M&P bodyguard light striking.

D

dixie-cup-dan

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2017
Messages
17
Reaction score
22
So, I purchased an M&P bodyguard 380 a few months ago. Overall, I like the pistol, but the trigger pull was just too long even for me, and I like double action triggers. I decided to install a short action santiago trigger kit on it, which has shortened the pull enough for a passing grade from me. The only problem is that now the gun light strikes when shooting cheap target ammo. While this may fly with some shooters, I simply won't own a gun that won't shoot garbage ammo. The funny thing is that this gun has never given me any problems before the trigger job or after, and all the brands of cheap ammo (Tula, Fiocchi, Perfecta) all worked just fine until today. I've don some research and have read that this gun has a reputation for light striking. My questions are as follows

Is there any solution to this?

Is it the new short stroke trigger?

What brands are notorious for hard primers if I decide to keep the gun? It did cycle my Hornady critical defense carry ammo flawlessly, And I do like the gun.


Also, how on earth could a reputable company like S&W not have a problem like this completely resolved at this point? My crappy $200 kel-tec that I purchased this gun to replace would still go bang if I stuffed a ham sandwich in the action. I thought that having a little pistol with real sights that doesn't feel like it's made out of recycled milk jugs was a step up. Should I just stick with my p3at and call it a day? I mean, what is the deal S&W? Do you guys got simple jack engineering your new designs these days?
 
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
So let me get this straight. You installed a modified trigger and now the gun doesn't work correctly? Doesn't sound like Smith & Wesson's problem to me. My 3 year old M&P 380 Bodyguard has always worked fine. It has a double action trigger. Deal with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Light strikes occur in pocket pistols with certain ammo ( usually related to mostly foreign brands having hard primers or slightly thinner cartridge base ). We bought a BG and an LCP at the same time, and with both it took several different factory brands and loads to find what both the S&W and the Ruger liked best. They both eat up Hornady American Gunner 100% reliably, nearly 500 rounds since. :)
 
Last edited:
I had the BG .380 for a couple of years and the trigger, similar to the J frame I've carried for over 40 years, was no problem. It developed the light strike problem after 800 trouble free rounds down range so I went back to my roots, 340PD.
 
Last edited:
I do not like this pistol. I sold the one I bought after dry firing it a few times. I think it is junk. I bought a Ruger Custom LCP for pocket carry around the farm, good trigger pull, no problems with the magazine insertion, and it shoots well. I still carry my .45 off of my property.
 
gonerydin said:
So let me get this straight. You installed a modified trigger and now the gun doesn't work correctly? Doesn't sound like Smith & Wesson's problem to me. My 3 year old M&P 380 Bodyguard has always worked fine. It has a double action trigger. Deal with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

No genius, I purchased the gun and it worked fine with all ammo. I installed a trigger kit, and it still worked fine with all ammo. Then about 250 rounds later (yesterday) it started giving me problems with light strikes. It COULD be the new trigger, but there is no way to know for sure if it's the new trigger since it worked fine the last few trips to the range. Yesterday, the gun couldn't make it through a magazine without a light strike with 3 different brands of ammo that all worked fine in my other 380, which ironically has the same trigger kit. I posted here to see if anyone else has had problems with said trigger kit. It has been established that this model has issues with light strikes right out of the box without having anything done, so if nobody has had a problem with said trigger kit, I'm going to assume it's just the gun and not the trigger kit. Do you understand now, or does it need to be broken down more in a way that you can?
 
Last edited:
OLDSTER said:
Light strikes occur in pocket pistols with certain ammo ( usually related to mostly foreign brands having hard primers or slightly thinner cartridge base ). We bought a BG and an LCP at the same time, and with both it took several different factory brands and loads to find what both the S&W and the Ruger liked best. They both eat up Hornady American Gunner 100% reliably, nearly 500 rounds since. :)
Click to expand...

Have you ever used federal or Winchester white box in your Bodyguard? That's the only domestic 380 ammo I can buy locally without going for a drive or ordering online.
 
dixie-cup-dan said:
No genius, I purchased the gun and it worked fine with all ammo. I installed a trigger kit, and it still worked fine with all ammo. Then about 250 rounds later (yesterday) it started giving me problems with light strikes. It COULD be the knew trigger, but there is no way to know for sure it's the new trigger since it worked fine the last few trips to the range. Yesterday, the gun couldn't make it through a magazine without a light strike with 3 different brands of ammo that all worked fine in my other 380, which ironically has the same trigger kit. I posted here to see if anyone else has had problems with said trigger kit. It has been established that this model has issues with light strikes right out of the box without anything done to them, so if nobody has had a problem with said trigger kit, I'm going to assume it's just the gun and not the trigger kit. Do you understand now, or does it need to be broken down more in a way that you can?
Click to expand...



Good luck to you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
the only ammo that gave me light strike problems was Fiocchi. Others have had no problem with the brand.

Why a company with as much experience as Smith cannot produce a consistent pistol is perplexing. I've never had a problem except the Fiocchi hard primers. Hopefully they will solve the problems when version 2 comes out.
 
oldiegoldie said:
the only ammo that gave me light strike problems was Fiocchi. Others have had no problem with the brand.

