Replacing front sight - help

[03snake]

I'm replacing the red insert ramp front sight on my 686 with a gold bead from S&W. I don't have a roll pin punch small enough to remove the pin. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[dfariswheel]

1. Buy a punch from Brownell's.

2. Use the shank of a small drill.

 

[cyberiad]

Maybe borrow a proper punch? "Use the right tool for the job" is as true in working on guns as it is in any other task.

 

[03snake]

Your right , funds are tight. I'll get there, Thanks.

 

[haggis]

Get a 1/16" pin punch. Chuck it up in a drill press. Use a file to reduce the diameter from 0.062" to about 0.050" (the pin hole is 0.055" diameter, or drill size #54) for the last 1/2" of the punch. If you can get a dental drill bit to use in a Dremel, put a concave face on the punch (the sight pin is a round end pin). A flat punch can be used, but it's more prone to slip and mark the gun's surface. Make sure the barrel is immobilized. Protect the area around the pin with a couple of layers of masking tape to prevent scratches in the event of a slip.

Buck