bodyguard 380 frame rails

[tzb]

hello all! i'm new to this forum. i've owned an m&p 9c for a few years and just purchased a bodyguard 380 yesterday. someone else (who purchased one from the same dealer at the same time as me-they had two left) and i were comparing the two guns. i noticed that the frame rails on my gun do not have the melanite finish, but the frame rails on his gun do have the melanite finish.

has anyone else noticed this? if so, does anyone know the reason for the difference? should i be concerned that my frame rail is not "finished?" for what it's worth, most of the pictures of bg 380s online and on youtube show the same "unfinished" frame rails that i have.

on a related note, my frame rail extends just a hair beyond the back of the slide, while his is flush with the back of the slide. that part doesn't bother me that much because it is such a minor difference AND a longer rail is generally a good thing .

thanks in advance for your feedback and intelligence on the above.

 

[Mcwsky09]

Might need a photo or serial numbers. Mine is about a month or so old and the rails are the same finish as the rest and flush with the back of the slide when closed.

 

[GANDOG56]

Gosh, you make me want to go check out mine, but it's at home, I'm not. And stuck here for a while!

 

[tzb]

thanks for your response. that is so strange. my guess is that they started applying the melanite finish to the rails more recently and the one i got just happens to be one that was sitting at a wholesaler for a while before being shipped to this store. i'll probably just call s&w tomorrow to ask because i want to know. it's too obvious a difference for there not to be an answer.

still interested in any and all feedback of course. my serial number starts with "EBZ".

 

[Mcwsky09]

with photos

Looks like my rails are showing some wear - serial number starts with EBY.

Maybe 125 rounds so far.

 

[tzb]

thank you for posting those pictures. your frame rails look exactly like mine! i'm not talking about the wear marks, but the difference in finish. it is most obvious in your last picture (the one of the back of your gun assembled) the frame rails are a different color than the slide. i guess maybe there is some form of "finish" on the rails but it does not match the finish of the slide/is not black like the melanite.

 

[3dots]

thank you for posting those pictures. your frame rails look exactly like mine! i'm not talking about the wear marks, but the difference in finish. it is most obvious in your last picture (the one of the back of your gun assembled) the frame rails are a different color than the slide. i guess maybe there is some form of "finish" on the rails but it does not match the finish of the slide/is not black like the melanite.

There is a dark green color on mine as well S/N EBNxxxx. I have seen several of these guns and they were all the same. Does yours have the machined barrel or the MIM?

 

[tzb]

pardon my ignorance, but i don't know what MIM stands for. also, how can i tell which one i have? again, sorry for the ignorance on that topic.

as an update, i spoke with s&w customer service this morning and the rep had no idea what i was talking about so he suggested that i send pictures and an email to [email protected]. will do that as soon as i can. i did find out that my gun was made in february - less than two months ago.

 

[Mcwsky09]

MIM is metal injection molding. A process where metal particles are injected into a mold versus starting with a sold block and carving away material or pouring molten metal into a mold.

 

[3dots]

You can tell if it's the MIM barrel if on the side by the ejection port it says 380 AUTO over BG 380.

 

[tzb]

thanks for educating me on that. i appreciate the knowledge. yes, i do have the MIM barrel. do you have the MIM barrel as well? have people had issues with that? is s&w still making the machined barrels (i.e. are they making both machined and MIM barrels still)?

i'm sure there are varying opinions on which process is superior or if the type of process makes a difference one way or another.

 

[jstanfield103]

I have had the older non mim and now currently have the MIM barrel. No problems either way. I would not worry about the MIM parts, with current technology they are great parts. Ruger has proven that time over time.

 

[3dots]

The earliest I've seen was EBU00xx with the MIM barrel. No issues posted thus far on any forums. I'm curious to see how the bore holds up. There have been issues with the MIM firing pin breaking associated with dry firing and snap caps.

 

[tzb]

very interesting and enlightening. thanks to all for your responses and information.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I have an EALXXXX, .380 BG with the MIM's barrel markings and non coated slide.

 

[3dots]

I have an EALXXXX, .380 BG with the MIM's barrel markings and non coated slide.

Hi Oldtrader,

With your S/N, it should be a machined barrel and say "380 AUTO" on the top of the chamber and "BG 380" on the side. If not, it's not the original barrel that came with that lower.

 

[Oldtrader3]

3Dots, it is marked the way that you said. So I guess it is a machined barrel which is a good thing!

 

[3dots]

3Dots, it is marked the way that you said. So I guess it is a machined barrel which is a good thing!

Good thing indeed but the MIM is not necessarily a bad thing. I'll be buying two more of these pistols this year. One for the wife and one for the daughter. I think the machined barrel will bring a prmium some day.

 

[Fastbolt]

Hey guys.

According to S&W (I asked someone I know) the frame insert chassis (which also form the "rails") on the BG380 is either plain stainless steel, or a black oxide finish on a carbon steel chassis insert.

Yes, the new barrels are MIM, and the engineers feel it's fine for the .380 guns. One of our guys who got a late production one (MIM barrel, black oxide frame chassis) has been VERY pleased with his BG380. He was shooting his BG380 better than a couple other guns he uses.

Yes, there were some early QC issues that slipped out the door as they were trying to rush guns out the door, but those have been addressed and resolved in newer guns, and their lifetime warranty will handle anything that might pop up for the original owners. They apparently addressed the laser button and screw.

I had to replace one firing pin for one of the several guys who own and carry BG380's (an earlier gun), and the new one (summer last year?) has been doing just fine for him. When I asked someone at the factory back then, I was told the engineers had made a revision to the firing pin at the spot where a small number of them had broken.

LAPD authorized the BG380 as a backup/off-duty weapon, and last I heard their folks had been buying a lot of them. I haven't heard any rumbles of any significant problems.

Oh yeah, I wouldn't get too wrapped up around the axle about any slight "unevenness" between the back of the frame and the slide. It's not like those parts are machined together. It can be noted even on many metal framed guns, as well. The slide & barrel are held on the frame in an assembled gun by virtue of a slide stop pin, takedown pin, slide lock, barrel, etc (depending on which metal or plastic framed gun we're talking about), and as long as the slide/barrel lock into battery, and unlocking & cycling is occurring properly & smoothly, any minor "unevenness" where the slide & frame match at the rear is a cosmetic issue. (Naturally, as an armorer I'd have to be handling & examining any particular gun to confirm normal fit & function, but you get my drift.)

I may not care for the integral laser as a standard feature, myself (added cost and I don't feel the need to use one), but the BG380 is a pretty nice example of the new breed of diminutive .380's that ought to give their owners/users years of good service.

I'll probably have more info once they've approved and started offering an armorer class for the BG380 (since it's selling so well to LE users ) and I've had a chance to attend it. In the meantime, if anyone is having any issues with their BG380, call the company and give them a chance to examine and correct it.

 

[3dots]

Thanks for the inside info, Fastbolt. I really like this little gun, and again, do plan on buying more. Of the 380s I've shot, this one handles the best. I hear that Galloway Precision will be making a machined firing pin and will be following that as well.

Cheers-