M&P22 - excessive rear sight adjustment?

[rdtompki]

My wife's M&P 22 is dead-on with the rear sight centered laterally. My M&P 22 requires that the rear sight be moved to the right just to the point where the dovetail is at the end of the cut in the slide. This was true with the stock sights and is also true with the Dawson sights that I just installed.

The strange thing is that the SiteLite SL-100 boresight laser shows the sights to be almost dead-on when the rear is centered.

This isn't necessarily a problem, but does anyone have an idea what might be going on between static laser-based boresighting and range performance (same freehand and from a rest - It's not me)?

I'm wondering about the fixed barrel design having something to do with what I'm seeing, but I really don't have a clue.

 

[Tinn-Can]

Mine is fine windage wise, but shoots high even with the sight bottomed out so who knows how square the barrels are to the slide... I usually adjust the front sight for windage on pistols.

 

[Prasko]

Have someone else shoot it to verify it's not you. In fact, have several people shoot it.

If it's still off, I would contact S&W.

 

[tectrry]

My wife's M&P 22 is dead-on with the rear sight centered laterally. My M&P 22 requires that the rear sight be moved to the right just to the point where the dovetail is at the end of the cut in the slide. This was true with the stock sights and is also true with the Dawson sights that I just installed.

The strange thing is that the SiteLite SL-100 boresight laser shows the sights to be almost dead-on when the rear is centered.

This isn't necessarily a problem, but does anyone have an idea what might be going on between static laser-based boresighting and range performance (same freehand and from a rest - It's not me)?

I'm wondering about the fixed barrel design having something to do with what I'm seeing, but I really don't have a clue.

Mine is just like yours. I just kept adjusting it until it was dead on and now the rear sight is about as far to the right as it can go.

 

[robkarrob]

Bore sights can be off and not accurate. Like anything they could have minor manufacturing defects or were assembled improperly. Bore sights are to get it close, and then after actual shooting, you make the final adjustments.

Having someone else shoot the gun, to determine if the gun is off, or the shooter is off, is an option. But the important thing to consider is if your shooting is causing POI issues and not the gun, then adjust the sight so that your point of aim and the point of impact are the same. You do not want your shooting to suffer if you have poor trigger or gun control, and have the sights set for someone that has good trigger and gun control. Sure it would be great if you have perfect control, but not everyone can do it.

In the game of golf, very few amateurs have swings that look like the professionals. I play golf and even with lessons I cannot achieve that perfect swing. But I can still play golf using my own swing, which may not be perfect. Work on your shooting technique and adjust the sights so the bullet impacts where you aimed, when the gun fires.

Bob

 

[rdtompki]

I'm going to my wife's lesson this am and I'll ask the instructor to put a 10 rounds through my 22, but while my groups aren't 1" at 7 or 9 yards, I can shoot my wife's M&P22 and our M&P 9 and 40 pretty credibly; it's only my 22 that required this sort of sight adjustment.

I certainly understand manufacturing tolerance. I haven't calculated the angle corresponding to the sight adjustment, but it's got to be somewhere north of 1/2 degree which is excessive. In the end it doesn't matter much as long as I've got my POA and POI close.

 

[Jiman]

Is it possible to drift your front sight on a M&P 22?

If so to avoid having your rear pushed all the way to the right, you could adj your front sight in conjunction with rear adjustments. In theory that should mean the rear sight adj should only be half as much.

Front sight goes opposite the direction of impact (I.e you want the bullets to impact right, move the front sight left)

 

[OKFC05]

As long as the sights shoot correctly within the adjustment range, don't expect S&W to give you a new gun. I put the slightly taller Dawson front sight on mine to center the elevation adjustment since I wanted to change to FO anyway.
I can shoot 1" groups with it, but when some of my beginner students try it, they can't even hit the head of an IDPA target at 5 yds; that's why I start them on a paper plate stapled to the center of the target as the bull. They don't know trigger control yet.

 

[Louchia]

If moving front and rear sites does not satisfy, I would try removing and resetting the barrel. Might help.

 

[WilliamG]

Is it possible to drift your front sight on a M&P 22?

If so to avoid having your rear pushed all the way to the right, you could adj your front sight in conjunction with rear adjustments. In theory that should mean the rear sight adj should only be half as much.

Front sight goes opposite the direction of impact (I.e you want the bullets to impact right, move the front sight left)

Second this. My M&P .22 isn't dead on from the factory, either, and required doing just that, as the amount of movement on the rear sight was just ridiculous. Moving the rear in conjunction with the front is very simple.

 

[rdtompki]

Second this. My M&P .22 isn't dead on from the factory, either, and required doing just that, as the amount of movement on the rear sight was just ridiculous. Moving the rear in conjunction with the front is very simple.

Definitely going to do that at home. My initial adjustment was at the range and the allen "wrench" for the rear sight was a bit easier to handle The front is .050" and would be very easy to loose on a distressed wooden firing bench.

 

[Jiman]

When making sight adjustments, before you start, take a pencil and draw a short line from the slide onto your respective sight.

That line will serve as a witness mark reference so you're not blindly adjusting back and forth. Heck you could even make a line each time you adjust to give you an idea of how far each sight moved. It doesn't have to be straight. All you're looking for is the point at which your slide and sight come together. The reason I suggest a pencil is because it won't damage any finish that I'm aware of, is durable enough to stay on during the adjustment process but relatively easy to wipe off.

I only say this last thing cause I see it so often, but take at least a 3 shot group between adjustments...preferably 5, or else you risk chasing your rounds left/right all day long and getting frustrated. And since you have an idea of where your shots were before you cranked the sight all the way over, consider adjusting your rear only first @ half the distance before you mess with the front. Messing with both at the same time can also lead to a frustrating experience.

 

[Jhm4040]

I had a similar problem with my mp 22. When I eyeballed the front sight, it was clearly off center.
Also, I didn't like the black rear sight-my old eyes need more light- so I bought some Williams fire sights that I love. I can put a good sight picture on target much faster now.
John

 

[Peter5665]

I have exact same problems. Shooting high and left even I lower the rear sight to the lowest. As you mentioned you bore-sight it, I wonder if it has something to do with barrel muzzle crown then.
I sent to S&W 3 times and still trying to have it fixed. I have 4 different people at the range confirmed the issue. I hope you get yours fixed soon.