4516. Two Questions

[Stu1205]

I am hoping someone here will have the answers.

1. On my 4516, the front sight is loose. It is a white dot sight,
and it slides out to the right very easily. It is tighter if pushing
it to the left. What is the best way to secure it so it won't slip
out when shooting or carrying it? Would you recommend using
locktite, bring it to a gun smith, or send it to Smith & Wesson?

2. The magazines all have the finger rest at the bottom.
Are there any magazines made for the 4516 with a flat floor
plate that is flush with the bottom of the frame?

Thanks in advance for any insight you might be able to offer.

Stu

 

[Mack]

For the front sight peening or staking should work, and with the mags the 4506 baseplate is flat and interchangeable.

 

[BMCM]

1. On my 4516, the front sight is loose. It is a white dot sight,
and it slides out to the right very easily. It is tighter if pushing
it to the left. What is the best way to secure it so it won't slip
out when shooting or carrying it? Would you recommend using
locktite, bring it to a gun smith, or send it to Smith & Wesson?

Your front sight being loose makes me think of a few potential issues. First that your sight is may be an incorrect part for the 4516. Second that the front sight has been improperly fitted by over filing the base thus making it loose in the dovetail. And lastly the the dovetail cut in the slide has been enlarged possibly by filing. Either way, an unmolested factory front should be a very tight fit in the dovetail cut and I mean VERY tight. That's what leads me to believe there may be something else going on here.

I'd pop that sight off of there and look for tool marks both on the bottom of the sight base (indicated by absence of the black finish) and on the dovetail cut in the slide.

I've got a secondhand 4566 that came to me with a damaged front dovetail cut in the slide, I've had good results fixing a sight in that slightly loose dovetail using loctite 290 Green. This is the MilSpec wicking grade threadlocker for use on already assembled parts. Make sure the sight and dovetail are clean & free of any oil or contaminants. Clean the parts with a little alcohol or acetone. Once dry of the solvent, drive the sight to right where it needs to be then apply the juice.

If you do find that your front sight has been filed causing the poor fit, I have some spares around here and I'd be happy to send you one.

Cheers
Bill

 

[vigil617]

Hey Master Chief,

Thanks for the heads up on the Green Loctite product, which is a new one on me. I've used both the red and the blue in the past, but didn't know there was a green for the wicking application. Cool! Does the green permit later removal, like the blue, or is it more or less permanent like the red?

 

[BMCM]

The 290 is medium strength adhesive like 242(blue) but with very thin viscosity which helps with it's wicking properties. You can pull it down the same as 242... Brute force it or apply a little heat.

Here's another one you may not know about: Loctite 222MS(kinda pinkish purply), This is low strength for little tiny fasteners like the grub screw on the Novak backsights.

Cheers
Bill