Report: Problems with new S&W Bodyguard 380

bg 380

Got a BG 380 in layaway. Hope to have it out soon and that I will not have any problems.

wildenout said:

I just got mine 2 months ago, so i guess it's the new batch. I absolutely love it! It hasn't left my pocket since. I put 300 rounds through it so far and the only weird thing I encountered was while using colt ACP ammo, it got stuck while ejecting and there were a few times that nothing fired. I was thinking it might have been the trigger problem that everyone has been complaining about, but once I tossed the colt **** and reloaded with federal ammo I was good to go and shot another 50 rounds that day and another 100 since! DO NOT BUY COLT AMMO FOR THIS GUN!!!!

Click to expand...

Colt Ammo? is this a new brand? Since when is Colt making ammo?

BG380

I took my gun out and was hitting a piece of wood 2" x 4" at about 100 feet. This was with the iron sights. I find the BG380 very accurate and even used it with and without the laser at a bowling pin shoot.My serial # is EAF94xx. I think that it really fits the bill for almost all of us who feel the need to carry a weapon. I know of two men who died after getting hit with a .380 bullet or bullets. I always carry an extra magazine (old belt knife holder)with me. For self defense I carry Hornady critical defense 90g ftx ammo. For plinking and target I use Winchester 95gr fmj target/range ammo. The bullet is a semi wad cutter bullet.With the laser it is dead nuts at the 35 feet distance I have used it at. It fits nicly in my front pants pocket in a little holster that I use.You forget your carrying it as it is comfortable to carry. Not the greatest calibre to carry but beats not having any thing. Good luck to all who purchase this fine weapon and shoot till you find the ammo your little guy likes.

Regards,

Bob

Considering the fact that the Bodyguard 380 is actually a lethal weapon, SW has shown patent disregard for anyone who might come in range of this demonstrable ***. Apparently SW monitors this forum and expurgates some of the more critical posts. No matter, the word is out: The BG380 will serve well as a fishing weight, but as a personal defense weapon, one would probably do better to throw rocks at an assailant (one would be less likely to suffer self-inflected injury, or terminal embarrassment when the BG falls apart).

pweber said:

Considering the fact that the Bodyguard 380 is actually a lethal weapon, SW has shown patent disregard for anyone who might come in range of this demonstrable ***. Apparently SW monitors this forum and expurgates some of the more critical posts. No matter, the word is out: The BG380 will serve well as a fishing weight, but as a personal defense weapon, one would probably do better to throw rocks at an assailant (one would be less likely to suffer self-inflected injury, or terminal embarrassment when the BG falls apart).

Click to expand...

So, since you have such a strong opinion about the 380, what problems did you have with your 380(you didn't say you actually owned a 380) and what has led you to this opinion? Patent disregard? Based on what? You say the word is out, but I hadn't heard it yet.

I would point out that you don't hear about the vast majority of 380's that don't have problems because those owners typically don't post on these forums.

The marketplace demand for small pistols has driven many manufacturers to enter this market and the price competition has demanded a low price which leads to sometimes less than optimal quality. If you look at all the small, lightweight pistols on the market today most of them have had their share of problems at some point in their production. Even higher priced pistols are not without problems.

These small lightweight semi autos seem to be very sensitive to problems, and the proliferation of internet forums allows these issues to be instantly discussed. What nobody talks about is the true defect rate for all 380s produced, which is probably not that high.

I understand your apparent frustration, but let's face it. Nothing is defect free today - not cars, not electronics, not appliances. I think small lightweight semi autos are prone to problems. But I still buy them, although I still have a couple of trusty snub revolvers too.

I also notice that your only two posts, which were made on the same day you joined, pretty much fall into the bashing category IMHO.

Snoguy:

First, when a manufacturer releases a product that does not function properly, that manufacturer has not followed due diligence and has shown open disregard for the purchasing public. When that product is potentially lethal, the manufacturer has demonstrated patent disregard.
If you are not aware of any problems with the BG380, you haven't read the posts: Unintended disassembly? Not a problem? Inoperable triggers? Not a problem? Surprise magazine drops? Not a problem?
Inoperable lasers? Not a problem? What in your estimation constitutes a problem; blasted barrels and injured shooters? I manufacture industrial equipment and feel that there is no excuse for anything less than, "absolutely right, the first time".

In answer to your question: I do in fact sadly own a BG380. I bought it and an LCP on the same day. I have had no problems with the LCP. The BG380, however has spontaneously disassembled in my hand, at the
range (imagine my embarrassment!). Hopefully, SW will, in the next month, or so be replacing my laser for the THIRD time. No problem though, with the apparent lust for this fine specimen of American craftsmanship, I'll be able to dump it rather easily: Gresham's Law, you know.

