Today I went in search of a 5906 in good/great shape to buy. I have always liked these older smith autos and decided to get one today. Instead I found a 659 in excellent shape. Does not even looked like it's been shot much at all. The price was fair so I bought it.

In doing some research, I see that the magazine disconnect (useless feature on any gun) can be removed. Unfortunately, the rear sight has to be removed for this to be done. It's an adjustable sight with huge ears protecting the sight itself. How is this sight removed? Thanks all in advance, and I look forward to shooting my first S&W auto that wasn't an M&P.

Haven't tried the adjustable sight removal, but congrats on the 659. I actually shoot it better than my 5906. Pics would be nice.

The 659 is a fantastic gun. I know that you will enjoy it greatly.

I have a 6904 with a mag disconnect and while I guess I would prefer to not have it, it doesn't bother me either way. Under what situation would you need to fire a handgun with a round in the chamber but no magazine?

To remove the sight....

There are three spring-loaded pins or plungers holding the adjustable sight body inside the ears. Depress the two small spring-loaded pins or plungers on either side of the sight ears, a straightened paperclip works well as a drift pin, then remove the adjustable sight body from the ears.

Be careful to contain the two spring-loaded pins or plungers or they will fly out as you remove the sight body from the ears. The third spring-loaded plunger or pin is at the very front of the adjustable sight body, be careful this doesn't fly out as well.

Once you have the adjustable sight body removed from the ears, you will see a small, hex-head nut directly on top of the ears...this nut holds the assembly to the top of the slide. Remove that.

The ears should then simply slide out to either side from the cut, or notch, on top of the slide. It's not a dove-tailed cut, as with regular drift-adjustable sights. The ears can be rather tightly set into the cut on the slide, and they might not just slide out. If the ears are in there tightly, they can be gently tapped out with not too much force. Again, be careful with the spring just below the ears as you remove the assembly from the slide.

The 659 is on the verge of becoming a collector piece.

These guns were only made for a short period of time.

Be careful if you muck with the innards, that you don't alter something such that you cannot restore it to "correct" configuration. Unlike the Browning Hi-Power, there is no significant improvement to the trigger-pull by removing the S&W magazine-disconnect feature.

Unless you REALLY think you will run into a situation where you only have one bullet, and you are missing the magazine, and your life is on the line, there is just no point in removing it.

...except if you are just so profoundly philosophically-opposed to the thing, that you can't bear to look at it, knowing it has that feature.

If you really want to start taking things apart, I recommend that you start with the firing pin. Every used S&W semi-auto that I've run across has a firing pin that looks like this, or worse.



I am philosophically opposed to magazine-disconnect features.
For serious defensive carry, I would not choose to carry a gun with that feature.
I'll admit to carrying a Glock 22 for defensive purposes.

But the Glock is Butt-Ugly.
Always has been,... always will.

Pretty guns are the ones you show to your friends.
Ugly guns are the ones you show to your enemies.

The 659 has a look that will turn heads for many years to come.

__________________
WWSSD?
What would Skeeter do?

It's up to the owner of the gun to decide how he prefers his gun. None of our business to question these motives.

To the point of the above-quoted question, in a self-defensive situation, the possibilities are endless. Why would one wish to hinder the ability of their firearm to fulfill its' mission under any circumstance.

As an example, the OP is in a wrestling match for control of the firearm and the mag release is somehow pressed and the mag gets dislodged. The OP is now holding a paperweight, it seems.

Yes, I have some pistols with the mag disconnect. I have more without this feature. Personal preference is for those without.