Remedying Revolver Loose Rear Sight Blade

[TTSH]

The white outline rear sight blade on my Model 19-3 (Serial #42K6xxx) is loose. I can wiggle it back and forth at the top edge much more than the rear sights on my other S&W revolvers. I'd like to fix that looseness. The gun was bought used so I don't know its history. It is otherwise in excellent condition.

Question: Would replacing the white outline rear sight blade and associated parts with this kit be likely to solve my looseness problem? Or is it more likely that I'll need a whole new rear sight?

Thank you!

 

[BMCM]

The flappyness in your slider is likely due to the spanner nut not being tightened properly before it was staked. You might see if you can turn the nut any. If you can tighten it a little to take up the slack and re-stake it might solve your issue.

Otherwise a slider kit like you linked will do, or... If your slider is still in fine shape you just need a new nut & windage screw to use with your existing slider.

Cheers
Bill

 

[TTSH]

The flappyness in your slider is likely due to the spanner nut not being tightened properly before it was staked. You might see if you can turn the nut any. If you can tighten it a little to take up the slack and re-stake it might solve your issue.

Otherwise a slider kit like you linked will do, or... If your slider is still in fine shape you just need a new nut & windage screw to use with your existing slider.

Cheers
Bill

Thanks very much Bill! I'll try that first thing in the morning.

 

[Hondo44]

If the nut doesn't wiggle with the blade, most of my Smith sight blades wiggle like that somewhat, depending on the width of the groove compared to the thickness of he blade.

When they're real loose I peen the edges of the groove with a sharp shouldered piece of steel the width of the groove, maybe 5/8" wide. Tap on it behind the blade and in front. To close up the gap a bit. I put the sight in it's lowest position to take the pressure of peening off of the elevation screw threads.

 

[Alk8944]

The slight back & forth movement of the rear sight slide, not slider, has little effect on sighting and is not an issue. Tightening the windage screw nut will do absolutely nothing except causing binding of the windage adjustment. The reason for the looseness is the width of the slot for the slide in the sight leaf and nothing that can be adjusted! Yes it can be peened as Hondo44 mentioned, but there is a real possibility of damaging the sight leaf, and there is no reason to do it.

 

[Hondo44]

Alk is right, even if the nut is loose, the detent in the head of the windage screw would keep the sight blade from wiggling; it's just turning on the screw threads when it wiggles.

The windage jam screw against spring tension on a less sophisticated sight like the Rugers and pre war Smith sights have an advantage of the blade not being able to wiggle.

 

[TTSH]

Thanks to everyone for the additional replies! To BMCM first, I could not find my 100 piece bit set this morning. The damn thing must be in my large tool chest in the back of the garage, which I can't reach right now. Unless the good wife has a better idea of where it might be, I'm out of luck until I can locate another #4 Spanner bit.

If the nut doesn't wiggle with the blade, most of my Smith sight blades wiggle like that somewhat, depending on the width of the groove compared to the thickness of he blade.

When they're real loose I peen the edges of the groove with a sharp shouldered piece of steel the width of the groove, maybe 5/8" wide. Tap on it behind the blade and in front. To close up the gap a bit. I put the sight in it's lowest position to take the pressure of peening off of the elevation screw threads.

I understand that the wiggle is normal to some extent. This one particular revolver is worse than what I consider normal. None of my other S&W revolver rear sight blades are anywhere near as loose. Some I can't hardly move at all. I may not be fully understanding the fix that you are recommending, but it sounds like something I should leave to braver and steadier men than moi.

The slight back & forth movement of the rear sight slide, not slider, has little effect on sighting and is not an issue. Tightening the windage screw nut will do absolutely nothing except causing binding of the windage adjustment. The reason for the looseness is the width of the slot for the slide in the sight leaf and nothing that can be adjusted! Yes it can be peened as Hondo44 mentioned, but there is a real possibility of damaging the sight leaf, and there is no reason to do it.

Alk is right, even if the nut is loose, the detent in the head of the windage screw would keep the sight blade from wiggling; it's just turning on the screw threads when it wiggles.

I get what you two gentlemen are saying. It makes perfect sense. For whatever reason, there is more width in the slot than the blade width requires. It's almost as if this sight blade is not the correct one for this S&W sight (and maybe it isn't?). I'll pull a couple other K-frames from the safe and see if they look any different from this one. Thanks again!

To be continued...

ETA: Pix attached. Seems like the slot is awfully wide for the width of the blade.

 

[Hondo44]

The sight blade looks correct and the groove seems to have excessive width. But photos can be hard to decipher correctly sometimes.

 

[TTSH]

The sight blade looks correct and the groove seems to have excessive width. But photos can be hard to decipher correctly sometimes.

Yeah, it sure seems that way, doesn't it?

Sorry for the dubious quality of the photos... best I could do with my smartphone.

 

[__steve__]

PC 500magnum here, that wiggles both axially (fwd/aft) and radially (lt/rt). I don't care about the fwd/aft, but the side to side has about 0.02" movement - that's 1" off at just 7 yards! I'd rather shoot poorly knowing it's me than to shoot well with an inconsistent sight.
I'll get back on this if I run into a bind