5 shot J frame M&P Bodyguard

[pmer]

My neighbor got one of these not long ago, she had a 9mm but had trouble running the slide. Another neighbor helped her pick out one of these 38 Special +P's.

https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/m-p-bodyguard-38-no-laser

But I came to know she only fired a few times because the trigger pull was "hard". I borrowed some snap caps over so she could use them to work on her hand and forearm strength, she's 67.
So anyways I learned that the trigger was really hard to pull after she brought it over. It was hard to pull and the amount of strength required varried each time.

That was within the first 40-50 pulls with the snap caps in place. Now it seems normal to pretty good, probably better than my 637 in DA.

Just wondering if this is normal for the M&P 38 special.

[FergusonTO35]

If you're talking about the DAO Bodyguard with the poly grip frame, every one I've tried had a really good trigger pull. I can only imagine it would get better as it breaks in. The 637 is really sweet, my favorite snub!

[Rich/WIS]

Believe Wolfe Sprigs makes lighter trigger springs for S&W revolvers. Relatively cheap and esy to install and you can tune the DA pull to your liking.

[roysha]

I'm surprised in the fact she couldn't run the slide but could pull a fairly heavy DA revolver trigger.

My wife kept a Lady Smith 642 handy for many years. Recently she tried to shoot it but the arthritis in her hands would not allow her to pull the trigger. We checked out the S&W 380 M&P EZ and she is getting quite proficient with it. Racking the slide is not an issue whatsoever and the recoil is very mild.

Me, I'm a diehard revolver guy so for carry it's a 642. It's not much fun to shoot, but I figure if I ever need it, I'm not having any fun anyway.

As stated above, a spring kit and a thousand or so dry fires, (I can't stand to shoot it that much even with my 135 grain cast load), does wonders for the pull.

[Rapier]

This is a 637 hammer spring guide rod, if you take them out and polish the edges smooth it is not like a saw blade inside the spring as it is compressed, helps quite a bit.

[pmer]

The first couple times when I dry fired it, it felt pretty weird and about every 4 trigger pulls it would almost stop like the sweep of the trigger was binding.

But somehow it started working better and it took about 50 trigger pulls for it to come around.

I should've made the point better about how odd the trigger was when she first got it.

She likes it now.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

I have no idea why S&W profaned the name “J Frame Bodyguard” by labeling that crude looking plastic-framed “thing” with it. This reusing of names for firearms that share NO common parts seems like a terrible idea.

S&W has offered the REAL “J Frame Bodyguard” 314237 for over 50 years.

[Mk42gunner]

S&W isn't the only one that does that. Two that come to mind are the Winchester Model 70, (three or four versions, I think) and the Ruger Hawkeye, both a single shot pistol in .256 Win Mag and some sort of bolt action rifle.

It does not make sense to me either.

Robert

[Larry Gibson]

I have no idea why S&W profaned the name “J Frame Bodyguard” by labeling that crude looking plastic-framed “thing” with it. This reusing of names for firearms that share NO common parts seems like a terrible idea.

S&W has offered the REAL “J Frame Bodyguard” 314237 for over 50 years.

Just to compete with the Ruger LCR.......

[gnostic]

Believe Wolfe Sprigs makes lighter trigger springs for S&W revolvers. Relatively cheap and esy to install and you can tune the DA pull to your liking.

Wolfe Springs recommends not installing light springs in Duty guns. I've had light primer strikes after installing light springs on the double action...

[nicholst55]

It sounds like the OP's friend's gun could have benefitted from either a detailed disassembly and cleaning (AKA 'fluff-n-buff), or a trip back to S&W. It was probably having problems functioning due to debris inside the mechanism. And some people wonder why I disassemble, clean and lube all new-to-me guns before trying to shoot them.

[rockrat]

My wife had the same problem on retracting the slide, but instead, I bought her an M&P Shield EZ. Problem solved.

[justindad]

Sounds like, at minimum, you wore off a burr and the clock work now runs more smoothly. I recommend opening the clockwork and giving it a good cleaning so that debris doesn’t cause a bind at the very worst possible time.
*
OTOH, this is a S&W revolver so the trigger should be great. There could be something worse lurking inside. I would not assume this revolver is good to go without looking under the hood.

[Frank V]

Those J frames are a lot of fun & one with the first two rounds of snake shot is very comforting in snake country!;)