New out of the box and without any malfunctions it ran through:
200rds Winchester white box 95fgr. FMJ,
20rds of Federal Hydra Shok Deep 99gr.,
20rds of Underwood +P 90gr. eXtreme Terminal Performance (XTP) Jacketed Hollow Point.

Next, I loaded up a magazine with Underwood +P 68gr. Xtreme Defender and it had a failure to feed after the first shot.

Also, it shot about 4 inches to the left at 7 yards. I looked at the front sight and it is noticeably skewed to the right.

I've decided it will be carried loaded with the 99gr. Hydra Shok Deeps... for now. Does anyone have a better recommendation?

I was able to easily load 10rds and 12rds into the magazines with a MagLula. Love that thing.

I ordered a holster from CandGHolsters.com. It is the IWB COVERT/ALPHA Kydex Holster with a "Dark Wing" attachment and two UltiClip SLIM 3.3 Beltless Carry Clips. It hasn't arrived yet. Until it does, the gun is residing in an Uncle Mike's size 4 pocket holster. I already had the Uncle Mike's for use with an original Bodyguard .380. It works pretty good for the Bodyguard 2.0 and the value is hard to beat, but I am looking around to see if I can find a better option.

Cheers

It's getting expensive buying self-defense ammo "flavor of the day", only to use it for range practice when something else you think is better comes along. I just ordered a few boxes of Federal Hydra-Shok Deep, as it did very well in gel tests. I hope it's the last high priced ammo I buy for a while.

I just received my cross-draw OWB holster from Craft Holsters Cross Draw Holster | Craft Holsters(R) . I like these little full leather holsters. Had one for my LCP Max, and decided that's what I wanted for the BG2. They are made to order in Slovakia, so take about 2 months. Douse the inside of the holster with denatured alcohol, put the gun in a plastic bag and place it in the holster overnight and the holster stretches where needed and you have a custom fit. A little balm gives it a nice sheen. I particularly like the "reverse snap" strap, where the strap is snapped on the inside of the leather backing (between the leather back and the gun), so to draw, you simply insert your thumb in between the strap and the backing and that unsnaps the strap, and you just draw the gun. Not a very good explanation, but I'll get some pictures in a while. The unsnapping and draw are demonstrated in the first video in the link.

__________________
Mike
μολὼν λαβέ

Just curious: If the manual clearly states not to use +P ammo in the BG 2.0, why would you?

Exactly !!!!!! if the weapon is not rated for +P you are carrying a catastrophic failure looking for a place to happen..

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Any ammo related damage voids the warranty. Damage to your hand could turn you into a shooter using your other hand.

Did you field strip and clean and lube it before firing it?

According to S&W the BG2 is not rated for +P ammo.

You are obviously not concerned about potential damage to the chamber, barrel, and other parts of the gun caused by the higher PSI pressures beyond the more common PSI rating of 35,000 for 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge.

Dang! Are you suggesting that one is supposed to read the manual that comes with the gun?

J33PTJ, every thing I have seen about the Federal DEEP has been favorable. DEEP, Precision One and Xtreme Defender all do well in gel tests. But they have to function in your firearm to do you any good.
Just yesterday after installing the Galloway factory rated spring I ran a couple boxes of Blazer Brass and 20 rounds of Underwood Xtreme Defender standard pressure. I ran a box of Underwood with factory spring also.
100 % trouble free. You had 1st round trouble?? Go figure?? I do not understand the reason some BG 2.0 are fine and others are troubled.

I have had ZERO issues with Fiocchi ball, Blazer Brass ball, Federal DEEP, Federal original Hydra Shok, Underwood Xtreme Defender, Precision One XTP and Independence ball.

Reading a firearm manufacturer's owner's manual is only for educating yourself. For some people education is optional.

I am bad about reading manuals or assembly instructions.

HOWEVER, when if comes to a manual about my defense firearm I will read the owner's manual several times.

Right, I have been carrying 9BP ever since Massad Ayoob recommended it for smooth feeding in the previous century. I am sure there are loads with more energy, expansion, and penetration, but I am just too cheap and lazy to check out several guns with the Bullet of the Month. Will a standard velocity cup and core hollowpoint get me Kilt on the Street? I kind of doubt it.

The Craft cross-draw holster ....

