silentflyer
Member
You are far more patient than I am, I sold mine within about 30 days and 300 rounds and bought a Ruger LC9, zero problems with it. The BG was unreliable to say the least...
Bodyguard 380: Finally Reliable!
- Thread starter db4570
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Historian1863
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I agree wih David
A defensive pistol should be reliable 100 % of the Time wih any ammo
I am waiting to see if David's other BG that was returned come back with a new firing pin. I am afraid to return my BG, they may make it worse.
I have tried several types of US ammo, they all had issues
A defensive pistol should be reliable 100 % of the Time wih any ammo
I am waiting to see if David's other BG that was returned come back with a new firing pin. I am afraid to return my BG, they may make it worse.
I have tried several types of US ammo, they all had issues
Mule88
Member
Imm waiting for them to bring it out as a striker fire like it should have been.
comiskeybum
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No such plans exist. And you're also asking for a $400 price tag with that.
Me too
Bought my BG 9/15/2015. First Day put 300 rounds of Magtech fmj through it and had 20 FTFires. nearly 7% failure rate! Singularly the WORST ever on any gun I've owned since 1986. Arrrrgh!! Range Owner owned and carried one, said he had zero problems, continued to say: just need to break it in. He fired through all the 20 misfires, and had one fail (5% rate) a double (actually triple!) strike on that got it to fire. He said S&W would take a look at it, but probably say nothing is wrong with it. So I went with the break-in theory. Another day put another 200 rounds, and just slightly less failure rate. I tried some Sig Sauer Elite Performance jacketed hollow points. The BG seems to LOVE those rounds, zero failures, but at a buck a round I can't really burn through 300 to make sure. On the third day out I went through about 50 rounds of 95 grain Aguila fmj and then the slide jammed full aft! I couldn't get it to come forward until field stripping at home. Arrrrgh! (And when I did, I noticed the screw to the laser housing was loose, too.) So hoping combo of field strip, re-lube and many break-in rounds will work. It's too bad, I did a lot of research and I so I really wanted to love this little gun, but feeling even with the SS elite ammo, it's gonna let me down--can't have that. Also posting to your magazine issue. To be continued......Rich
Bought my BG 9/15/2015. First Day put 300 rounds of Magtech fmj through it and had 20 FTFires. nearly 7% failure rate! Singularly the WORST ever on any gun I've owned since 1986. Arrrrgh!! Range Owner owned and carried one, said he had zero problems, continued to say: just need to break it in. He fired through all the 20 misfires, and had one fail (5% rate) a double (actually triple!) strike on that got it to fire. He said S&W would take a look at it, but probably say nothing is wrong with it. So I went with the break-in theory. Another day put another 200 rounds, and just slightly less failure rate. I tried some Sig Sauer Elite Performance jacketed hollow points. The BG seems to LOVE those rounds, zero failures, but at a buck a round I can't really burn through 300 to make sure. On the third day out I went through about 50 rounds of 95 grain Aguila fmj and then the slide jammed full aft! I couldn't get it to come forward until field stripping at home. Arrrrgh! (And when I did, I noticed the screw to the laser housing was loose, too.) So hoping combo of field strip, re-lube and many break-in rounds will work. It's too bad, I did a lot of research and I so I really wanted to love this little gun, but feeling even with the SS elite ammo, it's gonna let me down--can't have that. Also posting to your magazine issue. To be continued......Rich
Captain O
US Veteran
David:
I'm glad you have the "bugs" worked out of your pistol(s). I'm amazed at your level of tolerance concerning something that should have functioned without such inherent difficulty from the outset. You, my brother, have the "patience God provided Job"!
I, too, will only carry a firearm that is completely reliable. My live has more value than faith in a corporation. I understand that firearms are machines that can fail, but a new pistol shouldn't be a "by guess and by golly" affair.
Please... run a couple of hundred flawless rounds through these pistols before trusting your life and safety upon their operation.
