The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: alfsauve on December 09, 2016, 07:57:35 AM
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So I decided to treat myself to a white outline rear sight on my 929 (9mm).
I've just gotten an hour lesson in "wow, that's kinda of a strange way to do it" But I'm guessing it's rather tried and true, so thank you Brownell's and Larry Potterfield for helping me through this.
First besides the sight blade and the sight base there are 4 other parts. And you think an AR-15 detent spring is small, you ought to see the spring and detent in this rear sight.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Gun-General/i-KrRDZ8X/0/S/Rear%20Sight%20Parts-S.png)
Step one is to realize the adjustment screw is sacrificial. If you want change rear blades often then buy the whole rear sight assembly and change those out.
So here's a picture of my the old and new parts. (A tablet makes a handy little tray that lights up so you can see the parts. :)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Gun-General/i-DPBC4jH/0/XL/SW%20Rear%20Sight-XL.jpg)
In the middle is the new sight blade (face down) with it's adj screw and the little round nut. To the left is the head of the old screw and below it is the plunger. The detent spring is still inside the old screw head. On the right side is the old blade with the remainder of the old screw.
First you turn the adjust screw CW until it binds and then until it breaks. Then carefully slide it out while not letting the plunger and spring get away from you. Replacements do NOT come with the new sight.
Then you drill out the other end of the screw where it's "staked" to the nut. Then the old blade, with the remaining part of the screw slides out and the old nut falls off and you loose it. Actually I found mine after I took the picture. But it too is toast.
Put new screw in the new blade and insert into slot. Put spring and detent in hole and slide further in. Screw nut on the left side until it binds, then back off 1/4 turn. The end of the screw is hollow. Using a center punch, stake/flare the end of the screw to bind it to the nut. Now the nut and screw turn together. It's recommended you get a little tine spanner bit to hold the nut, but I found it wasn't really needed.
Here's the end of the screw BEFORE stacking.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Gun-General/i-pGLptRt/0/S/IMG_6021-S.jpg)
And after.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Gun-General/i-k3qXHpV/0/S/IMG_6024-S.jpg)
Thus ends last night's education. New sight installed. To the range this morning.
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Yeah....those tiny parts are a pain to work with. I've fixed a few rear sights for folks over the years, and fiddling with extra small parts can be tricky.
Definitely got to have patience.
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with extra small parts like that I use a large freezer bag and put the gun inside,That way if any parts get launches they stay in the bag rather than bouncing off to the small gun parts black hole.
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with extra small parts like that I use a large freezer bag and put the gun inside,That way if any parts get launches they stay in the bag rather than bouncing off to the small gun parts black hole.
yea, it only took me and my dog an hour to find a SST Ruger pawl spring in a berber carpet!
:o
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Just call your wife, she'll spot a microscopic part before she gets all the way in the room.
I actually DID that when I was building scale models. She'd get to the doorway and say "Don't you need that part by your foot ? Now what did you call me for ?"
She caught on after the 3rd time . LOL
They do it that way so the screw won't back out while you're shooting.
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yea, it only took me and my dog an hour to find a SST Ruger pawl spring in a berber carpet!
A magnet is the way to go for steel parts. And most springs are steel.
221 rounds today and the sight is still on firmly. No movement and the screw/nut are not coming apart.
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Not that one Alf! I checked after I found it..
Besides, all I had were refer magnets, it would have taken me all day. I had a general idea where it went and an hour was good. My dog was no help at all...if the spring smelled like ass he might have found it!
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all I had were refer magnets
refer is magnetic??? Who knew? :o ::) ;D
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At my age, I'm not a big fan of the S&W rear blade. I had mine changed out to the Weigand (Sp) which gives a sight picture more like the BoMar. There is a little up and down slop but it doesn't seem to affect anything. Changes out just like the factory blade.
FWIW
Richard
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Alf... turn it around and put the flat black side out... then hold a Bic lighter with the yellow (carbonizing) part of the flame so it touches the blade, and coat it before use with carbon black soot... if you don't have a fiber optic front sight, do the same for it
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I like the magnet idea. I'm like Majer I put mine in a plastic bag...but the small parts I put on a piece of tape and then throw it in the bag.
I've broken several rear sights from 22 Browning Challengers to Winchester adjustable rear sights. They definitely don't make those things for an old oilfield hand to work on....
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Les, I blackened my sights back in the day when shooting silhouette. And I've blackened them anytime it's a "bullseye" game. But for action shooting I prefer FO. The white rear outline is a compromise for rear FOs. Been looking at Meprolight which is a FO replacement blade.