Further, I currently own a Browning 9mm Parabellum, a Colt Python, and a Walther PPK. When the BG380 started its series of failures, I bought a
Colt 1911, 45. After shooting nearly 1,000 rounds through the 1911, guess what? Perfect performance. Colt gets it right, first time!

Snoguy, I am not, by nature, "a basher", as you suggest. I do however, have high standards, and bought a SW expecting a quality that would be commensurate with their legacy. I am disappointed with a clearly inferior product and feel compelled to call them out for shoddy performance.

No insult or injured feeling intended.

Pax,
PW

I returned my Dad's .380 BG because he was unable to pull the trigger enough to fire the gun. It was sent back with a note that said the pistol was within specifications. It may be within specs, but Dad has no problem firing my Taurus 709 slim. I fired 47 rounds of Federal ammunition through the BG today. I noticed the heavy trigger pull caused me to pull the barrel down and shoot low. This I can correct. The ejection of spent cases is a more serious problem. Although the ejection was positive, the cases went everywhere! Some hit my hearing protection,some my forehead, and one hit the right lens of my glasses. This condition is disconcerting to say the least and could have seriously injured anyone without the proper eye protection. I will clean the gun, shoot it again and see if the problem persists.

chaingangman said:

I returned my Dad's .380 BG because he was unable to pull the trigger enough to fire the gun. It was sent back with a note that said the pistol was within specifications. It may be within specs, but Dad has no problem firing my Taurus 709 slim. I fired 47 rounds of Federal ammunition through the BG today. I noticed the heavy trigger pull caused me to pull the barrel down and shoot low. This I can correct. The ejection of spent cases is a more serious problem. Although the ejection was positive, the cases went everywhere! Some hit my hearing protection,some my forehead, and one hit the right lens of my glasses. This condition is disconcerting to say the least and could have seriously injured anyone without the proper eye protection. I will clean the gun, shoot it again and see if the problem persists.

Click to expand...

At least you did not experience FTF or FTE problems as I did on Tuesday 5/17/11, after shooting my 380 Bodyguard after it was returned from the factory for the THIRD time for the same FTF problems! 2 out of 28 rounds of Remington or CCI ammo FTF, and 1 round stove piped. Both FTF rounds fired on the second strike. I included a letter when I sent the gun back the third time, that indicated that I either wanted a refund for what I paid for this gun, or a replacement gun that was reliable. Instead I get the same gun back, with the same problems! I don't know how to get thru to these folks! In addtion, my gun, like yours, throws brass all over the place when it DOES fire! In the meantime, I continue to concealed carry my Ruger LCP, which fires and ejects every time with every brand on ammo, and throws all of the brass in a smallish area where they can ALL be found. Any suggestions?

Shuz, I read both of your posts today ref. your third attempt. I can't believe they would send you back this weapon without a proper test. On the other hand, I give you credit for not being an idiot also. That being said, the only thing I can think of that may cause those FTFs, stovepipe and erratic ejection of the casings, all together, might be one thing you could be doing without knowing it and I actually doubt that you are. First, I noticed that my casings do cover a lot of ground when ejected. So, to the possible but not probable problem. If you were accidently riding the slide with your offhand thumb, that might prevent the weapon from going completely back into battery when squeezing off a round but once you adjust your grip for the second try it could go into battery and fire. If you are riding the slide with the thumb it may also affect the ejection process. Again, I give you credit for this not happening, but engineering wise offer a possible explanation of what could be happening.
Good luck

Bought my BG 380 today, have a snub 38 and S&W MP 9 as my other weapons of choice for carry as well. I was checking out the BG380 at a online store, then I read this forum before going to the store and had actually crossed it off my list of pistols to choose from after reading this thread, S&W has never failed me with my MP9, it even saved me once, so I was disappointed to say the least reading some of these post. I got to the store and looked at some other brands and the clerk offered me this one as well to check out. This was a beauty, good price and laser as well. Just couldnt say no.. it fit everything I was looking for in a small concealed carry. I'm ex miltary (Infantry) and a firm believer that if you hit where you aim.. the target will drop, this caliber is enough to get the job done for my needs. The clerk broke it down, oiled it, reassembled it with some trouble (but we figured it out pretty quick with the takedown pin, just needed to move the slide a little more than the manual says.. no big deal). They have an indoor range so set it up to shoot, was concerned about the laser from what I read here. So was expecting a challenge to say the least. Loading was easy, the laser turned on easy but when I first squeezed the trigger the gun didnt shoot and the trigger pull was horrendous before it finally fired, so my first 3 shots were way off mark. So time to think outside the box, my first concern was the trigger, seems the thick meaty part of my finger was actually hindering the trigger pull, I was trying to shoot it like it was a bigger pistol, So on my next 3 rounds I used the end of my finger and all 3 shots were dead center bulls eye. The laser was set perfect out of the box for 7yrds, I then put it out approx 15 yrds and it shot a tad low. I brought it in to 10 yrds and 3 shots were dead center again. What I also learned is that if you squeeze slowly (not pulling) the trigger actually eases up and I had another 3 rounds dead center. I then shot without the laser and was just a tad low but all shots were still lethal groups. Once I got over the initial orientation this pistol was fun to shoot, put a whole box of ammo (50) through it, was using Atlanta Arms & Ammo 95 gr TCJ. Not one jam or misfire. Will be back on the range on Wed to shoot some more.
Overall I really like this gun, The good- price, manual safety, it fits well in the palm of the hand, laser sight, easy to load, easy to conceal. Can it be better? yes the trigger pull could be lighter, the disassembly/reassembly could be easier but again its a small pistol and with time and practice it will get easier, same goes for the trigger, turning off the laser is actually more difficult than turning it on. Practice, practice, practice makes perfect. S&W hasn't failed me yet and i believe this one is a keeper if it continues to perform!