20250226_091026.jpg

__________________
Mike
μολὼν λαβέ

Real men don't read instructions or ask directions.

When I was a plumber, real men didn't use knee pads and I just had both knees replaced last year.

Yeah, I'm one of those who can't fire the Lehigh 68gr Xtreme Defender without it jamming. The most I've gotten through the gun without a jam is 4 in a row. Hangs on the gap between the two feed ramps. Been polishing it, and is has improved a little. Initially it would not load the first round out of the mag. One person reported that he had failures to feed with the actual Lehigh brand 68gr rounds, but the Underwood Platinum 68gr would feed just fine.

Of course, it likely will improve with use, since I don't yet have even 20 rounds through the little gun.

__________________
Mike
μολὼν λαβέ

The Platinum coating is supposed to be slick. I'd try it.

RE: 380 +P

There's no SAAMI spec for it like there is with 9x19 +P, so that's a buyer beware scenario. Could be slightly exceeding SAAMI spec, could be exceeding it by a lot. Underwood may not even have the equipment to measure pressure themselves.

No. As I stated it was right out of the box.

I read the manual prior to using the +P. You’re right, I am not concerned about the 20rds of +p. I don’t plan on using +p ammo on a regular basis.
I guess I’m not a rule follower. Y'all are funny with all your +p comments.

Thanks for the info. They look high quality holsters. Worth the wait I’m sure.

Sir, this is a Forum where we try to help each other. If you want to wear out your firearm fast, or have it blow up on you, that's up to you. Recognize helpful questions/statements when they come your way.

I don’t think the gun will blow up, but accelerated wear on the parts that slam together could be an issue.

You can’t brag about careless unsafe behavior on an internet gun forum and not expect to be called out for it. Hopefully no innocent people get injured in the event that your firearm explodes in your hands.

So dramatic... I wasn't bragging. I was giving my experience with different types of ammo just to mention that the extreme defender would not feed. BTW, It ran that +P like a sewing machine

The Bodyguard 2.0 has the thinnest centerfire barrel I've ever seen on a gun. It's a risk.

Like Beju said there is no SAAMI spec for +P .380 ammunition. Companies like Underwood and Buffalo Bore are simply winging it and making up their own so-called "+P" loads, which may or may not even be safe to shoot depending on what gun you're using.

Currently at +/- 800 rounds thru my BG2.

I shot 2” low and 2” left at 7 yards and I had a very hard time finding the front sight (not especially bright). I installed new XS night sights; centered them by eye. I didn’t even have to adjust them at the range. At 7 yards now it shoots one big hole at the center of my target.

My factory RSA never stopped the pistol from shooting, however the end of the recoil wasn’t seated properly. Problem solved with Galloway OEM strength RSA. I put 200 rounds thru it with the Galloway spring and she ran like a top.

I have had no problems with Underwood plus-p loads. I ran 50 of each Xtreme Defender and Xtreme Penetrators thru mine with zero issue.

Cheers!

Even though I'm not ready to trust my life to Underwood Xtreme Defense or Penetrators, I figure out how to make them run dependably. Load the mags with two high flutes downward to hit the feed ramp that way.

Attached Images

Underwood Xtreme Defender 380.jpg (14.2 KB, 23 views)

Geezzz... there's no way I'm going to risk my life with a defense round that I have to perform foreplay before it will love my gun.

With the rear sight removed in anticipation of installing the XS sights tomorrow, I notice that the striker is not in a plastic sleeve as other M&Ps are. The striker is metal and does not ride in a sleeve of any sort. The striker spring is in a plastic sleeve. Leads me to believe that perhaps I should use a very light application of a lube of some sort, since the striker moves metal on metal. Of course S&W doesn't mention any lube for the striker in it's instructions. When I removed the striker, it was a little oily, but that could have leaked in there when I sprayed the rear sight with some PB Blaster the day before removing it. Anyone care to offer an opinion?

In the picture you can see that the metal is already showing what appears to be wear points at both ends of the firing pin carrier.

Attached Images

20250304_100528.jpg (94.0 KB, 34 views)

__________________
Mike
μολὼν λαβέ

Most gun manufacturers recommend running the striker dry.

