New Bodyguard & Hickock 45

I just purchased a new Bodyguard 380 non laser, and haven't been to the range yet, but after watching Hickock 45's review, I must admit I am a little apprehensive.

In his follow up video he uses two different Bodyguards, and both suffered from either light strikes or failure to lock back on last round. This has me wondering if I made a good purchase?

I hope to go the range this week and wring it out a bit, but until I do, I hope my own results are better.

I don't believe light strikes are the problem. The big problem is the trigger is a ***. It's far worse than a DA pull on most larger pistols. There must be a trigger mod out there to do the BG justice. It shoots really well. I could hit 3" groups at 10 yds offhand without any effort. Just be careful not to fall asleep while you're waiting for the trigger to engage

ATF said:

I don't believe light strikes are the problem. The big problem is the trigger is a ***. It's far worse than a DA pull on most larger pistols. There must be a trigger mod out there to do the BG justice. It shoots really well. I could hit 3" groups at 10 yds offhand without any effort. Just be careful not to fall asleep while you're waiting for the trigger to engage

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I don't recall if it was for the new BG or the older model, but I remember hearing a lot of complaints of light strikes after installing trigger kits.

USAF385 said:

I don't recall if it was for the new BG or the older model, but I remember hearing a lot of complaints of light strikes after installing trigger kits.

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I really don't know except the travel is way excessive. I don't mind a heavy trigger in such a small gun but the BG I shot had travel of close to an inch and heavy too. Follow up and reset is also lacking. I never experienced any light strikes but the BG wasn't modded.

USAF385 said:

I don't recall if it was for the new BG or the older model, but I remember hearing a lot of complaints of light strikes after installing trigger kits.

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We put the Galloway short stroke kit in my brothers M&P 380. We had constant light strikes. One or two per mag at times. We worked on it for a while and couldn't get it to be reliable. It came out that same day.

Trigger Design?

I too have watched those Hickock45 videos with dismay as I am considering "upgrading" my Ruger LCP to a BG because I like the BG's other features and size. There is a fundamental difference between triggers on these two guns. They are both hammer fired, not striker fired, but the Ruger presets part of the hammer arc as the slide closes on a fresh round, giving up second strike capability. The BG is pure DAO with all of the cocking effort from the shooter's pinkie, yielding the advantage of second strike. Modern ammunition is so reliable that having second strike capability is like having insurance from meteorite collision. Plenty of other more probable stuff to worry about. LCP's have no safety except a long, fairly soft trigger pull. This approach is almost universal in modern polymer autos. It seems to me that S&W has chosen a pure DAO trigger/hammer (with an external safety) but softened up the trigger and hammer springs to make the trigger pull manageable on a small gun. I like the features and size of the BG but wonder if S&W has a fundamentally flawed design that a trigger kit can't cure as evidenced by the Galloway kits flop. What do experienced BG owners think?

No, the problem is watch that video again, he states that both pistols do not have the original triggers. They have been replaced by aftermarket triggers. The pistol stock is perfect for concealed carry & self defense, and that is exactally what it was intended & designed for.

Buckshotshorty, You made a great choice in a 380. Give it a good cleaning & lube before you hit the range, use quality brass FMJ and clean & lube again real good after each outing at the range..
I highly suggest taking the mags apart and clean the red plastic follower & inside of the magazine with gun cleaner & a old toothbrush & wipe dry after each shooting as well...
I hold a CHL in Texas & this same pistol you have is my EDC.

I added a trigger shoe to mine,seemed to help the travel issues quiet bit.Also added a Pachmayr grip glove.Between the two,it is almost an enjoyable range gun


I also used snap caps and dry fired it quiet a bit for a week or so.it really did smooth out the trigger pull..

Most modern firearms are reliable. The majority of failures that I have seen, regardless of manufacturer, is due to aftermarket parts. Leave it stock and it will be fine. I know several people with hundreds of rounds through their bodyguards with zero problems. The handguns in the video have aftermarket parts in them.

I did add a Pachmayr rubber slip on grip to my Bodyguard and I like it. It helps to use a paper towel & some rubbing alcohol & wipe down the pistol grip and the inside of the rubber slip on before putting it on so it wont twist around on you as much. It helps.

buckshotshorty said:

I just purchased a new Bodyguard 380 non laser, and haven't been to the range yet, but after watching Hickock 45's review, I must admit I am a little apprehensive.

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This is going to sound harsh, and it's meant to at least a little so get ready...

Why on God's green Earth do you care what happened with some gun on a youtube video? Then, if the video is causing you concern, why did you buy the gun? If you bought the gun, and then in your excitement went to watch some youtube videos about it, why do you care what they do or what happens to their gun?

Just go shoot yours. Worry about problems when they develop, not before. You'll only lose sleep for no reason. It's not a problem until it's a problem.

Allow me to add to your anxiety...
The BG .380 is a tiny gun. People buy it because it's small. Then they want to carry it for self-defense. But, when they get to the range, they can't hit the broad side of a barn. Hmmm, which is more important, easy to hide and carry or being able to actually hit the bad guy?

Now, I'm just some guy on the internet. Do you really care what I say? You don't know me. I could tell you that I teach defensive pistol classes and CCW classes. So what? Does that give me some power over you? It's your gun. Stop obsessing over what someone you don't know says. Just go shoot the thing and learn to shoot it well.

After reading about all the trouble with the BG-380, I am not going to get one. I have been thinking about it, but too me it doe not feel good in my hand and I do not like the trigger pull.

