Got Apex. Can't get rear sight off.

Oh geez. I didn't realize it was the same tool. Thanks for the heads up. Any words of advice before I attempt to use it?
 
Well, penetrating oil, perhaps some acetone to loosen up the red Locktite- there was in the set screw on my rear sight- and also some in the rear sight dovetail... judisious application of heat around the rear sight- as others have mentioned with the usual cautions... and punches. I don't think brass will do it- I think it'll take steel. As a matter of fact, I just flattened the tip of a Lowes 1/4" woodworking chisel that I wasn't too worried about losing- I flattened about 1/32 of the tip, to act as a punch with a flat edge. I am replacing my sights with Tritium sights, so am not too concerned about damaging the existing sights, though I really haven't... yet. These bit---'s are in there TIGHT!
Another caveat on the front sights- I had cushioned the blocks with some 1/8" thick strips of model aircraft plywood... it crushed those, and the pressure on the pusher actually tried to twist the slide in the blocks... crushing the wood, of course... nasty.
I will properly fit/ensure proper fit on the new sights, and will have to wait for the blade to come for the sight pusher to reinstall the new sights. I intend to use the sideblocks covered in duct tape to work on the front sights, due to the step in the sides of the slide. I got the full set of blocks with the tool, so I'd be set.... I'll lay them on a flat & solid surface- the receiver on the blocks, and drive them out the rest of the way with the 2 punches. I'm judiciously applying a bit of acetone between the slide/sights to soften up the Locktite... Hopefully that'll do the trick. Good luck.
Wes
 
epj said:
Did either of you consider properly fitting the rear sight so it could be installed relatively easily? Especially night sights just don't need to be beaten on with a hammer. Sorry you had a problem, but it was entirely avoidable.
Click to expand...

That guy was supposed to be a gunsmith. He's been there for decades. After he brought out my slides and I saw what he did to my Shield I just wanted to get out of there. He didn't even have the rear sight on my Compact centered. I had to do that when I got home. He mentioned filing the dovetail next time. What next time! He should have done it there!
This is the exact same reason I started tuning air rifles. I sent mine out to be tuned and they came back a mess. And the reason I work on my own cars.
I'm going to look at Brownell's for a dovetail file and replace my sights on my Shield. Should I size the dovetail on the slide or the sight?
By the way, I called Apex and talked to Steve. He offered to install the striker block and spring for free if I'd send the slide to him. If I could only go back in time.
Rob
 
Find another gunsmith.

Many sights these days are over-sized and require fitting. Especially sights made for the M&P line. Fitting a sight is no big deal, but you almost always have to do it.
 
Any filing should be done to the sight, unless there are obvious tool marks or burrs in the dovetail itself. Put the sight on a piece sandpaper on top of a flat surface and remove material from the base. You can take a little of the angled portion, but mostly just smooth them. The sight should go in a quarter to a third of the way by hand. If you read the owners manual, it specifically instructs you not to tamper with the rear sight. Any windage adjustment is supposed to be done with the front sight.
I design and manufacture sight pushers. I know mine will remove Shield sights, but it isn't necessarily easy!
 
Both M&P and epj have given you good advise. I've been a toolmaker for over 35 years and have seen a lot of people claim to be toolmakers,machinists and gunsmiths just because that's what their job title is. It just isn't so. If this "gunsmith" beat on a sight without first reworking the sight I would not take a gun back to him ever again. Follow epj's procedure and with patience you'll get it done.

Len
 
Well, I got the front sight out... but the rear sight is NOT coming out the way I'm going about it. Time to break out the Dremel with a cutoff wheel... will slowly and carefully work a slot across the center of the dovetail... funny thing is, looking across the sight/slide, you can see daylight across the dovetail almost all the way to the bottom of the dovetail... it's only the lowest .05" or so that's actually touching the front of the dovetail! Good thing I am not re-using the sights!!
Wes
 
Rear sight out, slide suffered no ill effects!! A cutoff wheel in my Dremel was the answer... clamped the slide down to a worksurface, and very carefully worked back and forth across the slide, making a wider groove than the cutoff wheel, so it wouldn't bind in the groove. Got almost all the way through- as far as I carefully dared- and the sight tapped right out with a punch.
S&W- it doesn't have to be this way!
Wes
 
Okay I updated that thread I talked about before. The tool worked GREAT for taking my rear sight off. No heat, penetrating spray... nothing. I am very happy with the results.
 
SpringGunTunes said:
That guy was supposed to be a gunsmith. He's been there for decades. After he brought out my slides and I saw what he did to my Shield I just wanted to get out of there. He didn't even have the rear sight on my Compact centered. I had to do that when I got home. He mentioned filing the dovetail next time. What next time! He should have done it there!
This is the exact same reason I started tuning air rifles. I sent mine out to be tuned and they came back a mess. And the reason I work on my own cars.
I'm going to look at Brownell's for a dovetail file and replace my sights on my Shield. Should I size the dovetail on the slide or the sight?
By the way, I called Apex and talked to Steve. He offered to install the striker block and spring for free if I'd send the slide to him. If I could only go back in time.
Rob
Click to expand...

Note, you do not file the slide. You remove material from the sights!

Or, avoid all of this work and just buy a sight pusher.


C4
 
MarTay6 said:
Rear sight out, slide suffered no ill effects!! A cutoff wheel in my Dremel was the answer... clamped the slide down to a worksurface, and very carefully worked back and forth across the slide, making a wider groove than the cutoff wheel, so it wouldn't bind in the groove. Got almost all the way through- as far as I carefully dared- and the sight tapped right out with a punch.
S&W- it doesn't have to be this way!
Wes
Click to expand...

Ugh. You shouldn't have modified your slide!



C4
 
Some Mp sights are very stubborn. there is a video on how they are installed. basically down with a hydraulic press.

if doing the punch method, a good vise and punch are neccesary. Vise nned to be be big with no movement when locked down. I have been using the alum punch that came with my dawson sights and it works great. it is square aluminum with flats cut in it.
 
S&W'S HYDRAULIC PRESS really pushes them in there.

My SMITH used 3 different sight pushers before we got it removed.

IT WAS A BEAR.

Some remove easier than others. GOOD LUCK.
 
I put my slide in a vice, banged the hell out of the sight with a BRASS punch... wouldn't budge.... used a heat gun on it... wouldn't budge... then I put a TON of heat on it (a real heat gun, not hair dryer... 2 settings.. on high)...

Then I hit it again with the brass punch and it finally moved. I was installing new sights not APEX so since I wasn't going to reuse them I didn't care if I marred them... but I still used brass because I didn't want to damage the slide if I slipped... you could put tape on the slide.
 
In case anyone missed this detail as stated in earlier posts... the sight comes off left to right as viewed from the rear. And goes on reverse of that.
 
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