Yesterday I posted photos of my new Bodyguard 38 revolver on the forum. This afternoon my dealer called me to let me know my Bodyguard 380 just arrived. In one word "WOW" is the best description. I'm not new to the world of pocket 380s having bought a Ruger LCP when they first came out. The Ruger was okay but after a few range sessions it went from uncomfortable to downright painful to shoot. I like to shoot my carry guns a lot and after say 20 rounds the LCP was no fun. I next bought a Kahr P380 and thought it totally outclassed the Ruger, better sights, great trigger and you could shoot it all day in comfort. Now enter the Bodyguard, it feels better in the hand then both the LCP and the P380. The sights are great and supplemented by the built in laser. The trigger is just as smooth as the Kahrs' and it has repeat strike capability. The slide locks to the rear when empty and there is an unobtrusive thumb safety. S&W now has a pocket 380 that surpasses the competition in features, looks and feels extremely well built, and is reasonably priced. Now if this Bodyguard is as comfortable and as accurate as the P380, this will be the perfect hot weather carry gun. Both the new Bodyguards are impressive and I can't wait to wring them out on the range. Hopefully neither will have the teething problems of the Ruger. My P380 has been flawless from the beginning but without shooting it yet I think I'm going to like my Bodyguard better, it feels that good in the hand. Here are some photos.
Bodyguard 380 arrives
- Thread starter mag318
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More pics.
The 380 Bodyguard, like it's 38 revolver counterpart comes in that neat padded case. The laser by the way is easily activated with the touch of a button on either side of the frame. Just like the 38 the first tap turns it on, the second goes to pulse and the third turns it off. Here are both Bodyguards together. Last month in anticipation I bought a 1000 round case of Federal ammo, we'll see how long it takes to go thru it.
Any of you guys thinking about buying a pocket 380 will be very impressed with this new Bodyguard.
The 380 Bodyguard, like it's 38 revolver counterpart comes in that neat padded case. The laser by the way is easily activated with the touch of a button on either side of the frame. Just like the 38 the first tap turns it on, the second goes to pulse and the third turns it off. Here are both Bodyguards together. Last month in anticipation I bought a 1000 round case of Federal ammo, we'll see how long it takes to go thru it.
Any of you guys thinking about buying a pocket 380 will be very impressed with this new Bodyguard.
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Penquin
Member
mag318, that sure looks nice. I can't wait to hear it shoots. How many rounds does it hold? Thanks for the pics. PEN
Revolver King
Member
Yes what is the mag capacity?
jpwhel
Member
I agree with you comments on the LCP. I use one for back up carry but it is not fun to plink with. Can you do a review of how the Bodyguard shoots and a comparison of size and feel to the LCP and P380. I've also got the Sig P238 that I can't wrestle away from my wife, she uses it for carry.
Also what kind of pricing is being put on these for the initial release of the gun.
Also what kind of pricing is being put on these for the initial release of the gun.
Bob H
Member
Bodyguard 380
I have been waiting for this gun to come on the market as it seems to be a great carry gun for my wife. She has a Bersa 380 but complains that it is heavy if she caarries it for a long time. This pistol seems much lighter; the one question I have is; is the slide easy to rack? That is often a problem for a woman.
I have been waiting for this gun to come on the market as it seems to be a great carry gun for my wife. She has a Bersa 380 but complains that it is heavy if she caarries it for a long time. This pistol seems much lighter; the one question I have is; is the slide easy to rack? That is often a problem for a woman.
The magazine capacity is 6 rounds and the pistol only comes with one magazine. Interestingly they supply 2 floorplates, one flat and one with the pinky extension.
As for the slide I found it easy to rack and my wife who weighs 95 lbs has no problem racking it. The pistol is not striker fired like the car, but has a hammer like the Ruger LCP.
As for the slide I found it easy to rack and my wife who weighs 95 lbs has no problem racking it. The pistol is not striker fired like the car, but has a hammer like the Ruger LCP.
Big Dog, there are two activation switches, one on either side of the dust cover. You just simply press the button with your trigger finger and there are 3 setting on, pulse and off. The placement of these buttons is perfect because that is where your finger should be anyway if off the trigger. The design is very well thought out and executed.
Thanks for posting the report and pics, Mag318. Although I know the dimensions (they can be found on the web), if you have the time I would love to see some pics of the Bodyguard 380 next to the Ruger LCP and/or the Kahr P380. It could be awhile before I can find a Bodyguard 380 in a gunstore, and I'm trying to figure out if I should wait until the Bodyguard 380 becomes widely available or go ahead and purchase the Ruger LCP or Kahr P380 now. Of the latter two, I'm leaning towards the Kahr P380, but I suspect that the Bodyguard 380 could be a better choice still.
How does the weight of the Bodyguard 380 compare to the Ruger and the Keltec P3at?
If I were in the market for one of those 380's it'd be the Kahr. Very simple to operate, pull it out and start shooting, no safeties or levers to think about. my .02
Goffman, if you were choosing between the Ruger LCP and the Kahr P380 that would be an easy choice. Owning both I can tell you that the Kahr is a much better pistol. It has better sights a better trigger and more importantly it is much more comfortable to shoot for extended periods. I can not find fault with the P380.
Now the new Bodyguard I think is the Kahrs only real competition, the LCP isn't in the same league. When I get to the range I'll shoot them side by side. What I really like so far with the Bodyguard is that it has a repeat strike capability and the built in laser ofcourse. If the Smith shoots as good as the Kahr it will become my first choice. If you decide on the Kahr though I can tell you that you'll like it.
Now the new Bodyguard I think is the Kahrs only real competition, the LCP isn't in the same league. When I get to the range I'll shoot them side by side. What I really like so far with the Bodyguard is that it has a repeat strike capability and the built in laser ofcourse. If the Smith shoots as good as the Kahr it will become my first choice. If you decide on the Kahr though I can tell you that you'll like it.
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Ladyfox
Member
I've been looking for a size comparison between the 380 Bodyguard and Bersa Thunder ever since it was announced. While the Bersa has the advantage of cost, and is on the infamous roster here in the PRK, I'd be willing to spend more and wait to see if the Bodyguard goes on the roster here if the size is about the same.
I mean, some people swear by the Bersa but I'd rather stick with S&W for all of my bang-bang needs.
I mean, some people swear by the Bersa but I'd rather stick with S&W for all of my bang-bang needs.
Thanks for the reply, Mag318. I need to go take a look at the Kahr P380. The more I read, the more I like the sound of it. The gun actually is for my wife, who indicated that the decision is up to me (every man's dream, right?) so long as the gun meets certain size and weight parameters. She has shot the Ruger LCP and deemed it "acceptable" in terms of size/weight, but less than ideal in term of the length of the trigger stroke. I know that both the Kahr P380 and the S&W Bodyguard 380 are similar to the Ruger LCP in size/weight (give or a take a couple of ounces and half an inch here or there). It sounds like the Kahr P380 has a superior trigger in all respects, including the length of the stroke. Not to take up too much of your time, but how would you compare the trigger stroke on the Bodyguard 380 to that of the Kahr P380?
As the first guy on the block with the new toy, we're bombarding you with questions. My apologies for that.
As the first guy on the block with the new toy, we're bombarding you with questions. My apologies for that.
TexasRebel
Member
Very nice! I'm looking at one of these for the wife. We both shot the LCP a month or so back. Neither of us cared for it. I've been waiting for the Bodyguard 380. Keep us posted on this great gun.
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Bodyguard .380
Put 170 more rounds through mine today. 100 Fed Am Eagle 95 grain FMJ,
50 S&B 90 grain FMJ's and 20 90 grain Hydra shoks.
The trigger takes a little practice but this thing is not only small,light but at 7 yards i could make one ragged hole.
Its a really well made, reliable pocket .380.
Put 170 more rounds through mine today. 100 Fed Am Eagle 95 grain FMJ,
50 S&B 90 grain FMJ's and 20 90 grain Hydra shoks.
The trigger takes a little practice but this thing is not only small,light but at 7 yards i could make one ragged hole.
Its a really well made, reliable pocket .380.
Goffman, The trigger on the Bodyguard is as good as on my Kahr, the Kahr is a tad smoother but it's been shot a lot. I'm sure the BGs will be just as smooth after a few hundred rounds. It would be great if you could compare the two side by side to see which one your wife prefers. The built in laser is a really nice feature greatly aiding shooting from any position, which is something to think about. Of my 2 Bodyguards my wife likes the 38 revolver better and she's only 95 lbs. And no problem with all the questions, I'm glad to answer any questions.
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Thanks for your reply, Mag318. Sounds like either of the two would be a good choice. You have a good point, though, about putting both of them in front of her. That would be my preference as well (i.e., for her to make the choice for herself). Time to make some calls to local shops, I guess. Maybe if she likes one in particular, I can find a way to justify buying the other one for myself.
Bob H
Member
Thanks for the info Mag318, I am still waiting for the pistol to be available in the Baton Rouge area.
460v LAC du FLAMBEAU
Member
Mag318
Great coverage on these 2 new products.
My sister has the 380 and loves it!
Great coverage on these 2 new products.
My sister has the 380 and loves it!
Made it to the range today between storms and shot my new Bodyguard 380. I put 200 rounds thru it and the pistol was 100% reliable with all loads.
100 rnds Federal AE FMJ
50 rnds Winchester WB FML Truncated Bullet
20 rnds Federal HydroShok
20 rnds Corbon JHP
10 rnds Winchester PDX1
The laser on my pistol was perfectly regulated at 7/10 yards making headshots boringly easy. This thing really shoots, just using the sights I tore one big jagged hole at 7 yards. I did try some shots at 25 yards and had no problem staying on an 8 inch Birchwood Casey Shoot n See stick on target. The sights were perfectly regulated at the factory so no adjustment was needed. It started raining heavily so I didn't get to my 38 Bodyguard.
I just cleaned the pistol and it is really well built, the frame rails are full length which probably accounts for the excellent accuracy. (See Pics) The laser has it's own covered compartment in the dust cover to protect it. The recoil spring is dual coil. In my opinion this is the best 380 pocket pistol on the market, even better than my Kahr P380.
Report on the 38 will follow shortly.
100 rnds Federal AE FMJ
50 rnds Winchester WB FML Truncated Bullet
20 rnds Federal HydroShok
20 rnds Corbon JHP
10 rnds Winchester PDX1
The laser on my pistol was perfectly regulated at 7/10 yards making headshots boringly easy. This thing really shoots, just using the sights I tore one big jagged hole at 7 yards. I did try some shots at 25 yards and had no problem staying on an 8 inch Birchwood Casey Shoot n See stick on target. The sights were perfectly regulated at the factory so no adjustment was needed. It started raining heavily so I didn't get to my 38 Bodyguard.
I just cleaned the pistol and it is really well built, the frame rails are full length which probably accounts for the excellent accuracy. (See Pics) The laser has it's own covered compartment in the dust cover to protect it. The recoil spring is dual coil. In my opinion this is the best 380 pocket pistol on the market, even better than my Kahr P380.
Report on the 38 will follow shortly.
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Boy, 200 rounds thru one of these small guns at one time is amazing. I have a Keltec p3at and 50 rounds at once is a chore and painful to the hand. What are the actual gunstore prices for one of these?
The trigger does have a long pull just like the Kahr, but I absolutely had no problem staying on target. The next time I go to the range I'll take my camera and shoot some video.
That was my big complaint with the Ruger LCP, after a few magazines shooting it would go from uncomfortable to downright painful. My Kahr P380 was like night and day, you could shoot it all afternoon in relative comfort. The Bodyguard is just as comfortable to shoot. The pistol only comes with one magazine so I ordered three more. I always practice weak handed also, and the laser activation button on both sides of the dust cover is easy to manipulate. You have to shoot this pistol to appreciate it and I can highly recommend it to anyone contemplating buying one.
I imagine that the street price will be $450/500 range, as a retired LEO I am fortunate that my dealer still gives me the police price which was $390.
That was my big complaint with the Ruger LCP, after a few magazines shooting it would go from uncomfortable to downright painful. My Kahr P380 was like night and day, you could shoot it all afternoon in relative comfort. The Bodyguard is just as comfortable to shoot. The pistol only comes with one magazine so I ordered three more. I always practice weak handed also, and the laser activation button on both sides of the dust cover is easy to manipulate. You have to shoot this pistol to appreciate it and I can highly recommend it to anyone contemplating buying one.
I imagine that the street price will be $450/500 range, as a retired LEO I am fortunate that my dealer still gives me the police price which was $390.
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