Just purchased today the M and P Bodyguard with the safety and no laser. Really like this to replace the similar Ruger. For me a manual safety is mandatory. However it is almost impossible to get on and impossible to disengage. I assume I will have to send back to S and W. Any instructions on tips for customer service.
Is there a quick fix that can be accomplished at home. I have a bunch of gunsmith tools. Thanks.

The manual says to disassemble the weapon, clean it and lubricate it before shooting it. Perhaps if you did that it would loosen it up a bit. My Bodyguard 380 has a real easy safety that can be operated with the inside of the thumb. Mostly I just do not use it.

You might have already noticed this, but the safety kind of swings toward the rear of the gun. A friend of mine was looking at it and also said to me that the safety didnt want to work. He said he was pushing 'straight up' on the safety. It is a little tight but if you lubricate like vortex says, it should loosen up as you work it. Please report back, I'd like to know if you got it working.

I worked mine back and fourth while watching TV a couple of evenings and oiled better than new

Will try lube and excercise and report back. Thanks.

I got one with the safety and like it so much that I jumped on a second one a month or so later...without the safety. Give it a little break in and the safety will improve and become more natural to you.

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Smith & Wesson's customer service is excellent. You can chat with someone live online. I had a problem with my M&P Bodyguard 380. I had tried to remove the factory sights and hammered the hell out of them. I gave up and paid a gunsmith $30 to install them, and when I got it back, I cleaned the gun and part of the hammer fell out! I think it must have been a defective MIM part which couldn't take the hammering. I chatted with a woman at Smith & Wesson and she was very helpful. They sent me a label and the gun was turned around in about two weeks. It's been flawless so far. You can try fixing it yourself, but I would just send it to S&W and not worry about it. It's one thing to use a little lube to loosen and help break in a slide lock or something, I did that on an FN, but I would send the gun in for a safety issue.

Have had the 380 for a few years. Had to have the trigger replaced which went well. The safety has never loosen up. I am looking for a larger one that would help since my thumb slides over the safety. Not what I want in a carry gun but I can live with it as a backup for now. Shoots straight!

I understand your issue. Have had a M&P 380 for a number of years and never used the safety. The suggestions above are all good ones, BUT,
The Glocks and M&P pistols used by Police and federal officers don’t have safeties for a reason.
The safety on the 380 is small and even if it works easily, if you are in a stressful self defense situation to save your life, your Adrenalin and stress level go to 100% instantly. Your mind will go to draw weapon and pull trigger.
Ops! You will have a 95% chance you will forget the safety and if you don’t, a 95% chance you will miss or your finger will slip off the safety and it WILL NOT be disengaged.
The large majority of self defense shootings are over in around 3 seconds.
A person should be focusing on hitting the threat. Can you draw your weapon and fire off 3 rounds accurately in that amount of time?
Get a GOOD holster that covers the trigger and develop good gun handling
Habits. This will serve you better. Just Sayen !