Has anyone gotten a BG380 with a revised firing pin/block?

[Nakanokalronin]

I've been looking online at BG380 reports and possible issues. I keep seeing talk about firing pins breaking all the way up to serial number EAZXXXX.

Some of these reports come from this forum but I cannot find a single picture of a broken or whole BG380 fining pin online. There was a post or two where someone supposedly talked to someone from S&W that said they were going to cut a small radius so the firing pin wouldn't get hung up which may be why the firing pins are breaking in the first place.

There seems to be enough reports of this issue and nobody has really took notes of serial numbers or bothered taking apart the slide to see what could be causing it. I'm picking up my BG380 tomorrow and this info would be really helpful so I know what to look out for.

Right now my M&P FS is just now leaving my LGS on it's way back to S&W after the LGS let it sit back in their back room for 14 days. Their reason was that they didn't get an e-mail for a label from S&W. Last time I send a gun through them.

I have a Shield fully paid for and am #3 on the list at my LGS but who knows when I'll see one of those. Maybe next year.

Now I'm picking up a BG380 tomorrow. Oh boy....if I have to send the BG380 for any reason, I'll have lots of S&W mags and zero guns to use them in. Basically I want to do a detail strip right from the get-go to see if there is anything that would have the firing pin hang up.

I almost wonder if the block is even necessary due to the DA pull, like a DA revolver which has no FP safety. Is the hammer resting on the back of the FP the entire time or is there a hammer block like the P3AT and LCP? BTW, I'm not going to remove the block, just a thought.

Now I know some of you have had zero issues and I'm defiantly never going to dry fire this thing without snap caps (although broken FPs have happened with those too) but is there any documented proof on why this is a possible issue in the first place? Pictures? Words from S&W? Personal thoughts on the subject?

Don't take this thread as a bash, I'm just looking for any reputable info to be aware, nothing more.

[Snoguy]

Originally Posted by Nakanokalronin

.
Now I know some of you have had zero issues and I'm defiantly never going to dry fire this thing without snap caps (although broken FPs have happened with those too) but is there any documented proof on why this is a possible issue in the first place? Pictures? Words from S&W? Personal thoughts on the subject?

Don't take this thread as a bash, I'm just looking for any reputable info to be aware, nothing more.

Have you looked at this thread?
2nd bodyguard 380 broken firing pin DONT DRYFIRE

Dave

[Nakanokalronin]

Originally Posted by Snoguy

Have you looked at this thread?
2nd bodyguard 380 broken firing pin DONT DRYFIRE

Dave

Yea, I saw this and am wondering where the break happens. Various forum posters are commenting how it happens in the same spot, but there is nothing that I can look at to see where this same spot is. Not sure what the deal is with this other than maybe a burr or something that needs to have a radius cut on it. S&W should of been on the ball with this but they seem to prefer to replace FP after FP. I'm taking mine out and seeing if I can have one milled out of tool steel and what the real cause may be.

[Snoguy]

Originally Posted by Nakanokalronin

Yea, I saw this and am wondering where the break happens. Various forum posters are commenting how it happens in the same spot, but there is nothing that I can look at to see where this same spot is. Not sure what the deal is with this other than maybe a burr or something that needs to have a radius cut on it. S&W should of been on the ball with this but they seem to prefer to replace FP after FP. I'm taking mine out and seeing if I can have one milled out of tool steel and what the real cause may be.

It breaks right at the first notch in the FP at the end where the hammer contacts the pin. That small piece at the end of the pin typically falls out after it is broken and you may not even notice it is broken. Mine fell out on the floor and I just happened to see this little shiny piece of metal on the carpet.
Dave

[Nakanokalronin]

Originally Posted by Snoguy

It breaks right at the first notch in the FP at the end where the hammer contacts the pin. That small piece at the end of the pin typically falls out after it is broken and you may not even notice it is broken. Mine fell out on the floor and I just happened to see this little shiny piece of metal on the carpet.
Dave

Ah, now I got it.

I moticed over at the BG380 forum (that I finally found by accident) that someone said the firing pins are too hard. He annealed the broken one he had at the larger part with the notches to a dull glow with a torch, making it softer. In his words ,without it a light hammer blow shattered that part like glass.

He got a few firing pins from S&W and is going to try one of them while watching it closely but if it also breaks, he's going to try one with the treatment. He might be on to something.

[Chevy]

This is another very helpful posting concerning problems with the BG380. I own 2 and have had no issues with them but clearly others have. Try and skip past all the back and forth blaa blaa blaa and look for the summary post by BuckeyeChuck (towards bottom of 1st page). Anyway, nice summary.

Bodyguard 380: Anyone had their misfires fixed??

[Nakanokalronin]

Originally Posted by Chevy

This is another very helpful posting concerning problems with the BG380. I own 2 and have had no issues with them but clearly others have. Try and skip past all the back and forth blaa blaa blaa and look for the summary post by BuckeyeChuck (towards bottom of 1st page). Anyway, nice summary.

Bodyguard 380: Anyone had their misfires fixed??

Thanks for the link! I just picked up my BG380 and met a moderator from this very forum while I was there. I'm going to start a new thread with pics, take it to the range and then update.

[Boris B]

The attached pics are of my broken firing pin, (or the broken piece)

The top pic is the small piece that broke off . it is the end the hammer contacts up to where it goes into the pin housing and you are looking at the break..
The third shot is a bit difficult to really tell what you are looking at but it is the remaining part of the pin inside the slide.
You can see the flat side down of the pin with the arch above (slide is upside down) and you are looking at the end where the break occurred.

My serial # is a EBZ14xx (2/20/13 test fire date.)