Problem replacing pinned front sight on S&W revolver

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

gunsrfun1

Member
Joined
May 31, 2004
Messages
436
I'm attempting to remove the solid pin that holds in the front sight on my model 640 so I can replace it with a fiber optic. I did it years ago on my 686, but this one is proving stubborn.
I seem to recall that I used a 1/16 punch to remove the pin, but I'm not sure. The hole that needed to be drilled in the replacement sight was a #55 drill bit (.054); that I do remember. And it worked out fine.
So ... would you recommend that I try a 1/32 punch if I can find one? Or will the 1/16 punch suffice if I can get the pin started? I have tried using the blunt end of the #55 but it eventually broke; the drill bit isn't that robust.
It does appear that the 1/16 might just fit through the hole in the sight base, but I am not entirely positive, since the pin takes up almost the entire hole. It seems like it might work, But I don't just want to wail on it.
I've also read that a #5 cup tip punch is really what is needed, but I know I never used that on my 686.
Also putting some penetrating oil on the hole, to help out.
Any ideas?
Thanks
 
Thanks. I will try that, if I have that wrench in my tools. Turns out you used the same Hiviz sight that I bought.
Stay tuned.
 
Last edited:
Here: I quoted it for you…hope this works.

Pat Riot said:
Well, I have no photos of the sight removal but the key is to find a small enough punch to drive out the pin that holds the sight. I used a 0.050” Allen wrench as a punch and a 4 ounce hammer. I used the short section of the Allen wrench as the punch. I used an Armorer’s block to capture the pin. I had to tap the existing sight forward, just like in the video and then I turned the gun upside down a used a small brass punch to pop the sight out of its slot.

I used a rubber jawed vise to hold the gun in place to install the new sight. I did have to use an Arkansas stone to take rough edges off the sides of the base of the sight. I used the nylon hammer on the right to tap the sight into position.
View attachment 981945

Once the sight was seated I clamped it into my vise with the barrel as level as I could get it and while securing it the vise you want to shim the rear of the gun to help keep it level.
Notice the chuck in the Dremel tool. It is the adjustable one sold at Ace Hardware.
NOTE: put the #54 bit into the hole, get it straight up and down THEN start the drill motor. BE EASY...ONLY GO A LITTLE BIT THE TURN THE GUN OVER and do the other side. Drill halfway each side.
View attachment 981944

Now prop your gun on an Armorers block, or whatever you have to hold it in place to install the pin. I used the Armorer block, an empty masking tape roll and a piece of 1/4” plywood.
View attachment 981946

Now tape up the area around the hole so you do not ding your gun installing the pin with a SMALL hammer. I used a 4 ounce.
View attachment 981947

I used a set of offset needle nosed pliers to hold my pin in place to get it started into the hole. Just lightly tap it in. It’s not a race.
View attachment 981948

The finished product:
View attachment 981949

I actually think it took me longer to put this post together on my iPhone than it did to change that sight. :cool: :D
Click to expand...
 
Whoops…looks like we were posting at the same time.

This video was also helpful. Use some masking tape on your gun. The guy in the video mentions it “after” he was done.
 
Thanks, I am going to try this. I found a .050 Allen wrench. Two questions about when you used it:
1) You are not hitting a straight angle per se; the wrench has a 90 degree bend that is not perpendicular. Were you able to get a straight "up and down" hit on the wrench?
2) The end of the wrench, being hex-shaped: Did it deform or mar or put an indent in the end of the pin? Were you able to reuse the pin?
Thanks.
 
Answer 1:
First, put masking tape on the gun around the sight pin hole.
Hold the short end (section) with needle nose pliers, place it against pin and tap lightly with a light hammer.
OR cut a piece of the Allen wrench to use as a punch. Use needle nose pliers to hold it when tapping. Allen wrenches are pretty hard. You may need a Dremel or a die grinder with a cutting disc.

Answer 2:
The Allen wrench did not hurt the pin. Yes, I was able to reuse the pin.
 
.050 would be best. I bent 3 1/6 inch punches trying to get my sight pin out on my 617. I finally used a steel torque wrench from my screwdriver set and it came right out.

Finding the proper roll pin was a bear. Every gunsmith I called was out and so was Smith & Wesson. I found what I needed on Amazon.

