Any Bodyguard 38 revolver owners here?

I handled on in the LGS as I am in the market for a pocket revolver.

What I liked:
-Liked the cylinder release. It felt intuitive and it's ambidextrous.
-Light weight.
-Trigger pull and feel. (can be highly individualistic though)
-pinned front sight (I'd like to put a tritium sight on it)

What I did not like:
-laser. I don't like lasers in general. In a hazy scene, it leads the bad-guy right to my position!

Any comments?

Thanks!

IMHO you would be better off w/a second hand M638 or M38. I have both (the M38 is from 1962 & 638 from 2010) and most of your concerns would be allayed with these older guns.

I've looked at the new Bodyguards and really do not like them, but that's just me.

I haven't tried one yet. Some are reporting that recoil is much less with the new design. I don't care for the laser either. I sure wish Smith & Wesson would sell the gun without the laser and I would buy one.

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Centennial Every Day

I hear ya Old Guy. I carry my dad's stainless J frame right now until I make my mind up.

What I am looking for is hammerless, pined front sight, light weight.

I really do like the cylinder release. Either hand works, and I found it easy to operate. I'm new to revolvers having bought an M29 and 686 a few weeks ago. My duty weapon is an auto, and autos have been all I've shot or owned until then.

looks like junk to me. the ruger looks better. you cant beat the prices on the 642

Old School vs New School. I choose option A.

No pics yet but I just bought a delightful lil 649 no dash that I snagged for the princely sum of $260.00 plus tax. Was stuck in traffic, right in front of my local pushers, when I asked my wife if she minded if I stopped there to "wait out this traffic". Bet she won't make that mistake again. Bwaaah Haaaaaa Haaaaaaaa.

Actually , the joke is on me. She claimed it for her own, had me hunt down some girly pearl grips, and has it in her purse as of today.

id buy those all day at that price

There is the tiniest of scratches on the cylinder and absolutely no signs that it has ever been fired before we took it out and shot it. Meaning it an easy 98% gun. When I paid it off, the Mgr (who's a bud of mine) told me he was glad I bought it becuase he was going to keep it if it didn't sell by the end of the day.

Wonder what THEY paid for it?

I bought a new Bodyguard 38 when they first came out, and with well over 1K rounds thru it I couldn't be happier. This revolver has become my warm weather carry gun, and since I carry it I practise with it a lot. It has been troublefree and accurate. What impresses me the most is how comfortable the recoil impulse is even when shooting hot +P loads. As most know light J frame revolvers are not very comfortable to shoot, especially with street ammo. Most people I know who carry them shoot them very sparingly. The new Bodyguard on the other hand is very comfortable with it's redesigned grip. Shooting standard velocity ammo is a breeze and hotter +P ammo is remarkably comfortable. Last week I put 100 rounds of my carry ammo thru it Winchester 158 grn +P LHP. I zeroed the laser and shot from nontraditional positions, the laser is very accurate once dialed in and frosting on the cake so to speak. 5 friends who have shot mine have bought there own they were so impressed. I think S&W will sell a lot of these.

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Handled one too when looking for my first gun. Liked what you did, but the laser was a pain. The button was hard to turn on and had two levels to go through to the off position. One was on and one pulsating I beleive. Anyhow, didn't buy.

649 no dash...my favorite of the whole breed.

I looked at the Ruger LCR first. It's trigger reset is terrible. You have to be ABSOLUTELY certain to fully release the trigger or else the next trigger pull with get you nothing but silence.

If you don't fully release the trigger, the cylinder will rotate but the hammer will not cock. On some strokes, the cylinder will lock up and the trigger will hang up. The trigger was also heavy, and creepy.

All of the Smith's J frames I have handled feature a shorter, better trigger reset, a better feel, and were lighter.

Very helpful!! Thank you for the report, and nice shooting there Tex

There are a lot of posts on this. I like my BG38. It's very accurate, weighs about the same as my 642, the laser is easy to turn on or off if you take the time to actually practice, no worse than flicking the safety on a 1911. You don't have to use the laser, you can actually remove it. It's considerably less expensive than its alloy & steel counterparts. It is ambidextrous.

My only complaint is that you must fully allow the trigger to reset or you'll skip a cartridge.

It's not a target gun, it is an effective, entry level self defense firearm. For those who disdain "plastic", tell it to Gaston Glock.

When I practice with it, I empty the cylinder as fast as I can reacquire the target at 7 yards. Nothing wrong with the gun.

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Bob

Picked mine up today. My daughter has my 340 pd and I needed another S&W to keep my model 908 company. Have been carrying a ruger lcp, but it is just too small for me to get a good grip on.

First off, let me say I currently have 4 J frames
and have had a few others before. I've been shooting Smith's since 1962.
Second, I work at a gun store.
When I first saw the Bodyguard in the showcase,
my thumb instinctively went for the thumb latch.
Muscle memory on a Smith. No thumb latch.
Feeling like an idiot, not knowing how to open it,
I asked a fellow employee and he showed me the top latch.
He explained it was ambidextrous.
Next he showed me how to activate the beam.

These are my thoughts.
1. If someone has never owned a Smith before,
they can be trained and have the muscle memory
to go to the top latch. For someone who has shot Smith's
for 49 years, in an emergency, the old muscle memory takes over
and will go to the side latch.