To each his own. I have one of the older BG380s with a laser (which I have never used nor will ever use). I have sent more ammo downrange with the BG than any other pistol I own. Never the first failure of any kind. A sweet little gun that is easy to shoot and accurate as can be. The more I use it, the better the DA trigger becomes.

The BG380 is in my regular carry rotation along with an Xds-9 and a couple of different SW j-frame snubbies.

I have a M&P Bodyguard 380 (w/o laser), s/n KBVxxxx, with a production completion date of 5-31-2014, purchased new from an Air Force Base Exchange the end of Dec. First time out, fail to fire on first round, a Blazer 95 gr FMJ. Only FTF out of a box of 50. Next Blazer box of 50: three fail to fire. BTW, between the first and second Blazer boxes, I fired 47 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 90 gr HP ... Zero FTF and of the brass I was able to recover, zero light strikes! There were numerous light strikes with the Blazer, even those that fired the first time. All but one fail to fire rounds fired on the second pull. One Blazer took three pulls! A second visit to the range, I fired a box (50) of Federal American Eagle 95 gr FMJ. Zero FTF! My next range visit will be to fire another Speer Gold Dot box of 50. (Question I have is ... if CCI primers are hard and they're used in both Blazer and Speer Gold Dot, then why didn't I have issues with the Gold Dot?) Will let you know the results. If I have zero issues, I'm going to settle back and consider the BG worthy of being my "bodyguard!" BTW, about the trigger pull: yes, long but smooth, no grit, no stacking. At 7 yds combat range, double and triple taps to upper torso and head, no problem! In fact, I can place shots at that range as well as with my Glock 23! And I like a long pull for a pocket gun. Plus, you don't need to worry about using the safety (if it's in a holster like my Remora 2R). Don't like the Ruger LCP (except for trigger pull). It doesn't lock back after last round, harder to field strip, not as comfortable in the hand, crummy sights, no hardened Melonite finish, no stainless slide or barrel, as far as I know, and comes with just one mag! AND, the LCP owners manual says it can fire if dropped with a round in the chamber. Apparently, no firing pin block! About Hickok45's YouTube first test with the Galloway trigger: Many more light strikes/FTF with that trigger mod. Why? He explained. The Galloway mod keeps the hammer from going as far back, so not as much energy or force when the hammer falls. It's a physics kind of thing! If you have fail to fire issues, stop using cheap Blazer or the cheapo stuff some indoor ranges sell (reloads I imagine). Shoot name brand ammo like Winchester, Federal, Speer. Stay away from Remington's cheap UMC!! Remington's standard ammo is fine, IMHO. Bottom line: Great pocket piece. (And sorry for the long post.)

Shorty
+1 on Ras. He knows of which he speaks.

Shoot it and make up your own mind. I got mine before I knew about this forum. Liked it then and still do.

1000+ rounds through mine and not a single problem. Very reliable.

I bought one last week. It's had nothing but a good cleaning and some frog lube. The trigger is long, but it can be smoothed a lot. I did not buy the gun to shoot bulls eyes at 25 yards or to hit the gong at 100. It's a .380 for crying out loud. I bought it because I can stick it in a pocket and know that I've got something to fight back with if the need ever occurs. I expect the little gun to perform just like every other S&W gun I've used over the preceding 40 years. Boringly reliable. Go shoot yours. Shoot it a lot, and get to feel about it like you do your tooth brush. Nothing exciting, but very necessary and extremely well suited for its intended purpose. I think you'll grow to like it.

Just took my non lazer M&P .380 to the range several days ago and fired another 150 rounds. That's a total of 550 problem free rounds fired thru it. With practice, its quite accurate up to 15 yards. I'm talking about being able to consistantly hit inside the 7 ring on a standard B-27 silhouette target. At 3-5 yards I can easily chew a 3" hole in the NRA B-16 targets I use.

Rastoff said:

This is going to sound harsh, and it's meant to at least a little so get ready...

Why on God's green Earth do you care what happened with some gun on a youtube video? Then, if the video is causing you concern, why did you buy the gun? If you bought the gun, and then in your excitement went to watch some youtube videos about it, why do you care what they do or what happens to their gun?

Just go shoot yours. Worry about problems when they develop, not before. You'll only lose sleep for no reason. It's not a problem until it's a problem.

Allow me to add to your anxiety...
The BG .380 is a tiny gun. People buy it because it's small. Then they want to carry it for self-defense. But, when they get to the range, they can't hit the broad side of a barn. Hmmm, which is more important, easy to hide and carry or beingable to actually hit the bad guy?

Now, I'm just some guy on the internet. Do you really care what I say? You don't know me. I could tell you that I teach defensive pistol classes and CCW classes. So what? Does that give me some power over you? It's your gun. Stop obsessing over what someone you don't know says. Just go shoot the thing and learn to shoot it well.

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Thank you for your reply and being candid. You are correct, I'm fretting over something that hasn't happened yet. As someone mentioned the guns with light strikes in that video had triggers that were aftermarket. I keep all my guns stock.
I have an LCP and shoot it quite accurately, so that's not a concern of mine. In fact, my range gun is a Sig 250 and I'm sure you have read about the long double action trigger pull on that one.

Eagle 1944 - I agree with staying away from the Remington UMC ammo.
My BG had several FTfeeds with the UMC brand. We have since moved on to PMC Bronze ammo and have had very good results with it!