S&W Bodyguard 380 opinions?

[FergusonTO35]

I'm a big fan of .380 pistols and always thinking about which one to get next. Anybody have much experience with the S&W Bodyguard 380? It seems nice from what I have read. A lot of folks report the trigger pull is more like a revolver than a DA auto. The sights look really nice too. Also, do they eject into the stratosphere like most micro pistols? My Glock 42 and Kimber Micro eject about 5-6 feet, good for reloading. The Bodyguard I am,considering is the blued version without the laser or manual safety.

[bdicki]

I would suggest you try the trigger before buying, I had one and added a short stroke kit in it and it was still horrible.

[redhawk0]

I have that exact model...mine throws cases all over the place. But the trigger isn't too bad. Its just LOOOOONG. I liked my original sights but later put night tritium sights on it. I wanted a better vision on the sights if someone should come into the house at night.

Overall...I'd buy it again. Its small and compact and easily fits in your front pants pocket.

redhawk

[jmort]

I have three LCP IIs
Nice trigger
Dependable
Reasonable price
Easy pocket carry with Mika pocket holster
10 ounces
Use with 100 grain RNFPs
I like Ranch Dog's design best
Ordering shoulder holster rig custom to carry two for perfect balance as opposed to mags and gun on the sides

[6.5 CM]

Horrible heavy trigger.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks so much for the honesty. I will be sure to check it out thoroughly.

[FergusonTO35]

Another question: does the trigger break all the way back in the stroke? How would it compare to a 637 .38 double action pull?

[barnabus]

i have one and like it alot.Its the best made in that price range and always shoots point of aim for me. i have a SW 357 SIG,Shield and the Bodyguard. all triggers on these pocket pistols suck and are long so u dont shoot your johnson off getting it out of ur pocket.I wouldnt own a LCR but thats me.

[MyFlatline]

i have one and like it alot.Its the best made in that price range and always shoots point of aim for me. i have a SW 357 SIG,Shield and the Bodyguard. all triggers on these pocket pistols suck and are long so u dont shoot your johnson off getting it out of ur pocket.I wouldnt own a LCR but thats me.

LOL, that's one way to describe the trigger pull . :)

[jmort]

https://youtu.be/D4x11YeGLYw

Here is one with a really nice trigger

[shooting on a shoestring]

Well my experience with a new S&W Bodyguard 380 was filled with light strikes. I don’t recall getting through a magazine without at least one light strike. The ability to pull the trigger a second time to hit a primer was essential and used often. I found out lots of people had the same problem. I let it go for $150 with an explanation of why. Yes I could have sent it back to S&W but I was aggravated with it.

My LCP is my primary 380. It breaks something about every 2k rounds. I keep fixing it and shooting it. My Kimber Micro 380 is great, but that safety is really small to hit. My G42 has a really bad habit of tripping the slide lock with the next boolit nose because if the large amount of clearance around the magazine which allows it twist from side to side enough to sparodically hit a nose against the slide lock even with the slide lock thinned to the point of missing the follower if the magazine is twisted away from the lock.

I strongly suggest you look into the light strikes on the Bodyguard 380 before you buy one.

[LabGuy]

Well, I have one in my my pocket right now. Shoots remarkably well, but 20-30 rounds is enough for one range session. It is a looong triger pull, and I must dry fire practice regularly, or have poor results on target untill I remember how to shoot it.

[Shuz]

I had a S&W .380 Bodyguard and had to send it back to the factory 3 times for FTF and FTE. On the third time back, I asked them to refund my purchase price, complete with sales tax paid, and they did! I'm so happy now with my 2/ea Keltec 3AT's and my Taurus TCP.

[DougGuy]

Well, for me the issue wouldn't be the trigger but the whole concept of using a 380 to protect life and limb is VERY risky! Imagine if you had to stop a whitetail deer with a 380, how many times would you have to shoot it, how far would it run, would you ever recover it at all? I think you get my point.