Body Guard 380

I recently purchased a S&W bodyguard simply because I had to see for myself if it was a *** or a reliable weapon. I have fired various ammunition types, fired it when it was dirty, fired it after cleaning, and basically shot the p--s out of it without any problems. I am a retired Special Forces weapons sergeant, and I feel that I may have some insight as to what works and what doesn't. My recommendations are; keep your weapon clean, fire good ammunition, and don't take a hammer to it when you are disassembling it. I carry mine daily and don't have second thoughts.

I have had a 380 Bodyguard now for several months, and I've put a few hundred rounds through it. It's now going back to the factory for repairs or replacement because, like some other users, I was firing it and the pin that is the release for the slide to disassemble the weapon popped out and disappeared in the middle of firing. S&W reps were very friendly and told me this was a problem with early serial numbers, and they fixed it with later ones with a minor mod. They pick up the cost for shipping both ways and repair/replacement. My beef? It took a long time to get the shipping labels, and I bought this gun for self-protection, which it is not doing when it is unavailable for maintenance. My confidence in S&W went down with this experience.

datima said:

Hello all:
New to the forum and have recently purchased the BG380 for CC
but having troubles trusting it. First couple of rounds out of the gun the laser failed. Multiple misfires from first 100 rounds but thinking the gun needed some break in. New laser back from SW and it failed on the 4th round. Now it is on it's way back to SW. Shot another 40 or so today & had more misfires from a couple of ammo brands. Getting the barrel to extend out to get the pin back in after field stripping is always a pain. Maybe 20 or so racks to get the barrel to the right place, sorry, doesn't seem right. Mom always said "never take a sick dog to a fight" and I would get myself killed in this one. Anyone had issues like this with the BG380? Sent request to SW for mailing label!!
Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

You may want to search for my post titled "continuing problems with 380 Bodyguard".

My experience with the .380 Bodyguard

After weeks into months of research, I finally purchased the .380
Bodyguard. I made my decision based on more recent post versus the ones
from 2010 when the pistol was first released. Plus the reasons listed
below. I have a Springfield XDM 9mm 4.5 (which is awesome) as my normal
carry, but needed a pocket pistol for the summer months. I was strongly
looking into the new Kimber Solo 9mm since it was around the same size
as the .380's. However, due to the many negative posts and sales person
feedback on the Kimber, I decided to hold off. One salesman told me the
Solo was on backorder until their issues were resolved, so I starting
looking at the .380's. The other 9mm sub-compacts were still to bulky
and heavy for a pocket pistol IMO.

I narrowed my top three .380 choices down to the Ruger LCP, Sig Sauer
P238 and the S&W Bodyguard.

The final decision came down to this:  
The Ruger LCP felt very small in my hand and I did want the added
protection in my pocket of the manual safety, which the Ruger does not
offer. The long trigger pull on the Ruger felt equal to the Bodyguard.
Since the Ruger felt to small in my hand and had no manual safety, I
narrowed to the search to the P238 and the Bodyguard.

My wife carries a Sig P238 tactical and it's great for her smaller
hands. She loves her P238 and it's a good gun. I have shot it many times
and like it too, for her. For my hands, it's still a little small even
with the pinky extension.  I would highly recommend the Sig, but it was
not for me on fit and the price tag is around $550-$580 depending on the
store. Although price was not the deciding factor for me, it did add to
the overall decision.  

There were obviously problems during the launch of the Bodyguard
including the pin popping out and trigger malfunction or failing during
firing. After reading several recent posts and visiting several gun
stores asking their opinion, I finally decided to go with S&W Bodyguard
for the pocket pistol. It seems S&W has worked out the problems and the
newer serial numbers and more recent purchases are not seeing the same
failures from the beginning models.  The serial number on mine was EAL.
If you purchase one of these, stay away from early serial numbers EAB,
EAC, etc.  Get one on down the list, as those were the first ones out
before S&W made some engineer changes, or at lease that is what I have
read.

