.38 Bodyguard - Another lead balloon for S&W???

[snubbyfan]

For about $50 you lose an ounce and gain a laser. I guess that's pretty cool. I'm just not too crazy about a plastic revolver.
I guess since Ruger came out with the LCR the execs. at S&W figured they had to produce a plastic revolver too, just like the LCP and .380BG.

 

[Ltlbear]

Carrying a revolver these days is something the "old school" types are more likely to do. However, many old school types balk at the thought of a plastic revolver, and a S&W no less. S&W should dump the 38 Bodyguard, and release a 380 Bodyguard with no laser and a lower price. Let the 642s and 442s fill the CCW revolver niche, which they are already doing quite well.

And their you have it. The entire truth of the matter.
Although I believe more small revolvers are carried than any other CCW. Of all the people I know who actually carry on their person, most carry a J frame more often than anything else. The ladies especially because it is simple, lightweight, and fool proof.

 

[bobf]

I have a friend in her 80s who still lives alone she could no longer rack the slide or pull the trigger on her Kel-Tec.

We tried every gun we could get our hands on she picked the .38 bodyguard. She said she could operate it easier than anything else she tried and shot it very well too.

Bob

 

[Edmo]

I bought a BG38 "Bodyguard" at the beginning of this year and no longer own it...

The action on my revolver totally locked up after a month of ownership and I sent it back to S&W for repairs. S&W "fixed" it and got it back to me within weeks. During the first range session after the repair, the gun was producing light primer strikes resulting in misfires. Back to S&W the second time for repairs after less than two months since new...

After a week or so they called and said the gun was "unrepairable" and they would ship me a new BG38 to replace it. Fool me once, fool me twice. I had them send me a J-frame 642CT as the replacement gun instead. Maybe the tried-and-true J-frame action would work for me.

After numerous range sessions, my 642 has been flawless and after some action work it is close to the smoothness of the BG38's trigger. The CT version I got came with the Crimson Trace laser grip and it holds POI fairly well. Unfortunately it took almost 6 months for me to get to a reliable five shot, 38 Special handgun from S&W.

Based on my experiences with my flawed BG38 Bodyguard I would not recommend that model. If you want a small five shot 38 Special revolver, get a Ruger LCR or any of S&W's J-frame revolvers instead. Just plan on a trigger job with the J-frames if you want it to be less than the unservicable factory 10+ pound pull.

Edmo

 

[photoman]

I've noticed my LGS no longer keeps them in stock...

 

[finesse_r]

Smith and Wesson Had it Right To Begin With

In my opinion S&W had it right with their first Bodyguards. I have a 649-2 rated for .38 +P that I bought new nearly 20 years ago. It is the most carried gun that I have. It is all SS and tough as nails, simple to use, and totally reliable, and slips in and out of my pocket quite nicely. While the idea of a slightly lighter weight in the newer models has some appeal, I like the way this one handles the +P loads and I cannot imagine using full house .357 rounds in a air weight revolver, like the newer model 649's are rated for. The smallest gun I carry with .357" magnum rounds is the Ruger SP 101 with a 3" barrel. It is a pocket full, but it does allow for manageable use of a small gun chambered for .357 magnum rounds. Otherwise I want a full size 4" gun for .357 magnum rounds.

To get a great carry gun, I recommend buying one of the older 649's in SS rated for .38 +P loads. I cannot think of a better pocket gun and why S&W discontinued that version of the 649 for the .357 version is anybody's guess. My second choice for a pocket gun would be one of the older model 60's Chief's Special in SS rated for +P. I would bob and round the edges of the hammer spur some to remove about 1/2 of the hammer spur.

While I do like the 3913 and the 4013 for concealed carry, the fact is I just don't carry them nearly as often as I do the 649 Bodyguard. Even when I do carry one of the semi-autos, I often drop the 649 in my pocket anyway.

 

[wrangler5]

Another vote for the 649 - a "real" Bodyguard. I had the 357 version (2 1/8" barrel) and preferred the slightly longer ejector rod and slight extra weight of the barrel and ejector rod shroud. When I first got it I did shoot one (1) regular power 357 round through it, just to say I'd done it, but even with Pachmayr's Decelerator grip (the largest, cushiest one they make for a J frame) it still hurt. I can't imagine lighting off a 357 round with "normal" carry grips on one of those things. I always carried it with +P 38s, and mostly shot my mild "cowboy" loads for fun. It was a remarkably accurate piece, once you figured out where to hold the sights (8" steel plates at 25 yards were a near-sure thing once I got my eye dialed in.) Admittedly that's not what they're intended for, but I still find it immensely satisfying to step back after doing a bunch of closeup drills and see what the little beasts will do with deliberate fire, single action. When there are spectators, most of 'em can't believe it's possible.

