S&W Bodyguard 380

[PaulIcemanMc]

OK guys. Was contemplating getting a BG 380 because went with a buddy to shoot the one he just bought and was impressed at the first with managable recoil and accuracy with the small weapon. Put 2 boxes through and no FTFs or FTEs even shot some of his carry ammo and all was well. Ordered one from the range I go to and started to look forward to it's arrival.
Now it gets interesting. My friend calls me and says about the end of the 3rd box of ammor the "take down pin" begins to come out. He puts it back in several times and then it comes out completely and the gun falls apart. He finds the pieces and calls S&W and they say they will send him a box and they will make it right.
Now I go on to the internet and "google" it and find this is not the only issue. There is some cracking of the frame on the back by the hammer and the laser switch coming apart. Well now, I called my guy and said go ahead a sell mine to someone else and I will wait, he was fine with that, and now I will wait until the bugs are all exterminated before thinking so fast again....

[Texas]

This sounds like the problems that seem to plague Beretta Model PX4 Storm compact. Take down pin comes out and won't stay in. Plus a whole list of other problems. Google it, you'll see. That's what prevented me from buying that Beretta and pushed me towards Ruger LCP instead.

[sbubrick]

This happened to me with the Ruger SR9C last January after it first came out. Had to send it back to Ruger twice, seems ok now.

[geezer117]

Sorry for the late posting. I had trouble getting registered.

I decided to trade my Mustang for a light, DA 380. The Mustang is a SWEET gun on the range, but it made me nervous to carry it cocked and locked. I'm making all my handguns DA or DAO so they'll all work the same in an extreme situation.

I went in to buy a LCP and saw the Bodyguard in the case. Talk about impulse buying, I changed my mind on the spot. The reasons are the far superior sights, the slide lock on empty, and the integral laser. Otherwise, the KelTec, LCP and Bodyguard are much alike.

I put 50 rounds thru it without the slightest problem. But there are some negatives.

* Trigger pull. Long and firm, of course, and in a combat situation quite smooth. But trying to squeeze them off accurately revealed some drawbacks. The trigger stages slightly at points, only noticeable in slow shooting. The best bet is to pull the trigger smartly back to the last eighth inch, then squeeze off the shot. In rapid fire, I sometimes missed the last stage and fired the round prematurely. This needs to be practiced a lot.

* Laser. I like this laser. It can throw a steady or a pulsing beam. The pulse is good in brighter light. No need to worry about accidentally turning on the laser in the holster. It takes a firm press on the button to turn it on. Too firm in fact for the trigger finger. Might as well resign yourself to using the off-hand thumb, and practice that way.

* Small gun, big hands. The pistol fit my hands comfortably, but my preferred handhold with bigger guns was problematic. My shooting thumb extended across the entire trigger area, and raising it even slightly put it in contact with the slide. I could only use the tip of my trigger finger, which after a few rounds of slow firing began to get sore. It was more comfortable to use the first joint of my trigger finger, but then it extended through and contacted my thumb, interfering with the pull. I had to find a new handhold that eliminated this interference and still was comfortable for all my other guns. I want all my handguns as much as possible to shoot the same, so I don't have to think too much about which one I am firing at the moment of extremis.

* Clip. Inserting a fresh clip is a problem. It catches on the magazine release pin, which must be depressed to get the clip into the gun. The logic of this escapes me.

* Sight adjustment. The laser was pretty accurate out of the box. At 20 yards, the pistol shot one inch left and four inches low, using the laser. I should have left it alone, but no, I had to tinker. One quarter turn up and one eight turn right had the gun shooting ten inches high and six inches left. The manual's instructions on lateral movement were backwards (or I'm too dumb to read properly), and small increments produce large changes. It took forty rounds to get it to my satisfaction. The iron sight elevation is good, but I need to drift it five inches right at 20 yards. For a combat gun, it's all good out of the box, but I can't leave well enough alone.

* Safety. This pistol has a safety, which I don't use when carrying, but do engage when leaving it in the nightstand. Never know when untrained hands might find it. The thing is, the safety is quite stiff and hard to release with the shooting thumb. Not good for combat.

Overall, I'm happy with this pistol, as long as I don't expect it to equal a Mustang.

[G50AE]

I put 50 rounds thru it without the slightest problem. But there are some negatives.

* Clip. Inserting a fresh clip is a problem. It catches on the magazine release pin, which must be depressed to get the clip into the gun. The logic of this escapes me.