The Bodyguard felt good in my hand, I like the sights, manual safety,
etc. The price was about 40% cheaper than the Sig. So I took the plunge
and spent $350 for it. Note: I saw it for $325 at another store a week
later. Oh well...

After the purchase:
I clean the gun before firing it. It was kind of dirty for a new gun,
probably from the first shot test at S&W, not sure. The field strip was
pretty easy, but the pin is a little tough to get out and a little
tougher to get in back in when you reassemble the slide. All in all, a
pretty easy field strip.  

The gun was flawless on my first outting and I am very pleased with the
Bodyguard at this point. I put over 50 rounds through it without any FTE
or FTF.  My wife shot it and did not like the long trigger pull compared
to her P238. I would rather it had a shorter trigger pull too, but it's
not a big deal to me as that is part of the design of a pocket pistol.
Her Sig. is more like a normal trigger pull and quicker with rapid fire.
The Bodyguard was just as accurate at the P238, so not real difference
there.  I used PMC FMJ and Hornady critical defense ammo. As I said above,
the Bodyguard had no issues.  The Sig. did have 1 FTF on a PMC round.  
The 2nd cycle fired with no problems on the same round.


I ordered an extra magazine from S&W, but got a notice they are on back order for 4-6 weeks.

I will update again if anything changes, but overall I am pleased with
this purchase so far.  

Purchased a BG380 for the wife last March after she got her CC. Fired flat nosed 95gr. Win and 102gr. Golden Sabers. 161 flawlessly fired rounds except when she accidentally pushed the mag release once. For a .380, I liked it, she liked it but it developed a problem. After the second range trip it produced a weird "multi-ring" concentric laser "pattern" around the dot. Not fogging...three irregular "red" rings like ripples in water. NOT from anything on the outside lens. Called S&W and described the problem...TWICE! The tech I spoke with (same guy both times!) said he would send a return label. Waited two weeks and no label. Second call...verified address, I said "no problem", etc., I just want to get this fixed. No return label two weeks later. S.O.A.B.!
Showed it to the gun shop owner I bought it from and he sent it to S&W directly from his store... weeks ago. How hard is it to replace the laser and send it back? He said, today, that he heard S&W is having issues with the laser. Well, if I don't get it back SOON or at least an explanation of what the delay issues are then this will be my last S&W mainly because of the lack of performance from the original tech guy I spoke with and now the long delay getting it back. We live on the southwest border "near" El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. Most Americans are in denial about how dangerous traveling or living near the border with Mexico really is. She has an XDsc9 but it doesn't conceal for her easily in these hotter months and that's what the BG380 was for. I'm waiting on a Sig P290 as my BUG and if it turns out to be a winner I might sell her BG380 and get her a P290. She liked the BG380 and I thought it a good value....at the time.
I'm disappointed with S&W. Maybe I shouldn't be...but 11 weeks seems a bit long for a simple part replacement unless....what? Anyone know what's going on with the lasers?

I don't know, but I've had the same issue with my laser after only buying my gun a week ago with serial #EAP, and it is as easy as pressing a TV remote button on the left side, but very, very hard on the right side. I've had absolutely no problems with the gun beside that, I LOVE the feel of it in my hand, and it is a very comfortable and accurate gun...I just want this laser issue fixed.

Very Satisfied with my new .380 partner

I bought this weapon at a local gun store. It was $359.00 tax included. Then I got the good ole $50.00 military rebate from Smith and Wesson. $309.00 all told. IMO money well spent. I took it to the range the other day. I put 50 rds of Speer Lawman ammo plus some other odds and ends as well as CorBon Pow 'r Ball through the little bugger. 75 rds in all and not ONE FTE or FTF. best .380 I've ever shot!

The laser was a little cloudy with powder residue, but, a q-tip took care of that. Very nice, very affordable very ACCURATE pocket pistol. This is my second Smith and Wesson purchase and they continually give me reason to purchase their products.

I just purchased a Bodyguard 380 serial# EAPxxxx I want to clean it before going to the range. The take down lever is very hard to move, moves easy to about the 4 o'clock position but I was forced to use a wood popsicle stick to move the lever to the 6 o'clock position. Is this normal, or will it loosen up over time?

Try an unloaded mag in the weapon while you field strip. That will help. Some of the guys use the spare floorplate provided to help move the takedown lever. Just some tips from experience. You need to turn the takedown pin to the 9 o'clock position. They haven't changed the manual, but if you ever call them on it they will confirm verbally.

If I think my walther pk .380 isn't good enough I just pull out my Jimenez .380 for about 2 minutes and then I'm in love with the walther again. I probably couldn't rack the slide on that stupid Jimenez to save my life, but it was free so I keep it way in the bottom of the safe.