I'm new to this forum and fairly new to shooting (except for my old m16 days). I've been browsing this site and the info here is great. So thanks to all you guys for that. I just bought a BG2.0. Can I ask what +P ammo is? I'm not looking to ruin my new gun or my shooting hand.

Overpressure ammunition, commonly designated as +P or +P+, is small arms ammunition that has been loaded to produce a higher internal pressure when fired than is standard for ammunition of its caliber, but less than the pressures generated by a proof round.

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Seems a bit risky if it's not directly advised by S&W.

The majority of non-limp-wrist malfunctions that I see occur in Glocks are due to contamination of the firing pin channel with cleaning solvents and/or lubricants attracting carbon fouling, dirt, and or/lint.

I suspect that the striker carrier isn't as hard of a material as the nitrided slide, and probably has a replacement interval (even if most BG 2.0 owners will never shoot enough to hit that interval).

Of course they do! But in virtually every other striker fired pistol, the striker runs in a slick plastic (Delrin?) sleeve requiring no lube.

But not the BG2. Thus my post.

__________________
Mike
μολὼν λαβέ

So... if I discover one of my firearms has a striker that is in a Delrin sleeve, do I clean it with just a mild cleaner, or would Lucas Oil 10905 Extreme Duty Gun Cleaner be OK?

So... have you read the Lucas Oil 10905 Extreme Duty Gun Cleaner label?

Then why do you ask?

I was pondering a light application of a lube on a clean metal striker in no sleeve of any sort riding in a metal channel. This is different than my other 3 M&Ps, all of which have strikers running inside polymer sleeves.

__________________
Mike
μολὼν λαβέ

First- physical fitness
Second- the dynamics of interpersonal violence
Third- skill development consistent with the first two
Then- tools and equipment consistent with your skill set

We talk about tools all the time and debate all the minutiae of guns and calibers because it is easy to do. Expansion, under-penetration, over-penetration, blah blah blah. Fine with me.

The intensity of emotions in these debates recognizes the seriousness of the larger issue involved but betrays an error in thinking, namely, that there is an equipment solution to the problems.

What we are seeing with the low recoil 380ACP Federal Hydra-Shok is that it is penetrating and expanding beautifully in FBI gelatin testing. This is precisely because it is low recoil, which isn't that low, but it is low enough to "control expansion" to reach the magical 12" minimum that the community has set for YouTube ballistic testing entertainment.

Same story with the 380ACP Hornady Critical Defense, the one with the polymer plug. Works great from the Glock 42 and Ruger LCP. However, from a longer barrel, faster, too rapid expansion.

The Lehigh Defense bullets under consideration sound like a great gimmick if it is a gimmick. Anything that keeps ammo companies profitable is good for the second amendment community. We must protect the gun makers and ammo makers and holster makers and shooting schools from attack by the left!

I say gimmick because while I normally agree with Mas Ayoob, this one I do not understand. He has a video called, "Is the 380 Good Enough for Self-Defense" the gist of which is yes as long as you use these Underwoods.

I cannot see how these rounds will not yaw, especially in a Bodyguard 2.0.

I cannot understand the preoccupation people have with a "wound channel" in clear ballistic gelatin. Certainly the flutes make a very pretty disruption pattern for the cameras. Great TV for sure, but in a fight does that make a difference really?

If you want it to tumble then you don't need those flutes on the nose.

Please correct me anyone. I am not the expert!
Good thread Thanks.

Kind Regards!
BrianD

__________________
696-6906-457-38-3913-CS40-411

You are bringing up good points. Not really sure you need corrected.

I think that the Lehigh X bullets do often yaw. Is this OK? Is this bad?

I will watch the above mentioned video. I saw one where Mr. Ayoob whom I have met and respect.....but sometimes disagree with, and Mr. Wilson disagreed if Lehigh will work in many handguns. I tend toward thinking they will work simply because Mr. Wilson says so. I like Mr. Wilson.

I would enjoy knowing the science of Clear Ballistic gel better. Does it need a certain temp? How many times can it be reused? Does it have any correlation at all with FBI recipe organic gelatin?

I wish I could remember all the other points I was planning to make so I will quit.

I love the 2.0 so much that even though it's 380, it's becoming my primary carry.

Along with the passion and emotions, there is ignorance and apathy. Many gun owners are just plain uneducated, and some are simply apathetic about knowing the science.

