SMITH AND WESSON BODYGUARD 2.0 CARRY COMP

Just picked up a BODYGUARD 2.0 CARRY COMP at Academy Sports for a very good price. It was marked $499.00 but I got Military Discount of $50 plus another $22.50 for using my Academy card and instead of making file for a $25 rebate they gave me a free box of Hornady Critical Defense 90 grain FTX ammo worth $30. That bought my total cost to just under $400. This will be my wife's EDC and she's pretty excited. off to the range tomorrow.

Mine works great. Zero issues.

I've heard several gun YouTubers say that the Bodyguard 2.0 Carry Comp shoots about 2-3 inches to the left. I shot mine today and had the same experience as did my Son when he purchased his several months ago Honest Outlaw had the same experience. I guess my option are to drift the rear sight or install a red dot optic like the Gideon Pebble.

Looking forward to hearing the range report, it's a great pistol.

I have had access/shot/owned at least 6 BG 2.0’s. It’s not a myth lol. They all shot left. The sights are so tiny they don’t need to be moved much but they do need to be drifted.

Personally I find the dovetails so tiny that to preclude it looking oddly drifted I drift the rear snigger slightly and then drift the front ever so slightly (opposite way obviously) so that when you glance at the gun the sights seem centered but they are drifted just enough to poa=poi. That’s just how I’ve done all 6 that have ran through my hands.

Yeah, ours shoots left too.

Adding Talon grips to my rear slide made a big difference in racking that little buggar.

https://talongungrips.com/smith-wesson/slide-grip-s-w-bodyguard-2-0-carry-comp/

The Mudder River Tactical kydex is a perfect holster for my pocket carry (without the Viridian laser)

https://muddyrivertactical.com/product/pocket-holster/

The female YouTuber “She Equips Herself” has been carrying a BG2 for awhile and has interesting videos on her experiences.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SheEquipsHerself

I decided to bite the bullet and order a Gideon Pebble Optic which is made for the Bodyguard 2.0. I heard removing the rear sigh is a bitch so I'll gave my gunsmith do it.

pedropcola said:

I have had access/shot/owned at least 6 BG 2.0’s. It’s not a myth lol. They all shot left. The sights are so tiny they don’t need to be moved much but they do need to be drifted.

Personally, I find the dovetails so tiny that to preclude it looking oddly drifted I drift the rear snigger slightly and then drift the front ever so slightly (opposite way obviously) so that when you glance at the gun the sights seem centered but they are drifted just enough to poa=poi. That’s just how I’ve done all 6 that have ran through my hands.

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Well, our only Bodyguard 2.0 shot dead on from the first round to the target. A friend owns one and his experience has been the same as mine. It's an excellent handgun which my wife loves and I am considering one for myself just for our afternoon/evening walks around the neighborhood.

However, my first Shield Plus optics ready with night sights shot waaayyyy left and was a real bear to get the front sight moved on. My second Shield Plus (non-optics ready) with three dot sights was spot on like the Bodyguard. I have read that makers use machines to install sights in the slides but have no idea if that is true.

Over the decades and owning I have no idea how many dozens and dozens of revolvers and semi-auto handguns from different makers most have been pretty close to being true to centered zero. Others have been wildly off either horizontally or vertically. Most of my Smith & Wesson handguns have been pretty good out of the box. All of my Sig handguns, including my five P365s did not need even a tiny tweek. It seems as if Sig is doing something right with their sight installations.

I got one about 4 weeks ago. I heard that they shoot left so I brought a hammer and punch to the range. 10 yds it hit about 4 inches left. I move the rear sight so that it was almost all the way to the right. Shoots high but I'm happy. Shot 50rds of FMJ, no issues.

Yup. I think it’s a combo of tiny little sights and they have their jig just a bit off. Like I said, I own 4, I talked my buddy and his BIL into one and every one shot left. I’m a mild perfectionist. They weren’t crazy far left but they certainly weren’t dead nuts on.

The first one I drafted looked like the guy aboves picture. It annoyed my senses so that is how I came to drifting both front and back basically half the total amount necessary. It takes longer but neither sight ends up visibly off center. Pure aesthetic on my part and not necessary but that is how I like it.

pedropcola said:

The first one I drafted looked like the guy aboves picture. It annoyed my senses so that is how I came to drifting both front and back basically half the total amount necessary. It takes longer but neither sight ends up visibly off center. Pure aesthetic on my part and not necessary but that is how I like it.

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Have an OCD buddy who can't abide off center sights, and pedropcola's notion of moving both makes sense.
Don't think it's a matter of the sights being off from the factory, but rather how the gun recoils in an individual's hand. All the ones I've seen relentlessly shoot left from the factory, except....a buddy who is left handed.
That enormous rear sight opening, on the original BG2.0, is no help for fine accuracy, but the Carry Comp, with much better OEM sights, still shoots left. Nature of the beast.
Moon

I picked up a BG CC, sights are perfectly centered.

