Bodyguard 2.0 - Current Production & Early “Bugs”

[Captains1911]

I’m considering picking up a current production BG 2.0, but am a little unsure of the status of the early issues I’ve read about and how/if they’ve been resolved by now. The potential issues as I understand it, and related questions, are as follows:

1. Frame and barrel feed ramp “ridges”: raised/rough surfaces that created feeding issues for some. From the best I can tell this issue has been resolved. At what production date was this changed? Does anyone have comparison photos of the before and after?

2. Recoil spring assembly: front end of recoil spring slipping over flange on end of guide rod, making reassembly difficult. Has there been any changes to resolve this, and if so, at what approximate date? Does anyone have comparison photos of the before and after?

3. 12-round magazine: something about the follower made the 12-rd mags difficult to fully load? I’m not too concerned with this one as I don’t plan to carry the 12-rd mag, and I understand it doesn’t affect the 10-rd mags. Out of curiosity though, was this resolved and when?

4. Front sight off-center: I’m not worried about this at all as it’s easily corrected by drifting the sight.

Am I missing anything?

Thanks for the help, first post here, and hoping to pick one of these up once I have confidence that the initial bugs have been worked out.

 

[GnarlsR2]

I’m considering picking up a current production BG 2.0.

The range of experiences of those people that have posted comparisons, evaluations, testing, comments, and anecdotal opinions on forums and those that have made YouTube videos is from a very bad experience to a very good experience, to raves.

Firearm publications, like Guns & Ammo, have labelled the BG2 “Handgun of the Year: Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0”

After buying 4 new firearms over the past 4 years, 3 of them had been fired with more rounds than the factory testing would have done. All 3 were being sold by a gun store as new.

Knowing what I know now and having experienced the issues with my S&W Bodyguard 2.0 since August, I will likely NOT buy a firearm at a gun store/shop/dealer unless I can field strip it and inspect it, and as much as possible find out how many rounds may have been fired through it and why.

Before buying another new firearm I will do MUCH more research before making a purchase.

Surprisingly and sadly, I have not read or heard of any changes or public acknowledgements by Smith & Wesson about any issues with the list of well-known “initial bugs”, quality and design failures of the BG2.

 

[ImDrRich]

For item # 3, there have been no changes. I looked at one in the box a friend has just bought and the recoil spring can still slip over the edge of the guide rod.

 

[geeollie]

#3 This is a current issue. Both the 12 and 10 round magazines can have the long "legs" of the magazine follower catch on the magazine catch hole. The follower can shift a little and tilt so that the bottom of this leg snags on the hole.

If you push down closer to the bullet end of the cartridge rather than closer to the primer end, this issue completely goes away. Once you learn where this point is, you can load all day long and never get a hung follower.

This is the only issue mine has shown........so far.

EDIT: My 12 round is hard to load 12.....hard but it can be done.

 

[TwinV10]

I have about 250+ rounds through mine now and have to admit it's getting a lot better. The recoil spring has loosened up and is much easier to rack now and the magazines are noticeably easier to load. I have been keeping the magazines fully loaded when stored so that might have helped. Reliability has been very good, at least 125+ rounds now without an issue. I have been staying away from Fiocchi ammo (no clue why but it occasionally chokes on it) and it has been very solid. Never had a problem with the recoil spring assembly, usually can get it reassembled in 10 seconds of trying. I'm starting to warm up to this little pistol as it becomes more reliable. Just seemed to require a lot more "break in" than I (and others) am accustomed to.

 

[Captains1911]

For item # 3, there have been no changes. I looked at one in the box a friend has just bought and the recoil spring can still slip over the edge of the guide rod.

is this really only an issue when trying to reassemble?

 

[GnarlsR2]

is this really only an issue when trying to reassemble?

I believe there is a post on this forum of an incident when the spring came off of the guide rod end cap and disabled the firearm during use.

For me, ANYTHING that would potentially cause a misfire or failure on a firearm marketed and sold as a self-defense, close encounter, pocket carry will not be accepted.

Should the fact that the end of the spring (defective design - in my worthless opinion) can come out of the end cap of the guide rod when doing a basic field strip, clean and lube, then preventing re-assembly be a concern?

