M&P sights wonky?

milktree

milktree

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I've got a M&P40 with what seem to be funny sights.

On (almost) every other three-dot pistol I've got when the top edges of the sights are lined up, so are the centers of the dots, as in the top picture in the below image.

But on my M&P the dots don't line up properly when the top edges line up , or the top edges don't line up when the dot centers do (as in the bottom two pictures)

Is this weird, or normal? How do y'all align your sights in a case like this?

MnP_sights.jpg



The only other gun I've got that has the weird sight alignment is a Norinco "Model of the 1911A1", which is kinda crude, so screwed up sights didn't really surprise me that much. But the M&P is a Smith & Wesson, I'd have expected them to get the sights right.
 
interesting. I just learned something from you. +1

My M&P looks like the bottom diagram.

all the others like the top one.

thanks for posting
 
Mike-Mike said:
Forget the dots. Those are only for low light. Even height, even light, front sight, front sight, front sight.
Click to expand...

yea, that's what I do in general, especially since the Sig has the line+dot, and the Glock the box+dot and the 22/45 has no dots or lines.

.... but... (there's always a "but")

on the Norinco 1911, aligning the tops of the sights puts the bullets way too high.

To get the holes anywhere the middle of the bull at 25 yards (or any distance, really) I have to use a 6 O'Clock hold on the front sight while aligning the height of the *dots* (not the top edge of the sights)

The Norinco is obviously the odd-duck here, because that's just a screwy way to align sights.

But in any case, how hard is it to get the center of the dots to line up at the same time as the tops of the sights?
 
I have a similar sight alignment on my P225, and I've found that the second option you posted works best. Glad to know it isn't just mine; I bought my pistol used with aftermarket sights, and I had always assumed that the previous owner had put in the wrong front sight and never bothered to change it.
 
Maxspeed said:
If I want to put a round on the bullseye does sight picture 2 or 3 work better?
Click to expand...

#3 will be more repeatable and accurate, especially if used with a 6 o'clock hold. Of course, you'll have to determine where your shots go when you aim like that to see if it will work for you.
 
Thanks Atmay, I was using that technique today and just didn't seem to get the result I was hoping for. I was shooting at about 10 yards. I was lining up the top of the blades and positioning the middle dot over the X on my target. Should I line up the tops of the blades and let the X in the bullseye rest on top ot the middle blade like this?

http://www.wingman26.com/images/shooting/sight-picture-1.jpg
 
Maxspeed said:
Thanks Atmay, I was using that technique today and just didn't seem to get the result I was hoping for. I was shooting at about 10 yards. I was lining up the top of the blades and positioning the middle dot over the X on my target. Should I line up the tops of the blades and let the X in the bullseye rest on top ot the middle blade like this?

http://www.wingman26.com/images/shooting/sight-picture-1.jpg
Click to expand...


My M&Ps (one in 9, one in 40) both like #3 best, using a 6-O'Clock hold.

I load my own ammo, so your results may vary.

I'd suggest a 6 O'Clock hold like in that picture, or center of mass, and *not* putting the dot such that it obscures your intended bullet placement.
 
What sights do you have on the gun? I have the tritium night sights on mine, I'll have to take a look at them later.
 
I have the stock sights. I guess I was using the center of mass technique and covering the X with the front blade. I will try the 6 O'Colck hold and just shoot from 10' and see how I do.
 
I didn't take long for the carbon buildup to render my front dot completely useless. I fixed it with some white nailpolish I got from Timber.
 
The dots are clean and I can see them fine. I can put all the bullets on the target, just not where I am aiming.
 
Maxspeed said:
The dots are clean and I can see them fine. I can put all the bullets on the target, just not where I am aiming.
Click to expand...

Take this with a grain of salt, I'm a beginner. I found that really focusing in on the front sight solved that problem for me. When I focus in enough that the front dot is completely clear, I don't rush the shot, and I follow through afterwards, the bullet almost always ends up where I'm aiming.
 
Maxspeed said:
The dots are clean and I can see them fine. I can put all the bullets on the target, just not where I am aiming.
Click to expand...

You're probably gonna need more than internet troubleshooting for this one. Get a second set of eyes on the gun, and on you while you are shooting it.
 
I am also a beginner and that's pretty much the way I have been doing it. I have been focusing on the front sight, lining up the top of the blades and then making the space on either side equal then aiming. I think I will try and shoot a closer distance. How far are you shooting?
 
Maxspeed said:
I am also a beginner and that's pretty much the way I have been doing it. I have been focusing on the front sight, lining up the top of the blades and then making the space on either side equal then aiming. I think I will try and shoot a closer distance. How far are you shooting?
Click to expand...

About 10 yards. After the shot, are you bringing the gun back on target (as naturally as possible)? At one point I was trying to sneak a peek at the target after each shot... wasn't doing me any favors. Also, I have to continually remind myself not to jerk the trigger.
 
Gonzo said:
I didn't take long for the carbon buildup to render my front dot completely useless. I fixed it with some white nailpolish I got from Timber.
Click to expand...

What caliber? I've seen that happen very quickly with my S&W Gunsite 45, not at all with any of my 9's...

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 
vellnueve said:
What ammo are you using? My dot has never become obscured.
Click to expand...

You must not shoot yours very much, then. Every M+P I've run will get the front sight fogged out in pretty short order... obvious some ammo is worse than others, but most bulk ammo on the market will fog out the front sight in a few hundred rounds or less.

-Mike
 
This is from the M&P 9 Manual


“Plus-P-Plus (+P+) ammunition must not be used in Smith &
Wesson firearms. This marking on the ammunition designates
that it exceeds established industry standards, but the designation
does not represent defined pressure limits and therefore such
ammunition may vary significantly as to the pressures generated.
 

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