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Posted: 10/16/2015 5:55:18 PM EDT
(C)  LSA2015

This is put into the S&W area but is actually an addendum to a Handgun Discussion post above where the Shield fired had a factory rear with a HiViz front.  Since I raised the issue of the Shield rear sights and replacing them with something like a HiViz in that parent post, I thought I would investigate the matter and report back.  Rather then modify the original post which is complete as is, I am just making a short addendum to describe what you find if you do decide to change the Shield sight.  This is identical to the info in the Handgun Discussions post above as far as the Shield rear sight goes.

To begin figuring it out, I bought the proper rear sight to go with the front sight already installed.



Photo:  HiViz Shield front and rear sight blister packs.

HiViz supplied the following short instructional tips on installing their sights:  

"It is normal for dovetail sights to be oversize and need minor fitting as you want a good press fit. There is a small flat and spring under the rear sight.  You will not be able to push the factory sight over and install our sight as you push out the rear factory...... You will need to remove the factory sight and capture the plate and spring and remove them.  Then fit our sight and re-install the spring and plate and carefully drive the new sight in over the plate. We have a video on how to install a dovetail sight here: "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3iUBQQ3o4U

and

http://www.hivizsights.com/learn/hiviz-videos/

To have a chance of removing the Shield rear sight with out doing anything to hurt the slide, you first need a heavy vise padded so the slide is not damaged.  The dis-assembled slide separated from the frame, barrel, and spring should be trapped by the sold rear portion, not the slide rail parts by the ejection port.



Photo:  Shield slide in leather padded vise with rear factory sight installed.  The set screw is a 1/16" and you need a well made Allen wrench to SAE specs, not Harbor Freight's random sizes.  The set screw should just be removed as it goes down into a flat milled under the level of the dovetail.  You CANNOT just ignore the set screw and bang it out.

It is a good idea to note the position of the rear factory sight assuming you have a zero you wish to maintain.  In the picture note that the rear sight is just to the right of center of the top of the slide by the pencil arrows.  Just a little bit of the dovetail flat shows on the left while none of the dove tail shows on the right by the black arrows.  There is a pencil mark to note the center of the set screw.

As to removing the factory sight, forget your Lyman tapper hammer.  You need a solid brass drift and a 6 ounce brass hammer.  Once it breaks loose, it moves easier.  Expect to re-cut the face of the drift after the factory sight wrecks it.



Photo:  Shield slide with factory rear sight removed.  Since the striker block button is on the right side, I pushed the factory rear sight to the right to delay uncovering the small parts for as long as possible.  Note the button hole and the deeper shelf for the set screw.



Photo:  What you find when the factory rear sight is removed:  The striker block button, a spring, and the plastic top hat with a little retainer the spring fits over.



Photo:  The dovetail cleaned and with the three parts of the striker block re-installed.  Make sure there is no debris in the slide hole such as brass chips or other material.  Lightly oil the parts and drop in.  

If the HiViz rear sight is installed from right to left, you can use the initial slide-in by hand to depress and hold down the striker button spring cap.  As always, if you allow the cap and spring to self-eject, good luck on ever finding them.  They are small.



Photo:  HiViz sight started back into slide from right to left.

If you are using a dedicated sight pusher, follow the directions to move the HiViz sight into place.  

If you are using brass drifts, first use a square or rectangular face about the width of the dovetail in the slide.  Then make sure that the vertical face is cut at a slight back angle so that the pressure from the bottom of the drift is directed at the bottom of the dovetail of the sight.  Not at the exposed top corner.  That way the sight is pushed with little chance of reshaping the top corner outboard edge of the sight dovetail.

In the case of the Shield sight and slide pictured above where the sight is the full width of the dovetail, keep a slight angle just below vertical coming from the side so that the face of the drift keeps off the upper corner of the sight dovetail.  Keep the face of the drift cut flat so that its unevenness does not translate to the sight.



Photo:  HiViz rear sight installed about where the factory one was left-right speaking looking down the sights with both HiViz sights installed.

After all this, you still have to take it out the shoot the new sight combination for windage and see how your eye aligns the green dots for elevation.  (10-20-15:  Not satisfied with result.  Windage correct.  Elevation not as expected.  Followup needed.)

(C) LSA2015
Link Posted: 11/24/2015 7:14:52 PM EDT
[#1]
Nice, thanks!
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