Bodyguard 380

[Northener]

Looking for a pocket sized pistol. Watched a lot of reviews and most come away with the bodyguard having a bad trigger, and light strikes, Is it that bad? Have things improved with newer ones? I can handle a 7lb pull but will not go anymore than that.


I own 642 and 442, yes the pull is long and breaks farther back than I really like. I have large hands so my trigger finger, the trigger is in the first joint, no I am not changing that, just the way it is with large hands.


Just considering options here for a SD pocket pistol. I like the SAO aspect of the Sig P238, its my other choice.

Any experienced users of the BG advice would be appreciated.

 

[dhusman]

I have had a couple of the bodyguards and have had no problems. I choose it over a ruger lcp because it felt better in my hand. I do not like the trigger being plastic but have not spent the money to upgrade to a metal one

 

[smith627]

I have shot a friend's 380 Body Guard on several occasions and it is very reliable with factory ammo and my reloads 95gr. cast lead round nose with 3.0 grs W231. The only thing we don't like is the very long heavy trigger.
Go to a LGS in your area and they should let you try the trigger and decide if you are OK with it or not.

I am not a Taurus fanboy but I got lucky with my $180 purchase of a Taurus TCP 380 that has been 100% reliable shooting 300 rounds of factory and reloaded ammo. The hammer fired trigger pull is much lighter and shorter than the Body Guard. A couple other gun club members who owned the TCP 380 got rid of them due to constant malfunctions. YMMV.

 

[mauser9]

I like the Bodyguard too and have been following the posts. The best 380 I liked was my Walther PPK-s but sure not in the same price range as the Bodyguard. Like the all steel construction.

 

[cmj8591]

I have been carrying a BG now for a few years. It has been 100% reliable with every factory round I have fired through it. With my reloads, not so much. I think it is sensitive about how deeply the primer is seated. Yes, the trigger is God awful! But it is a very accurate pocket gun. On par with my Walthers, which is saying a lot. The trigger doesn't bother me because the gun is small and ends up in a cargo pocket in the summer and the heavy trigger is an added level of security. I don't use the safety as it is too small for me. I wouldn't hesitate to get one.

 

[hyena]

My first pocket .380 was an LCP. I switched to a Bodyguard a few years ago because I wanted a thumb safety, and because the BG felt slightly better in my hand. (Big hands.)

My shooting buddy has a trigger gauge, but I suspect it would max out if we tried to measure my BG. It has a long, heavy trigger, for sure.

I haven't attempted to track how often, but every great once in a while, I get a light strike. Pulling the trigger a second time always fires the shell. It's very infrequent. Maybe once in the past couple years.

The same buddy has a Sig P238, which is frequently his carry gun. Not much alike between the two. Somehow, the Sig shoots MUCH softer than my BG, in terms of perceived recoil. I shoot the BG OK, but I am much better with his P238. It is one sweet shooting little gun.

So how come I haven't switched to a P238? Because I am not keen on pocket carrying it cocked and locked. And pocket carry is the only way I carry my BG. When I belt carry, it's a J frame, or sometimes a .45 Shield.

As one of the previous replies advised, try to find a BG at a gunstore or range and dry fire it. You will know right off if you like it.

Just my opinion, but a long heavy trigger pull is not all a bad thing when it comes to pocket carry.

Good luck.

 

[Northener]

Positives on the BG 380 for sure is price point and agree the longer trigger pull has its advantage when carried. The SAO of the Sig is a concern carrying it locked and loaded. I realize it has a manual safety plus firing pin block in case of accidental drop.


I hear many say 380 is not enough, wouldn't own plastic gun and on and on. BUT I know for me, I would carry it not for its stopping power but because I would always have it on me because of its easy to conceal size. I have others in larger capacity and horse power in the vehicle and at home for that.

We are lucky these days, we have many choices in quality firearms.

 

[garddogg56]

Never had a lite strike in five years,shoots well and is well built with SS barrel and guts.Have a P 238 also but I carry the BG .380 with NO failure. Had J frames so I'm use to long double action these carry better.With grand kids around I like having a safety

 

[oldiegoldie]

8# 14oz on mine...just gauged it. very smooth though. as you shoot it the trigger will become smoother and lighter. mine has been reliable....i use only Federal Hydra-Shok. the selling point to me is the "safe factor". i keep it in a Kydex pocket holster at night when the pup goes outside to go potty. just drop it in my sweat pants pocket and take hesr out. it is a very accurate little pistol with virtually no recoil. there doesn't seem to be a middle ground with this pistol....either it is hated or loved. you just have to try it and make up your own mind.

 

[Northener]

Whenever Minnesota's weather straightens out, going to make it to my preferred gun store. Kind of made my mind up to purchase one barring any real problems with my large hand size, might even pick up two, one for the wife if I can strike a better deal. Going to look at the new EZ 9mm as well. I already have a EZ 380 which I really like.

Ive watched every video on the BG 380 it seems, with a grain of salt. A lot of the negative reviews were very inexperienced shooters or a biased experienced shooter spinning their yarn. I have 642 and 442 revolvers, so DAO is not something new to me.

Positives on the BG. Smiths reputation and life time warranty.
Double strike capabilities
Factory metal sights, with after markets avail.
Thumb safety. IMO deep pocket must have
Empty mag slide hold open
PRICE.

I will be loading it with Underwoods Lehigh extreme defense 65 grain ammo, Devastating round, and I will not feel underpowered.

 

[jnichols2]

Northener,

My Bodyguard has never had a light strike. Neither does it have a thumb safety.
I also own a 642 and a LCP II.

Most of the naysayers, saying long and heavy trigger, don't have double action experience. Since you have a 642, the Bodyguard should be a piece of cake for you.

My 642 trigger is 9 lb 10 oz, my Bodyguard is 6 lb 15 oz and very smooth.

The reason I mentioned the LCP II is I bought it the same time I bought the Bodyguard. But I won't carry it. It has a very light trigger, but no safety.

Again, the Bodyguard trigger is much lighter and smoother than the 642. However; it's still a double action trigger.

 

[Linejudgemick]

Just to add to the voices of experience with an example of 1. I have an M&P BG380, no laser, no safety version. It replaced a TCP that does have a better trigger, but will sometimes drop the magazine under recoil. I believe the BG's trigger pull is its safety. When I first got it, I did experience light strikes particularly with ammo that has hard primers such as Fiocchi. I contacted S&W about the issue and they sent me a shipping label. After they returned it light strikes have not been an issue. The little pistol isn't the easiest thing to shoot, but if I do my job, it does its job. It finds quite a bit of pocket time for me. BTW, my wife has an M&P Shield 380 EZ. It's infinitely easier to shoot, but quite a bit larger and not really a pocket pistol IMO. YMMV.

 

[Funflyer]

My BG is going on three years without a light primer strike. Probably has 700-800 factory rounds through it, and about 200-300 reloads. I just checked the trigger pull and it falls between 7-1/2 and 7-3/4 pounds consistently, and is extremely smooooth.

 

[Cal44]

My BG is going on three years without a light primer strike. Probably has 700-800 factory rounds through it, and about 200-300 reloads. I just checked the trigger pull and it falls between 7-1/2 and 7-3/4 pounds consistently, and is extremely smooooth.

Most j frame revolvers have trigger pulls between 10 and 13 lbs. At least the ones I have.

The BG trigger will seem light to a DA revolver shooter.

 

[moonpup]

I used to own a Bodyguard 380 and liked it, but it had feeding issues. It was one of the earlier models, and I sent it back to S&W, but it came back with the same issues, so I just traded it off. I've been contemplating picking up another one, but a little hesitant after my first experience with it. I'm leaning more towards getting a Ruger LCR...

 

[Old cop]

Purchased my BG .380 in 2014 and it ran great for two years until it developed the dreaded light strike problem. Moved on to the LCP which has also proven pretty reliable, but anything less than 100% for a carry gun is unacceptable. Experience has taught me there's a diminished return as .380 auto loaders get smaller & lighter. I still carry my LCP as circumstances dictate, but my preferred EDC will always be a J frame

 

[Execpro]

Just picked up a BG for $233 on Gun broker. No shipping or state tax!
Seller had 4 left as of last night.
I have shot revolvers since around 1967. Carried on duty for a few years before Feds required semi autos. I have no problem with the long trigger pull or 7-8 lb triggers. It comes down to personal preference.
Practice makes perfect as they say.
I like the double strike capability on the gun. Even with factory ammo you could get a bad primer and another pull of the trigger ALMOST always sends a round down range.
Mine has a safety that I never use. My duty weapon didn't have one and I like being able to draw and fire it like a revolver.
BG's came out about 7 years ago and some had issues. I believe the newer M&P versions have solved this.
As mentioned, go to your LGS and try one at their range or just try the trigger to see if it's ok for you.
For me the BG is a good gun, but it may not be for everyone!
As I said in another post, it's a revolver in a pistol body. Shoot it like a revolver.

Be SAFE and Shoot Often!

 

[Rob613]

Just picked up a BG for $233 on Gun broker. No shipping or state tax!

I bought one of these a couple of months ago.

Gun has run flawless so far at about 500 rounds.

For $253 out the door with my transfer fee, it was cheaper than the used one at my LGS.

 

[thesmithiz]

I have been reading this and needed to add my experience. When I bought mine and shot it I thought damn weird trigger..... Well after deciding to try making it work for me I tried working with it and treated it like a revolver, i smooth my pull rather than expect the trigger to and I most importantly watch the hammer .. do this enough times and you can predict the break, steady your hand and no jerk. Do it even more and you will get very used to and fast with the entire action....after a few months I became pleasantly surprised how well i can shoot it and am very confident carrying it.

 

[moonpup]

To followup on my earlier post, I've decided to give the Bodyguard a second chance and purchased one today. It's the non-laser version with a 8/22/2019 build date. Trigger pull on this one is really heavy... getting 11-12 lbs on the Lyman and sometimes it's OVER and won't register a weight... Anyway, hoping to get it out this weekend and break it in. Also hope the hammer spring lightens up a bit.