Thank you.
Your Humble Servant,
Captain O
I am not sure this will accomplish anything but you never know who might be reading this. If they see enough numbers they might take people like me seriously when I send the gun back saying it is utterly unreliable.
FWIW, mine is EAY81xx, has made one return trip to Springfield, and if anything it is less reliable now than when I sent it to them.
Nice little gun - just doesn't work worth a damn.
W.E.G.,
I am curious about how your hand felt after 300 rounds. I bought a BG recently and have had it to the range a few times, but have only put a few magazines full through it each time. I like it very much, very convenient size for carry in a pocket holster, when not carrying my CS9, but the recoil is a bit snappy, maybe I just need to get used to it, was interested in your thoughts on the recoil. Thanks.
RV4driver
US Veteran
UPDATE: Just got my Bg380 from the Fedex driver. (Much faster than I expected). Work order says they replaced the trigger bar and firing pin. I'm off tomorrow, so off to the range to see what happens, I've got numerous brands of ammo to try.
Stand by for updates!
Just re-read the paperwork that came with the returned pistol, they received it on Sept. 24 and I got it back Oct. 8. Not bad.
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RV4driver
US Veteran
Just got back from the range with my twice-"repaired" BG380.
PMC hollow-points, 4th round light strike, FTF. All rapid fire pulls fired.
Fiocchi, all okay, even slow-fire
I only had two Winchester .380 rounds, both fired.
I only had one RWS .380 round, first round FTF, light strike, additional strike fired.
Hornady, three mags, all fired okay, very light impression of firing pin.
Ruger ARX, (new copper/composite bullets) first round FTF slow fire, light strike, last round FTF rapid fire, light strike.
The Ruger light strikes needed three pulls to fire.
Here's the deal, ALL cases show very light strikes. I can't believe that the ones that did fire, actually lit off.
Conclusion, nothing that the "new/improved" firing pin did helped at all with this weapon.
I'll put the aftermarket 12lb hammer spring back in, and put this *** back in the safe. Heck, why waste safe space. This thing has no value. The safe is for the good stuff.
Lastly, when I got it back from Smith, the slide release was so tight, it wouldn't lock back the slide after the mag was empty. I had to "help" it up to lock the slide. It wasn't like that when I sent it in. So, yeah, it came back worse than when I sent it in. Second time. I have to wonder if I sent it back a third time, would it come back without a barrel?
Yes, I'm disgusted.
There, db4570, I contributed something.
PMC hollow-points, 4th round light strike, FTF. All rapid fire pulls fired.
Fiocchi, all okay, even slow-fire
I only had two Winchester .380 rounds, both fired.
I only had one RWS .380 round, first round FTF, light strike, additional strike fired.
Hornady, three mags, all fired okay, very light impression of firing pin.
Ruger ARX, (new copper/composite bullets) first round FTF slow fire, light strike, last round FTF rapid fire, light strike.
The Ruger light strikes needed three pulls to fire.
Here's the deal, ALL cases show very light strikes. I can't believe that the ones that did fire, actually lit off.
Conclusion, nothing that the "new/improved" firing pin did helped at all with this weapon.
I'll put the aftermarket 12lb hammer spring back in, and put this *** back in the safe. Heck, why waste safe space. This thing has no value. The safe is for the good stuff.
Lastly, when I got it back from Smith, the slide release was so tight, it wouldn't lock back the slide after the mag was empty. I had to "help" it up to lock the slide. It wasn't like that when I sent it in. So, yeah, it came back worse than when I sent it in. Second time. I have to wonder if I sent it back a third time, would it come back without a barrel?
Yes, I'm disgusted.
There, db4570, I contributed something.
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Thanks for the update, RV4driver, even though it's terrible news. Believe me, I understand your frustration.
What I don't understand is why yours isn't fixed. I'd love to see and measure your firing pin. I wonder if there's a chance you got one of the old ones, although I don't know how. You'd think those would be out of their inventory by now.
