FO Front Sight For S&W

[ede]

looking for a FO front sight that doesn't require me to drill it for the pin. all of the ones i've found don't have a hole drilled in them for the roll pin.

[918v]

You won't find one. The hole in the S&W front sight base is subject to tolerances and requires that a new FS is fitted, otherwise the pin either may not enter the FS at all or the FS may wobble on the pin. You want a tight fit there. It is a simple job if you have access to a drill press.

[ede]

sight cost 40$, getting one installed is another 40$ screwing up the sight will cost me another 40$. i have a drill press. i guess the thing is if i were to do it i'd use a transfer punch to locate the hole to be drilled and i don't have a transfer punch that small. how do you locate where to drill the hole in the sight?

[AdamN]

Cant you clamp the sight blade onto the gun and drill thru, using the pin hole on the gun as a guide?

[ede]

yes adam i figured that's the correct way to do it but it sure scares me to think about messing up. then again if it got a little sloppy i could use loctite on it.

[918v]

No, that is not how to do it.

The hole in the sight body has to be slightly off in relation to the hole in the sight base so that the pin pulls the sight into the base when the pin is hammered in. Otherwise you'll have a sight that wiggles on the base.

[AdamN]

Well if thats not how to do it then how?? If you clamp it in place there is enough pressure holding it down.

Why arent they drilled from the factory??


"""
TO INSTALL THE FRONT SIGHT ON A SMITH & WESSON REVOLVER: Place the
front sight into the existing notch. Make sure the sight sits flush with the top
edge of the opening. Depending on your particular revolver, you might need to
remove a small amount of material to get the sight to fit flush. The drill sizes
below are intended as references only. It is up to the installer to measure the
exiting cross pin diameter and determine the correct drill bit for the job. Please
proceed carefully, once correct drill bit size has been established. With the front
sight held tightly in place, use a #55 drill bit (.052”) to drill slightly the front
sight through the existing hole in the pinned sight mount slot. If your revolver
has a notch, but was not originally drilled for a pinned sight, it is best to set up in
a milling machine to get this hole drilled correctly. After drilling the hole in the
front sight through, use the existing pin to secure the front sight in place. If the
hole is too tight for the pin, try a #54 drill bit (.055”) through the front sight hole
only."""

[918v]

You insert the sight blade into the slot, then mark the hole with an appropriate size drill bit, then remove the blade, place it on an anvil, start the hole with a center punch, secure the blade in your drill press, and drill.

But you don't drill through the sight base. That is a sure way to mess-up your gun. How are you gonna secure the gun perfectly horizontal??? There's no way to do it. You'll jeck-up the hole. I'm speaking from experience. I had a gunsmith install a blade in a S&W. I got the gun back with a huge blade pin. I said WTF? He said he had to enlarge the hole in the sight base. What a ****up!

When you start the hole in the blade, make sure you move the location of the hole toward the top of the blade by a hair, like .002" or so. That way the blade will get pulled down into the base when you drive the pin though it.

The blades do not come pre-drilled because each sight base is slightly different dimensionally. A .002" difference in pin hole location would result in a sloppy fit.

[AdamN]

You insert the sight blade into the slot, then mark the hole with an appropriate size drill bit, then remove the blade, place it on an anvil, start the hole with a center punch, secure the blade in your drill press, and drill.

But you don't drill through the sight base. That is a sure way to mess-up your gun. How are you gonna secure the gun perfectly horizontal??? There's no way to do it. You'll jeck-up the hole. I'm speaking from experience. I had a gunsmith install a blade in a S&W. I got the gun back with a huge blade pin. I said WTF? He said he had to enlarge the hole in the sight base. What a ****up!

When you start the hole in the blade, make sure you move the location of the hole toward the top of the blade by a hair, like .002" or so. That way the blade will get pulled down into the base when you drive the pin though it.

The blades do not come pre-drilled because each sight base is slightly different dimensionally. A .002" difference in pin hole location would result in a sloppy fit.



I think I would prefer the previous method. I have 100% confidence that you or anyone else coule get perfect alignment even in something as simple as a drill press. If you use a drill bit that will pass thru the pin hole you can have the gun clamped up and pass the drill thru the hole to check alignment. (not turning, just pass it thru the hole)

You can tell by feel when you have perfect alignment. There is no guarantee that the hole is perfectly horizontal or square with the barrel so you only worry about the alignement with the hole.

Once the hole is lined up put the sight blade in and clamp it in place, then drill out to the correct size and pin in place.

You go marking things and removing them, then trying to eyeball a punch mark a "hair" off that mark; and then drilling a hole youre gonna end up with a mess just like your "gunsmith"

[918v]

Then do it your way. If you err, you will damage a $500 gun. If I err, I will damage a $10 sight blade. But befrore you proceed, think how you'll achieve the necessary alignment. Barrels and sight bases are never square with the receiver.

[AdamN]

But befrore you proceed, think how you'll achieve the necessary alignment. Barrels and sight bases are never square with the receiver.

I did think about it, read my previous post.

[918v]

So how are you going to clamp the gun so that the drill will pass? What special fixture do you have?

[AdamN]

All you need is a vice with padded jaws. If you have a full underlug barrel you could use a vice in the horizontal position, if you have a light or tapered barrel it would probably be best to clamp the gun vertical and rotate the vice so the gun is horizontal.

A vice like this helps http://www.use-enco.com/ProductImages/0389513-11.jpg

or if you had a standard machining vice

Like this

http://www.use-enco.com/ProductImages/6741541-11.jpg


You could attatch it to an angle plate to get the vice vertical.

http://www.use-enco.com/ProductImages/0014002-11.jpg

[918v]

In my opinion, the risk of ****ing it up outweighs the benefit of expedience. How would you clamp a tapered barrel, like a Mountain Gun?

[AdamN]

In my opinion, the risk of ****ing it up outweighs the benefit of expedience. How would you clamp a tapered barrel, like a Mountain Gun?


Why do I feel like I keep repeating myself:confused:

You use a set of SOFT jaws in the vise. With a proper set of jaws they will conform to even a tapered barrel.

Were drilling a .050 hole here man not milling off .500.

When its aligned there is NO RISK in "****ing it up" You could stand there all day and run the drill in and out, the gun wouldnt be touched.

There is no "benifit of expedience" if anything its probably a little slower although it should not take to long.
Its a matter of doing it right.

If I was doing my gun or someone was paying me to do their gun that is the way I would procede.

There are probably half a dozen ways it can be done with the same end result.

[918v]

You're gonna suffer from pin drift.

[AdamN]

You're gonna suffer from pin drift.

The only suffering Ive done is replying to this thread

[4eyes]

Amen.

[918v]

So go ahead and drill away. You'll end up screwing up the hole.

[BigSlick]

http://www.sdmfabricating.com/Super_Sights.html

Scott will sell you the blank and/or drill it for you if ya just ask.

He provides the sights for S&W OEM FO sights