559 sight upgrade recommendations

[ameridaddy]

I've owned this 559 with factory windage and elevation adjustable sights since new about 1982.
At the time, 14+ round semiautos were relatively scarce, and police departments around here all had 6 shot revolvers for a duty weapon.
Later in the 80s, I had some problems with goings on in a 100 acre vacant property behind me. Several local cops didn't want to go into the woods ["can't leave my unit" they said] to investigate the gunshots and other things I'd seen and heard back there, until big John showed up and demonstrated his woodcraft before my wondering eyes. After his first collar, he told the dispatcher that he wanted all complaint calls from me. Over that summer, he made so many arrests (including felony arrests) back there in the woods, he was named rookie of the year in my local police department. During this time, he related a story where when off duty, he had to watch a robbery go down and do nothing because his young daughter was with him in the car, and he had only his 6-shot duty revolver and was outgunned by multiple perps with auto pistols and a shotgun. I offered him the loan of my 559, which he carried for about 4 years, even when he moved from patrol to the county SWAT team. After the county issued auto 9's, he returned it to me and told me it served him well, having been in two gunfights he stopped with it. He also told he learned his woodcraft in MACV-SOG. He retired and moved to Alaska, and that was the last I saw of him. I hope he's done well.

Anyhow, why I posted is that my old pistol is now a home defense gun, and I'd like to upgrade the 559's sights with something more visible to my old eyes, especially at night. Being a revolver guy and knowing little about Smith semis, I'm asking for your recommendations that will fit the existing dovetails w/o machine work.
What say you sages?

 

[VASCAR2]

Being this is a second generation with milled fixed front sight your options are limited. I like Tritium front and rear sights on my pistols which my department used on our 5904/6904 duty pistols.

Honestly a good hand held tactical light and training with it’s use goes a long way to mitigating the need for illuminated sights.


A gun Smith could mill a dove tail in the slide to accept S&W 3rd Generation front sight. Trijicon used to drill out the front sight to accept the tritium ampoule which mated up to the rear blade with two tritium dots.

It’d probably be better to just purchase another handgun as to go into the expense on a 559. I really think a good hand held light like a Streamlight ProTac L.E.D. and a 559 would make a good combo. I keep an L.E.D. light and electronic ear muffs close to my firearms. My long guns have weapon mounted lights but I trained using a flashlight with a pistol and prefer this technique.

Trijicon used to relamp old S&W 59 series Gen 3 sights. Trijicon doesn’t currently list the third generation S&W with adjustable sights. It couldn’t hurt to reach out to Trijicon to see if they would add sights to your slide.

403 Forbidden

 

[jsbethel]

You could source a 3rd gen 3904/5904/915 upper for easier night sight installation to use with your 559 lower thus keeping the original upper unmolested.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

Try Fusion Firearms . I've bought more than a few LPA adjustables from them , plus there's a sale going on . Another option is a red dot . I've had guzzitaco mount Sig Romeo's on my 45Recon and a 745 , and these eyes really appreciated that . Oh yeah , Fusion has a nice selection of S&W revolver sights also .

 

[ameridaddy]

You could source a 3rd gen 3904/5904/915 upper for easier night sight installation to use with your 559 lower thus keeping the original upper unmolested.

Is that a plug and play swap? It sounds interesting, but are there slide to frame fit work and barrel bushing fit/differences?

 

[jsbethel]

Is that a plug and play swap? It sounds interesting, but are there slide to frame fit work and barrel bushing fit/differences?

Usually, switching between 2nd and 3rd gen uppers and lowers presents no problems. But we are also talking about complete assemblies - just using your 559 barrel with a 5904 slide won't work.

 

[cougar015]

I struggled with the same train of thought with my Model 59 and 39's and after careful consideration, I bought a M&P in .40 S&W (9mm option) with night sights and added a crimson trace rail master laser and light combo to it. You want light, you have it. You want red dot laser, you have it. You want both at the same time, you have it. Beware all who lurk uninvited in the dark.

 

[guzzitaco]

I like the idea of the red dot.

A spare M915 or M5906 slide can be found for less than $170. An Optima/Tasco red dot mount is about $20 and a decent red dot about $90. I will always prefer a TDA gun than a striker fire, but it always depends on personal preference.


M5906 slide with an Optima/Tasco mount and a sig romeo zero red dot


M915 slide with an Optima/Tasco mount and a Holosun 507 red dot (mount had to be modified slightly for the Holosun pattern. Front sight is custom made)


M745 (Cherrypointmarine's) with an Optima/Tasco and a Sig room zero red dot.

Just some ideas...

hope this helps


Guzzi

 

[vactor]

any ideas where i can get one of these mounts for my 5906 that would work with a holosun?

 

[guzzitaco]

check CDNN

 

[guzzitaco]

check CDNN

still have a few

 

[Engine49guy]

The 559 was the steel frame version of the 459.
The second gen upgrade was they couldn't be drop discharged if dropped on their muzzle but the 3rd generation was the high water mark in the old tda SW 59 series guns, improved modern 3 dot sights mounted with dovetail cuts, simplified barrel bushing, 1 piece delrin monogrip.
I'd probably leave it as is , before I'd start throwing money at a heavy outdated gun I'd look at something more modern with fiber optic sites or one of those new fancy optics.

 

[Engine49guy]

Unless you are dead set against striker fired 9mm autos probably cost less to semi retire and replace the 559 with a polymer hi cap,
Noticed PSA has the 12 shot 9mm Ruger max9 with an optic sight for around $360 with 2 mags. Rugers warranty is supposedly very good last I heard and they are made in USA.
Just a moment...

 

[LVSteve]

This may not be what many wish to hear, but I suggest leaving the 559 alone and the OP purchase a new, or lightly used M&P with tritium sights or cut for an optic. The M&P comes in metal if you have the funds.

 

[datatech2550]

The Optima mount doesn't fit the adjustable sight slides. It is a dovetail mount and comes with a filler plate for the Novak cut.

I have two of them but personally don't like how high the dot sits above the slide. The transition to the dot has been much easier with a milled slide.

Honestly, I would suggest purchasing something already milled for a RDS. There are a number of handguns available for just about any budget.

Last year I picked up a Tisas PX9 Gen 3 Duty for less than $300 out the door. I just wanted something for the range to train on the RDS. It seemed nice enough and used P226 mags that I already had. I put 800 rounds through it with no problems, the green dot was a bit of a curve after 50 odd years of using irons but it is certainly easier on the old eyes.

Then my daughter in law claimed it.

I'm currently using a PSA Micro Dagger for carry. The RDS is low enough to allow the stock night sights to be easily visible when I fall back on old habits.

I still carry my 5903-TSW and I'm glad new Trijicon sights are available for it, but I gave up on using the Optima mount on it.

Sent from my motorola razr plus 2023 using Tapatalk

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I would get a spare slide and modify it, leave the original. I bought several spare slides, both fixed and adjustable, for my. M639 and 659 off EBay.

 

[VASCAR2]

I found a web site that sell pistol kits and they have several various S&W semi auto kits. These kits are all missing the frames so I suspect these were seized firearms ordered destroyed the court. I’ve read where some Agency destroy the frame and sell the remaining parts. Either way there is a fixed sight 459 kit for sale with all the parts except the frame. This would be a good slide to have milled for a red dot sight. You keep all the extra parts for spares for the 559. Here is a link. I have not ordered directly from this firm but have seen them recommended in the recently.





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