Well, I finally pulled the trigger and ordered some TFOs off Amazon for my 9mm Shield. I'm sure I'll be pleased with them considering how many people are running them on their Shields also. I have a question though, I'm entertaining the thought of buying this sight pusher tool to try to do it myself. It's at the following link.
Universal Hand Gun Sight tool - Home - El Cajon, CA

Now, does anyone know if the standard blocks that come with this tool work with the Shield, or do I have to order different ones from the site? And is this going to be worth buying considering how cheap the price is on it or should I just take it to a Smith and let him find out if the sights are damn near welded in place or not, cause if they are as tight as some people say, I don't know if I want to mess with it if that tool isn't going to work. I just hate being without my primary weapon for a period of time being at the Smith.

Get the Springfield XD version, as you'll want the stepped blocks for the front sight. I suspect removing the front sight without them would be an exercise in frustration, with the slide wanting to rotate in the tool with he amount of force you need to apply.

You may still need to use a punch and hammer to start the original sights moving if one or both are in exceptionally tight, but you need a pusher for tritium sights, and it makes minor adjustments for the rear sight so much easier.

I don't care if the factory sights get damaged. Once they're of they're never going back on. My front sight is missing half the dot anyways. I just wondered for the price is this tool too good to be true. But on the other side, for the price what do I have to lose? I should have my sights Tuesday so I might have an in with a local gunsmith, I might see what he can do too.

Has anyone who has put these sights in themselves had to fit them to the slide?

Please let us know how that pusher worked out for you. I really have no need for it, but as a toolaholic, it looks like a handy tool to have on a workbench. I was thinking of ordering it with all the block options. If the front sight need a little fitting check YouTube for information. A few strokes on some fine sandpaper usually get the job done.
BTW a friend just brought over his Shield with TFO's on it and it looked fantastic.

Yes, the sights do have to be fit to the slide- or may have to be, but this is not difficult to do. You simply run the bottom of the sights over a piece of 220/323 grit wet-or-dry paper and go until the sights will fit with about a 1/4" more to go. Don't overdo it- if it gets too tight, you can simply push the sight back out and sand a little more. If you reach a point where it feels like the sights stop and won't move- stop and back the sight back out and sand a bit more.
Yes on the Springfield blocks for the tool, and yes on the sight adjusting tool. He just started making a new tab for the tool that's hardened to Rockwell 40, and should serve you well. I tried cushioning my slide with 1/8" thin plywood strips, but they had too much give... suggest a couple thickness's of patch material- 1 or 2- or a piece of thin chamois. I had to cut my rear sight out with a Dremel handgrinder w/a cutoff wheel in it! Mine were probably the tightest of the tight that S&W did, but I got them out. Hope this helps! Work carefully... Oh, the setscrew is locktighted in... so be prepared to have to heat the sight around the screw- and perhaps use some canned air to freeze the screw.
Wes

BTW, I bought the tool with all 3 block options... never know what I might need in the future.
Wes

I have the sight pusher you linked too, and it works fine. Thats what I used to change out my shield and FS sights with. Although I did have to utilize a couple of small plastic shims, to get the front sight lined up, but it worked verty well for me.

Great, thanks for all of this information. By far the most helpful forum I've ever been on. I guess I have some thinking to do this weekend and I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

Decided to man up and attempt the sights myself, I ordered the Gunsmith Kit from Sightpusher.Com. Pretty decent value when it comes down to it I think. I mean, they're no Maryland Gun Works sight pusher but I think they'll do the job. And I'm sure I'll be putting sights on future gun purchases so why pay someone to do them when you can do them yourself? And I'd like to clean up the hole in the slide where the striker block is, I think it is contributing to some grittiness in my trigger. Here goes nothing.

Got my sights delivered today, and I can say that I'm impressed with how they look. Now I'm just waiting on the sight pusher. I can't wait!

I think I'm going to attempt to at least get the factory sights out tonight so its ready to go when the pusher gets here. With how many people say how tight the sights are, I don't know if I would want to even try to use the pusher to get them out, I'm either gonna punch them out or cut them. We shall see.

Use some type of lubricant on them now.

I use kroil and spray stuff about a day before I attempt to take apart.

3

If it gives me any problems punching them out, i'm just gonna cut them out. I don't care if the factory sights get trashed so no point in fighting with them if i don't have to.

