M&P R8 interchangeable front sight help

[themeat424]

Hello fellow smith fan boys. Today I picked up my new 327 M&P R8. For a couple years I have longed for that work of art, and today I finally took her home. It cost me a Beretta nano that I was having extraction issues with, and my 686. I sold the 686 privately and the gun shop gave me full store credit for the troublesome nano. Anyways, I have a small problem with my R8. I removed the front sight as a demonstration to a friend on how to change front sights, but now that little plunger that springs forward to hold the front sight in place is sort of stuck. It wont come fully forward to securely hold the sight. I shot some rem oil in there then blew it out with break free clp, but that plunger wont move fully forward where it needs to be. I also used a small punch and kept pushing on it to try and get it to come free. Anyone have any ideas on how to get that plunger unstuck? Thanks in advance!

 

[scooter123]

That plunger needs to be positioned towards the REAR of the revolver. Point the barrel up to allow the plunger to slide towards the rear, place the rear dovetail against the plunger, and then push sight and plunger to the rear and then drop the front dovetail under the retaining pin.

 

[themeat424]

I understand how to reinsert the sight, my problem is that the plunger is not moving back forward enough to securely hold the sight in place.

 

[badabing]

Resurrecting this thread as I picked up a new 686 SSR today and encountered a similar problem while trying replace the ramp sight with a Patridge foresight. In my case I had to remove the retaining pin in order to get the front sight out. I had to use some oil and a thin punch inserted from the hole at the face of the barrel to compress and release the spring and plunger until it came forward far enough to allow me to get it out. What I found was a lot of grit in the spring that had seized it and was preventing it from compressing fully. After cleaning the spring and the cavity and lubricating well I reinserted the spring and plunger and refitted the retaining pin. I was then able to fit the Patridge sight without further issues. Aside from this issue with the foresight, a slightly off centre crown and a few nasty burrs that I have cleaned up, I am very happy with this revolver, the timing is spot on, lock up is great and fit and finish is generally quite good. All in alll it is a pleasant improvement over my last Smith, a 686-6 purchased about 10 years ago.