Interesting, I am not familiar with this particular pistol so I am just going off your discusions. Are you saying that the S&W Bodyguard uses a stripper clip to load ammo in the same fashion as the Mauser Broomhandle pistol? If that is the case, where does one purchase stripper clips for 380 ACP? And can clips that accomidate the 380 ACP also accomidate the various versions of 9mm? (Obviously not including the 9mm Makarov, which is actually larger than 9mm.) I am not sure why S&W would build a pistol that loads through the ejection port via a clip, the only comman firearm these days that uses that old technology is the SKS rifle.

[6shootercarry]

Clip is the incorrect terminology. Not being a hard@$$ here just making a statement that will clarify the confusion.

Clip is a term usually to refer to a device that ammunition is loaded into and then used to load a magazine.

A magazine is a device loaded with ammunition and then loaded into a firearm. for the most part it works that way.

YouTube - Difference Between a Magazine and a Clip

Enjoy...

[G50AE]

Thanks for the video.

[-06]

Will be picking up a 232 Sig shortly in 380, Have started carrying a Mak. because of its slimness and toughness. If it gets scratched I don't have a "coniption fit" and if it gets dirty it still fires.

[SC Tiger]

...I will wait until the bugs are all exterminated before thinking so fast again....

Always a good idea with a new gun design. Give them a year or two to work the bugs out.

[davisway]

Sorry for the late posting. I had trouble getting registered.

I decided to trade my Mustang for a light, DA 380. The Mustang is a SWEET gun on the range, but it made me nervous to carry it cocked and locked. I'm making all my handguns DA or DAO so they'll all work the same in an extreme situation.

I went in to buy a LCP and saw the Bodyguard in the case. Talk about impulse buying, I changed my mind on the spot. The reasons are the far superior sights, the slide lock on empty, and the integral laser. Otherwise, the KelTec, LCP and Bodyguard are much alike.

I put 50 rounds thru it without the slightest problem. But there are some negatives.

* Trigger pull. Long and firm, of course, and in a combat situation quite smooth. But trying to squeeze them off accurately revealed some drawbacks. The trigger stages slightly at points, only noticeable in slow shooting. The best bet is to pull the trigger smartly back to the last eighth inch, then squeeze off the shot. In rapid fire, I sometimes missed the last stage and fired the round prematurely. This needs to be practiced a lot.

* Laser. I like this laser. It can throw a steady or a pulsing beam. The pulse is good in brighter light. No need to worry about accidentally turning on the laser in the holster. It takes a firm press on the button to turn it on. Too firm in fact for the trigger finger. Might as well resign yourself to using the off-hand thumb, and practice that way.

* Small gun, big hands. The pistol fit my hands comfortably, but my preferred handhold with bigger guns was problematic. My shooting thumb extended across the entire trigger area, and raising it even slightly put it in contact with the slide. I could only use the tip of my trigger finger, which after a few rounds of slow firing began to get sore. It was more comfortable to use the first joint of my trigger finger, but then it extended through and contacted my thumb, interfering with the pull. I had to find a new handhold that eliminated this interference and still was comfortable for all my other guns. I want all my handguns as much as possible to shoot the same, so I don't have to think too much about which one I am firing at the moment of extremis.

* Clip. Inserting a fresh clip is a problem. It catches on the magazine release pin, which must be depressed to get the clip into the gun. The logic of this escapes me.

* Sight adjustment. The laser was pretty accurate out of the box. At 20 yards, the pistol shot one inch left and four inches low, using the laser. I should have left it alone, but no, I had to tinker. One quarter turn up and one eight turn right had the gun shooting ten inches high and six inches left. The manual's instructions on lateral movement were backwards (or I'm too dumb to read properly), and small increments produce large changes. It took forty rounds to get it to my satisfaction. The iron sight elevation is good, but I need to drift it five inches right at 20 yards. For a combat gun, it's all good out of the box, but I can't leave well enough alone.

* Safety. This pistol has a safety, which I don't use when carrying, but do engage when leaving it in the nightstand. Never know when untrained hands might find it. The thing is, the safety is quite stiff and hard to release with the shooting thumb. Not good for combat.

Overall, I'm happy with this pistol, as long as I don't expect it to equal a Mustang.

Geezer117, Thanks for the in depth review regarding this firearm. I won't fault you for the use of the word 'clip', what I will do is welcome you to the forum and thank you again for the review. Thanks!