Body Guard 380 locking pin

[Willie Wilson]

Got mine back today.

Letter with package from S&W said:

Re: Replacement frame with new serial number. Original frame destroyed.

My new serial number is EAE2**, my old serial number was EAA.

Initial thoughts, much heavier spring and new slide pin is extremely hard to remove. At least it shouldn't come out. I did notice that I don't have the "ring" around the laser button. I thought that was the new frame that people are receiving after sending in a pistol with the problem. I'll get it to the range to see how it performs. I can tell right now that the laser is way off.

 

[tnharley]

So does that mean the one that I purchased yesterday that has a EAB40XX serial number has the new fix already incorporated in the frame?

I haven't heard of any of the EAB frames having the same issues as the EAA frames. I would say that you are in good shape.

 

[Mike Walsh]

Sorry to say that after 2 trips to the factory with the EAA frame the replacement EAB gun flew apart too. At the second range session @ around 250 rounds the take-down pin hit the ground as it did so many times before.... I said "we're done here" to myself. I bought a Ruger LCP a while back and it's been flawless...The BG has been sold at a loss. Smith's quality is a shame, more worried about putting a red flashlight in a gun than make it go bang......

 

[Willie Wilson]

Sorry to hear Mike. I haven't had problems with mine since I have got it back from S&W with a different frame. But still the thought of it coming apart in the moment of a life or death situation lingers in the back of my mind. Add to that I shot a Sig P238 earlier this week, what a sweet gun and great trigger for roughly the same amount I paid for the Bodyguard. I'll hold on to the Bodyguard for now and see what happens down the road. Could be a Sig or Kahr inside my waist band before to long.

 

[brent701]

I did notice that I don't have the "ring" around the laser button. I thought that was the new frame that people are receiving after sending in a pistol with the problem. I'll get it to the range to see how it performs. I can tell right now that the laser is way off.

the polymer isn't the frame. It's the cover.
I asked the same thing and I was told. The frame is the part with the serial number which was replaced. The frame sits in the polymer by roll pins

 

[MGW-Fla]

Wife n I took it to the range last week, put about 85 rounds thru it & it performed flawlessly. So I'd say at least this EAB frame isn't showing any problems initially. It handled nicely & shot good groups. She likes it and thats most impt.

 

[n4zov]

I'm encouraged that at least S&W has admitted there is a problem and they are repairing/replacing defective BK380's for their customers. After all, it took six years of constant complaining for them to even admit their was a problem with the PPK/S. What is it about producing a simple blow back operated dinky little .380 that causes so many problems for U.S. manufacturers? S&W, Ruger, Grendel and others seem to have all kinds of problems with these little guns whereas they have been in production in Europe for decades.

 

[scatter]

Hello everyone, new guy here. We've owned an earlier BG 380 (EAA6XXX) for about a month now (my wife's gun, but I really like it), and have nearly 250 rounds through it. Absolutely no takedown lever issues while firing, although it is very easy to rotate past the straight down position, and very easy to extract. Having read most of the threads on this topic, I'm concerned, but I feel kind of silly writing to S&W and telling them the gun works great so far but I'm afraid it might break. Anybody else send theirs in for repair/replacement without experiencing any failures? I've gotta think that if the issue caused S&W to change the design, and I've got an early production model, that I'm living on borrowed time.

Another topic--this is an odd one, but when I reassemble from a field strip and try to lock the slide back to insert the takedown lever, the barrel often retracts with the slide, preventing insertion of the lever. I've been experimenting a little bit while typing this, and it seems that if I hold the gun perfectly vertical while locking the slide, the barrel stays in place like it's supposed to, but if I tilt the gun while locking the slide, the barrel often travels back with the slide. Anybody else have any idea what I'm talking about?

 

[tnharley]

Same thing happens to mine also. Just got to ensure that the barrel is fully extended before inserting the pin.