2. To activate the light, your hand is not in a shooting position.
With a Crimson Trace, when you grip the gun in a natural way
it is activated. One hand position instead of 2.
I won't even address why someone needs a beam on a gun
that if used by a civilian, will probably be used at 8 feet or closer.

3. I always remember that "C" is the first letter of Colt
and the first letter of the word clockwise.
Smith's turn counter clockwise. EXCEPT this one.
It turns the same way as a Colt. In an emergency, if you have
time to load just one bullet, you better learn to load it at
11 o'clock instead of 1 o'clock.

So as I said, for a new Smith buyer, those are easy to learn.
But for a long time Smith shooter, there are too many things to
rethink under stress.
Smith markets a 642 with a Crimson Trace on it.
I show customers both and when they see the difference,
they choose the 642.
I'm sorry for the long post, but these 3 things needed mentioning.

Some good points coach. I was wondering yesterday what the advantage of the ambi cylinder release might be. Haven't quite figured that one out yet.

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Centennial Every Day

I have several of the older Smiths that satisfy most of my needs so, a general rule, I am not too excited about the newer models. However, I did check out the new Bodyguard with a fairly serious intent of buying one. At the first store I quickly became aware that, depending upon the rapidity with which it was cycled and the trigger stroke, the cylinder did not reliably carry up. I pointed this out to the clerk (an experienced shooter) and he had similar problems with the gun. I declined to purchase the gun.

A month or so later at a different store in a different part of the State I looked an another of the same model. I related my previous experience to that clerk and, together, we both tried to duplicate the problem of cylinder carry up. We both cycled it without problems and I was beginning to feel that the problem was with the first gun until we reached the 26th cycle. At that time the same problem occurred with the second gun.

My requirement for a pocket gun is 100% reliability and I could not assure myself that the new Bodyguard offers that from the two that I tested in store.

Bob

No problem activating laser with my support hand with a crossover hold a la Jerry Miculek's video, "C" is also the first letter in counter clockwise Again, you don't have to use the laser or spend any time looking for the little red dot on the BG38 or CT Grips. I use the laser for point & shoot practice at close range. I also practice with the laser off. Part of the reliability has to do with the shooter's fsmiliarity with the weapon. My BG38 is at least as reliable as my 642 and easier to get into action than either of the Model 36s I've owned

Different strokes, I guess.

I suppose if you only train one way, your muscle memory will interfere. Personally, I like the variety of getting to know and shooting different handguns. For something really different, try one of the HK P7 family.

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Bob

Here are some J Frames, for your consideration.

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I thought S&W Bodyguards look like this...

... you mean there's another one !?!

GF

Don't get me started...

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Centennial Every Day

Wow GF, that is sweet!

.357magger sez:
Actually , the joke is on me. She claimed it for her own, had me hunt down some girly pearl grips, and has it in her purse as of today.
I sez: Boy-howdy do I know that one! Lost a very nice 3 inch J-frame .38 that way. Girlly-pearly grips and all!

I am too old to learn a new way of opening a revolver cylinder....
I don't carry a Colt for the same reason.....thumb latches are on the left side and you push them forward...any other way doesn't work for me....
Yes, I could practice and learn, but I choose not to......
(Mag releases are behind the trigger guard on the left side as well...)

Get a "real" Bodyguard model 38........I'm not into the new ones at all!

The essential feature of the CTC lasergrips is that the light is momentary, or continuous, depending on a change in the pressure of the bird finger. No need to change the grip, or use the off-hand to instantly light the beam, or turn it off. The CTC can be used to best advantage because of this controllability.

The new Smith laser may be placed in an equally good position for its aiming as the CTC, but it lacks the ideal location for the switch, and cannot be used momentarily. That makes it complete loser compared to the CTC.

I'm not familiar with the new guns, but I can tell you the old model 38 is a sweetheart. Very accurate too.

Picture of my Model 38 bodyguard

Good luck.
augy

You can pick up a 442 if you like black or a 642 if you like silver for around $350 (no latch on either). I paid $359 for mine (a 442) at Tanner's Sports Center in Jamison, PA. Got the LG405 grips at the same place for $259 (minus $50 rebate from Crimson Trace). Uncle Mikes #4 pocket holster (have one on order from Mika's). Big smile on my face!

Augy,
Why did you put that different style cylinder release on yours?

I'm diggin' the Model 49! So glad y'all posted pics of it, thanks!

Is 800 for a very nice "seems to be unfired" example fair? Seems steep to me.... Is this gun historical or something?

The early guns have what's called a "flat latch" cylinder release on them.

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Centennial Every Day

[QUOTE=dcxplant;136018311]Augy,
Why did you put that different style cylinder release on yours?

Hi,

I didn't.... That's the way it came from the factory, all factory stock. Its an older gun.

augy

This is the version of "bodyguard" I carry and recommend... 5-shot, .44 special...



Hope this helps!

-TS

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now you're talkin'!!! real nice

I'm in my 70s now and find the 649 in 357 the perfect carry gun. It doesn't weigh my right hip down and has what I consider sufficient power. Very concealable and easy to bring into action. I expected the recol to be ferocious and unpleasant but it isn't.