Got the sights out. Used a tape wrapped punch and some PB Blaster. Almost got impatient and attempted to put the new sights is without the pusher but I told myself it'd payoff if I wait. Here's some pics, nothing special. Any tips for putting the new sights in beyond the obvious?

" Any tips for putting the new sights in beyond the obvious?"

Take your time.

Pad the sight tool where it contacts the slide so you don't have a metal-to-metal contact. (Tape, thick paper, thin cardboard, patch material, etc.) Not too thick, because you don't want a lot of "give". DO NOT over-tighten the clamp or you risk damaging the slide.

Build a shim that fits under the slide to support it at the proper height so the pusher misses the slide itself, but pushes on the base of the new sight. Tape it in position so you're not trying to juggle too many pieces when getting everything aligned and clamped. Keep that shim in case you have to have to change or adjust the sights again.

If its anything like the two I've done, the new front sight is likely to need quite a bit of filing/sanding/stoning on the bottom to get it to fit, while the rear may not take much at all.

Thanks. I test fitted the rear sight yesterday and it slid a quarter of the way in with no problem but I didn't test fit the front. I should have the pusher tomorrow at the earliest, Monday at the latest, I'm getting excited. This is the first major (kinda) work I've done to my firearms myself. I like being able to do things myself and not have to rely on someone else. I also took a small Dremel bit to the striker safety plunger hole in the slide to see if it gets rid of some of the grittiness in my trigger, which I've been wanting to do since I heard about doing that when I first got the Shield.

I know what else I wanted to ask, is there something I can use to keep the striker safety in place while I put the rear sight on?

It's not difficult to slip the sight over the button that holds the striker safety in- the sight should fit in at least that far by hand if it's fitted properly.
Wes

Your right, in my excitement I didn't even realize it did cover it. Thanks.

Hello, all --

I used the B&J Machine sight pusher from Brownells (P500 UNIVERSAL SIGHT TOOL | Brownells) and the Talon Tactical - S&W M&P Rear Sight Tool from Brownells (S&W M&P REAR SIGHT TOOL | Brownells) to remove the old sights on both of my Shields and to install Ameriglo night sights specifically for the Shield (actually made by Trijicon). No problems if you take your time, go slow, and use common sense.

I followed these instructions I found online:

"How to Install Sights on a Smith & Wesson M&P Handgun
Posted on October 1, 2011 by Seven Springs Armory

Many people have complained at the difficulty of installing aftermarket sights in their Smith & Wesson M&P semi-automatic handguns. We have found installing aftermarket sights into the S&W M&P to be a chore but have found the solution to this problem. Read on and we’ll go into detail how to accomplish this feat.

Changing the rear sight usually isn’t a problem. The rear sight on the M&P is a dove tail sight and uses a set screw to hold the sight in place. To remove the rear sight you will need an Allen wrench to loosen the set screw. Note that it is often very tight as Smith & Wesson applies thread locker (aka Locktite) to the set screw. Once the set screw is loosened we recommend using a sight tool to remove the sight and install the new sight. With the rear sight removed install the new sight. The easiest way to align the rear sight properly is by removing the firing pin cover in the back of the slide and lining the sight up with the firing pin. Once the new rear sight is in place tighten down the set screw until it is tight. We recommend applying “blue” Locktite to the set screw prior to tightening the screw; the Locktite will help ensure that the set screw doesn’t loosen up from firing the gun and help ensure that the rear sight doesn’t drift.

Changing the front sight is where the real problem lies.

First, you will need to remove the factory front sight. To remove the factory front sight use the sight tool to remove the slide. Be sure to remove the sight by sliding it out of the dove tail toward the ejection port side of the slide. Failure to remove the front sight from the ejection port side could cause damage to the dove tail notch in the slide.

With the factory sight removed you can try to install the aftermarket sight. Use the sight tool to slide the sight into the dove tail from the ejection port side. Again, failing to install the sight from the ejection port side could cause damage to the dove tail notch in the slide. We recommend applying a small amount of cutting fluid to the notch to help get the sight into position. If the new aftermarket sight will not slide into the dove tail notch you will need to read on.

If the new aftermarket sight, using a sight tool, will not slide into the dove tail notch you will need to file the sight down so that it will fit into the dove tail notch in the slide on the Smith & Wesson M&P. To do this we recommend that you use a micrometer to measure the width of the factory sight. Typically the factory sight measures .2575 inches. We often find that aftermarket sights measure .2675 inches when we use the micrometer.

