Taller iron sights for M&P Optics ready pistol?

[Bill S]

I just put an Trijicon RMR on an Smith & Wesson M&P Compact, using an FCD OPF-SW RMR plate. The iron sights provided on the gun are way too short to be usable with that plate/sight combo.

I see FCD suggests a particular sight in the product description, but its a tritium sight, which I don't care for. Also, I don't know if the uber high sights will fit into anyone's holster when I get one.

Are there any other options available for irons, or should I just resign myself to not having any irons effectively?

[TCinVA]

That's the problem with almost all the plates out there for the M&P. They sit the optic high enough that the sights won't cowitness.

Dawson sights of the right height will fix that...but they are a bitch to install on an M&P because the factory sights are installed via a hydraulic ram where they practically crush-fit them into the dovetail. You can replace them, but don't expect it to be easy. A sight pusher helps, but my S&W sight pusher doesn't work on the new taller sights on the CORE and factory milled guns.

Eleven 71 used to make an RMR plate for the M&P that would co-witness with the factory sights, but apparently doesn't anymore.

On my compact I am just using the S&W provided factory plastic "plate" that serves essentially as just a spacer. That allows a proper co-witness on the sights.

[GJM]

My favorite M&P optic solution is a slide direct milled by Maple Leaf with a Glock rear sight dovetail cut in front of the optic. This gets the optic low and allows you to use shorter back up sights and not have the rear sight digging into you.

[Bill S]

That's the problem with almost all the plates out there for the M&P. They sit the optic high enough that the sights won't cowitness.

Dawson sights of the right height will fix that...but they are a bitch to install on an M&P because the factory sights are installed via a hydraulic ram where they practically crush-fit them into the dovetail. You can replace them, but don't expect it to be easy. A sight pusher helps, but my S&W sight pusher doesn't work on the new taller sights on the CORE and factory milled guns.

Eleven 71 used to make an RMR plate for the M&P that would co-witness with the factory sights, but apparently doesn't anymore.

On my compact I am just using the S&W provided factory plastic "plate" that serves essentially as just a spacer. That allows a proper co-witness on the sights.

I have a Glock sight pusher tool (Trijicon manufacture), and couldn't even use it as the suppressor height rear sight was too tall to fit in the tool. I spend way too much time whacking on the rear sight to want to do that again; to boot I was not able to even budge the sight.

I don't want to mess with plates made out of aluminum; I don't trust them with this application, and I've read many complaints about them. Nor am I keen on using a plastic spacer. Right now the sights are 100% non-usable. Ugh.

I like the sturdiness of the FCD plate, but had I known this might happen, I would have just stuck with the provided plastic plate and checked the screws often.

[MD7305]

The DPP brand plates from Amazon are pretty nice, nicer than the CHPWS plates and half as much. I got one of their RMR plates to mount a Holosun 508 and I was really pleased with how tightly it fits the optic pocket, works great with factory irons. Calculated Kinetics also makes a great plate that works with factory irons.

[medmo]

Dawson sights of the right height will fix that...but they are a bitch to install on an M&P because the factory sights are installed via a hydraulic ram where they practically crush-fit them into the dovetail. You can replace them, but don't expect it to be easy. A sight pusher helps, but my S&W sight pusher doesn't work on the new taller sights on the CORE and factory milled guns.

Dawson’s were a perfect solution for me. It took some time and patience to de-install the factory set but it was do-able. I had to reshape the aluminum punch several times. I fit the set of Dawson’s so the install was pretty standard. Harder than most? Yes. Worth it? Yes, for me it was.

[Tannhauser]

Dawson’s were a perfect solution for me. It took some time and patience to de-install the factory set but it was do-able. I had to reshape the aluminum punch several times. I fit the set of Dawson’s so the install was pretty standard. Harder than most? Yes. Worth it? Yes, for me it was.

Between my pistols and friend’s pistols I’ve now swapped sights on 13 M&P pistols.

Nowadays, for removing factory sights, I go straight to putting the slide in a vise and going to work with a steel punch and big hammer. Yes, the edges of the factory sights deform, but I throw them away.

Installing new sights takes a bit of time to file the new sights to fit properly such that the new sights can be tapped into place with a brass or aluminum punch.

Dawson Precision has a great video on YouTube about I stalling pistol sights.