Picked this up last week and wanted to do a bit of a show and tell/range report. This is the first little pocket pistol I have had and it sure makes full time carry easy. I planned on a pocket pistol for a while but waited for the bugs to be worked out on the BG380 as it was to me the best package. This is a EAK serial and it is really working for me.

First range day I put in 100 rounds and a friend 40+ and an LCP owner a mag. He wrote down all the model info and said he really preferred the BG380. He said he was going to sell at the next show and pick up a BG380. I did enjoy the trigger on the LCP more but nothing else. More on that later.

No failures to feed to report and 3-4 Academy Monarch rounds that needed a second strike to fire. Ive had issues with russian primers before. They are hard. Here is a pic of the differences in strike on the monarch, Remington and Hornaday CP.

All different strikes on the Monarch (whole right row) Rem and Hornaday left row. ( Rem seemed the hottest in recoil, the primer strikes had a weird flat spot but all fired perfectly)


Once I kinda got the jist of the DA trigger I decided to bear down with some targeted shots. These are at 7m on a 6 1/4" target. This is about as far as I would think an engagement with a little pocket pistol would be. But its important to be on target.
(not too bad, Others have noted the oddness of the trigger break all the way back. I am tending to pull low left if I shoot with the pad of my finger and just low if I let it settle unnaturally in the crease of the first digit.)

(this was mostly shot from in the finger crease. The bullseyes are using a couple inch offset above. Still pulling low. )


I know these arent knock the center out guns but I am fine with the ability to at least put it in a 10" circle a great percentage of the time. Im not sure range sessions of 100 are reasonable as this thing pounded and bruised my adductor muscle (fat one at base of thumb) into a pulp. It may just be me but all that recoil is focused on a very small point in my hand.

I did some modding and found this in the foot section at the local walgreens. (when needing something odd, look in the womens section). This is a gel heel cushioner with a really sticky adhesive that fit the gun nearly perfect. I only had to trim as I wanted it up high where the gun sits in my hand.

(Comical, but effective)

I also used a Hogue Handall Jr as I like how the hogues have a thumb swell where your thumb can rest. We will see if it stays on as its a but harder to get out of the pocket fast due to the grip of the rubber. Easier to grip in the pocket but am afraid it could catch the bunched up pocket and catch.
(Just the womens heel gel wouldnt have this issue)


I decided to go back out just to check if this helped. Even with a sore hand this was a dream to shoot. I found myself shooting another 100 rounds before I knew it. The gun was much more pointable and controllable. I had the range to myself so I was shooting a a much faster pace to try to simulate a real life issue. I find the gun easier to pull the trigger in one smooth deliberate action than the staging way which is not smooth at all to me, and not proper practice in a real encounter. Staging would be very unwise in that situation. Fine for the range but never if you have it pointed at a BG.

This is a "encounter pace" of fire at 7m with a reload. 2 mags, all on target.


This is another 7 m "encounter pace" of fire with 2 reloads. I find I have to push he mag release button to insert another mag. Dont know if its supposed to be like that. But other than that insertion is intuitive and not much different than a full size.
(you can see my pull left again. Sometimes you just wont be able to adjust your grip if something happens.)


I also for grins thought I would fire at 15m. Now if we are actually doing that you are really at a SOL distance and you absolutely have to be on target. These are deliberate and Aimed. Not fast.



All targets shown are offhand, combat stance.

Now, I think the BG380 is a good little gun. It will almost always be on me and Im confident in its reliability and ability to be on target. It is not however a great gun. Smith will always overlook something stealing a good gun status from the jaws of victory. On this one they disgustingly overlooked the trigger. Not only the pull which should be cream of the class (It has a safety, a feature I love. No need to use a freaking trigger for another safety) but the break point. They could have cared but they didnt. Its just as easy to make a proper trigger as a bad one and this one is nearing bad. I thought the LCP had a much better trigger in pull and break. Thats a no safety pistol.

If I have the inclination and a smith that would look at it for a modest fee and fix time I am going to see what can be done. Not something you like to say on a brand new gun, one that you like every other thing about.

Thanks and I hope you found it a bit interesting!

I think the safety on the BG380 is the worst part of the gun, actually. Very small, and likely impossible to disengage when fine motor skills go down the toilet. You won't know what that's like until your hands are shaking. I don't recommend anyone carry the BG380 with the safety on.

As far as I'm concerned (and I'm a relative gun noob), this gun was designed for one in the chamber and the safety off.

ok, thanks

Hehe. Great post, though. Glad you're enjoying firing it.

Oh, and fyi, a mag will go in without pressing the mag-release button. You just need to push it more aggressively.

Yes, I can slap it in but it still feels like a metal on plastic catch/grating

Mine just needs a bit of a push. Nothing THAT hard. I suggest also getting used to not having to push the mag release. Again, are you going to be thinking about that if you have to reload at the speed of light?

This is a conceal weapon. I really would get used to it as it's intended to be used.

I do, on a mag change I just keep it pressed. Who knows how one will react in situation. All we can do is train and honestly if Im a mag in with a 380 Im in a world of @#$!. This is a gun I always do have on me, but hopefully I have my fullsize .40 or 9.

I'd recommend also not keeping the mag release pressed for another reason: What happens if you hold it just a tad too long, and put the mag in and it just falls out?

But to each his own, I suppose.

I guess I should take it to the smith then. Good point

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, personally. I doubt you're hurting anything by just pushing the mag into the frame. All BG380s are like this. Removing that notch will likely just let the mag never lock in! I guess you could hold the gun upside down so the mag doesn't fall out!