SP101 front sight NOT removable

[chuckdeez]

I love my new (02/2010) SP101 357. So much so that I bought a monogrip and meprolight front sight. I just finished punching the roll pin out and the sight did not budge. The sight is NOT pinned in, just appears to be glued to the top. Looking thru the pin hole its clear that its smooth all the way through. Pushing a pin through the hole encounters no resistance or roughness from one end to the other. The manual still states the front sight is removable. What gives? Anyone else have this problem? I just wasted 40 bucks on the front sight apparently. WTFF RUGER. Buyer beware.

 

[gggman]

Clamp that blade in a vice, wrap a piece of leather around the barrell, and tap with a "wooden" mallett. It's just stuck in there. It's gotta come out with enough persuasion.

 

[9mmepiphany]

It will come out, it just need a little force applied.

If in doubt, get a bigger hammer...or the Dermel and a cutting wheel

 

[Waywatcher]

It will come out one way or another. It is probably wedged in there tight.

If it were me I would look at force-multipliers like pliers, channelocks, vise grips, etc.

A few raps with mallet of wood or brass might help break the bond, or some penetrating oil.

Lots of different ways to skin this cat, don't lose heart!

 

[chuckdeez]

If it were me I would look at force-multipliers like pliers, channelocks, vise grips, etc.

A few raps with mallet of wood or brass might help break the bond, or some penetrating oil.

I gripped and ripped with pliers after hitting the base of the sight blade with WD long before I decided to post. I cant be sure that there is no actual sight channel, but Im pretty positive that the channel does not extend into the pin hole. Holding the hole up to the light it just looks and feels too seamless to actually extend thru the bottom of the blade. Im looking at the dremel now, but dont just want to grind it off only to find out there is no channel to install the new one...

 

[Cosmoline]

A little penetrating oil and a wood mallet will do the trick.

 

[Waywatcher]

Maybe launch some full power .357s through her w/out that pin and see if that helps...

Are you running out of arm strength with the pliers or are they slipping off? If they're slipping get some Vise grips on that sucker.

 

[chuckdeez]

Maybe launch some full power .357s through her w/out that pin and see if that helps...

Thats on tomorrows agenda. I could probably do a bit more with getting better leverage with the pliers, but its looking through the hole that has me convinced its not correct. Unfortunately its nothing I can photograph. The odd thing is I cant even imagine how this is possible, it would have to be a combination of both a out of spec sight blade, combined with a defective 'grind' of the sight channel. Somebodys got to believe me lol..

 

[Waywatcher]

My best guess is that the channel is in-spec, and the sight blade is in spec, but what they do to manufacture is: (Starting from scratch) Cut the channel. Place sight blade in channel. Drill hole in barrel and sight at the same time. Place pin in said hole.

Drilling both pieces at the same time would sort of make the steels flow or grip each other or overlap, the tiny little fragmentsand fingers would kind of intertwine and help hold it in there. Thats just my theory, I haven't actually seen how rugers are made but this would seem to make sense.

 

[Cosmoline]

Another option is to heat it up a bit with a propane torch. Not TOO much mind you--not red and certainly not white hot. Just enough to loose up the sight a bit. It's just in there good, it will come out.

I'd advise against shooting it out because it's liable to go flying off never to be found again.

 

[gb6491]

Another option is to heat it up a bit

That's good advice; especially if some form of thread locker (ie Loctite) was used to help secure the sight.
On another note, I removed the front sight of my S&W Model 60 by clamping a large vise grip to the sight, inverting the pistol, and tapping the bottom of the barrel with a none marring instrument (photos and description located here: http://gbrannon.bizhat.com/xs.html )
Regards,
Greg

 

[chuckdeez]

(photos and description located here: http://gbrannon.bizhat.com/xs.html )

man that's a brilliant write up. I should invest in a pair of vice grips now that I'm a homeowner. I'll try with the lighter and grips later. I'm taking a buddy to the range for the first time today (and no, his first range experience wont be .357 out of a snub) so if it doesn't shoot loose I'll have at it again. I still stand by my original hypothesis however. Thanks to everyone thats contributed thusfar.

 

[BlkHawk73]

I should invest in a pair of vice grips now that I'm a homeowner.

I thought everybody had at least one pair of them. Most buy em rather than buy the correct wrenches and strip the heads off nuts/bolts. LoL

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Drilling both pieces at the same time would sort of make the steels flow or grip each other or overlap, the tiny little fragmentsand fingers would kind of intertwine and help hold it in there. Thats just my theory, I haven't actually seen how rugers are made but this would seem to make sense.

Waywatcher's comment above could be the problem. If so, you're going to have to run a 1/16" drill bit through the pin hole anyway to install the Meprolight. So...do it first with the old sight still stuck in place and see if that cuts some crud out of the way.

My factory sight didn't fall-out easily either when I went to the Meprolight. I used a brass center punch and tapped the sight front & back & side to side then pulled it out with pliers.

 

[Tilos]

Yup, Ruger lied, you nailed it.