Every MOP covered tang I've seen personally or in pictures have pins that are as you've described; no washers and the pins do not appear to be flared or peened.

Drilling out the pins using a drill press and the appropriate ultra thin bit would not frighten me that much. BTW, I LOVE my table top drill press for drilling pins out of scales.

But wow, re-pinning them? I think you'd have to be a jeweler or something. Even if you glued them in, would you clean up the excess glue with solvent? Would that damage the MOP? Would you sand any excess glue off and what would that do to the MOP?

I'm sure it's something that can be done, but I think it' one of those things that could be a whole can of worms. Let us know what you decide to do.

Chris L