anyone deal with a hard to fit 10-8 rear on a Shield?

[SW CQB 45]

I like 10-8 rear sight. They are on most of my defensive carry pieces.

I bought one for my Shield.

Let me start from the beginning. When I first got my Shield.....hated the 9lbs trigger break. Bought the Apex kit and had a very difficult time removing the rear sight. I bought a sight press from epj on the forum and the sight was so tight the press actually gouged a heavy mark onto the sight.

I had to reduce sight dovetail dimensions for an easier install.

Fast forward to last night. The sight would not start square and wanted to turn with the taper of the dovetail body. Holding the slide and sight up to the light....the sight does not sit flat on the base. The back of the sight base shows light however there is contact with the slide on another corner which means reducing the bottom of the dovetail on the sight will have no effect. I will try and snap a pic later today.

I pulled out the calipers and the 10-8 dovetail is .015" larger than the factory dovetail base. And the steel on the 10-8 is very hard and I don't have a proper file.

I really think my slide rear sight dovetail cut is on the other end of the spectrum based on the difficulty I had removing the factory rear.

I really want this 10-8 on my Shield.

Anyone run into this issue and your fix?

I don't want to hone on the slide but I may need to reinstall my factory sight and find the correct install method for my situation.

Thanks for looking

 

[SW CQB 45]

here is the pic

if you notice the daylight on the back side of the dovetail and the very inside edge of the sight is up against the opposite slide edge.

big
Hunting Pictures - unnamed7

 

[Fastbolt]

If it were me, I'd return that rear sight and ask for another one. Email the company that pic.

FWIW, I've seen more improperly cast or machined rear sights than I have out-of-spec slide dovetails (although we had to have a brand new 4006TSW slide replaced due to an out-of-spec dovetail cut).

 

[SW CQB 45]

your gonna say I told you so.

I bought the sight used.

It does not appear beat up or modified.

it was installed on another shield and removed and sold to me. There is evidence a sight pusher put this sight on by a slight mark on the dovetail area. I see nothing out of the ordinary on this sight.

thanks FB….probably going to order a 60 degree file with two safe edges and try and fit.

 

[Doug M.]

Hilton is good people and if you tell the problem he can and probably will give you some assistance in getting this done right.

 

[SW CQB 45]

I know Hilton (attended his 1911 armorers class and trying to host an advance class were I work) and I wanted to avoid contact because I don't want him to feel obligated to send me a replacement since I bought used.

I really think a replacement sight will meet the same fate.

If I don't get anything here…I will contact him.

I put the factory sight back on and will save this project for a cold rainy day.

thanks again

 

[Fastbolt]

your gonna say I told you so.

I bought the sight used.

Nope. BTDT. It is what it is.

Is it even a sight from that company intended to be used in a Shield slide, or did someone just take a sight for another model and "make it fit" in theirs?

I've had to really modify a rear sight base in order to get it to fit in a slide at one time or another. Not very often after the sight & gun companies started making things to tighter tolerances, but often enough to make me realize I didn't like doing it.

I recently had another armorer ask me to help installing a major name rear sight in a G17 that belonged to another one of our guys. His new "fits all" sight pusher couldn't get an optimal positioning to even start the base into the dovetail. I had to use a different pusher (after starting the night sight base carefully, using a plastic mallet to start it), and then some patience (repeated 1/8 turns & backing off) in order to get the sight installed. It fit, though. No light gaps or weird angles. Just TIGHT when it came to the tolerances between the slide's dovetail cut & the sight base.

I've also had a chance to see what happens when even a great gunsmith has to try and fit different angles on front dovetails and sight post bases, though. I can think of 5-6 1911's which eventually had the front posts snap off, under tension and a lot of recoil pounding.

So ... was it really a bargain, or did you get a "good deal" on a used car?

You have my empathy, though. Like I said, BTDT.

 

[SW CQB 45]

The sight is a legitimate 10-8 sight in the bag with the Allen wrench.

It was a decent price compared to new plus shipping.

I have files that I have used in the past to fit sights.....but my files are old and have no cutting abilities on this sight steel.

I will give it some thought....order a file and maybe contact 10-8 for guidance. I don't want to hone on the slide.

Take care

 

[Fastbolt]

I will give it some thought....order a file and maybe contact 10-8 for guidance. I don't want to hone on the slide.

Yep. Sights are relatively inexpensive in the overall scheme of things.

Slides aren't.

Avoid filing the expensive part to get the inexpensive part to fit.

 

[Danno_man]

http://quacksgunstuff.blogspot.com/2012/01/fitting-rear-sight.html

http://quacksgunstuff.blogspot.com/2011/02/replacing-sights-on-springfield-fixed.html

Not a Shield, but how I fit 1911 sights.



Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[SW CQB 45]

thanks for the page Danno.

that is what I envisioned.

the file is pricey at 38 bucks but if I want the 10-8 on the Shield….got to order.

take care

 

[Fastbolt]

Just remember to keep the dovetail angle (decreasing size going from right-to-left) in mind when filing.

 

[SW CQB 45]

Will do. I will place a brownells order soon and hope for a cold day when nothing is going on.

 

[Danno_man]

Haven't looked at the M&P, but I use a Nicholson 60 degree file from home depot.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Danno_man]

BTW, are they sure they sold you a used Shield sight?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[SW CQB 45]

the insert in the bag is marked shield.

it also has the tapered face.

 

[Danno_man]

Never mind........

 

[SW CQB 45]

 

[Cartero]

M&P Sight Install, Complete - YouTube

The EZE LAP diamond hone used in this installation video (they use the medium one) is available on ebay for under $8 including shipping. My rear sight took a bit of honing to get it to fit on my full size .45. Mine went in flat though. There was no gap like in your photo. Good luck

 

[Crypto]

From the 10-8 web site:

***DUE TO THE WIDE VARIATION IN M&P DOVETAIL SIZES, OUR SIGHTS ARE OVERSIZED AND WILL REQUIRE SOME FITTING. The sights are finished in black salt bath nitrocarburizing, which produces a hard surface finish similar to the factory slide, and will not respond to a normal file. We suggest using a diamond hone or file. If you are not familiar with how to properly fit and install a dovetail sight, we suggest that you seek the services of a *qualified* gunsmith. We are not liable for damage to the sights resulting from improper installation.