort of drift punch, here I used a cutoff of delrin rod.


You can easily saw off a piece of a broomstick and use that as a punch. cut a flat to make the cross section into a "D" shape then hold it so the flat of the "D" is parallel to the bottom of the sight base...This greatly increases your contact area.

You'll want to take care to apply the blows to the bottom of the base. If you're not careful you can easily bent the side inward.

Cheers
Bill

__________________
Because they don't make a .46

Through my own stupidity I marred my slide on an otherwise pristine pistol. It was still new in the box. I'm pretty pissed at myself and i only got the base to move about 1/4 inch. I'm stopping while I'm ahead and taking it to the local gunsmith.

I'm sorry your having trouble with that...
USPS Small flat rate box $7.90
I'll gladly sort it out for you if you like.

Cheer
Bill

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Because they don't make a .46