[FergusonTO35]

Well, for me the issue wouldn't be the trigger but the whole concept of using a 380 to protect life and limb is VERY risky! Imagine if you had to stop a whitetail deer with a 380, how many times would you have to shoot it, how far would it run, would you ever recover it at all? I think you get my point.

If you are such a good hunter that you often take deer at pocket pistol distance, my hat is off to you!! A .380 in the pocket always beats the .44 you left at home. I recognize that a .380 is not a powerhouse by any means. I shoot this cartridge really well and can always have it with me. I can't shoot small guns in serious cartridges worth a darn.

[Bigslug]

Consider it a little bit of an upscale Ruger LCP in that you get real sights and a last-shot hold-open, but are still running DAO and a pretty short sight radius.

Your Glock 42 is a little more serious handgun by having something closer to a full grip, and a little more barrel length.

[hpdrifter]

I didn't buy mine for target shooting. It runs just fine. I can't recall a light strike or a malfunction. I have the laser model and can hit pretty good with it in self defense range......7-12 yards. Believe it or not, the squarish frame eats on my hand after 4-5 magazines.

[jonp]

I bought my wife and I each a Ruger LCP. Awful triggers so I put in a kit which made them not quite so awful. With all of the 9mm out there now that are the same size or smaller, I can't see the justification for the 380 anymore. The Shield is about the same size. The LCP's have been totally reliable with all types of ammo but we have not shot them in quite some time and I don't reload for 380.

Friend of mine did buy the 380 SW Shield EZ for his wife who has arthritis in her hands and forearm. Said it is just the ticket for someone with those conditions and who is recoil shy or doesn't shoot much.

[jmort]

The LCP II fixed everything
Trigger is now as good as it gets in this class of pocket gens.

[Tackleberry41]

I carried one for a while, winter is here easier to conceal something bigger. Yes it has a heavy DA trigger but one you can get used to. Its not made for target use. Only issue w the laser is it has a habit of getting turned on while being carried and is often dead when you want it.

[35remington]

While I do not find a primary use for 380s as everyday carry guns and agree small 9mms are better for everyday and particularly belt carry as there is enough gun to grasp and draw yet conceal decently, I most wholeheartedly disagree that the small 9mms are as small as small 380s.

They aren’t. A twenty ounce Shield (their actual unloaded weight) is quite a lot larger and heavier and wider than a 10 to 11 ounce LCP. Not even close. I do not see where they are comparable and I own both. I do find the 380 snappier to shoot than a Shield in 9mm. I relegate the tiny 380s to deep cover use only. Getting a quick secure grab on a LCP carried in a waistband holster is harder than on a compact 9mm due to the considerable difference in size and grip length.

[jmort]

Well, for me the issue wouldn't be the trigger but the whole concept of using a 380 to protect life and limb is VERY risky! Imagine if you had to stop a whitetail deer with a 380, how many times would you have to shoot it, how far would it run, would you ever recover it at all? I think you get my point.

I heard directly from a member here, who kills a lot of hogs, who has used a .380 with a 100 grain lead alloy FP to kill two "man-sized" wild hogs with single shots to the body. It will easily make two holes in a Goblin. Properly placed it will kill a deer in a pinch if necessary. It's called Lead Bullets Technology.

[FergusonTO35]

While I do not find a primary use for 380s as everyday carry guns and agree small 9mms are better for everyday and particularly belt carry as there is enough gun to grasp and draw yet conceal decently, I most wholeheartedly disagree that the small 9mms are as small as small 380s.

They aren’t. A twenty ounce Shield (their actual unloaded weight) is quite a lot larger and heavier and wider than a 10 to 11 ounce LCP. Not even close. I do not see where they are comparable and I own both. I do find the 380 snappier to shoot than a Shield in 9mm. I relegate the tiny 380s to deep cover use only. Getting a quick secure grab on a LCP carried in a waistband holster is harder than on a compact 9mm due to the considerable difference in size and grip length.

Yes indeed. Moreover, there is no way I could shoot a 9mm or .40 that was truly the same size and weight as a small .380. I recognize my limitations and plan accordingly.