What Sight Tool Do you use on an M&P

[OreShooter]

I got an M&P awhile back and wanted to drift the rear sight over just a hair. So I back out the screw with a hex wrench and take a whack at it with my nylon punch and little hammer. No work. She won't budge. The whole procedure is a bit crude for my preferences anyway and so I think I'll get a proper tool for it.

But here's the question I thought I would post: Do you have a favorite 1911/M&P/XD etc. sight tool that you swear by? or doesn't matter which one to get?

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[bnr32gtr]

I simply use a delrin drift about 3/8 diameter and hit it with a decent sized ball peen hammer. This of course is only done after first loosening the factory set screw.

It's steel and you won't hurt it so don't be afraid to hit it with a bigger hammer if needed. Once it's loose, it will move with relative ease, not to be mistaken for easy, though.

Let me know if you need some help.

Mike- Columbia Firearm Services, LLC(formerly Custom Firearm Stands, Inc.)

 

[Al Mundy]

Doing stuff like this scares me. My luck I'd really mess it up. Have an M&P also, let us know how it worked out.

 

[bnr32gtr]

Doing stuff like this scares me. My luck I'd really mess it up. Have an M&P also, let us know how it worked out.

Just remember, slides and sights are steel. You won't hurt them if you use brass, delrin or any other material that is softer than the sight and slide.

I had to remove the sights from the M&P .40 shown below and it was a breeze once I figured out I needed a larger hammer...

 

[odiesplace97301]

I found a flat brass bar that fits in the dovetail works well. If you put masking tape on the bottom and the face of it, it wont leave any brass marks on the sights or slide.
I find that having a flat against the dovetail helps to keep the punch from jumping.

 

[OreShooter]

Thanks for the feedback and the offer of help. I found a nice looking tool on Midway I think I will try by Maryland Gun Works. It is supposed to work for front and read sights on the M&P both. Since I want to be able to fine tune the sights (yes I am one of those nuts that expects a defense pistol to shoot to point of aim), I will probably do that since I should be able to fuss with the sight in finer increments than a hammer whack!! My motor skills aren't THAT good. Just my speed to knock it half out if I went for the bigger hammer. May have to wait til next paycheck however.
BTW, I notice they have trigger upgrades on Midway too. Hmmmm.

 

[bnr32gtr]

One last thing, if you push the sight too far to the left(when looking at the rear of the slide), there is a spring and spacer that will pop out and are a bit of a bubblegum to reinstall by yourself.

 

[oregonshooter]

OreShooter,
MGW makes the best sight pushers on the market IMO. I have 3 of them. Delrin punches work, but any impacting on Trit sights is begging for trouble. The tubes do well with impact along the long axis but cross impact (hitting sights out of dovetails) is not always going to end well.

 

[OreShooter]

there is a spring and spacer that will pop out and are a bit of a bubblegum to reinstall by yourself

Whoa! Thanks for the heads up. Didn't know that. Will go slow.

 

[OreShooter]

MGW makes the best sight pushers on the market IMO

Great to know. Then I am on the right track, which is why I started the post. Thanks!

 

[Velzey]

Put the slide in a padded vise, but dont squeeze it so hard you will deform it. Brownells sells thick leather vise jaw pads, get some. Ive also used the thick paper file folders, they seem to work ok..

Umm you still have to be careful with a brass punch, if you whack the brass hard enough with a size large ballpeen you will be surprised at the marks you can leave in a slide.......I know, that was not a good day..!

 

[OreShooter]

So Midway finally gets in the Maryland Gun Works sight tools just yesterday. I go online to order one and I notice that the write up for these tools now says :

Tool is not designed to remove extremely tight factory rear sights. Sight tool is intended to install and adjust Tritium Night Sights.

Huh? :huh: THIS NOTE WAS NOT THERE BEFORE. They apparently had feedback that the tool DOES NOT work for standard rear sights.
Just thought I'd post this info so someone else doesn't make a mistake like I almost did.

Back to the delrin punch and the file folders for the vise.

 

[OreShooter]

Thought I would check in and report what I finally did. I'm sure others have had this problem, and I read that the XD and the M&P both are known to have major tightness on the sights as they come from the factory.

I got back on Midway and looked at other sight tools besides the MGW. I found the B&J Machine Universal sight tool. Model P500. Now I know that Universal usually isn't, but I thought I'd try anyway, as it ought to work for other stuff too. They have an extra part, a clamp for sloped/angled slides that they sell also. I didn't get that.

So I received the tool and set my M&P Compact slide in the set. It's a good sized, hefty tool, but reading the reviews on Midway I guess a few people have broken the little push pin that pushes the slide over. Seems to me if you go slow and careful you shouldn't have a problem.

Being careful to keep the pin on the side of the sight and not the slide I started tightening slowly and it started moving the sight. :yes:

• I had to tighten it down with some good force, but like I said it went just fine.
  
  So I solved my problem and the M&P no longer shoots 8 inches to the left!

 

[deadshot2]

I wonder if any "loctite" is applied to the dovetail by some well meaning factory worker? Depending on the finish, a little acetone might work it's way into the dovetail and help break the bond.

 

[OreShooter]

Thanks deadshot2, acetone is a good suggestion, though as you say if the finish can take it. It probably could on the M&P. I will keep it in mind.

I have read that the M&P and XD can both be really tight and you need to pay attention on the direction you try to move them, as the dovetail is tapered? Not sure where I read that or if it applies to the M&P.

I did apply some Kroil to the sight to try to loosen it when I used the punch, but it didn't help. There didn't appear to be any adhesive of any kind on the sight once I got it off. Once it "broke" with a snap sound, and started moving, it went easier. It very well could be that oil in the factory, or even a cleaning agent used before assembly, has dried and created a "mortar" on the mating surfaces that makes it that much harder to get loose.

 

[brickman]

Thanks deadshot2, acetone is a good suggestion, though as you say if the finish can take it. It probably could on the M&P. I will keep it in mind.

I have read that the M&P and XD can both be really tight and you need to pay attention on the direction you try to move them, as the dovetail is tapered? Not sure where I read that or if it applies to the M&P.

I did apply some Kroil to the sight to try to loosen it when I used the punch, but it didn't help. There didn't appear to be any adhesive of any kind on the sight once I got it off. Once it "broke" with a snap sound, and started moving, it went easier. It very well could be that oil in the factory, or even a cleaning agent used before assembly, has dried and created a "mortar" on the mating surfaces that makes it that much harder to get loose.

Which direction do you need to move the sight when removing it? Holding the slide sights up, looking from the rear, do you move off to the right or left?

 

[P7M13]

6# sledge and cold chisel should do it.

 

[OreShooter]

Which direction do you need to move the sight when removing it? Holding the slide sights up, looking from the rear, do you move off to the right or left?

Move it towards the right, towards the ejection port. Don't forget the little spring that will pop out and ruin your day when you take it off.

 

[OreShooter]

6# sledge and cold chisel should do it.

Yep, that about says it. That's why I bought the tool, as I figured it would take about that much whack to do it.

 

[brickman]

I was about to install an Apex trigger and ran into a very tight rear sight (you have to change the striker block). I am hoping one of my buddy's has a M&P rear sight removal tool so that I do not have to purchase one at this time. Thanks for the tip on which way to press the sight out.