Everyone has their own idea of what they need to know about a firearm, ammo, and self-defense.

Nearly all of the self-identified experts on YouTube, for example, that attempt to demonstrate their knowledge about a specific subject, rarely present the facts. Most of it is anecdotal Bravo Sierra.

There are a few who have a grasp of ballistics and actually show the “measurements” in comparisons. Others have lots of experience and have their opinions, valid or not. How many testing comparison demonstrations have you viewed state that the gelatin they are using is fresh out of refrigeration and is 39d F?

Some experts use profanity in every other sentence to convey the intensity of their “knowledge”. Some use all kinds of silly video tricks, music, and stupid sounding commentary.

Of my 14 range buddies, I would bet a 6-pack of their favorite beverage that none of them know or have ever viewed the Brass Fetcher Ballistic Testing. Yet all of them are highly experienced gun owners (retired military or presently involved in high security) and I’d trust any one of them with my life in a gun fight.

Since what I know about guns and ammo wouldn't make a pimple on Massad Ayoob's butt, if the FBI, with their incredible level of testing, has chosen Hornady Critical Defense FTX, Hornady HST, Sig V-Crown, and Speer Gold Dot, that’s good enough for me.

I’ll try to keep this short. I have not had any success with any hollow point or soft core round nose or flat point ammo from any .380 when tested against barriers that a 9mm duty-type round will sail right through. (I did test shots to verify that.) Because the OP asked about the Hydra Shok Deep, this is what I got from that round plus multiple other rounds such as Critical Defense, Gold Dot, Blazer, WWB, Hornady XTP, Golden Saber, Low Recoil Hydra Shok, etc.


The only round that really works for me across multiple platforms is the Underwood standard pressure 68 grain XD.


Please note that the Lehigh branded version of the XD is way underpowered compared to the Underwood version and would not function in my Glock 42 or Sig P365-380. The chrono results of the Lehigh branded ammo were much slower. The Bodyguard 2.0 has a shorter barrel than the Glock or the Sig and still posted a muzzle velocity with the Underwood 100 FPS faster than the Lehigh round ran through the Sig.

As far as some other comments in this thread are concerned, see if you can tell which entrance holes were from the XD rounds.

https://i.postimg.cc/sgc6KdMY/S-W-BG...ights-3-X5.jpg

Some posts are giving me pause on the XD rounds. I have not had any feeding problems with either my handloads or Underwood branded standard pressure rounds. I will put another hundred or so through the gun just to confirm.

I doubt I would carry this gun if I can't carry Underwood XD rounds. I would rather carry my Glock 42 instead.

YMMV

When I shot a dueling tree with my BG2.0 with 99gr Hydra-Shok, the plates barely moved, like hit with a 22, whereas the 9mm with 124 grain ammo sent it sailing to the other side.

What range? Which dueling tree?

Best 380 Self-Defense Ammo Chosen by Experts at Ammo.com

Best .380 Ammo | Outdoor Life

Best .380 Defense Ammo: A Closer Look at Top Choices.

https://www.targetbarn.com/broad-sid...se-380-review/

Just a moment...


It doesn't appear that over-penetration is likely to be an issue with a defense shot. A FMJ every other round in a mag may be an option.

The gun club I belong to.

Attached Images

Action Pistol Range SHFC.jpg (141.5 KB, 13 views)

Amen to that. I've stuck with Hornady XTPs for some long time for just that reason. Really skeptical of +p .380s of any sort.
Moon

The Hornady XTP bullet appears to do well in many loads. You can spend all day chasing the flavor of the day and the "best" 380 defensive round. For every good test I can find at least one bad test. LOL

Luckygunner and Shootingthebull have testing for a lot of 380 loads and the Precision One XTP was the winner (ammoquest) with XTP's doing well.

I'm apprehensive about +P in my 380's, for the short barrel BG2.0 I use the precision one XTP (non +P) and for my 380EZ the speer gold dot (seemed better in the longer barrel).

New youtuber trigger bar has done a lot of testing with the BG2.0 as well.

The precision one's were unobtainable for a long time, found it recently for $0.60/rd so went with it for the BG2.0, runs just fine throught it. FWIW, the speer gold dots did as well.