 

[Drnick]

Has anyone had problems with the new Body Guard 380? I maybe the only one but there seems to be a problem with the slide locking pin. I cleaned mine before taking it to the range for the first time. Shot 46rounds without a hitch. On the 47th, the slide lock pin fell out and the slide, with a live round in the barrel, fell onto the shooting table. Cleaned it again and reset the locking pin as per manual. Tried it again. Pin fell out with the slide on the 7th shot. My dealer tried it and had the same problem on his 3 shot. Sent it back for repair. When returned, same problem. Locking pin keeps falling out. It's back in S&W shop for further repair.

It seems to happen more often with rapid fire. I don't think that the retaining spring is stiff enough, nor is the spring indent in the locking pin deep enough, to hold the pin in the lock position as the slide moves back and forth.

Any comments from other Body Guard 380 users?

Thanks in advance.

I have had my Bodyguard 380 for about two months now. The first time I fired it, it was great! After I broke the gun down and cleaned it my troubles began. I could not get the slide to lock out, it just wouldn't go back far enough. Then the take down lever or slide release kept popping out. This has been happing under rapid and slow fire. The same thing happened to me, I was using rapid fire and the lever popped out ,the whole slide with live round went flying down range. I felt like a complete ass asking them to shut down the firing line so I could gather the slide spring and guide rod. Taking mine back for repair. Have to wait and see.

 

[tnharley]

From what you described it appears that you had inserted the locking pin without the barrel being fully extended. It will fit but the slide won't be able to be locked out. You have to make sure the barrel is fully extended before putting in the lever. With it in the wrong position would explain why it is coming out.

 

[XxAM4ND4xX]

Has anyone had problems with the new Body Guard 380? I maybe the only one but there seems to be a problem with the slide locking pin. I cleaned mine before taking it to the range for the first time. Shot 46rounds without a hitch. On the 47th, the slide lock pin fell out and the slide, with a live round in the barrel, fell onto the shooting table. Cleaned it again and reset the locking pin as per manual. Tried it again. Pin fell out with the slide on the 7th shot. My dealer tried it and had the same problem on his 3 shot. Sent it back for repair. When returned, same problem. Locking pin keeps falling out. It's back in S&W shop for further repair.

It seems to happen more often with rapid fire. I don't think that the retaining spring is stiff enough, nor is the spring indent in the locking pin deep enough, to hold the pin in the lock position as the slide moves back and forth.

Any comments from other Body Guard 380 users?

Thanks in advance.

i know this post is old, but i just bought a s&w 380 bodygaurd yesterday, 3-12-16 didnt play with it much, went straight to the firing range put a clip in it and shot 2 rounds , the slide with barrel flew off with bullet still in it, spring went flying, lock pin everything just kind of blew to ****. the back end of the slide bent inward and cracked so now it wont even go on the gun. maybe i should have broke it down and put it back together before i shot it? maybe my fault some how, i dont know im kinda new at this shooting stuff but it was quite shocking ill send it in to get fix but im kind of scared to shoot it now even after it gets fixed!

 

[Old cop]

My no-laser BG .380, purchased last February, has over 700 trouble free rounds down range so maybe I just got lucky. I have to admit that reading these posts concerns me to the point of putting this little gun away in favor of my J frame. We'll see what happens . . . .

 

[garddogg56]

This thread concerns me too but on my new at Christmas time BG.380 with over 500 rounds thru her not one single problem

 

[Earthandrubble1]

Body guard 380 Locking pin

The locking pin on my body guard 380 flies out cussing the slide to drop out with barrel when pistol is fired. Very unsafe!! The has happened more than once. I'm calling Smith and Wesson
Tomorrow. Ive seen others have same problem and this is not uncommon. The laser also stoped working shortly after purchase too. I think the pistol is a piece of junk and I'm very sorry I purchased it.

 

[mrmike7189]

I've owned the M&P BG380 no laser since 2014. Before that I had the original with the insight laser. I had a few light strikes with that one. (Double strike capability solved that. )
I've put over 1500 rounds through this new gun . (I have not had one issue. )
Hoping S&W has solved all the problems....and now I hear about the slide stop issue...(which I did not know about. )
I will be watching this thread for more .
Hope for the best