I can't believe how tight this sight is.

[djh1765]

Guy's I need your suggestion. I can't believe how tight this sight is.

I have dealt with sights in the dove tails of Winchester's and Marlin's for 40 years and have never encountered anything like this.

I need to move the rear sight over to the right just a little. I have removed the screw and tried to drift it over using a brass drift but no go. I have wacked it pretty hard but it will not move.

Give me some suggestions, Please.

djh

 

[djh1765]

Guy's I need your suggestion. I can't believe how tight this sight is.

I have dealt with sights in the dove tails of Winchester's and Marlin's for 40 years and have never encountered anything like this.

I need to move the rear sight over to the right just a little. I have removed the screw and tried to drift it over using a brass drift but no go. I have wacked it pretty hard but it will not move.

Give me some suggestions, Please.

djh

 

[Guest]

I have wacked it pretty hard but it will not move.

Give me some suggestions, Please.

Wack harder....?

 

[bad_man_ one]

Make sure you go from left to right.
It should only come out the right side by design.
And check out THIS post.
Regards,
BM1

 

[Denver Dick]

What I do is put a little drop of Break Free (CLP) on each side of the rear sight and let is sit for a hour while I have dinner and check the S&W Forum. Then, I place the slide in a padded vice (big and heavy). I usually disassemble the slide to get the safeties out of the way. I then tap (sometimes with hard taps) the sight over.

Another thing I do before I start is stick a piece of masking tape across the slide just ahead of the front of the rear sight. I put a thin pencil mark at some reference point so I can tell how far I'm moving the sight.

Good luck,

 

[gmchenry]

If it doesn't have night sight vials, you can try applying some heat to it. Someone may have put loc-tite or something under the sight.

I had a heck of a time removing the front sight on my 1911SC. After it popped free, it appeared that S&W had put a drop of superglue underneath it.

 

[Guest]

I'd suggest a bit of Kroil and purchase yourself a "Sight Pusher" and do the job properly. You're also have much greater control over how much you are moving the Sight.

 

[SW CQB 45]

if you use oil, you will need to remove the entire sight and make sure your spring loaded plungers are not coated which will attract firing residue.

Heat may also distort your plastic plunger underneath the sight.

I suggest a sight tool.

if that is not an option, good support, mask your slide with masking tape for protection and as others suggested, whack harder.

 

[djh1765]

Guy's I went to the range and this is what I am dealing with.

The dot high and to the right was where I had to aim to get the impact I did.

I have tried to drift the rear sight over but with no success. I have no idea how to correct the shooting low with these sights. If I could get them off the gun I would put adjustable sights on but I don't want to damage the slid getting them off.

The sight tool as suggested above is cost prohibitive for just one sight. There must be another way.

Do you have any suggestions?

djh

 

[Fastbolt]

Why not just take it to a gunsmith and negotiate a decent price to avoid unnecessary damage to the slide?

If you lived near me I'd do it for you as a courtesy.

POA/POI issues can sometimes turn out to be other than suspected, though. I'm not saying that your case is, but thought I'd mention it.

I've seen any number of our folks who claimed to have 'elevation problems', and who brought me their pistols for 'repair', have pistols which shot just fine when I tried them. Sometimes I slipped dummy rounds into the magazines and made the shooters actually feel the anticipation of recoil and muzzle depression. I've found that most folks won't believe it unless they can experience it in a very obvious, albeit unexpected, manner ... without being distracted by actual recoil & muzzle blast.

Then again, it's not all that uncommon for S&W .45's to require some different front sight posts. Been there, done that. Adjustable rear sights can help, presuming the rear sight's adjustment allows for enough movement. I've used a couple of different adjustable rear sights on different S&W .45 pistols. At least one of them easily slipped into place with just finger pressure and it really needed the set screw. I prefer to have to fit the rear sight base, or at least have it tight enough to require a sight pusher. It's annoying when a rear sight base starts to slip and move.

Now, S&W sights are often pressed into place so tightly that it's rather amazing how much effort is required to break them free and start them moving. I once heard of someone who works at a well known gunsmithing service who reportedly described removing some S&W steel rear sights as sometimes being like having to hammer on them like the wrath of god. (One of their customers related that to me once.)