To file the new aftermarket sight you will need to use cutting fluid and a triangle metal file. Remember that metal files only cut on the forward stroke. We recommend that you file the new aftermarket sight equally on each side of the dove tail until the new sight measures .0025 inches larger than that of the factory sight. Apply a drop of cutting fluid to the surface of the sight once every ten file strokes. Once the new sight measures only .0025 inches larger than the factory sight it is time to install the sight into the slide of the S&W M&P handgun.

NOTE: Do not file the new sight to anything less than .0025 inches larger than the factory sight. Doing so may result in sight drift after firing the Smith & Wesson M&P.

Now to install the front sight apply one drop of cutting fluid in the dove tail notch on the slide and use a sight tool to install the new aftermarket sight. Remember to install the sight from the ejection port side.

Now you may be saying to yourself that you don’t have a micrometer, metal files, cutting fluid or sight tool. A universal sight tool will run about $150, micrometer $20-200 depending on the type of micrometer purchased, a triangle metal file will run $3-5 and cutting fluid will cost approximately $5. The other option is to have a gunsmith install your new sights or you can send your slide to us along with your new sights and we’ll install them for $25. You can also purchase sights from us and we’ll install them for free, all you have to do is send us your slide.

For more information about our sight install services please call us at 480-779-0319, send us an email at [email protected] or visit our website at www.sevenspringsarmory.com."

I hope this helps. -- Ron

For years, we oldies dreamed of sights that would not scrape leather on presentation. Then we got Novak. Now, a whole generation wants to go back to sights with a Patridge like front blade.

For years, we criticized Glock for plastic sights despite the fact that they are really easy to replace, fit tightly in the dovetails, yet are easy to remove. We got steel as a factory option and steel night sights. Now, a whole generation wants to go back to sights with a skeleton frame and a bunch of plastic inside.

We seem to have collective amnesia or schizophrenia or something.

I think there is some confusion here. I do not HAVE a website and I do not install sights or have any business, gunsmith or otherwise, that does.

The web site mentioned in my post was one I found several months ago and saved the instructions they had posted on their site. I only cut and pasted their instructions, with their website, into my post to share their instructions with others because I found them useful when I installed my own sights, myself, on my own Shields.

I'm sorry I can't help further. I'm also sorry that I posted the information that I did -- only trying to pass on some information to other Shield owners -- won't do that again.

If you want to reach Seven Springs Armory, you could try calling the phone number in the quote I pasted into my post (480-779-0319). Maybe Seven Springs Armory is still in business and can help you. I really don't know anything about them, I never contacted them, or used them at all for anything. I only found their instructions online about a year ago and saved them for my own future use, and then I pasted them into my post today, just to help out other Shield owners who wanted to install their own sights.

Good luck to all with your Shield sights. -- Ron

I thought the info was useful. You keep right on posting!

Pusher came in today, got the sights in. They look great. Will post pictures later tonight. Thanks you all again for the great info.

I got this: MGW Sight Pusher - S&W Shield
This thing is built like a tank!

Not too bad getting the factory ones out and the new ones in. I had an issue with the sight pusher, one of the stepped XD blocks that goes on the wingnut side has a hole in the back of it to go on the screw that tightens the slide down, but the hole is off by a couple millimeters and doesn't sit on there correctly. I had to use the regular slanted square blocks. And to do the front sight, I had to take the bottom spacer block off in order to fit the slide and the sight in there and it wasn't how it was supposed to be done but it had to do with how I could figure out how to use it. Anyone know what I can use for a small scratch on the rear sight from the pusher? It's so small it's almost not worth messing with, but would be nice if I could put something on it. All in all, definately not worth sending it to someone to do if you don't mind doing it yourself. If anyone has any insight on how to properly use the sight pusher, send me a PM, would appreciate it. I'm going to have to contact the manufacturer of the tool to see if he can get me a XD block that fits the screw.

Black sharpie?

I didn't know if you could use a bluing pen or just use black paint. If it comes down to it I'll use some flat back auto paint.

Aluminum Black Birchwood Casey: Finishing Details

I had a gunsmith try to adjust the front sight on my shield, he could'nt budge the sight and in the process mangled up the sight a bit and scraped some finish off. He touched it up with a cold black pen made by Birchwood Casey I believe, I can't tell it was ever scratched and I've cleaned the gun several times and the finish is staying put. The gun shop at my range sells the pens for $7.00.

Awesome, I'll see if I can did either of those locally. Thanks.