I find the steel guns (I've also had a no-dash model 49 for decades) a bit heavy for ANY of my pants pockets and for any lightweight jacket, but mostly I use an IWB holster so the weight doesn't matter. When I want a pocket-weight gun I'll take a 442 - the difference in weight may not be much, but FOR ME it's the difference between comfortable and pulling-the-pants-down. I like the Bodyguard style enough that I have a 638 on order (also see my comments on the 442 rust thread for why I want the 638.)

 

[B.C.]

I love the nice blue guns as much as anyone, but the new bodyguard fit my check list to a T!

Light weight-Check

.38+p -Check

don't feel bad about a scratch? -Check

Thin grips -Check

No lock -Check

Reliable -Check

Under $500 -Check

Rust resistant -Check

I have safe queens...but this Bodyguard .38 is my EDC for life.

 

[mauiblue]

What a coincidence I see this thread after I bought the S&W Model 638 online last night. I've been wanting a Bodyguard revolver for a while now. I found a seller on one of the auction sites that had the Model 649 new in box without the ILS but the reserve price was almost $700 .

I'm fine with the latest version and the. 38 spl caliber as I decided I don't need to or want to shoot magnum rounds through a J frame revolver. I may go for the laser sight grips in the future. I saw them on sale at while back and I can wait until another sale comes up like on MidwayUSA. This will be my home defense back up gun and I'm looking forward in getting acclimated with this revolver.


Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk 2

 

[FragnSlayer]

Worst S&W I Have Ever Owned

I have been shooting S&W revolvers for 42 years. I have owned and carried many different S&W models. I currently own 4 S&W revolvers, and purchased a BG38 about a month ago. This gun is junk. Why? Forget the cosmetics; the gun has a serious issue with the newly designed gear which rotates the cylinder when the trigger is pulled. It is a roll of the dice that the gear is locked into place when the trigger is pulled. Believe me, I have tried to give this revolver a chance but I would never bet my life on this revolver. Also, I have visited three gun stores that were selling the BG38, and I was able to duplicate the problem every time. The shop owners seemed surprised but even they could get the revolver to fail to rotate the cylinder. When this happend the gun will click like it is striking the firing pin, but it does NOT.

Emailed S&W support a week ago. No reply. Will phone them on Monday.

 

[5Wire]

BS, Fragn. You need to learn how to use it. As I have said about myself under different circumstances, "It's not the gun, it's the jerk behind the trigger." No such problem with my BG38 after about a thousand rounds downrange, much of it rapid fire. Let's meet and you show me, whattaya say? "Roll of the dice" for lockup? I don't think so. Fairy tale. S&W has one of the best customer service groups in the country, if not the world, and the company itself would not allow the kind of liabilities you claim in one BG38 after another.

What gun stores, what state, what city? No profile info on you? First post trash talk. Trollish.

 

[RGMoore]

BG unrepairable

I had the same experience as Edmo. Mine shot to the left about 10 inches at 25ft, had 2 light primer strikes(misfires) and failed to rotate the cylinder once all in the first 100 rounds. Sent it back to Smith and they said it was unrepairable. Replaced with a 642CT and it is a better revolver in every way. I gave it a fair try but it is not ready for primetime and I certainly couldn't trust it when the chips were down. YMMV

 

[ltxi]

I have no idea why Smith did this new BG thingy other than supposing it was to look newer and cooler in response Ruger, et al's new stuff designed to compete with the J-frame.

A classic case(s) of if it ain't broke don't fix it and why the hell suck up to the competition when you already own the gold copy/standard.

 

[5Wire]

Early BG38s had problems with the laser. The instructions were incorrect in the manual. There was a correction published on their website which worked but was eventually supplanted by S&W's new procedure to roughly sight in the laser before shipping. I had a problem with the laser button, it popped out. Replacement has worked fine.

The indexing of the cylinder requires the shooter to allow the trigger to fully reset. If you don't, the cylinder may skip a charge hole and sometimes lock up. You can skip a charge hole with other revolvers for the same reason. I did it with my 642-1 and with a 617-6. New firearms sometimes have bugs. I've had no additional problems with my BG38 and I've shot it a lot.

The BG38 isn't meant to replace the 642 or any other J-Frame, S&W still makes them and sells them. It's simply a low cost, entry level self defense firearm primarily marketed to a new shooter who isn't going to buy any more guns, at least not right away.