I was shooting a little to the left, but discovered using the pad on the tip of my finger tended to push the gun left.

Placing the trigger near the first joint of my trigger finger resulted in hits at the point of aim.

JN01 said:

Placing the trigger near the first joint of my trigger finger resulted in hits at the point of aim.

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Something on this order leads to the 'shooting left' business. I use the distal joint on all striker guns, and it didn't solve the problem on the BG2.0. But it is something like that, in how the gun is held, or the trigger pulled, that leads to shooting left.
Glad you found a fix,
Moon

Cphobes said:

Looking forward to hearing the range report, it's a great pistol.

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4" target set at 10 yards shooting Federal .380 FMJ ammo. Shot off hand no rest. Initial shots were low but windage was okay. Tweaked the elevation and hits were just below the red dot in center of target. Made another elevation adjustment and hit the bulls-eye. Moved the target out to 20 yards and hit were a little high but still within the 4" circle, The low left hit was definitely me and not the optic. The Gideon optic was definitely a game changer for me. My iron sights were not zeroed at the Factory and were hitting way left. I do not like drifting sights and besides while my distance vision is 20/20 I need reading glasses to see the front iron sight which is not necessary with the red dot. I have never heard of Gideon Optics before but I must say I am very impressed. The optic fits well and I can still pocket carry.

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cremaley said:

4" target set at 10 yards shooting Federal .380 FMJ ammo. Shot off hand no rest. Initial shots were low but windage was okay. Tweaked the elevation and hits were just below the red dot in center of target. Made another elevation adjustment and hit the bulls-eye. Moved the target out to 20 yards and hit were a little high but still within the 4" circle, The low left hit was definitely me and not the optic. The Gideon optic was definitely a game changer for me. My iron sights were not zeroed at the Factory and were hitting way left. I do not like drifting sights and besides while my distance vision is 20/20 I need reading glasses to see the front iron sight which is not necessary with the red dot. I have never heard of Gideon Optics before but I must say I am very impressed. The optic fits well and I can still pocket carry.

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Thanks for the updates, I mentioned the same optic to a friend. Glad to hear it's performing!

After reading @cremaley's post, I thought I'd throw in my $.02 here.

First off, I'm a big fan of green and red dot sights. I have them on pretty much all of my favorite range guns, and even my bedside Sig P365. They're great for someone like me with great distance vision, but less than perfect shorter range vision, which makes for a blurry front sight picture (as is the case with the OP).

I bought the Viridian green dot for my BG 2.0, and as expected, found that my accuracy improved quite a bit vs. my XS iron sights, which I also really like. I modified my pocket holster to fit the new green dot, and found that I could still pretty easily fit everything in my pocket, and was able to draw the gun without a problem.

As much as I like(d) the green dot, I ended up taking it off of the gun, and have pretty much decided I won't be using it. The reason? While it's great for range use, I found that I couldn't seem to acquire a sight picture, consistently, in an acceptable period of time. And I practiced quite a bit with this combo. This was a deal killer for me. I want to be able to, within a second or two max, lock onto my target in a defensive life-or-death scenario, which is what I expect from this gun.

I've gone back to using my laser, which also allows me to also have my XS sights mounted as a backup (unlike with the green dot mounted). I find shooting with the laser, that I'm just as accurate, if not more so, than with the green dot.

So if you're counting on your BG 2.0 as your primary CCW, I would recommend you keep this in mind. Don't just assume that because the green dot is fun and improves accuracy at the range, that it will also be your best choice for your carry gun.

YMMV


Frank

pinefd said:

As much as I like(d) the green dot, I ended up taking it off of the gun, and have pretty much decided I won't be using it. The reason? While it's great for range use, I found that I couldn't seem to acquire a sight picture, consistently, in an acceptable period of time. And I practiced quite a bit with this combo. This was a deal killer for me. I want to be able to, within a second or two max, lock onto my target in a defensive life-or-death scenario, which is what I expect from this gun.

I've gone back to using my laser, which also allows me to also have my XS sights mounted as a backup (unlike with the green dot mounted). I find shooting with the laser, that I'm just as accurate, if not more so, than with the green dot.

So if you're counting on your BG 2.0 as your primary CCW, I would recommend you keep this in mind. Don't just assume that because the green dot is fun and improves accuracy at the range, that it will also be your best choice for your carry gun.
Frank

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I think this was a wise and thoughtful decision on your part. I don't consider the BG2.0 to be a range gun because it is not really possible to clean it to my satisfaction. So I think of it as a short-range concealable defense that does not need anything beyond factory sights. I really like lasers and would use one on the BG2.0 if it did not involve a change in holster and just a general increase in size of the pistol/ holster combination. But since its intended use is for very short range, even the utility of a laser is in question for me.

pinefd said:

After reading @cremaley's post, I thought I'd throw in my $.02 here.

First off, I'm a big fan of green and red dot sights. I have them on pretty much all of my favorite range guns, and even my bedside Sig P365. They're great for someone like me with great distance vision, but less than perfect shorter range vision, which makes for a blurry front sight picture (as is the case with the OP).

