I'm like a kid in a candy store! Two new arrivals yesterday:



I guess I'm way ahead of my time. New Fords come with a zippered rectangular nylon case to hold the pertinent instruction manuals for a new car and I used one to store a handgun. Seems like S&W stole my idea!



Well, on to the Bodyguard 380:











I carried the above pictured Walther PPK for 20 years. I retired it (and had it engraved) when I bought my Ruger LCP .380 pistol. Two years ago, the Ruger was a huge step up in little pistols of the .380 caliber persuation. It holds the same number of rounds as my PPK, but its far lighter, thinner, and all around smaller that the stainless steel Walther. The LCP is a true pocket pistol and I bought a Crimson Trace laser for it as well. It has served me faithfully for two years.

The advantage of market competition is that the consumer always wins. Like the Mustang/Camaro/Challenger in the musclecar world, each manufacturer tries constantly to "one up" their rivals. This results in more horsepower each year for the buying public.

The same is true in the world of firearms these days. S&W has upped the ante with their new Bodyguard. I do believe my days of carrying the Ruger are numbered.

First off, the S&W Bodyguard feels ergonomically perfect in my hands. Not just better than the LCP, it makes the LCP feel awkward. The finger grooves, grip angle, and "pointability" of the Bodyguard are just wonderful. Everyone's hands are different (not just size, but length of fingers, amount of fleshiness, etc) but the little .380 is just great in my big hands.

The sights on the Bodyguard are real sights. They're a giant leap forward over the Ruger's rudimentary sights. I can actually see them and they work.

I like that the S&W's slide locks open on the last shot. The Ruger doesn't.

I like that the S&W has a true DAO trigger that can fire twice without racking the slide. The Ruger doesn't do that either.

The S&W is easier to field strip due to its rotating take down lever that pulls out with my fingers instead of the Ruger needing some type of makeshift tool (which is never around when you need it so you make something to work and then scratch your gun).

The S&W has a thumb safety that functions like a 1911's. I know I don't need one on my Ruger and I may never use the one on the Bodyguard. But I like having the option. A pocket gun is not usually for a fast draw so a safety is kind of nice to have in your pocket. You should have time to deactivate it while drawing from your pocket if needed.

The laser is nice to have built right in. The switch activates from either side. One push turns it on, a second push makes it flash (still trying to figure out the advantage of that), and a third turns it off. It is not an easy switch to activate. It takes a very deliberate press.

The trigger pull is good. It's smooth. It does stack a little at the end and a quick measure on my Lyman gauge puts it around 10 pounds. That's just about perfect for a pocket gun.

I was unable to pull my Ruger LCP's trigger with my index finger through the guard to its first joint. My big fingers were too long and I would touch the frame and not be able to pull the trigger all the way. I had to use just the tip of my finger to fire the LCP. It was workable and I qualified with the little gun just fine. But it always took a moment of thought to use my finger's tip.

The S&W does not have this problem. Again, the ergonomics of this thin little gun is just about perfect. The trigger is far enough forward and the guard is large enough that I can shoot this gun (well, dry fire, I haven't shot it yet) without any though about finger placement.

So far, without having shot it, this Bodyguard is a home run for S&W in my mind. I really like that it fits right in the DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster that my LCP fit in. If the S&W shoots well, I'm switching over to it!

-Steve

Steve,

Very nice writeup. I recently pickup up and LCP and while it runs well, I'd like it to feel better in my hand.

I will have to check out the new Bodyguard as soon as I find one in stock.

First off, thank you mm6mm6. Excellent post. Great info, and amazing pics. Thanks so much for taking the time to put that together!

The Bodyguard absolutely blew me away when I stumbled across it this morning on another website (local gun shop). since getting my concealed carry permit a few years ago, I have not been able to find something that suits me perfectly. I have tried XD-9 SC, Glock 26, Glock 19, Kel Tec P3AT, S&W Sigma 9VE, S7W Model 12-4, and a Firestorm (Bersa) .380. Of all those I just listed, the only I have held on to is the 12-4 revolver.

I had recently begun to search for a new carry piece. I kept thinking about the Ruger LCP, but couldnt really get a great feeling about it. Now after seeing the Bodyguard, I think my search may be over. terrific size, integrated laser, and made by the best, S&W.

I've got a few questions:
1. Is this item hard to find?
2. Is $440 a good price? (shown on local gun shop web site)
3. Does this carry the S&W lifetime warranty?


Thanks !!!!

Thanks for the great information. I especially like the picture showing it with the Ruger and others. I hope it shoots well at the range for you.

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Miss Buddies crsides & fat tom

Steve, thanks for your report. I picked up my BG 380 yesterday. Like you, I haven't shot it yet, but so far I'm fairly impressed. I do wish that the trigger was a bit lighter, but I suppose I can correct that by making my trigger finger a bit stronger.

Anyway, do you have a model # on that Desantis pocket holster of yours? I need to pick one up as well. I presume that the holster was designed for the Ruger WITH the laser, as your Ruger has the laser. Am I correct in that presumption?

1. It hasn't been as hard to find as I expected. Some of my local gun shops haven't seen "hide nor hair", as they say. Others have several in stock. Lots of online shops are selling them.

2. $440 sounds like a decent price, but you might break even just buying it in a local gun shop, once you take the shipping and the FFL transfer fee for an online order into account. I found a local shop selling the BG 380 for $470, which is about $500 out the door (after taxes). On the other hand, I found another local shop selling it for $550.

3. Yep, a one year warranty and lifetime service, as per the manual.

thanks for the help Goffman. that $440 price is for a local shop guns4jax.com (edit: I dont believe they have internet sales), so I guess that is a good price. although in the past they have been out of stock on advertised items.

1) Yes.
2) Yes.
3) Yes.

If you hop over to the DeSantis website, the model is the Nemesis and it's the version for the Ruger LCP with the Crimson Trace laser.

Interestingly, the suggest retail of the Bodyguard is $575.
The msrp of the LCP is $364 and the Crimson Trace is $209, combining to $573.

With all things being equal, and with all three items available under retail, they are very comparable in price.

The S&W Bodyguard seems to be a gun with many more options that I like over the LCP. I love my LCP, but the Bodyguard seems fantastic!

Great report. Thank you. Just ordered one yesterday. $460. They weren't sure when it would be in because it was Saturday, so I won't know 'til next week. Can't wait to get it. Nice pics by the way.

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Accuracy is everything

Primewinner, I'd love to hear more about your use of a 12-4. Is it a 2" or 4"? Round butt or square? How do you carry it? I know this is the wrong forum feel free to answer there if you like.

was the shortest 12-4 2"? I guess thats me then because it surely isnt 4". the butt is square. when I carry it concealed, I use a soft leather IWB holster. hope this info was helpful.

on the bodyguard 380, hopefully I'll get by the gun shop this weekend and feel one out. Im not overly concerned with the listed problems posted here. stuff happens, but the best news about this is that its S&W standing behind the product.

Purchased my BG .380 this morning and went thru a quick box of rounds before having to run off and do errands. Paid $399 at a local store/range (last one in stock, not sure when they are getting more). Extra mag was 22.50 with membership discount. Only thing I could honestly complain about was how difficult it was to activate the laser. You had to push that button just right. The trigger squeeze was a bit longer than I'm used to but I've never owned a weapon this small before so I look forward to getting used to it as more rounds head down the range.