Bodyguard 2.0: 1st Impressions - Am I Out of Line

[Ernest Shipman]

Background: I am 66. Owned a fairly good sized gun shop for 17 years; we did a few thousand guns a year. I have been shooting since 16. Former NRA Pistol Instructor. Have shot literally hundreds of guns brings, styles, sizes of handguns in my career. Still have excellent hand strength and coordination.
I just picked up a 2.0.
Initial thoughts: I hate it!
Upon inspection, before loading or firing:
1. Side thumb safety so hard it took both hands to engage it while cradling the gun. I can disengage it but only with concentrated effort.
2. Had to refer to the manual for disassembly. I assume because so stiff. I have fired stripped thousands of guns in the past. I really hated pulling the trigger to get the slide off when I 1st took it apart.
3. Recoil spring assembly - could not re-install w/o using a blunt object to push it in while holding the slide muzzle end down over a bench block.
4. The ejector - seems a very bad design that it needs to be manually lowered before putting slide on.
5. Slide was very difficult to hold back to lock so I could finish assembly.
6. Mags - hard to load the last round even with a Lula loader.

if I still owned my shop we would not be pushing these. Am I too picky? I have had & shot many ultra compact handguns: Sigs, Springfields, Glocks, Rugers, KelTec, Beretta. Worst of the worst.
It does point well. Nice front sight. Nice in the hand. But to carry & be unable to disengage the safety in an emergency would be a deal breaker. Did I get a lemon? Anyone else have similar issues? Should I contact S&W?
Thanks!

 

[NC Kodiak]

I went to the range with mine today. It did okay with Hornady and Winchester defensive ammo. It would NOT chamber a Fiocci FMJ round. On mine, the safety became easier to operate after about 50 rounds. The sights worked well out of the box (some on this forum have mentioned that they had to adjust sights on their models). I agree with your concerns. I didn't have expectations that it would be good to go immediately, but I would not carry without more FMJ rounds down range. I need to research which FMJs to use. To your points, the pistol requires breaking in, and it is finicky with ammo. For me those are the biggest negatives. I felt lucky the sights worked well on my model.

 

[Cphobes]

There's like a 100 threads on item's #1, 3, 5 & 6.

#1, 5 & 6 will loosen with use and break in nicely

#2 baffles me, pulling the trigger to remove the slide is very common

#3 there's a technique to it, shouldn't require force just spin it slightly.

#4 should not be the case, the slide will go back on with the ejector up. I believed the ejector pushed down allows for disassembly without pulling the trigger.

All basic issues which yes are annoying and causes confusion but certainly not deal breakers.

Puts some rounds thru it and clean it. It'll break in and shoot just fine.

 

[ImDrRich]

I would say, based upon your initial thoughts, the BG 2.0 is not for you. One doesn't have to like every gun they see.

 

[kelljor]

Background: I am 66. Owned a fairly good sized gun shop for 17 years; we did a few thousand guns a year. I have been shooting since 16. Former NRA Pistol Instructor. Have shot literally hundreds of guns brings, styles, sizes of handguns in my career. Still have excellent hand strength and coordination.
I just picked up a 2.0.
Initial thoughts: I hate it!
Upon inspection, before loading or firing:
1. Side thumb safety so hard it took both hands to engage it while cradling the gun. I can disengage it but only with concentrated effort.
2. Had to refer to the manual for disassembly. I assume because so stiff. I have fired stripped thousands of guns in the past. I really hated pulling the trigger to get the slide off when I 1st took it apart.
3. Recoil spring assembly - could not re-install w/o using a blunt object to push it in while holding the slide muzzle end down over a bench block.
4. The ejector - seems a very bad design that it needs to be manually lowered before putting slide on.
5. Slide was very difficult to hold back to lock so I could finish assembly.
6. Mags - hard to load the last round even with a Lula loader.

if I still owned my shop we would not be pushing these. Am I too picky? I have had & shot many ultra compact handguns: Sigs, Springfields, Glocks, Rugers, KelTec, Beretta. Worst of the worst.
It does point well. Nice front sight. Nice in the hand. But to carry & be unable to disengage the safety in an emergency would be a deal breaker. Did I get a lemon? Anyone else have similar issues? Should I contact S&W?
Thanks!

Mine doesn't have a safety so I can't address that. There are some posts on here that say they put a drop of oil in it and worked the crap out of it and it helped.
Think you have to pull the trigger on a glock to dissasemble don't you? Just make sure the chamber is CLEAR.
Recoil spring--I rotate the rod and spring, pulling the spring down just a smidge so the end fits under the head of the rod and it goes in much easier.
Ejector--I do not have to lower the ejector to reassemble. slides right on.
Try the Talon thingys on the slide....makes a world of difference.
+1 on the last round in the mags. That should become easier with time and usage.

 

[halfmoonclip]

6. Mags - hard to load the last round even with a Lula loader.

The mags are a perfect bear to load without a Lula.
Some mags will hold the advertised, with enough slack to allow the mag to be locked in against a closed slide. Others will not, though they will load easily enough with a locked back slide.
If you carry a spare mag, make sure it will lock in with a full load; if not, download by one.
Moon

 

[TwinV10]

I went to the range with mine today. It did okay with Hornady and Winchester defensive ammo. It would NOT chamber a Fiocci FMJ round.

Same. Repeated feed failures with Fiocci and no other. Something must be different in their tolerances or sizing. Weird. All good now after about 250 rounds. I just don't use that ammo.

 

[LVSteve]

My thoughts, if they help.

#1. Stiff safety is a comment made by other posters, and also about other S&W pistols.

#2. Pulling the trigger on striker guns during disassembly is very common. Referring to the manual carries no shame, in fact as gun design changes, it is essential. I own several pistols that would bamboozle most people when it comes to field stripping.

#3. Comments on here suggest the recoil assembly is a cheap and nasty piece of junk.

#4. Manually lowering the ejector is not unique to the BG2. I own a pistol that requires it, but I'm damned if I can recall what it is.

#5. Others have complained of the same, BUT it can also be an indication that the junk recoil assembly is not seating properly.

#6. Common complaint about many modern pistols.