Report: Problems with new S&W Bodyguard 380
I purhcased a S&W Bodyguard 380 on Saturday. With great enthusiasm and expectations I took it to the range on Sunday morning for a first shoot. Unfortunately that is all I got! after the first shot the trigger failed to return (trigger return spring or something else failed in the gun). With out taking the gun past the field stripping described in the manual, I have not been able to correct the problem. I will be taking it back to the dealer this morning to see what remedies are available. Obviously this was a great dissapointment. I am a long time fan of S&W revolvers (my wife and I are NRA certified instructors and shoot S&W 340PD's) and this is the first semi automatic I have purchased for self defense.

Wow; now that's what I call a raspberry
pisser. I've been looking forward to the
BG380 as well; haven't found any in my
area yet. I hope you get some satisfaction
from your dealer; if not, surely S&W will
make it right. Maybe I should hang on to my
Ruger LCP after all...

I want one also but i think ill wait 6-8 months until they get all the kinks worked out. Until then ill keep my LCP in my pocket!!

Bill

cateye:

Welcome to the board.

I try to resist the "early adopter" syndrome. In cars, computers or firearms, newly introduced products quite frequently are subject to unforseen design issues. I'd prefer that this didn't happen, but just look at the numbers. If 10,000 people have bought S&W Bodyguard .380s and spent three hours each shooting them, that's 30,000 hours of range testing, with 10,000 different grips, shooting stances and ammunition.

I'm reasonably confident that S&W will make the Bodyguard series right. In the meantime, could I recommend a nice little 3913? They worked the bugs out of that one a long time ago.

We're starting to see a few of these BG380 failure threads here and there. It's a new product, but even so, you would certainly hope to get more than one shot!

I probably was foolish and jumped on the bandwagon too soon - bought a BG380 Saturday, but did not have time to shoot it. I will be giving it a test drive Wednesday. One thing is for sure, if there is trouble, you won't sit around on pins and needles wondering if S&W will fix it (that's a given). It's just the inconvenience.

The gun is certainly an attractive little package with a lot of nice features. I particularly like that it has a good set of sights, a thumb safety, and of course the built-in laser. For my purposes, I would have preferred a magazine safety, but I guess with the safety lock, I can get by without it. I think it will be a winner: priced more attractively that the Kahr, and much better in features and ergonomics than the lower-priced competitors. Hopefully whatever bugs there may be, they will be resolved quickly.

Call S&W, they'll send you a return label and arrange to have the gun shipped back on their dime.
These 380's are starting to look like the 15-22's which were problematic from the getgo. Smith has got a handle on the issues with the 15-22 it seems.

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Sure you did

Yep, saw threads on some other forums about BodyGuard problems, mainly trigger issues. Shouldn't be happening in today's world. I think companies are relying too much on computer design and testing rather than pumping ammo through them and see what breaks.

Old saying; "Beware of low serial numbers."

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Retired Police, Life NRA

They look like the perfect 'summer' CCW, but I'll wait until AFTER the inevitable recall...or the upgrade, or whatever.

OK, a little rant.............

All this talk about S&W making the 380 and the 15-22 right is a bunch of ****. It is unacceptable.

I have a High Point 995 9mm carbine (yeh I admit it) that has never failed me. period. It ALWAYS goes bang, ejects the spent shell and chambers a new round. ALWAYS. It's one of the early ones, perhaps 7-8 yrs old.

Now that my truck gun is better that your gun, I feel better.

Well duck I agree that there shouldn't be all these problems with the guns but, you only hear about the bad ones, not many people go out of their way to inform the world when something works as it should. That being said I'm sure your High Point works great but, if I go by all the problems I've read about on the internet then yours is in the minority. Is it really, probably not but, by your logic most of the new body guards are **** and so are most of the high points out there, I don't believe either are.

After nearly 150-200 rds the gun failed to lock open when unloaded. the range master would have field stripped but cannot pull slide back far enough to lock slide and thefore field strip this firearm. Customer service is closed Saturday but i see a return for repair in my near future. Upsetting because I really love this gun. The fact that I have a glock that has never failed and I have only owned the bodyguard one week makes me wonder if this will be a gun i can trust the safety of my family to or i will go back to Glock 19 as my CCW.

Didn't realize a HP 995 could slip into your front pocket.

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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!!!!

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

It's time S&W stood up and recalled all .380 bodyguards. There are serious trigger issues with the first run models. I purchased one at Cabela's recently and so disappointed when I fired my first round through it! The trigger was literally against the the rear of the trigger guard before the pistol fired, that's 3/4 of and inch and probably 15 pounds of resistance! Try doing a google search on S&W bodyguard trigger pull issues! Many hits will pop up!
Come on S&W! You have been a great gun manufacturer for over 100 years. Make your long time customers happy!
Sure, first models are prone to have bugs, but that does not dismiss the attitude of the customer service rep I spoke to on the phone about my trigger issue today! What a jerk! Recall this gun before some one is killed from it's faulty trigger!
Matthew G.
p.s. the casings upon discharge usually fly straight up, so, if you wear a large brimmed hat you can catch most of them as long as you hold your head level!!!!

