I was very pleased with my first Bodyguard .380
You can search my user-name and "Bodyguard," and read the posts about Bodyguard #1 if it interests you.
I did wonder if I just "got lucky" with Bodyguard #1 and managed to avoid the misfire problems that some other posters have been (justifiably) very vocal about.
Anyhow, I began thinking about retiring my Kel-Tec P32, and replacing it in the carry-battery with another Bodyguard .380. I took the plunge and ordered Bodyguard #2 from Palmetto. It wasn't on sale this time, so I think I may have paid $30 more than what I gave for the first one.
I took Bodyguard #2 apart, and made sure everything was well-lubricated, and generally "looked right."
I fired it with a wide variety of ammo at the range.
All firing at a distance of about 10 feet.
Aiming point is the orange dot.
Just like Bodyguard #1, I shoot Bodyguard #2 a little low right.
My trigger-pull method is a deliberate, aggressive, straight-through pull, with no attempt whatsoever to "stage" the trigger to make a technical shot.
For testing, I fired two magazines each of:
(all ammo is ball-type ammo except the Hornady)
Winchester 95 grain
Wolf Military Classic (steel case) 94 grain
Geco 95 grain
Armscor 95 grain
PPU (Prvi Partisan) 94 grain
PMC Bronze 90 grain
Fiocchi 95 grain
Hornady Critical Defense 90 grain
Except for the GECO ammo, all ammo fired and cycled fine.
Bodyguard #2 seems to hate GECO.
I had exactly one misfire on each magazine when firing GECO.
The first time the GECO misfired, I pulled the round out of the gun, and took a picture of it.
Very weak primer indentation.
I put the misfired round back in the gun, and it fired fine on the second try.
On the second mag, I had another misfire. I gave the trigger another yank, and the round fired as normal.
Just to be sure this wasn't a pair of flukes, I loaded TWO MORE MAGS of the GECO stuff.
Had a misfire on each of those mags too.
Same deal: second-strike, each round fired.
GECO is made in Germany. If that means anything.
The only other "issue" I experienced with Bodyguard #2 was one incident of failure of the slide to lock back when firing PMC Bronze 90 grain.
I was pleased that the expensive Horandy "Critical Defense" carry ammo was all sure-fire, and the spent brass (what pieces I could find) all showed a deep firing-pin indentation in the primer.
Here's the brass I policed.
I'm certain that at least 90% of it came out of my gun.
Most of it was policed off the clean concrete slab at the firing point.
I did retrieve some of it from the top of the pile of the endless sea of spent cases ahead of the shooting bench.
You can search my user-name and "Bodyguard," and read the posts about Bodyguard #1 if it interests you.
I did wonder if I just "got lucky" with Bodyguard #1 and managed to avoid the misfire problems that some other posters have been (justifiably) very vocal about.
Anyhow, I began thinking about retiring my Kel-Tec P32, and replacing it in the carry-battery with another Bodyguard .380. I took the plunge and ordered Bodyguard #2 from Palmetto. It wasn't on sale this time, so I think I may have paid $30 more than what I gave for the first one.
I took Bodyguard #2 apart, and made sure everything was well-lubricated, and generally "looked right."
I fired it with a wide variety of ammo at the range.
All firing at a distance of about 10 feet.
Aiming point is the orange dot.
Just like Bodyguard #1, I shoot Bodyguard #2 a little low right.
My trigger-pull method is a deliberate, aggressive, straight-through pull, with no attempt whatsoever to "stage" the trigger to make a technical shot.
For testing, I fired two magazines each of:
(all ammo is ball-type ammo except the Hornady)
Winchester 95 grain
Wolf Military Classic (steel case) 94 grain
Geco 95 grain
Armscor 95 grain
PPU (Prvi Partisan) 94 grain
PMC Bronze 90 grain
Fiocchi 95 grain
Hornady Critical Defense 90 grain
Except for the GECO ammo, all ammo fired and cycled fine.
Bodyguard #2 seems to hate GECO.
I had exactly one misfire on each magazine when firing GECO.
The first time the GECO misfired, I pulled the round out of the gun, and took a picture of it.
Very weak primer indentation.
I put the misfired round back in the gun, and it fired fine on the second try.
On the second mag, I had another misfire. I gave the trigger another yank, and the round fired as normal.
Just to be sure this wasn't a pair of flukes, I loaded TWO MORE MAGS of the GECO stuff.
Had a misfire on each of those mags too.
Same deal: second-strike, each round fired.
GECO is made in Germany. If that means anything.
The only other "issue" I experienced with Bodyguard #2 was one incident of failure of the slide to lock back when firing PMC Bronze 90 grain.
I was pleased that the expensive Horandy "Critical Defense" carry ammo was all sure-fire, and the spent brass (what pieces I could find) all showed a deep firing-pin indentation in the primer.
Here's the brass I policed.
I'm certain that at least 90% of it came out of my gun.
Most of it was policed off the clean concrete slab at the firing point.
I did retrieve some of it from the top of the pile of the endless sea of spent cases ahead of the shooting bench.
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