I bought the Viridian green dot for my BG 2.0, and as expected, found that my accuracy improved quite a bit vs. my XS iron sights, which I also really like. I modified my pocket holster to fit the new green dot, and found that I could still pretty easily fit everything in my pocket, and was able to draw the gun without a problem.

As much as I like(d) the green dot, I ended up taking it off of the gun, and have pretty much decided I won't be using it. The reason? While it's great for range use, I found that I couldn't seem to acquire a sight picture, consistently, in an acceptable period of time. And I practiced quite a bit with this combo. This was a deal killer for me. I want to be able to, within a second or two max, lock onto my target in a defensive life-or-death scenario, which is what I expect from this gun.

I've gone back to using my laser, which also allows me to also have my XS sights mounted as a backup (unlike with the green dot mounted). I find shooting with the laser, that I'm just as accurate, if not more so, than with the green dot.

So if you're counting on your BG 2.0 as your primary CCW, I would recommend you keep this in mind. Don't just assume that because the green dot is fun and improves accuracy at the range, that it will also be your best choice for your carry gun.

YMMV


Frank

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Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. I appreciate your comments but I am a very proficient red dot shooter so I'll stick with my current set up. With iron sights I can no longer see the front sight without the use of readers which puts me at a huge disadvantage for concealed carry and lasers on not my cup of tea. In the end, its whatever works best for you.

Shot another 100 rounds though my Bodyguard 2.0 Carry Comp with no issues whatsoever. The Galloway Precision -10% recoil spring is functioning flawlessly and making the slide much easier to rack. My Gideon Optic is dead on a 5 and 10 yards. Have not tried anything further yet but will at next range visit. This is now my EDC pocket gun.

pinefd said:

After reading @cremaley's post, I thought I'd throw in my $.02 here.

First off, I'm a big fan of green and red dot sights. I have them on pretty much all of my favorite range guns, and even my bedside Sig P365. They're great for someone like me with great distance vision, but less than perfect shorter range vision, which makes for a blurry front sight picture (as is the case with the OP).

I bought the Viridian green dot for my BG 2.0, and as expected, found that my accuracy improved quite a bit vs. my XS iron sights, which I also really like. I modified my pocket holster to fit the new green dot, and found that I could still pretty easily fit everything in my pocket, and was able to draw the gun without a problem.

As much as I like(d) the green dot, I ended up taking it off of the gun, and have pretty much decided I won't be using it. The reason? While it's great for range use, I found that I couldn't seem to acquire a sight picture, consistently, in an acceptable period of time. And I practiced quite a bit with this combo. This was a deal killer for me. I want to be able to, within a second or two max, lock onto my target in a defensive life-or-death scenario, which is what I expect from this gun.

I've gone back to using my laser, which also allows me to also have my XS sights mounted as a backup (unlike with the green dot mounted). I find shooting with the laser, that I'm just as accurate, if not more so, than with the green dot.

So if you're counting on your BG 2.0 as your primary CCW, I would recommend you keep this in mind. Don't just assume that because the green dot is fun and improves accuracy at the range, that it will also be your best choice for your carry gun.

YMMV


Frank

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Hello Frank,

Excellent commentary, which parallels my experience.

I put a Sig red dot on my P365 for a defense carry. I spent time (probably not enough) practicing to find that dadgum red dot. It took me too long. Although I am supposed to look at my target with both eyes open and let my “close vision” find the red dot in the window, I found my brain was “looking for the dot”. I realize that muscle memory comes after practice. However, my physicality at 78 years old is not like it was at age 42 and feeling part Rambo.

I removed the Sig Romeo and added a Lima green laser. That greatly improved my accuracy, and I was able to locate my POA target much quicker. I was able to use the factory sights as well.

August of 2024, I bought the BG2. After months of messing with drifting the front sight, and not happy with POA/POI, I bought, and instantly returned the ArmaLaser. Then I got the Viridian green laser. It has a manual ambi off/on button. I find my speed to target location and accuracy has improved a lot. I can still use the factory sights, however my vision will not find the sights in sharp focus. I will most likely not put a red/green dot optic on my BG2. My accuracy is not bad. I’m still concerned that it has a lock up issue that is causing inconsistent accuracy.

Last range day I tried the 4X skill drill at 15 feet. Starting at low ready, then transitioning to each 4X, 1 shot top left, 2 shots top right, 3 shots lower left, 4 shots lower right, as quickly as I could see a green dot on the target. For me, the accuracy is not as good as I would like to see. For a sudden self-defense response is it good enough? As I mentioned, in a sudden self-defense incident a dot optic or a laser most likely will not be a factor because I will point ‘n shoot.

I shot the attached target with my P365 Micro using the Lima Laser, and my BG2 with the Viridian green laser. The shot count is not accurate for each X because I neglected to keep 10 rounds in the mag on every session.