Clue me in on SW J frame sights.

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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
Help an old mod's eyes.

I have a 327 Mag J frame with adjustable sights and a pinned front (like a Model 60). However, the old eyes don't like black on black with a gap. I'm thinking about a rear sight with the white U and a front fiber optic. SW seems to sell them.

Opinions? Experience? Options?

It's a neat gun. Fun to shoot and a sweetheart with 32 Longs. Not cheap ammo though.
 
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Nanuk

New member
Glenn,

I am starting to have the same issues. I like the fiber optic front and plain black rear. I just ordered a set of TFO's for one Glock. I do really like the sights that came on my 640 Pro.
 
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Obambulate

New member
Sometimes a few drops of the right color paint on the front sight can make a big difference. Bright green or bright orange glow paint is what I use.
 
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Webleymkv

New member
Even though I'm relatively young, my eyesight is pretty terrible (inherited from my mother). I find that a brightly colored front sight works well for me. In my experience, painting the front sight with white fingernail polish and then painting over that with red fingernail polish makes it stand out very well against a black rear sight.
 
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Brian48

New member
Never really thought much about the sights on my Mod 60. I do mostly point shooting and similar drills at close range (7 yards or less) with my jframe. The sights are so small on this thing, I've learned to not rely on it a long time ago. For longer ranges or target shooting, that's what my other guns are for.
 
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bikerbill

New member
yeah, j-frame sights are terrible, but they really are designed to be useful at the distances you're likely to be using them, say 15 yards in ... target guns they are not, but I've found that practicing has made me a better shot with my 637 over time ..
 
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badge851

New member
This is what forks for me..........
100_1539.jpg

100_1537.jpg
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
Yeah, I thought about painting them and that's what I did on my fixed sights J frame but since the 632 has removable sights, I was thinking about a front fiber and rear White U shaped.

I shoot the black on black OK in the bright sunshine but indoors, it's a problem. Old - sigh.
 
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carguychris

New member
If S&W makes a white outline rear sight blade in J frame size, it's fairly easy to install it on your revolver; IIRC J frame rear sight blades are a slightly different size than the more common K/L/N blades, but I could be wrong about this.

Swapping the rear blade is not what I would call difficult but it DOES require special tools. From an earlier post of mine...
...the job isn't necessarily hard, but you'll need a couple of special tools and a replacement windage adjustment screw and nut; however, the sight blade kit should come with [the screw and nut].

The windage adjustment screw has a countersunk end that is staked to the nut to retain the screw within the sight base. The screw is removed by tightening it until it snaps, then unscrewing it out of the sight blade. To reinstall, you use a special forked tool to hold the nut, tighten it down, and loosen it 1/4 turn to allow it to rotate. The screw is then staked to the nut with a pointed punch. The special forked tool and the punch are available direct from S&W and from companies such as Brownell's.

Two warnings:

1) There is a little bitty spring and plunger on the side of the screw head to provide the "click" micrometer adjustment; these parts are very small and WILL come flying out as the screw is pulled out of the sight base, so be ready to cover them with your thumb, or disassemble the parts inside a plastic bag. [EDIT: some people advise ordering spares as they are relatively cheap.]

2) S&W rear sight blades come in several different heights. Using the wrong one on your revolver may mess up the elevation adjustment range. I recommend calling S&W customer service so they can look up which sight blade is on it now. If you don't do this, you may be the guy posting on this forum to ask why his revolver hits 6" high @ 15yds with the elevation nut cranked all the way down.
Click to expand...
OTOH I have been advised not to try installing a pinned S&W front sight myself because the hole for the pin must be drilled through the new sight while it's installed in the barrel. Without a drill press and a good deal of skill using it, IMHO this is best left to a gunsmith.
 
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carguychris

New member
Nanuk - that's what I'm talking about. More info on them? Where did you get them, etc.
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AFAIK the topstrap and barrel of the M640 Pro and the hammerless version of the M632 (sku# 178046) are specially dovetailed to accept standard M&P sights. I've not seen this verified in an official press release or anything, but I remember some folks on the S&W forum saying that these revolvers come with the same sights that are used on the M&P9/40c.

The dovetails are visible in the profile view of the M632 on the S&W website:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57768_757767_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

I have no idea what it would take to install these on a revolver designed to take a standard S&W target sight base. The sights referenced in Alnamvet68's post or a set of Cylinder & Slide "Extreme Duty" sights would probably be easier to install.
 
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Nanuk

New member
Glenn,

Those sights on J frames are specific to the Pro series. They are crisp and clear. From what I read at S&W a standard model 60 does not have the thickness for the milling for THIS sight set up.

http://www.dlsports.com/dl_jframe_sw_sights.html

These folks may be able to help you.

Alnamvet...just saw your link........Great minds think alike.....
 
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