Bodyguard 2.0 with safety

[shirleyk]

I have tried searchingthe group. But still trying to lesrn my way around the group,
I have been looking at the bodyguard 2.0 with safety , to be my conceal carry gun, im looking for help, in deciding if this is a good one.

Looking to buy my first gun, I have my permit, and hql license. People have said its not a good gun if you have to defend yourself that I should get a 9mm gun

Please help if you can

 

[Cphobes]

It's a great gun overall, it all really depends upon your needs and how you intend to carry.

9mm vs. 380 is a constant online argument, both are just fine in the self-defense world though naturally the 9mm is preferred but not the only option

Safety vs. no safety is another argument you'll see, I have the BG2.0 with the safety partly as it was what was available in MA at the time and also since I tend to pocket carry it the most.

Do your research and find a friend who has what you're looking for try before you buy if you can. You may find lots of pistols look great on paper (or youtube) but aren't for you.

Best of luck!

 

[Deke Thornton]

As somebody who just went through this exact same decision-making process and ended up buying a BG2.0, here are my thoughts:

There are several things that have to be considered when selecting a carry gun, and they all impact the others. An advantage in one area means a tradeoff in another, you just have to decide which are most important to you.

For me, it was (in order):

1. Size
2. Ammo capacity
3. Ergonomics
4. Caliber

For you it might be different.

I needed something as small and concealable as possible. That may not matter as much to a lot of folks, but it was a top priority for me.

I'm a reasonable shot with a handgun, but I'd rather have 10 chances to land a hit than 7 (and with a 12 round reload in my pocket). The thing I rarely see discussed about choosing self-defense weapons is what happens if you need to face multiple assailants? I'm pretty sure I can get the job done with seven rounds against one guy, but what if he has three buddies?

Ergonomics is key for everybody, you have to be comfortable with the weapon and be able to handle it naturally without too much thought in a stressful situation. The best way to evaluate this is to go to a gun shop and handle them yourself. It's even better if you can find a range that rents guns, and shoot them.

That leaves caliber. 9mm is ballistically superior to .380. It's just math. How much does it matter, though? Folks get all caught up on discussing the difference between this round and that round, and while that's all valid, you have to remember that in the end, you're still talking about someone being shot with a gun. Imagine taking a pencil and shoving it straight through your chest and out the other side. Even if you don't break a rib or puncture an organ, that's gonna leave a mark. I wouldn't carry a .22, but .380 is (just barely maybe) enough to get the job done.


I narrowed my search to three guns- the BG2.0, Sig P365, and Ruger LCP. The LCP has the ergonomics of a stapler and the smallest one only carries six rounds, so it was out. The P365 was better than the BG in some ways (9mm vs 380, better sights), but not in the ones that mattered most to me. The BG is just enough smaller that I can drop it in the back pocket of my jeans comfortably, and it felt much more natural in my hand. With the P365 I really had to struggle to get my grip right, the BG just snapped into my hands like a Lego piece. Could I have trained to get a good, consistent grip on the P365? Of course. Would I be able to do it instantly in a stressful situation? I decided I didn't want to take that chance.

A good friend of mine carries a P365 and swears by it, it's a quality firearm and works well for him.
Vive la différence.

As far as the safety vs non-safety, it really depends on how you want to handle the gun. I bought one with a safety because I'm an old Fudd who just doesn't trust the trigger on striker guns, and I'm used to toggling the safety on a 1911. I will say this, the safety on my BG is very stiff out of the box. I'm hoping it will loosen up after I shoot it a bit, but I would NOT feel warm and fuzzy about manipulating it as part of my draw stroke as it came out of the box.

Good luck on your search!

 

[jammer216]

Good advice from both @Cphobes and @Deke Thornton. Just want to stress the point that you should try it first. Only then will you know if It's right for you or not. Check out any local ranges most do have rentals.

Good Luck...

 

[shirleyk]

It's a great gun overall, it all really depends upon your needs and how you intend to carry.

9mm vs. 380 is a constant online argument, both are just fine in the self-defense world though naturally the 9mm is preferred but not the only option

Safety vs. no safety is another argument you'll see, I have the BG2.0 with the safety partly as it was what was available in MA at the time and also since I tend to pocket carry it the most.

Do your research and find a friend who has what you're looking for try before you buy if you can. You may find lots of pistols look great on paper (or youtube) but aren't for you.

Best of luck!

I have shot the bodyguard, atbmy class when I took it.

 

[Scbuckeye]

Do some research into the QC growing pains S&W is having with the Bodyguard 2.0. I’m hoping S&W gets those worked out and I’m waiting to purchase as I have a P238 which meets the pocket carry need and a Shield 2.0 for OWB carry.

