My S&W 627-5 Pro Series has this type of pinned front sight. From what I have searched online, it seems the tool that is needed to remove the pin is a #54 wire gauge drill bit. However, I am not entirely convinced that I need a drill bit. Can't I just use a small punch to drift out the roll pin?

Are you sure that's not one of the spring loaded front sight blades? Just push it straight back and pop it out.

Looks like scooter123 wrote it up well in this link... you do NOT remove the pin... put the hammer down.

627 Front Sight

I haven't picked up the hammer yet. Thanks guys. So what do I do? Are you guys saying that I DON'T have this so-called "pinned" front sight?

Edit: mayuhm, sorry, I didn't read the link you provided before asking the question. Thanks again to the link to scooter123's post. Great info.

Look at the muzzle of your gun. If there's an "empty" hole just above the bore, in the front of the sight ramp under the front sight, you have the REPLACEABLE front sight. Your pic looks like the replaceable front sight.

With the replaceable front sight you push it back and lift the front edge. They can be stubborn. You can't lift the front until the sight's pushed "back" far enough. You DO NOT remove the pin.

There's a spring and plunger you're pushing the sight back against. Sometimes it helps to go into the bottom of the sight hole (above the bore) with a small jewelers screwdriver to reach in under the sight to help depress the plunger.

To remove the PINNED front sights you use a cup tip punch or a roll pin punch depending on if your gun has the sold or roll pin pinning the front sight.

PS. The #54 drill bit you mention is for drilling pinned front sights, NOT pushing out the pin. The new front blades have to be drilled. The originals are drilled in place.

Just a few thoughts. I have 2 5" 627-5's and had a 4" Pro.

These guns seem to have oddball sight heights just like 617's.

I like to use the (tall) .160 rear blades because they have deeper notches that work better with FO (or gold bead) fronts. That requires a .200 tall front. No-one (I'm aware of) other than Protocall Design Custom S&W revolver front and rear sights-LOCKED DUE TO LENGTH - Protocall Design - Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo! makes one. His site doesn't list a .200 Classic (replaceable or interchangeable) but he will make them if asked.

I'm not aware of a .200 gold bead front.

The Protocall fronts are great. .100 wide and plain black or FO.

With the .200 / .160 sight combination my usual 158 gr bullet USPSA load has the rear sight almost bottomed, 125 gr steel loads have the rear moved up higher.

With a .250 front I had to run a .196 rear. Yes there is one... but it's not available in a WO, blue only. Bowen makes the best WO rear sight assy but their tallest is the same height as a S&W .160.

Just FWIW.

tomcatt51: great posts. Thanks to you guys and the S&W forum.

What I want to do is to put a fiber optic front sight on this gun. I measured the sight height, it was .230. I looked up Dawson Precision and I think I am going to use the .240T/.100W (050-684) model. I know it is higher than what I measured but I had problem with getting the exact height from Dawson for my 1911 in the past. The front sight was a bit too low and my 1911 rear sight almost ran out of adjustment. I figure this time a taller front sight might give me more room to play with, besides Dawson has excellent exchange policy if .240 appears to be too high.

I removed the cylinder and put the frame on a padded vise - removing the front sight turned out to be an easy job.

Factory Front Sight


Front Sight Slot:

Quick change sight, nice & easy.

Let us know what blades you order & the part #s.

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Waiting for the break of day

It's supposed to be but sometimes you just have to swear at them a bunch and give them some "assistance"...

I usually do some work on the lower front surface of the "dovetail" with a small round file so the sight will come forward so it's flush with the front muzzle/ramp surface.

In your pic the OEM sight is sitting "back" a bit.

Just an update: