Bodyguard Question

[AJ]

My S-I-L brought over a friend's Bodyguard. He told me his friend was having a problem getting the slide to go home. I dropped the mag, ensured the chamber was empty and hit the slide release. The slide went home. I reinserted the mag, and attempted to release the slide and no joy, it would not release. I didn't have any .380 to try in the mag, but .32 ACP fit for my purposes. With a .32 ACP in the mag it released and chambered. Now my question is does the Bodyguard have to have rounds in the mag to get the release to work, if the mag is inserted? Or is the pistol so stiff as it is new that it needs to be broken in?

 

[GnarlsR2]

.... Now my question is does the Bodyguard have to have rounds in the mag to get the release to work, if the mag is inserted? Or is the pistol so stiff as it is new that it needs to be broken in?

With an empty magazine inserted, the answer to your question is the slide will not release from a locked back position - either by pushing the slide lock or pulling the slide back as doing a sling shot release.

Both my P365s do the same thing.

However, my 1978 Colt 1911 Mark IV Series 70 will release the slide from a locked back position by pressing down the slide lock/release. It will NOT release the slide by doing a sling shot action.

 

[Harper]

Huh? If I understand your statements, the pistol is working as designed. The last round (empty mag) hold open is preventing your slide from releasing with the the empty mag inserted. So yes, you must have rounds in the mag to get the release to work, if the mag is inserted. Same as any other semi-auto pistol, as far as I know.

 

[AJ]

The Bodyguard belongs to someone that my S-I-L knows. Supposedly it was bought for his wife. I don't even know if they had fired it at all. I told them that I thought it was operating correctly. Also to them to put some oil on it ad take out and shoot it. I further told them when it had 250+ trouble free rounds through it, then she could use it as a carry piece. When I was stationed in Calif., we had a bunch of law enforcement agencies that used our ranges too. No gun was allowed on the street until it had 250 trouble free rounds through it. Seems sensible to me. Especially for a piece that I might have to trust my life on.

 

[Cotis]

It is simply very stiff and not "broken in" yet. Not enough mechanical advantage on the slide release button to overcome the friction of itself, it's contact with the magazine, and the magazine spring.

The safety on mine was almost immovable out of the box. I worked it back and forth 500+ times over a few days along with some oil and it is GTG now.

 

[Moose074]

I understand the 250 round argument but statically speaking regardless of the number of rounds thru a gun the next round as likely to be the misfire as the one before.

 

[ec fan]

If I understand the first post correctly, as Harper said above, that's a helpful design feature and the pistol is working fine. When firing the pistol the slide will lock back when the magazine is empty, so that you know it's empty and you need to insert another loaded magazine. It's made that way, and that is a desirable feature.

That's why the slide release isn't releasing the slide when there is an empty magazine inserted. The slide is supposed to hold open on an empty magazine.

 

[AJ]

If I understand the first post correctly, as Harper said above, that's a helpful design feature and the pistol is working fine. When firing the pistol the slide will lock back when the magazine is empty, so that you know it's empty and you need to insert another loaded magazine. It's made that way, and that is a desirable feature.

That's why the slide release isn't releasing the slide when there is an empty magazine inserted. The slide is supposed to hold open on an empty magazine.

Most guns do hold open when the magazine is emptied. However, I can override that feature by using the slide release. Since this one was so stiff, I was wondering if it was normal.

 

[Harper]

Well

Most guns do hold open when the magazine is emptied. However, I can override that feature by using the slide release. Since this one was so stiff, I was wondering if it was normal.

Well, to add to what I said earlier, and to be honest, I've not tried to use the slide "release" with an empty mag inserted. I'm sure, as you say, that some pistols can override the empty mag. I'll give mine a try with an empty mag in a little while. S&W refers to the function as a slide stop, not release, so they might design it stiffer. But I use mine as a release, and it's pretty easy with rounds in the mag.

 

[AJ]

Well

Well, to add to what I said earlier, and to be honest, I've not tried to use the slide "release" with an empty mag inserted. I'm sure, as you say, that some pistols can override the empty mag. I'll give mine a try with an empty mag in a little while. S&W refers to the function as a slide stop, not release, so they might design it stiffer. But I use mine as a release, and it's pretty easy with rounds in the mag.

I just went to the gun safes and for giggles tried 20 different semiauto's. All would drop the slide with an empty magazine inserted when I actuated the slide release. So that is why I could not understand the slide release on the Bodyguard not doing the same. Like I wrote since all that I had on hand to use to depress the follower was a .32 ACP and it worked. So I think since the pistol is new that it is extremely stiff and needs to be broken in.