Erm, the trigger is designed to break right at the back. That's normal. Not sure about your ejection issue.

For what it's worth, my EAE BG380 hasn't been perfect. Just had to send back the laser module because of this... Yep, not sealed laser. And no, it's not on the outside.

S&W should get it back this Friday, so we'll see what they do. Hopefully they just replace the laser...

Attached Images

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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.  

Took my Bodyguard .380 to the range for the third time and mine had a major problem. The take down lever backed out after firing about 100 rounds today and the slide, spring, guide rod, and take down lever blew off the gun. I was left holding only the lower with the mag in it. I picked up the pieces and put it all back together and the only way to keep the take down level from backing out was to put my finger next to it. If I would take my finger away it would continue to back out after firing several rounds. Called S&W and told them my story and I got the shipping label and just took it to FedEx. The CS person had heard the story before and they don't know a reason why it is happening. The way I see it is the take down lever is being moved by recoil when the slide is open and will drop all the way down and out of the gun. There does not seem to be enough tension on the take down lever on my gun as it moves easily on slide open or slide lock.

I have a new Bodyguard and had to send it back to S&W for the same lever issue but I had an additional issue. S&W uses a form of EDM to rifle their barrels. The lands were ok but the grove was so rough it looked like they were put in with a hammer. They replaced the frame for the lever issue but did nothing about the barrel. I am sending it back for the third time tomorrow with pictures. Hopefully they will put in a new barrel this time. We are not dealing with the old S&W. They didn't even take the time to remove the casting parting line on the top of the barrel.

That's a bummer. I'm not a huge fan of that take down pin as it is.

I lost the right side button/cover for the laser yesterday, must have popped off while switching holsters. Other than that everything else is A-OK. Emailed S&W about getting another button, currently hole is covered with some electrical tape.

Surely S&W fired a *few* rounds through the new pistol after designing it..... Didn't these problems with the pistol shaking itself apart come up in testing?? It seems that most gun makers build these 380s to shoot one or two boxes of ammo, then be stuffed in a pocket or purse and never fired again.

after the 1st 6 rounds through mine i noticed the laser was off by almost 2' at 3yds and won't adjust using the procedure in the manual. kept shooting for 100rds without any other issues.

I found that while adjusting the laser, if it will not adjust enough in the direction you need it to, adjust it back in the opposite direction and then start over. This worked for me and my laser is now spot on.

We fired my wife's new S&W Bodyguard Sunday afternoon. After some initial drifting and readjustment the laser stayed dead-on and helped me to shoot consistent 4" groups at 50 feet (my old eyes don't work well with iron sights anymore). It's not as bright as the CT laser on her LCP, but if you keep the lens clean it works fine indoors. Unfortunately, it only comes with one magazine and spares aren't available yet. That's a dumb move by S&W...even mouse guns need spare mags. So she still carries her LCP while we wait on mags to come off backorder. Other than that it's a fun gun that didn't miss a beat during 100 rounds of break-in firing. I guess I like the thing...might even buy one myself...

Milspec

Also hope there is some improvement in the trigger. Not sure if spring issue, but its got seemingly and 7+ pound trigger and the longest drag Ive ever experienced.

I am having a gunsmith look at mine tomorrow....looking at getting a lighter spring put in....

Sending mine back today. EAA35**. Take down lever...disappeared. It was approx 15 ft to the left of where I thought would be its trajectory.

Good fun hunting for part of your pistol after just talking it up. I Trust S&W will resolve and restore my satisfaction in the firearm.

I have a new bg 380 and shot about 100 thru it....love it...no problems....

450 rounds through my three week old EAH19xx Bodyguard, 0 problems.

I have had my BG for about 3 months now. Not one problem. Using the laser sight at 25" I have had groups within 2 1/2' to 3". They only complant that I have with is the pushing the laser sight button, it requires too much sure effort if you are using it as a CCW. Any suggestions?

I just bought the BG .380 (sn EAJ series) yesterday. I took it to the range today for the first time. I used Independence ammo. After the first 15 rounds I got a no fire, I did not try pulling the trigger again, just released the mag, ejected the chamber round and reloaded. It did this five times out of fifty rounds. I'll try a different ammo next time like Federal or winchester. I also did a field strip when I got home, the release lever was a pain to push down and when I went to put it back together, the slide would not return to the firing position. I finally got it after the slide pinched my palm a couple of times. Not as simple as my Glock 32, but maybe some better ammo and practice field stripping , I should have a winner.

Fixed the same problem in about 2 minutes,,,get a coffee stirrer/straw(mine was black),snip approx. a 32nd of an inch off and slide into the rubber button and reinstall,,you may have to try a couple of different sizes to your liking of activation pressure needed...!!

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......me numma ' 1 G.I.

The super quick fix is to pull the button's out, rotate them, and put them back in. If you do it a few time's you can find the sweet spot. You may or may not have to do it again over time.

The best fix it "the Ultimate laser button fix". Do a search and you'll find plenty of info on this site.

This is my first post, and my 3rd. S&W purchase.

