Loose BG38

David R

David R

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I bought a new BG38 wanting a lighter revolver than my 36. I like the gun, but ....

One of the first 5 shots in the cylinder was a misfire. I shot it a lot after that with occasional misfires.

The cylinder gap was .006 plus there was a .014 more play in the cylinder.

I sent an Email to S&W. They sent me a shipping label and back it went. In 2 weeks I had it back all tight and good.
The sheet of paper included said the cylinder was replaced.

After a couple hundred rounds its loose again. I guess my question is what is loosening up so fast?

I like the gun. The cylinder release is fine with me, the laser works great. I had a custom IWB Kydex holster made for it.

The gun shoots high so I was looking for a taller front sights. 125 grain shoots better but still a little high.

How high? 34' indoor range, aim for the bottom of the 11" paper, hit the top with a 158 grain bullet.

I had HBWC keyholing. I looked in the barrel it had lead, so I sent a few jacketed to clean it up. Accuracy came right back.

I am carrying it with 125 JHP for now but would like to get a taller front sight so I can use the 158 I prefer. I saw S&W had a .250" sight available. I measured mine and its .170 so if it fits the gun, I could make it hit where I want.

Thanks
David
 
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David, if no one has yet, welcome to the Forum. Always great to have new members. Got your hands full with that gun, don't you? If it's a carry piece for you, and it sounds like it is, I would dump it and go back to the 36. Can't have the malfunctions, or the uncertainty iwhether the next round will fire or not. And if it does, the bullets go all over the paper. Your laser works great, but the gun is not working reliably with ammo, so what good is the laser?

You've gone the factory route. I'd give up and trade it in on one of the more reliable snubs, 637, 638, 642. At least you still have the Chief, don't dump that!
 
Thanks for the welcome.

Still 2 questions. What is shooting loose causing the end play in the cylinder? I don't count rounds, but its only been a couple hundred.

Can I get a taller front sight?

David
 
I would keep sending it back to S&W until you are satisfied. I had to send in a 940 and a 317 three or four times each until they fixed the problems. They finally replaced the 940 with a new 640 which as it turned was great with me. I wrote detailed letters each time describing how many times I had sent them in and what problems were still there .

Persistence pays off.

BTW, they sent me mailers by email so it didn't cost me anything for shipping.
 
Hello David, welcome to the forum!

By "end play" do you mean you can move the cylinder forward and backwards by .014"? The S&W term for that is end shake.

If so, how did you measure that? You noted a .006" barrel cylinder gap which is acceptable. End shake can be measured using feeler gauges. Push the cylinder all the way forward and while holding it, measure the barrel cylinder gap. Push the cylinder all the way back and repeat. The difference in the two measurements is the end shake.

While I don't own the Bodyguard .38, .014" end shake would be excessive in any metal framed Smith and would likely cause the random misfires you are seeing. Typically .001-.002" of end shake is preferred. I do not know the factory maximum allowed amount.

I would recommend continuing to work with S&W to correct the problem to your satisfaction. If you send it back again request that the taller sight be installed as well. If problems persist, I add another vote for an alloy framed J-frame. There are versions that come with the Crimson Trace laser grips if that is a requirement for you. Good Luck!
 
First, I love this gun. Its what I wanted. The choice was LCR or BG38. I chose the laser sight. I did not know the LCR came in 357. Kind of like I bought a model 25 (45 colt) knowing it was built on a model 29 frame.

When I bought it a friend and I shot it and a model 60. We both found the BG easier on the hands but a little less accurate. I like the sights on the BG if I could regulate them. Shooting low, you lower the front sight. Shooting high you higher the sight? :D

End Shake was .006 plus the .014. It came back from the factory tight as can be but is already loose. I am wondering what wears. I checked a new one in the case at a gun shop, it was loose too.

Accuracy is acceptable for the gun. Its not near as good as my chiefs special I used to carry in an ankle holster. I bought the BG to replace the model 36. This BG does not fit any of my holsters so I had one made.

I read a bunch of these threads before posting.
I disagree on some of the issiues.

The one about having one bullet and the cylinder turns the wrong way amused me. I put 5 in the gun and carry it. The laser works fine for me. Trouble free and I have had it off for cleaning.

I find using the laser dry firing at a target shows how steady I really am. I was taught to shoot double action on my Dan Wesson in 1987. I wore out that Dan a couple times. The factory always rebuilt it for free.
I find holding the gun below sight level and using the laser interesting.

This could be a great gun. Time will tell.

Going out to fire some wadcutters through it now.

I also have a Ruger LCP (380) that I carry in the ankle holster. The BG is my "Big" Gun. I get about 50 ft lbs more energy.

Thanks for responding
David
 
I believe .002 end-shake is suppose to be the acceptable limit, but guns will shoot way beyond that. The OP's .006 BTCG is well within today's S&W tolerances and it seems they now find .010 to be acceptable. Not acceptable to us old-timers or perfectionist who prefer .004-.005....but it works.