Even using a sight pusher can often require some effort to break a sight base free.

Obviously, heavily whacking night sights probably isn't the thing to do. Although I never damaged a set of night sights doing it the old fashioned way, which involved more 'fitting' than heavy-handed hammering, installing an increasing number of night sights is what finally made me spend the money on the sight pusher sold by the factory.

Well, that ... and the fact that I've become increasingly lazy when it comes to doing simple armorer maintenance and repairs.

 

[gmchenry]

Originally posted by Fastbolt:
Well, that ... and the fact that I've become increasingly lazy when it comes to doing simple armorer maintenance and repairs.

How much longer do you have to go before retirement?

 

[Fastbolt]

I could retire literally any day. That alone helps me hang onto what might be charitably called my remaining sanity.

All kidding aside, I'm probably going to wait until the end of the year, or shortly thereafter, to pull the plug.

I would be really, really happy if I didn't have to go back to work Monday because I was already retired, though.

I'm not one of those folks who are going to miss being in harness and regret leaving police work every day they're retired.

Interesting that you'd choose to pick that part of what I wrote and look at it that way, though ...

 

[gmchenry]

I've never met you guys, but I still care about you.

 

[djh1765]

Fastbolt:

I think you are right, in fact I know you are right. I sure do not intend to damage my slide so I will be taking it to a friend of mine Dave Clay with DRC Custom Guns in Alvarado, Texas. He's done a ton of work for me on my Marlin's.

I'll drop in on him Monday morning.

These pistols through me. I've been collecting Winchester's and Marlin's for 40 years and know them front to back, inside and out. But these pistols no.

Thanks for the good advice.

djh

 

[shawn mccarver]

Originally posted by djh1765:
Guy's I went to the range and this is what I am dealing with.

The dot high and to the right was where I had to aim to get the impact I did.

I have tried to drift the rear sight over but with no success. I have no idea how to correct the shooting low with these sights. If I could get them off the gun I would put adjustable sights on but I don't want to damage the slid getting them off.

The sight tool as suggested above is cost prohibitive for just one sight. There must be another way.

Do you have any suggestions?

djh

I see by the notes on your target you were shooting at 7 yards.

I would not make any adjustments based on anything but a 25 yard zero. If you are not able to shoot a "group" sufficient to figure out how to adjust the sight at 25 yards, then leave it be. The pistols are set up for a 25 yard zero, not a 7 yard zero.

Be careful that a minor windage or deflection difference is not the result of a shooting technique error or plain old "flinch," more properly called "anticipating the shot."

Summary: Do not sight in for 7 yards. Only move the sights to do a 25 yard zero.

The sights are mounted with a hydraulic press at the factory and every one I have encountered is nice and tight. Some have been so tight that the sight adjustment tool will not even work.

If you just have to sight in at 7 yards (not recommended), then send your sighting target back to the factory and they can make the necessary adjustments to BOTH windage and elevation. They have done this on numerous fixed sight revolvers for a good friend of mine, and it has usually taken only one trip back to the factory. Be sure you are sighting in for your CARRY load and NOT your range or practice load.

 

[djh1765]

Shawn:

Thanks for the advice. Next week I will do as you suggest and try it at 25 Yards.

As far as the flinch, I don't think that is the case but I could always be wrong.

As far as my loading I only load for carry in any of my Pistols or Revolvers. In my case one load does all.

I will post the results of the 25-yard target next week. I sure hope it works out that way. I do know I was hitting a 10-inch gong at 40 yards pretty consistently but I was aiming a little high and to the right to do it. After I figured that out it was pretty consistent.

Thanks and I will let everyone know how it works out. I really appreciate the advice from all.

djh

 

[presspics]

I feel your pain. I tried removing the rear sight of my 6906. That sight wouldn't budge at all!! I gave up rather than ruin the slide.

 

[djh1765]

Well, I feel better now, I got it to move. I built a jig to support both sides, wraped the slide in masking tape, clamped it in my vise and hit it with a brass punch.

It moved the first lick. I will say this, that spring is darn close to the edge of the slide.

Went to the range this morning. That fixed the up and down centering of bullet impact. Now to figure the hitting low problem. That's next.

djh