It's also odd that yours picked up an additional flaw while they had it. That has never happened to me. In fact, they have always been very good at fixing the minor issues even when they couldn't fix the FTFire.
I am nervous now about the possibility the FTFire problem has not been fixed universally. I will be getting my BG #3 back from them soon, and I am eager to see if it is fixed and has the new firing pin.
David
What I don't understand is why yours isn't fixed. I'd love to see and measure your firing pin. I wonder if there's a chance you got one of the old ones, although I don't know how. You'd think those would be out of their inventory by now.
It's also odd that yours picked up an additional flaw while they had it. That has never happened to me. In fact, they have always been very good at fixing the minor issues even when they couldn't fix the FTFire.
I am nervous now about the possibility the FTFire problem has not been fixed universally. I will be getting my BG #3 back from them soon, and I am eager to see if it is fixed and has the new firing pin.
David
I didn't shoot all 300 at one event.
I'm sure I've been to the range with it twice.
First trip was about 100 rounds.
Second about 200.
I can sort of remember being tired of shooting it after the second outing.
But, I kind of soldiered through it, since I had a lot of different ammo to function-test.
Somebody said the BG "feels like a firecracker going off in your hand."
I disagree. As somebody who actually HAS had a firecracker go off I his hand, I can say the BG feels nothing like that.
My right wrist hurts all the time.
From crashing all manner of two-wheel vehicles, and fighting, and wrenching, and shooting, and mouse-clicking.
And there was that lawn mower incident that really messed it up.
After shooting the BG, my wrist hurt no more than usual.
After the "seems to shoot everything fine" outing, I've not had the occasion to discharge it.
Just stick it in the pocket and go.
Figure any social encounter with it will be at bad-breath distance.
Won't be aiming. Just pointing.
I do practice pulling it out of my pocket every now and then.
To maintain due diligence, I probably should actually shoot it once in a while.
Never know when a spring may decide to take a set or some such.
I'll try to remember to report next time after the range trip.
Guys at the club been arguing about what range we should be using for point-blank pistol practice.
Kind of waiting for them to stop fighting before I run it out there again.
RV4driver
US Veteran
Once I got over the initial disappointment, I thought maybe I'll send it back again. What the heck, they pay shipping both ways, and I have heard of it taking three or four times with these guys. It's not like I'll be carrying it and can't be without it. I WILL send all of the cases back with it this time, so they can see that light strikes were across numerous brands of ammo.
I had thought about checking the firing pin dimensions, but it's a royal pain to get to it. My rear sight is REALLY tight, and the bearing surface to tap it out is really small. My only sight pusher isn't appropriate for this model.
I had thought about checking the firing pin dimensions, but it's a royal pain to get to it. My rear sight is REALLY tight, and the bearing surface to tap it out is really small. My only sight pusher isn't appropriate for this model.
Historian1863
Member
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I called SW and will be returning my non lazier
Bodyguard soon. I asked customer service person
About a new firing pin. He was not aware of one.
It really is no worth retiring the BG several times if it is not being repaired.
At the cost of 380 ammo, cheaper to trade or sell gun
I really do like the gun that is the problem
Bodyguard soon. I asked customer service person
About a new firing pin. He was not aware of one.
It really is no worth retiring the BG several times if it is not being repaired.
At the cost of 380 ammo, cheaper to trade or sell gun
I really do like the gun that is the problem
kbm6893
SWCA Member
If S&W has indeed changed the firing pin to fix the light strikes, they should be putting out a recall notice to fix them all. Most gun owners are not members of gun forums. Many people buy a gun and shoot maybe a box of ammo and call it good. So they haven't shot it enough (if at all. A friend of mine had an XD9 that he fired exactly one magazine through in the 6 years he owned it. Not right selling a gun whose express purpose is self defense if there are reliability issues.
