M&P9L Performance Center Ported Front Sight Dirty

[deepriverman]

As much as I love my family hand me down S&W 38 special long nose, I recently purchased an M&P 9C for concealed carry with a crossbread kydex holster. Figuring I would utilize the same holster, I decided to get a longer barreled M&P 9 to get some friendly range competition time in with family. So I just purchased the M&P9L Performance Center Ported 5" barrel version which by some miracle was in stock at my local Gander Mtn store. Both work well with the holster. I shot the ported 9 side by side with the M&P 9C and I honestly could not tell that much difference in muzzle flip (sorry S&W). It does look cool though right . Now on to my actual point and question. My first 100 rounds went flawlessly with the exception that after 50 or so rounds my front factory site (white dot iron site) is covered in grey powder from the ported barrel and hard to acquire between the brilliant white rear site dots. Am I just going to have to bring a Q-tip to clean out the front site ever 50 rounds or has anyone else figured out a better solution? Suggestions or alternative site options?

 

[Bkreutz]

Just going to have to clean the front sight. You can mitigate the blowby buildup by playing with different powders (like CFE Pistol) but I haven't found any that don't foul the front of the slide and the sight quickly with any ported or compensated pistol. I use an optic (so I have no front sight) and have to clean the glass between each stage (less than 50 rounds).

 

[Wee Hooker]

Welcome to the world of ported handguns. What your experiencing is a common problem with them. ( Note some brands/models put the porting well in front of the front sight in order to minimize it.)

Your options would be :
1) replace the barrel with a non ported (factory or aftermarket) version. This will solve the problem forever. As you mentioned, you won't notice much difference in a 9mm anyway.
2) Replace the front sight with an all black one and leave it alone.
3) Be prepared to wipe the sight clean every couple of mags.

p.s. I generally upgrade my M&Ps to TruGlo TFO sights. I LOVE how bright they are in all conditions. Dawson Precision makes a nice FO sight as well.

 

[deepriverman]

q-tips in the gun bag

Thanks for the replies! For now, I will add q-tips to my gun bag!

 

[twistedracer]

What ammo are you shooting. WWB shoots dirty in my nines and 45's.

I've been shooting Blazer Brass 124 gr out of my M&P 9 PC. After 550 rounds my front sight is still white without any cleaning.
Mine is the 4.25" barrel not the 5".

 

[deepriverman]

What ammo are you shooting. WWB shoots dirty in my nines and 45's.

I've been shooting Blazer Brass 124 gr out of my M&P 9 PC. After 550 rounds my front sight is still white without any cleaning.
Mine is the 4.25" barrel not the 5".

Is yours ported? It is the ports that exhaust in front of the sight that dirties it. The sights on my M&P 9C never need cleaning either. As far as ammo, I used 115 grain. I am going to experiment with some 124 grain from different manufacturers, but at the end of the day, gun powder is gun powder.

 

[twistedracer]

Is yours ported? It is the ports that exhaust in front of the sight that dirties it. The sights on my M&P 9C never need cleaning either. As far as ammo, I used 115 grain. I am going to experiment with some 124 grain from different manufacturers, but at the end of the day, gun powder is gun powder.

Yes mine is ported but being the 4.25" barrel vs the 5" the ports are behind the front sight. I didn't realize that the 5" had the ports in front of the sight.

Gun powder is not gun powder. Some burn very dirty and others clean. I've found WWB to be dirty and inconsistent in both 45 acp and 9mm

 

[deepriverman]

When I say ported in front of the sight, I mean from the perspective of looking down the barrel to shoot it

 

[twistedracer]

When I say ported in front of the sight, I mean from the perspective of looking down the barrel to shoot it

Lol the only thing that gets dirty on mine is the darn barrel. Lots of scrubbing

 

[deepriverman]

Same here. I still love the gun though and look forward to getting a lot better with more practice at the range. I just ordered 1000 rounds of 124 grain american eagle and so hopefully it shoots a little cleaner.

 

[twistedracer]

You'll love her. I've had the 115's fail to fully cycle the slide now and then in cold weather. The 124's have been flawless in mine.
Here's mine.


http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...ked-up-my-m-p-9-pc-ported-fastfire-2-3-a.html

 

[deepriverman]

Looks great

 

[V0OBWxZS16]

The PC is based on the CORE. Put a red dot sight on it. This won't actually fix the problem, but you won't care.

You could also use a fiber optic front sight. It will be more visible than the no-longer-white dot. Dawson Precision makes them for the CORE pistols.

 

[deepriverman]

Thanks for the suggestion on the Dawson Precision optic sight. I wanted to install fibers on the performance center core that would still co-witness if I decide to go with a red dot sight at some point. The budget won't allow that just yet.

 

[JBONES]

Coming in late here, called and ordered Dawson FO sights my regular shield a couple days ago. Asked them out ordering FO for my front sight on my new performance center ported 9L, they said dont do it, as they the porting gasses will blow the fiber optic out.

But yet S&W is putting FO on the performance center ported shield? No sure what to think.

 

[notaliberal]

Coming in late here, called and ordered Dawson FO sights my regular shield a couple days ago. Asked them out ordering FO for my front sight on my new performance center ported 9L, they said dont do it, as they the porting gasses will blow the fiber optic out.

But yet S&W is putting FO on the performance center ported shield? No sure what to think.

After 900 rounds down range my FO remains intact on my 9mm Shield PC. In fact my handgun has performed flawlessly.

 

[JBONES]

After 900 rounds down range my FO remains intact on my 9mm Shield PC. In fact my handgun has performed flawlessly.

Llke the sounds of that.

 

[V0OBWxZS16]

Coming in late here, called and ordered Dawson FO sights my regular shield a couple days ago. Asked them out ordering FO for my front sight on my new performance center ported 9L, they said dont do it, as they the porting gasses will blow the fiber optic out.

But yet S&W is putting FO on the performance center ported shield? No sure what to think.

The ports are behind the front sight and at a 45-degree angle. It won't blow the front sight off.

 

[Bkreutz]

The ports are behind the front sight and at a 45-degree angle. It won't blow the front sight off.

Probably wouldn't blow the sight off, but it certainly will be covered with soot after a short time. The muzzle blast goes everywhere including the back side of the front sight. I use a red dot so it doesn't matter to me. I just have to clean the dot lens a couple of times a match.

 

[deepriverman]

I have not had any problems so far.

I have only put a few hundred rounds through my centerported 9L with the Dawson FO (front and rear) and have had no problems. And they do not get as dirty nearly as quickly as the standard iron white sites the gun came with. The fiber optic may dull slightly until cleaned, but because the fiber optic is more flush mounted (surfaced), it can be easily wiped at the range where as the indented white iron sites need a q-tip and even then, without cleaner, your white site becomes grey blending in with the rest of the black site within 25-50 rounds. So I would say the investment in the Dawson FO was well worth it. Even if the front optic eventually breaks, they ship with plenty of extra fiber optic if replacement is ever needed and more could be purchase as well.