 

[Deke Thornton]

Do some research into the QC growing pains S&W is having with the Bodyguard 2.0.

Yeah, from everything I've seen you're pretty much guaranteed to have to drift the sights. I did on mine.

 

[Scbuckeye]

Do some research into the QC growing pains S&W is having with the Bodyguard 2.0. I’m hoping S&W gets those worked out and I’m waiting to purchase as I have a P238 which meets the pocket carry need and a Shield 2.0 for OWB carry.

Both of which have a manual safety. I prefer to carry with a safety…

 

[GnarlsR2]

Mr.Thornton’s commentary is very good.

I will add that comfort while carrying is very important.

I went from a 1911 45 in my early young years, to the P365XL, to a P365 Micro, and now a BG2 with a pocket carry Muddy River Tactical kydex holster. For me, one trade-off to a pocket carry is speed of draw. From the "expert" videos, the appendix is about as fast a draw as you can get. OWB is also be very fast. The pocket draw is slower and there is an inherent concern for accidental discharge while handling the pistol inside a pocket.

The BG2’s slide is very difficult to rack, so that may be an issue for people with lesser grip strength. The Talon slide grips make a big difference.

There is well-documented high quality defense ammo for the 380 caliber.

 

[shirleyk]

Mr.Thornton’s commentary is very good.

I will add that comfort while carrying is very important.

I went from a 1911 45 in my early young years, to the P365XL, to a P365 Micro, and now a BG2 with a pocket carry Muddy River Tactical kydex holster. For me, one trade-off to a pocket carry is speed of draw. From the "expert" videos, the appendix is about as fast a draw as you can get. OWB is also be very fast. The pocket draw is slower and there is an inherent concern for accidental discharge while handling the pistol inside a pocket.

The BG2’s slide is very difficult to rack, so that may be an issue for people with lesser grip strength. The Talon slide grips make a big difference.

There is well-documented high quality defense ammo for the 380 caliber.

Were to find the book Mr.Thornton’s commentary. I put it in Amazon and nothing came up

 

[Cheyenne WYO]

There are some good perspectives in this thread. I will add one as it pertains to the .380 versus 9mm statement.

How much are you planning to shoot in a year? Occasional shooters are much better off with a mini-.380 than a mini-9mm. (E.g. Bodyguard 2.0 versus Sig P365 9mm.) The recoil difference between the two with standard ammo is substantial. The mini-9mm takes a lot more range time to keep in shape for maintaining accuracy under stress at a decent rate of fire and against multiple targets. (Shooting one round every few seconds with a perfect sight picture isn't going to cut it in a self-defense situation, especially if multiple adversaries are involved.) For someone who is only going to shoot a few boxes of ammo a year (after initial familiarization and break-in with the gun), the .380 makes a lot more sense. (ETA: I am not talking about something as tiny as a Ruger LCP.)

The only workaround for occasional shooters and 9mm is the Hornady Critical Defense Lite (CDL) with the 100 grain bullet. The recoil in my P365 is substantially lighter with the CDL than with standard pressure 124 grain Gold Dots. It also penetrates better against barriers than most standard .380 ammo.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Were to find the book Mr.Thornton’s commentary.

It was a comment, not a book. Shirleylc, love my BG2.0, it's size, and ergos, make it a great discreet choice. But I've been shooting just about forever.
My only reservation, for a new shooter, is its size and recoil. As really small guns go, it is a ball to shoot, but it's still more challenging for a noob.
Moon

 

[ImDrRich]

I have tried searchingthe group. But still trying to lesrn my way around the group,
I have been looking at the bodyguard 2.0 with safety , to be my conceal carry gun, im looking for help, in deciding if this is a good one.

Looking to buy my first gun, I have my permit, and hql license. People have said its not a good gun if you have to defend yourself that I should get a 9mm gun

Please help if you can

I may be in the minority, but as a long-time gun owner I believe in the suitability of the .380acp

I have tried searchingthe group. But still trying to lesrn my way around the group,
I have been looking at the bodyguard 2.0 with safety , to be my conceal carry gun, im looking for help, in deciding if this is a good one.

Looking to buy my first gun, I have my permit, and hql license. People have said its not a good gun if you have to defend yourself that I should get a 9mm gun

Please help if you can

i may be in the minority but believe the .380acp is a fine self-defense cartridge. I have almost 2000 rounds through my BG 2.0 and it never fails me. Mine has the manual safety. I wear it in a Harry's Holster IWB and it is ultra-comfortable as well as completely concealable. Find the ammo yours is most dependable with and you'll be a happy owner.