Purchased BG 380 today and found problem field stripping. Seems the take down would only go down to about 5 o'clock when trying to push it with my fingers. Called S&W and they said the spring was stronger than the original BG380's were because owners had complained about the lever was too loose. I used the plastic end of a screwdriver to force it to 6 o'clock and all went well. Putting lever back in was a little tough too. Maybe this SN EAJ**** BG has had this particular problem solved. Now to the range to test for shooting problems.with Winchester metal jackets and Hornaday Critical Defense hollowpoints.

I'm happy to have found this forum, you guys rock.

I purchased one at gun show 5 Mar 2011. 5 shots and that was it

What happened to it.??

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......me numma ' 1 G.I.

Got my 380 this past Wed at Academy. Went out looking for some t-shirts and left with the 380 instead. Go figure. Took it out to the range for my regular shooting time on fridays with my other toys. Put approx 40 rds through it with no problem at different ranges. The laser was way off and not very visible at further ranges during daylight ....expected this anyway. Will attempt to adjust the laser next time out. Button press a little annoying but nothing more. Practiced turning it on with index finger on one side and thumb with the other. Like it a little hard so holstering will not activate it. Maybe will do the fix if needed later. Ordered a Desantis IWB for it on the cheap.I will primarily keep it in my concealment vest or pocket. Maybe will carry IWB or bellyband when I really need to go lightweight and very low profile. The trigger pull is long and difficult to catch the link quickly which for me is a tactical must! Will be taking it down for some cleaning today. For me this gun is what it is.....a backup gun! but will rely primarily on my Glock 26 or 19 for primary defense. Great little product looking past some of the quirks.

matthe g, I really cannot understand what you're even saying. I've put over 200 rounds through my BG380 with not a single failure to fire or failure to eject. How can your gun be discharging three seconds AFTER the trigger has been pulled back fully? That makes no sense unless perhaps your ammo sucks and didn't fire immediately when the primer was struck?

Have you tried different ammo?

Also, I disagree that "a gun this light" shouldn't have such a trigger. It's a pocket pistol, so you do not want a 1911-style trigger, unless you're fond of unintentional discharging of a firearm.

Man, I was hoping to find that all the bugs have been worked out of the BG380 by now... Now I'm not so sure what CCW to get. I'll take a look at the RUGER LCP's again I guess.

I've put a little over 50 rounds thru my BG 380 with no problems except one. I hit the mag. release while shooting and the mag slipped down around a 1/4th of an inch giving it a fail to load. I think the mag feels very loose in the grip. I'm thinking of making a thin rubber spacer for the mag to take up the gap between the mag and the base of the grip. I like the little gun and it really shoots accurately for such a short barrel but wish I would have purchased a .38 revolver instead. I let the idea of a laser sway my choice.

Wow, Glad I'm having trouble getting one now. I've been looking one for 3 months and the only people that have any still want 5 bills for them.

I know there are a bunch of posts on this, but I think I missed if there were a fix. BodyGuard 380 uses some sort of a wire spring to hold the mag in place. I have mostly good luck shooting the gun and really like it, but occasionally the mag pops out after firing a few rounds, sometimes only barely coming loose and I don't notice it, until I fire and there's no round in the chamber (because the mag slipped down a mere 1-2mm so a new round couldn't chamber). It takes a second or two to recognize that the mag has been jostled loose by the impact of firing, and possibly the leverage downward from my ring-finger on the curve of the bottom of the mag. That could spell big trouble in a real defensive situation. Is there a way to get a stiffer spring.

I tried a friend's BG380 and was impressed with the accuracy of these little beasts. I showed one to my wife at a gunstore and it was the first time she actually seemed interested in a gun. Naturally, I bought it for "her" and while at the range today, the slide started hanging back. I could get it back into play with a little force and then it just failed to retract far enough back to load a round. Unfortunately, it also won't travel back enough to field strip it. After searching this forum, it seems I'm a victim of the laser screw backing out. The worst part is that there seems to be no way to get the gun apart and get the screw back in, short of calling for a return tag. (wonder how they do it?) Just one more reason I like revolvers!

Bought my new bodyguard yesterday in the BX. When I got home tried to disassemble to oil it and takedown lever would not go to the 6 o'clock position to remove slide. Any suggestions?

Mine did that also. Just a little stiff. I used a tiny flat head and pried it. Seems the more you work with it the easier it gets.

Bear in mind that S&W has likely sold a load of these. Most people aren't having issues. Just a few. Mine has functioned flawlessly as a gun, i.e. it fires every time. Just a few quirks with lasers/buttons are a fairly common occurrence. Not a deal breaker, though!

Mine (EAF s/n series) has been flawless.

My EAJ has been functioning just fine, as well... no real issues.
The laser button mod is a must!
And the triggggggger puuuuullllllllll takes a LOT of getting used to.
All together, I'm satisfied with the weapon for the price.

My EAF32xx also has been flawless.
I agree on the trigger pull, and I just did the laser button mod.

I would buy it again, and in fact the wife is thinking of getting herself one.
Nice, light, purse/pocket personal protection gun.

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