Bodyguard or LCP

PirateJim

PirateJim

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So, I am thinking about a mouse gun for those times the Shield just won't work. Reading here, I get the impression that there are two factions of Bodyguard owners , those with no problems and those with lots. True?

I am a S&W fan and for good reason (IMHO) but have no problem with Ruger. The LCP is sleeker and thus more "pocketable" but the Smith's slightly larger size suggests better shoot ability.

I have posted a similar question over on the Ruger forum recognizing that 'fans' hang together. I would appreciate discussion of why you would choose one over the other rather than one or two word votes if possible.

Thanks in advance!
Jim
 
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Hey Jim. I never owned a Bodyguard but I do own an LCP. The 2nd Generation LCP have very useable sights and the trigger is much improved from the 1st gen. I chose the LCP because of its reliability. Mine has been 100% and from all I have read this seems to be the least quirky of the mouse guns. I owned a Kahr CW380 that had too many issues. I really can't say much about the Bodyguard because I've never shot one. You would probably do alright by either but I can say the Ruger LCP is a fine shooting, reliable weapon.
 
Get ready for a bunch of posts lamenting on all the "problems" the Bg 380 has...

I personally own & carry a M&P bodyguard .380 and I feel it is a better weapon than the LCP. Neither firearm are intended for any length of time at the range, not that they are bad guns, no, its because they are small & .380 can pack a punch. Not a mouse gun in my book. I havent shot a LCP and the only difference I can say for sure is on the LCP the slide does not lock back after the last shot, the bodyguard does. I also feel the bodyguard has better sights. I carry my bodyguard pretty much every day in my front pocket in a desantis pocket holster and I trust it with my life. Both pistols are very popular, reliable & will get the job done when it counts.
 
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As I suggest in every single 'which should I get' thread...
Do research problem threads on each pistol's 'Brand' forum, but Find a way to shoot each yourself (borrow, rent, try someone else's at the rang) and see which one functions better in YOUR hands.
Which one I prefer, or anyone else prefers means nothing if YOU can't shoot it well.

I Live in the Hot TX climate and carrying the Shield 365 days a year (and having grown up in Miami), I do need to ask...
What Florida conditions wouldn't allow you to easily conceal a Shield??? :confused:
 
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I have owned both.

Plusses for the LCP:
Lighter. Only a couple ounces, but noticeable.
A little less bulky, but not too noticably.
Simple. No safety.
Unmatched reliability.

Minuses for the LCP
No manual safety
No +P
Sights poor, but it doesn't seem to matter
Mine would smack my trigger finger with the trigger guard. Not a big deal. YMMV.

Plusses for the BG:
Manual thumb safety
OK to shoot +P
Slide locks back (most of the time)
Second strike (you're gonna' need it)
Better sights, at least compared to the original LCP
Looks better

Minuses for the BG:
A little heavier (by about the weight of a loaded mag)
Numerous complaints about reliability issues, although works fine for many.

If you don't need a safety or +P, I'd recommend the LCP. Mainly because the S&W appears to have some un-fixable design flaws affecting reliability.

David
 
RobzGuns said:
As I suggest in every single 'which should I get' thread...
Do research problem threads on each pistol's 'Brand' forum, but Find a way to shoot each yourself (borrow, rent, try someone else's at the rang) and see which one functions better in YOUR hands.
Which one I prefer, or anyone else prefers means nothing if YOU can't shoot it well.

I Live in the Hot TX climate and carrying the Shield 365 days a year (and having grown up in Miami), I do need to ask...
What Florida conditions wouldn't allow you to easily conceal a Shield??? :confused:
Click to expand...


This part of Texas where I live its over 85° 9 months of the yr & humid... :cool:
The only time I carry my bodyguard is when I'm out walking down the trail or doing a quick run to the grocery store or taking out the trash, fishing etc... All other times I carry my Shield.
 
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CaptRon956 said:
This part of Texas where I live its over 85° 9 months of the yr & humid... :cool:
The only time I carry my bodyguard is when I'm out walking down the trail or doing a quick run to the grocery store or taking out the trash, fishing etc... All other times I carry my Shield.
Click to expand...

This nicely sums it up. I own and prefer to carry my Shield, but there ARE times something smaller would be good. I've been using a J-frame for pocket carry and a Seacamp 32 for even smaller, but I woul like something in between.
 
If you want a shootable .380 pocket gun get a sig p238. If you want a piece of garbage get the smith or lcp. I've owned all three and the body guard and lcp were terrible.

They were reliable but the triggers are horrible and translates to terrible accuracy.
 