The original pin dropped to the floor and is hiding somewhere. Front installed.jpg
 
Yes, this is turning out to be a bear. The Allen wrench didn't budge it. I took a .053 drill and made a punch out of it, and it still won't budge. I am hitting it with a 16 oz. hammer, but not wailing on it. I just don't want to damage anything. It won't move.
Do I need to really wind up and smack it? I'm reluctant to do so.
I may order a .050 steel cup pin punch from Brownell's and see if that works. Yeah, it will cost me about $25, but I don't want to damage the gun.
Unless you folks have a different idea.
My 686 was so easy ....
 
Wow! I am at a loss. I really don’t think walloping it with a heavier hammer would be good. It almost sounds like the pin may have a type of thread locker holding it, but that’s a guess…and I must say I doubt it.

Do you have a gunsmith nearby? The cost of swapping a sight may not be much, as compared to damaging your gun.
 
I ordered a .050 steel cup pin punch from Brownell's. I am going to try that. I am thinking that possibly the drill bit I fashioned into a punch may not be hard enough metal, so maybe it is absorbing some of the energy from the hammer blows instead of transferring it 100% to the pin. Who knows. And maybe I do need to hit it a bit more smartly.
My gunsmith is so busy these days with FFL transfers that he stopped doing gunsmithing.
I'm going to call S&W to ask for any tips.
I'll keep everyone posted after I get the punch from Brownell's.
 
AzShooter1 said:
Us a short shank, whatever you use or you will bend it. I got lucky with the screwdriver set being just the right size.
Click to expand...

Agreed!
A short shank helps lessen flexing in the punch.
@AzShooter1 thanks for mentioning this. I didn’t think to look at some of my jewelers screwdrivers to see if one of those could have been modified to work. :thumbup:

Also one of the reasons I held the small Allen with the needle nose pliers was to maintain a grip low on the “punch” near the gun so any flexing might not result in slipping with the punch or give me “the boing effect” that so often results in exasperation, cussing and sometimes, damage to what I am working on.
 
How are you securing the barrel? Any give at all will defeat your efforts to drive out the pin.
There is a tool I have used to “screw” the pins out. It is a clamp of sorts with a drift pin. Line it up and turn the handle, the pin is driven out.


Kevin
 
Great tutorial. I used this vid in preparation for pinned sight replacement on my M617 a couple of months ago. I made my own punch from a brass rod to just under 0.050". No whollop needed to remove the pin. The drill bit is definatly hard/strong enough, but 0.053" may still be too large of a diameter.

[QUOTE="Pat Riot, post: 11971009, member: This video was also helpful. Use some masking tape on your gun. The guy in the video mentions it “after” he was done.
[/QUOTE]
 
StrawHat said:
How are you securing the barrel? Any give at all will defeat your efforts to drive out the pin.
There is a tool I have used to “screw” the pins out. It is a clamp of sorts with a drift pin. Line it up and turn the handle, the pin is driven out.


Kevin
Click to expand...

Very good point!

Edit to add this:

In this photo I have my model 63 barrel resting on a Gunsmithing block and if you look towards the rear of the revolver you’ll see a masking tape roll with a thin piece of plywood under it. This is how I supported the revolver for the pin removal and installation.
8E95CFE4-B930-46CA-9D71-476F6A288B08.jpeg
 
Last edited:
If you didn’t have any luck with the leather lined drill press vise, I’ll second getting a gunsmith block from Midway. There is zero give in that plastic puck, and it really does make pin-driving a piece of cake. :thumbup:

Stay safe.
 
Just got in from a long weekend and my punches were in the mailbox. Long story short, the .050 cup pin punch from Brownell's did the trick, the pin came right out.

Front sight blade was a bit of a challenge to remove afterwards, but I did finally get it out. The FS blade needs to be pulled straight up. I don't believe there is any room to move it back and forth like in the video, at least on my 60-14. So I locked a vise grips on the FS really tight, but used some metal pieces to prevent the vise grip teeth from marring the FS blade. I rocked the vise grips back and forth a bit, until it finally pulled out. It's in there really tight. But it's out.

Thanks all for your help on this.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

bikemutt
  • Locked
S&W front sight pin problem
Replies
3
Views
900
bikemutt
bikemutt
M
  • Locked
PC627: Front sight replaceable?
Replies
2
Views
636
JoeHatley
J
Tony_the_tiger
  • Locked
How -NOT- to install an SP101 front sight
2
Replies
33
Views
10K
Tony_the_tiger
Tony_the_tiger
G
  • Locked
Loose front sight pin on my S&W 686 revolver
Replies
11
Views
2K
243winxb
243winxb
C
  • Locked
SP101 front sight NOT removable
Replies
14
Views
1K
Tilos
T
Back
Top