I have owned guns (and know others that do/have) revolvers with .012 and greater overall "slack", but I do not think it is either acceptable or desirable and these guns have fired many thousands of rounds. The only thing that can cause this is wear at the bearing surface of the yoke and the bottom of the cylinder, or frame-stretch and there is simply no reasonable way for one to assume this can happen in a couple-hundred rounds. If you stack shims in this gun to correct the end-shake....all that is going to do is push the BTCG out to an unacceptable level. It needs to go home and receive a new barrel and be fitted from scratch....or replaced IMHO.

I will add one suggestion to make sure the measurements are correct. I was taught that end-shake should be measured with the gun loaded (snap-caps or spent brass). End-shake measurements taken with an empty cylinder can be exaggerated.
 
David R said:
I sent an Email to S&W. They sent me a shipping label and back it went. In 2 weeks I had it back all tight and good. The sheet of paper included said the cylinder was replaced.

After a couple hundred rounds its loose again. I guess my question is what is loosening up so fast?
Click to expand...

You say it is "loose again." Have you had misfires since you got it back?

After use of the BG38 revolver, I no longer own mine. I wish you luck.
 
NCM_0345-L.jpg


5 or so yards. One cylinder per target. HBWC with 3.0 Bullseye. Its a keeper. Laser Sight. Windy, snowing, 20*f.

.007" cylinder gap. I can get a .014 with no trouble. Brass in the cylinder or not. This .007 end shake to me.

No misfires yet.

David
 
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Welcome to the forum!

Question; on that target - do you have to aim at the bottom of the BLACK, or at the bottom of the entire sheet of paper to land those hits?

If you're aiming at the bottom of the BLACK at 5 yards, well, all I can say is I'd be ok with that. With that kind of consistency you can hit anything you want at that range knowing that it will land an inch or so high.

I'm not commenting on the endshake - as others have said, that needs to be looked at.

Good luck. Hang in there. S&W will make it right. Don't worry about it. Again, welcome to the forum.
 
If it shoots that good.....go with it I guess.

I suppose we are talking about the new BG, which I have never had, fired or measured. Maybe .014 is the "standard" for this weapon, but that's .007 in movement after you remove the .007 BTCG. That would be considered extremely sloppy on an original Body Guard. But.....if it ain't broke....don't fix it.:)
 
M3Stuart said:
Welcome to the forum!

Question; on that target - do you have to aim at the bottom of the BLACK, or at the bottom of the entire sheet of paper to land those hits?

......Snip.......

Good luck. Hang in there. S&W will make it right. Don't worry about it. Again, welcome to the forum.
Click to expand...

I used the laser. Its adjustable.

:) My older sister found out her boyfriend was cheating on her. We had a picture of him. She filled it full of holes (2 yards) with the laser. She has never shot a hand gun before. That is why the wadcutters. :) We had a blast!

David
 
Had the same trouble with a BG38. When the cylinder malfunction returned the first time out after getting it back from S&W, I ran up the white flag. Traded it in on a Model 36.
 
I am going to keep it.

After about 400 rounds, the headspace or end shake has not changed even after a few +P loads. I had one misfire.

This was a target fired at 50 feet using the laser. HBWC with 3.0 bullseye.

NCM_0355-L.jpg

Looking closely you can see the bullets were tipping. Still a great group for a belly gun.



And this was 12 shots fired through the chronograph at 11 yards. 110 grain hp with max load of Blue dot.
NCM_0353-L.jpg

There was a used target over this one with a smaller bullseye. I drew a line with a pen where the front sight was. She shoots good enough for me.

David
 
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About the end shake, when I had my bg38 it always seemed loose like that. I never measured it, but I've heard of others mention the same. Mine shot accurate enough for me that way. Maybe it's just the way it is on those guns?
 


My BG38 has been trouble-free for hundreds of rounds. I carry 158+P LSWCHP ammo in it and I was unable to find a taller S&W factory sight or any after market sight to lower the POI to my POA.
I had a red ramp Ruger sight that was the right height so I clamped the factory sight to it and scribed the factory sights bottom shape and pin location on the Ruger sight (after adding 2 mm of height).
I now have a gun with a red ramp that shoots 15yard POI at POA.

Mark
 
Mark, I looked at S&W website, they have a replacement blade that is .250". Mine measures .170". I have no idea if it will fit my gun.

I fixed the problem with lighter bullets. I am shooting this gun as my "scoped handgun" at a club shoot this winter. The laser is sighted for HBWC. Once the shoot is over, I will adjust the laser to match the irons. Its only a little elevation.

Thanks for the information.

I just got a box of federal primers and a box of 110 grain XTP. I have enough blue dot for another 100 rounds. This should keep me for a while.

David
 
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