I have an original model LCP, and carry it in my pocket almost everywhere I go. Accurate enough for its intended use, very sleek in design for pocket carry, and about as reliable as a pocket pistol gets. I LIKE the long and fairly heavy, but smooth DA trigger pull - It minimizes the chance of an AD during pocket carry / draw, and does not really affect practical combat accuracy. I am less comfortable with cocked and locked SA's, or striker fired guns with short, light triggers for pocket carry, especially if you are not using a pocket holster. And I have yet to find a pocket holster that does not slow down my draw, or ability to get a good firing grip during the draw, at least with the pants I wear..

Larry
 
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Here in Texas, our former gov. Rick Perry carries a LCP and he even used it to dispatch a coyote that was acting aggressive while he was walking his dog down a wooded trail.

yours truely carries a M&P bodyguard .380.....

take your pick, grab whats on sale or whatever is closer to your price range as they are both very popular & effective pocket pistols....
 
SickMAK90 said:
If you want a shootable .380 pocket gun get a sig p238. If you want a piece of garbage get the smith or lcp. I've owned all three and the body guard and lcp were terrible.

They were reliable but the triggers are horrible and translates to terrible accuracy.
Click to expand...

First you condemn all BG's and LCP's to the trash heap and then contradict yourself by branding them as reliable.

Which is it?:confused:
 
I have owned three LCP's and had nothing but trouble from all three. I finally gave up and bought a BG .380 and have never had a problem. It eats everything I have shot in it and has never failed me. So my vote is the BG
 
Pirate, I have been shooting for a very long time and have learned a thing at two. I have many experienced friends that own both BG's and LCP's, all with good success. I myself use the LCP as my pocket carry. Uber trustworthy and deadly at the range they were designed for....close quarter combat.

Since you asked about these two, it seems you are leaning towards those pistols. Both are good weapons so you would be served by either. Pick the one that feels the best. Two solid companies with great CS.

Good luck, either way you win.:)
 
I have had the P238, and held the LCP and gave it a good looking over. I have also owned 4 BG380's.
1. the P238 is excellent but I do not like the locked and cocked for pocket carry. That safety is just too east to come off in pocket. Also very heavy for pocket carry for me.

2. The LCP is a good gun but I did not like the sights at all. Also after picking it up and then the S&W Bg380 the LCP just felt like it was built like a toy in comparison.

3. The BG380 has slide lock back, never failed on me yet. Also can come with integrated Laser ( which I like), has a safety that I use in my pocket.

4. Why 4 BG380. Because I was always on the hunt for a pocket 9mm and kept trading them in on 9mm that never ended up working out. So I recently bought my 4th one and I am keeping it along with the Great LC9S that I also carry.

And I did trade my P238 back in on a BG380

One thing that I did forget to say is, I have never had a failure to fire or light strikes as of yet with any Bg380 that I have owned. Luck ? I don't know maybe but in my opinion they are the best pocket pistol out there.
 
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A no brainer based on my negative experiences with two BG's I previously owned and the LCP I now have - go with the reliablity of the LCP, and get the latest version, the Custom as they have improved the trigger and sights from previous versions. Reliability is the most important virtue a SD gun should possess.
 
When I was in the process of choosing a .380, it was between Ruger and S&W---two companies I am a fan of, with a reputation (in my experience) of building quality products, and both were what I could afford. I really gave the LCP a good looking over, but ended up going with the BG because it fit my hand better and had better sights. I have had it since November 2014 and have had no problems.
 
Jim - I currently own both the LCP and the BG. If I had to chose between the two, the LCP would win without a doubt! And that would be based on the reliability these pistols offer. LCP has never had one hiccup, the BG has had several. We think we have attributed those failures to a certain brand of ammo, but the LCP never failed on that same ammo! My LCP is a Gen 1 and if I was shopping today, I would be buying the Gen 2 stainless slide, not the newer LCP Custom. Not crazy about the red trigger or the large sights on the Custom. BG is a nice pistol, I just don't have the trust in it that I have with the LCP. You need to look, hold and shoot both to know what feels good to you. Maybe borrow, rent before you buy! They both kick like a mule and aren't very pleasant to shoot, but they were built for more than range firing! Good luck with whatever one you happen to buy and happy shooting! - Rick
 
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I haven't shot a LCP but owned a BG for a time. The BG always went bang when the trigger was pulled. I only had two problems. The slide would not lock back on empty for some magazines. And, it had fail to eject issues with cheap Monarch ammo.

I liked my BG but moved on to the Taurus TCP 738 because I liked the trigger way better and the slide always locks back for me. I recently acquired a Kahr CM9 which I really really like...so much that I'm considering trading the TCP in for the Kahr CW380. IMO, Kahr does small pistols very well.
 
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