 

[halfmoonclip]

The slide stop on the BG2.0 is uncommon stiff. Rather than messing with it, violently grab the slide, jerk it all the way to the rear, and let it slam. The extra slide motion makes chambering a round more certain.
Honest, the slide stop on mine is so stiff, it's tough to operate, with or without an empty magazine. But it functions just fine.
Moon

 

[AJ]

I did not try "Sling-Shotting" the slide. Will tell my S-I-L to let his friend know that, that should work too

 

[ken158]

With an empty magazine inserted, the answer to your question is the slide will not release from a locked back position - either by pushing the slide lock or pulling the slide back as doing a sling shot release.

Both my P365s do the same thing.

However, my 1978 Colt 1911 Mark IV Series 70 will release the slide from a locked back position by pressing down the slide lock/release. It will NOT release the slide by doing a sling shot action.

The problem here is that many confuse a slide lock with a slide release. Refer to your owner’s manual and see that guns with slide locks are designed to be fired by pulling the slide back (off the lock) and releasing the slide to get proper chambering of the top round in the magazine.

 

[Harper]

I did not try "Sling-Shotting" the slide. Will tell my S-I-L to let his friend know that, that should work too

Unless the mag does not work as intended, sling-shotting the slide will definitely NOT work in dropping the slide with an empty mag., even if you can get it to do so with the slide lock.

 

[AJ]

Unless the mag does not work as intended, sling-shotting the slide will definitely NOT work in dropping the slide with an empty mag., even if you can get it to do so with the slide lock.

I apologize I meant with a round in the mag.

 

[Cheyenne WYO]

The problem here is that many confuse a slide lock with a slide release. Refer to your owner’s manual and see that guns with slide locks are designed to be fired by pulling the slide back (off the lock) and releasing the slide to get proper chambering of the top round in the magazine.

I don't know that the nomenclature is all that important. The primary function of the part is to lock the slide back after the last shot is fired so that the gun can be reloaded easier. It does not mean that it cannot serve as a slide release.

I looked at the instruction manual for my BG 2.0. It describes the loading procedure as inserting a fully loaded magazine into the firearm and retracting and releasing the slide to chamber a round. It then indicates that you can eject the magazine and top off. It does not address a reload from slide lock. I have been using the part, regardless of nomenclature, as a slide release for a loaded magazine for decades for all my semi-autos, whether Colt, Glock, Beretta, Sig, S&W, etc. It is more efficient and saves time.

Whether the part will release the slide with an empty magazine in the gun is a different issue unrelated to the name of the part. My Sig P365 will not do it. I have two BG 2.0s. The one with a lot of rounds through it (as well as the magazines) will release the slide whether the unloaded magazine is in it or not, although it is easier if there is no magazine in the gun. The newer one with the new magazine is still stiff, and it is very hard to release the slide with an empty magazine in the gun. I don't view that as an issue of any importance.

 

[AJ]

I don't know that the nomenclature is all that important. The primary function of the part is to lock the slide back after the last shot is fired so that the gun can be reloaded easier. It does not mean that it cannot serve as a slide release.

I looked at the instruction manual for my BG 2.0. It describes the loading procedure as inserting a fully loaded magazine into the firearm and retracting and releasing the slide to chamber a round. It then indicates that you can eject the magazine and top off. It does not address a reload from slide lock. I have been using the part, regardless of nomenclature, as a slide release for a loaded magazine for decades for all my semi-autos, whether Colt, Glock, Beretta, Sig, S&W, etc. It is more efficient and saves time.

Whether the part will release the slide with an empty magazine in the gun is a different issue unrelated to the name of the part. My Sig P365 will not do it. I have two BG 2.0s. The one with a lot of rounds through it (as well as the magazines) will release the slide whether the unloaded magazine is in it or not, although it is easier if there is no magazine in the gun. The newer one with the new magazine is still stiff, and it is very hard to release the slide with an empty magazine in the gun. I don't view that as an issue of any importance.

Some folks get wrapped in nomenclatures. In the Corps we were taught to use the slide release/lock to release the side. On an M1911 this can be accomplished with either a full or empty magazine. We were never taught to sling-shot the slide to chamber a round. The nearest to this would have been when attemting to clear a malfunction. Pull the slide back and if the malfunction cleared to release the slide.

I had feeling that the Bodyguard was operating properly, since I could get a round to chamber from a loaded magazine. Seeing an owner's manual would have helped. Probably if I had handled one or shot one it would have been a good thing. Sorry to have caused some confusion.

 

[TigerDude]

It's just hard to push without a round in the mag, it is seated too hard. It's fine. I have never heard of such a thing as a slide lock that is not a slide release.