#1. If someone never owned a Smith before, I guess it's ok.
But for someone who has shot Smith's most of their lives,
your brain will still tell your thumb to look for the latch on the side.
In a life and death reloading scenario, it could cost a person their life.

#2. Most shooters I believe are right handed. To activate the light,
a rightie has to cross over the top of the gun with their thumb.
At that moment, your hand is NOT in a shooting position
and has to be re positioned. Another things that takes time.

#3. The cylinder rotates the opposite way from all other Smith's.
WHY?
If you had time to load just one bullet to save your life,
a Smith shooter would load at 1 o'clock out of memory.
If you do, the bullet will wind up at 4 o'clock, because it rotates clockwise.
You would have to remember that in this Smith ONLY
to load at 11 o'clock. That could also cost a person their life.

#4. The ejector rod looks flimsy. Like a toothpick.

#5. Already mentioned, the grips are nothing to write home about.

Instead of Smith & Wesson spending their money to create a gun
that really wasn't necessary (442, 642, etc.)
they should have spent the money to make the 351C California legal.

Bad decision by a big company.

P.S. I work at a gun store and very few people buy the "new" Bodyguard.