 

[shirleyk]

I may be in the minority, but as a long-time gun owner I believe in the suitability of the .380acp

i may be in the minority but believe the .380acp is a fine self-defense cartridge. I have almost 2000 rounds through my BG 2.0 and it never fails me. Mine has the manual safety. I wear it in a Harry's Holster IWB and it is ultra-comfortable as well as completely concealable. Find the ammo yours is most dependable with and you'll be a happy owner.

Thank you

 

[shirleyk]

It was a comment, not a book. Shirleylc, love my BG2.0, it's size, and ergos, make it a great discreet choice. But I've been shooting just about forever.
My only reservation, for a new shooter, is its size and recoil. As really small guns go, it is a ball to shoot, but it's still more challenging for a noob.
Moon

Thank you

 

[shirleyk]

Thank you everyone for commenting, it has helped, me alot

 

[justwippet2006]

Thank you everyone for commenting, it has helped, me alot

Shirleyk- I have the BG2 with the manual safety. As a new gun owner I would highly recommend getting the safety. You will feel a little less stress when you first start carrying knowing that you have that additional protection from an accidental discharge. Once you get comfortable carrying? You don't have to enable the safety. I only use my safety when holstering because that's when a lot of accidents happen. Then I disable it.
Also, look at the Sig P365-380. It's a very soft shooting and reliable pistol that solves the snappiness issue of the 9mm version. I alternate carrying the P365-380 (with a green dot) and the Bodyguard 2.0, depending on what I'm wearing and where I'm going.
Have fun shooting!

 

[Mark@NH]

I have tried searchingthe group. But still trying to lesrn my way around the group,
I have been looking at the bodyguard 2.0 with safety , to be my conceal carry gun, im looking for help, in deciding if this is a good one.

Looking to buy my first gun, I have my permit, and hql license. People have said its not a good gun if you have to defend yourself that I should get a 9mm gun

Please help if you can

I recommend finding a good qualified defensive pistol instructor and train as much as you can. Fighting with a pistol is much more than just shooting well so you will need an instructor that can take you beyond learning the basic safety and marksmanship fundamentals. Generally I feel that the newest people do better with the largest pistol they can carry and the most skilled and trained will do ok with the smallest pistol. I think anyone who carries should understand all the pertinent laws concerning self defense. I recommend a free book book from Andrew Branca entitled,” The law of self defense principles”, and also looking into self defense insurance. Most also offer some training materials.

The 9mm has better ballistic potential but it depends entirely on cartridge/ bullet choice. It is important to understand the forensics of pistol bullet wounds and the ballistics of your cartridge fired from the barrel length of your specific pistol. Lucky Gunner did great ballistic gel testing following the FBI protocols on most calibers including the .380. Please exam their testing data and select the best cartridge that is available to you in your area. You want the optimal amount of penetration, 12” to 18”, and greatest amount of bullet expansion. The greatest weakness of the .380 is shallow penetration which can be affected by the amount of clothing worn and location of the entrance wound into the body, ie. bare skin to the center of the chest as opposed to heavy winter clothing through the arm or shoulder from the side. With any handgun round shot placement is the most critical factor. Remember that with velocities less than 2200 to 2500 ft. Per second the bullet only creates an temporary wound cavity unlike higher rifle bullet velocities and unless impact is in the brain in order to physiologically stop the threat they have to loose enough blood to lower the blood pressure enough for them to pass out. The permanent wound cavity will not be much larger than the diameter of the bullet so expansion is important. The most critical factor is always shot placement. People can respond psychologically extremely differently when hit with pistol rounds, they might stop after a minor flesh wound or continue to fight until their body physiologically shuts down. You need to stop threat as soon as possible in order to survive the attack.

I carry the largest pistol that I can conceal given what I have to wear for where I need to go. I have a .380 bodyguard 2.0 to carry only when I can only carry a very small pistol and like it better than other .380s I own. I chose a manual safety which I prefer for pocket carry or deep concealment but it is absolutely critical that you train using the MS every time. Also remember that pocket carry means your draw and presentation is slowed down dramatically so situational awareness is critical and pre-staging your draw by getting a master grip inside your pocket with your thumb on the ms is critical before you need to draw. Fortunately, you can do this covertly which you can not do with other carry locations. You will need a good quality pocket holster and loose pants with large pockets. Still with that you are still greatly disadvantaged if you have to react quickly so you also need to train to move and seek available cover. With all that It will still never be an optimal carry choice and I look at as a better option than not having a firearm.

I know this may seem like a lot but choosing to carry is just the beginning.