Why a company with as much experience as Smith cannot produce a consistent pistol is perplexing. I've never had a problem except the Fiocchi hard primers. Hopefully they will solve the problems when version 2 comes out.
Click to expand...

You would think that they make an aftermarket firing pin to solve the problem. All of the springs in that gun are pretty stout for a pocket pistol. I think it whacks the primer plenty hard, but the pin either isn't getting there all the way or is shaped poorly.

S&W makes the best revolver made IMO, so they won't ever lose me as a customer, but I'll think twice and do more research before I ever buy anything magazine fed from them again.
 
Did you scratch your head and wonder why there was an extra washer left over after the trigger kit install, or did you install the washer in it's proper location along with the hammer spring?

I'm not trying to be a SA but, I've watched a few videos where these gun experts (use term lightly) didn't know where the washer belonged so they left it out. The short stroke kit will not compress the hammer spring as far as the original trigger assembly does so the washer is required. It might not be required initially, but with use, when the spring settles to a lower pressure, it will be required.
 
Funflyer said:
Did you scratch your head and wonder why there was an extra washer left over after the trigger kit install, or did you install the washer in it's proper location along with the hammer spring?

I'm not trying to be a SA but, I've watched a few videos where these gun experts (use term lightly) didn't know where the washer belonged so they left it out. The short stroke kit will not compress the hammer spring as far as the original trigger assembly does so the washer is required. It might not be required initially, but with use, when the spring settles to a lower pressure, it will be required.
Click to expand...

Yes, I included the washer in the install.


I just got done testing the gun out back with the original trigger and springs. It still light strikes the Tula and Fiocchi about 50% of the time, but the perfecta was 10 for 10.

I'm going to try a 1/8 inch aluminum spacer with the hammer spring and see if it fixes the problem.

(UPDATE)tried the 1/8 " spacer and the trigger pull was probably 15 lbs. I didn't even attempt to fire the gun. I'm going to file the spacer down to 1/16" and see if I can get the trigger down to around 12 pounds. I'll take a 12lb short stroke trigger over the standard 10lb mile long stock trigger any day.
 
Last edited:
dixie-cup-dan said:
Yes, I included the washer in the install.


I just got done testing the gun out back with the original trigger and springs. It still light strikes the Tula and Fiocchi about 50% of the time, but the perfecta was 10 for 10.

I'm going to try a 1/8 inch aluminum spacer with the hammer spring and see if it fixes the problem.

(UPDATE)tried the 1/8 " spacer and the trigger pull was probably 15 lbs. I didn't even attempt to fire the gun. I'm going to file the spacer down to 1/16" and see if I can get the trigger down to around 12 pounds. I'll take a 12lb short stroke trigger over the standard 10lb mile long stock trigger any day.
Click to expand...

You might want to de-burr the spring guide while you're at it. File/polish the corners so the spring has less chance of binding. Every bit of friction loss will improve things as well.
 
PROBLEM FIXED!

The 1/16" spacer at the top of the spring guide with the washer worked, but there was some grit in the trigger, so I took the thing apart again. I ended up using the washer at the top of the trigger spring guide and a 1/16" plastic spacer at the bottom of the spring guide, which sits in the frame just perfect while still leaving a enough of a hole to hold the trigger spring in place. I also pollished the spring guide as well. The trigger is short and smooth. It consistently breaks at just under 13lbs.

Accuracy is still far better than with the stock trigger, but she's no range gun if you know what I mean. I ran two magazines full of both Tula and Fiocchi without a light strike. Since my carry ammo (Hornady critical defense) ran flawlessly even before this fix, and the gun has double strike capability, I'm feeling a lot more confident in carrying this gun. With that being said, this gun will still be replaced at some point. I'm not going to deal with this again 500 rounds from now.
 
Last edited:
You got a crappy trigger replacement for it. Everyone knows you go to APEX to replace S&W triggers.

Not the gun's fault, its yours. Mine has 600 rounds through it and ive had 3 light strikes all in the same box of cheap as dirt steel ammo. All other ammo has been perfect.
 
comiskeybum said:
You got a crappy trigger replacement for it. Everyone knows you go to APEX to replace S&W triggers.

Not the gun's fault, its yours. Mine has 600 rounds through it and ive had 3 light strikes all in the same box of cheap as dirt steel ammo. All other ammo has been perfect.
Click to expand...

1. They don't make an Apex trigger for the bodyguard.

2. The gun light strikes with the stock trigger (reading comprehension)

3. Why do people that know squat bark the loudest on gun forums? You know nothing (people like me fix your guns)

That is all......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

9
Light strikes with M&P45 M2.0 Shield PC
Replies
4
Views
535
907_Chevy
9
K
M&P Bodyguard Still 100%
Replies
4
Views
645
Old cop
O
AJ
Bodyguard Question
Replies
13
Views
261
Harper
Harper
M
Bodyguard Review
2
Replies
24
Views
943
Nanuk
Nanuk
B
Bodyguard 2.0
Replies
7
Views
1K
Moose074
M

Latest posts

Back
Top