 

[halfmoonclip]

Couple things:
-10 round magazines JUST hold 10 rounds; some are really hard to seat against a closed slide. They run just fine, loaded with an open slide.
-no amount of leaving them loaded will help; the follower and spring are simply stacked solid
-my spare, 'carry' magazine is only loaded with 9 rounds
-the 'leg out the mag catch' is easily remedied by trimming maybe a millimeter off the pointed, left side of the follower; some actually come that way
-there are four I'm aware of, all have been running without issue; one guy is running lead reloads
-the sights are a humdinger to remove or adjust, but they will move
-the trigger is remarkably good; carry it in a holster that keeps the guard covered
I promised myself that I'd wait awhile before buying one, but the rave reviews, and a friend's gun, convinced me to buy one, and now a second.
I keep the round count down on the carry gun, and have shot the **** out of the other. The range gun has been through 800 odd rounds. Clean it around 300 rounds.
Mine has the BG1.0 rear sight installed, and I'm still waiting to see what some alternatives might look like.
Moon

 

[dsk]

I'm considering getting one of these soon before the WA legislature screws us yet again with their latest round of gun restrictions. The only model available here is the state-compliant model with two ten-rounders and the thumb safety. I actually WANT a safety, but it was extremely stiff and hard to engage and disengage on the two guns that I looked at. Is there a fix or workaround for this? Seems pretty dumb to put a safety lever on a gun then make it so stiff as to be impossible to use without using two hands.

 

[Captains1911]

My FFL has one for me with a 01-17-25 manufacture date. I'm going to look at it tomorrow.

 

[GnarlsR2]

My FFL has one for me with a 01-17-25 manufacture date. I'm going to look at it tomorrow.

If your FFL will allow you to field strip and inspect it, I will be very interested in your "look at it" if you are willing to post what you find.

Are you going to field strip and inspect the feed ramp and chamber ramp for any "ridges"?

Are you going to inspect the guide rod spring assembly to see if the bent end of the spring has been corrected?

It would be interesting to know if the mags have been modified to make it possible to fully load them with an UPlula.

 

[Captains1911]

If your FFL will allow you to field strip and inspect it, I will be very interested in your "look at it" if you are willing to post what you find.

Are you going to field strip and inspect the feed ramp and chamber ramp for any "ridges"?

Are you going to inspect the guide rod spring assembly to see if the bent end of the spring has been corrected?

It would be interesting to know if the mags have been modified to make it possible to fully load them with an UPlula.

Yes I will do all that and report back. If everything looks good it may even come home with me, but either way, I will report my findings.

 

[Captains1911]

Today I purchased the BG 2.0 with the 1-17-25 date. After a quick cleaning and lube, I took it to the range. I ran 150rds of mixed FMJ, 10rds of Hornady Critical Defense, and 10rds of Hornady XTPs. I experienced no stoppages or malfunctions of any kind. This gun shoots really well for its tiny size, certainly much better than the LCP Max. I still have some testing to do but so far I’m pleased.

Now, regarding the “issues” mentioned in my OP:

1. Feed Ramps: The barrel feed ramp does have some visible irregular texture. However, I can be barely feel it with my finger and it doesn’t seem to affect function, at least not with any of the ammo I tested. The frame feed ramp looks and feels completely smooth. Photos of both:

2. Recoil spring assembly: I’m not sure what I’m looking for here but it seems to function just fine. No issues assembling or anything else.

3. 12rd mag: Definitely a little stiff but I can fully load it, an Uplula mag loader helps. No issues here IMO.

4. Front sight: Visibly off-center to the left. However, if anything my POI is a little to the left, which would require moving the sight even further to the left to correct. I need to test this more. I’m also not sure I love the front sight design, the tritium lamp is small and not very bright, so I may be swapping it out.

Time to buy more mags, and I have an Alabama Pocket Holster on order. I’m optimistic that after some more testing this will be replacing my LCP Max for pocket carry. I’ll update if anything changes.

 

[snuf]

Nice report.
The issue with the recoil spring is that the end of the last coil jumps over the end of the guide rod. Your pic shows that very well.
Tends to make it hard to re-assemble.

 

[GnarlsR2]

Yes.. nice post and photos.

I am confused about the photo of the guide rod and spring. The end of the spring is NOT under the end cap of the guide rod. For me, that will make it impossible to install the guide rod into the end of the slide and get the rear guide rod spring to collapse. I cannot re-assemble it when the end of the spring is in that condition.

Also, with end of the spring outside of the end, it can spring over the end cap.

The barrel chamber surface does not look smooth.

I'm amazed that this BG2 has performed so well for you.

 

[Captains1911]

Yes.. nice post and photos.

I am confused about the photo of the guide rod and spring. The end of the spring is NOT under the end cap of the guide rod. For me, that will make it impossible to install the guide rod into the end of the slide and get the rear guide rod spring to collapse. I cannot re-assemble it when the end of the spring is in that condition.

Also, with end of the spring outside of the end, it can spring over the end cap.

The barrel chamber surface does not look smooth.

I'm amazed that this BG2 has performed so well for you.

I’m not understanding the issue with the spring. The outside diameter of the spring, in this condition, is smaller than the cutout on the front end of the slide that it fits into. So why does it matter that the end of the spring isn’t tucked under the cap on the front end of the guide rod?

Regarding the barrel feel ramp, close up photos tend to make things appear over exaggerated. Although it’s not perfectly smooth, it’s smooth enough at least to feed properly, for me. But I agree it should be smoother regardless.