Looking for reviews on S&W Bodyguard 38

[Rambo101]

Moderator, if this s in the wrong place I'm sorry and could you please move accordingly? Thank you

I am looking into getting a carry gun for my wife. She is a very small woman (just over 100lb) and has very little experience in pistols. She has shot my .223 AR-15 quite a bit n is pretty comfortable with it n my 12 gauge Benelli as well. She will b taking a self defense class n concealed weapons permit class as well. This should help make her more comfortable with a pistol n I will b helping her as much as possible also.
That being said.......
I have been looking at different pistols n the one that as stuck out the most n seems to me to b nice for her is the S&W Bodyguard 38. If u have any experience with this gun could u pls share them with me? Or if u would suggest something else I am open for that as well. My most concern is that she as something "reliable" n that she feels comfortable to shoot.

 

[HankG]

I bought a S&W Bodyguard last year. Replaced the grips with a Hogue grip designed for the pistol. My wife weighs 105 and is 5'2" tall. She will shoot it but it's recoil is a little to much for her. I hand load .38 specials with 4 grains of Bullseye pushing 125 grain copper jacketed bullets. This isn't a heavy load by any stretch of the imagination but the recoil still makes her wince. She loves her .22 caliber GSG model 1911. I think the .38 is a dandy revolver, nice and light and I love to shoot it but I can handle the recoil better.

 

[sipowicz]

This model is great for a woman's purse.....11 ounces with decent power, 2 extra rounds and minimum recoil..

Smith & Wesson 351PD - YouTube


and you can get it with an enclosed hammer...I like a a hammer on a .22 but if it's for CCW, this might be a better way to go.

 

[Rintimtin]

My wife just got one saturday. We have not shot it yet. Trying to find some ammo.

My wife really likes the idea of the laser sight. The grip fills her hand, and she can place all of her fingers on the handle even her pinky. She is very limited in use of revolvers so the position of the cylinder release doesn't bother her, I am undecided about it.

If you are not familiar with the gun it looks like it is all polymer this is not the case it is steel/aluminum/polymer. The sight front site only no rear sights. are small snag free but are black like the rest of the gun hard to see in low sight.

The laser is bright and has a solid/and a pulse setting On/Pulse/Off all use one button. I took the laser off to see how it was attached it was kind of a pain to get back on. One screw holds it on.

The gun is light and balanced well. And I wish I could tell you more but thats all I can say with out shooting it. But will give you an update as soon as I get some 38 in the safe.

Oh yea for what its worth, it comes with a decent little case with a built in elastic holster and an elastic band for a flash light. This zippers up and looks like a clutch purse or a e reader or tablet case.

 

[MrJT]

Not a fan of the laser, but the cylinder release is great and I love the grip. I don't own but I've shot one numerous times.

 

[mgo]

Moderator, if this s in the wrong place I'm sorry and could you please move accordingly? Thank you

I have been looking at different pistols n the one that as stuck out the most n seems to me to b nice for her is the S&W Bodyguard 38. If u have any experience with this gun could u pls share them with me? Or if u would suggest something else I am open for that as well. My most concern is that she as something "reliable" n that she feels comfortable to shoot.

I am a one time owner of the S&W model 38 "Air Weight" .38 special. It is a nice revolver to carry, but VERY unpleasant to shoot. After the first round, your hand and your brain will both say, "Oh my....don't do that again!"

The slightly larger K-Frame alloy frame revolvers (if you could even find one of those vintage weapons anywhere) are also pretty punishing.

I suggest a smaller frame 9mm such as the S&W 3913, or CS9. They are easy to conceal, far less harsh to shoot and those 3rd generation Smiths are very reliable.

Don't fall for the light weight and small size of the polymer-framed mini-9s; they bite back pretty hard, too. The mid-sized polymer frame pistol would be OK, however, just not one of those itty-bitty things....

The 3rd gen Smiths also have a safety catch, which is essential for safe holstering when concealed. Once in the holster the safety can then be put to off so the pistol would be ready to go in an instant.

If you want a more modern pistol, the S&W M&P 9mm compact version with thumb safety is a good bet. It's a mild shooter and the safety ensures safe holstering.

 

[Rintimtin]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I think my questions would help the OP and anyone else interested in the BG38.

Those of you that shoot the BG38, what loads do you prefer? And what are good loads that give milder recoil? I just want to get a base line so I know what to look for instead of alot of expensive trial and error.

 

[dsink]

I picked one up back around Christmas becosue a buddy of mine has one and I feel in love with it.

Accuracy is great and I figued and hopped my wife would like it also but she can not get used to the DAO trigger. She prefers her Glock 26. Heck, I figured she would like my 9mm Shield but she stuck with her Glock.

Go ahead and get it. If the wife dosent like it, you will have another carry gun. I have found that with the right shorts, I can drop it in my front pocket and carry it that way.

 

[Rambo101]

Thank u one n all for your replies, they r very much appreciated!

 

[McTeach]

My wife didn't like the recoil on my Bodyguard 38 either, but ever since I put the Hogue Tamer (60020) grips on it, she's much happier with it. It tamed (pun intended) the recoil drastically. I love the little piece... light and pretty good on accuracy, but if your wife is gonna flinch every time she pulls the trigger it ain't gonna work so well. Someone mentioned the 351PD, which a sweet little 22 mag and a great deterrent piece, but not much reliability of stopping any determined attackers. Have you considered something between? Taurus used to have a sweet little .32 called an Ultralight. I shot a female friends once and the recoil was not even close to my BG 38, but way more power than a 22. I think they are out of production, but there should be some used ones out there somewhere. That said... if it's down to 38 vs 22, get what she'll use. You might also try a heavier 38. A heavier gun kicks much less.

 

[TACC1]

If recoil is going to be an issue, that 22Mag is low
recoil in a NAA Mini-Mag revolver. She'll notice the noise more than the recoil, IMO.
In .32 cal., you can get a used Model 30, or a Centennial
430/431. I can vouch for the lower recoil, (even) with BuffaloBore
32 H&R Mag.
Whatever she decides on, please post. It can be a learning
experience for others, too.
JMHO, TACC1.

 

[MaximumLawman]

It's a Smith J-Frame. As close to perfect for self defense as you'll get. Don't worry about the laser. Lasers on a j frame are like curb feelers for all intents and purposes.

 

[AZretired]

First off, recoil on a 638 with +P ammo is not that bad. You can get used to it. That said, you don't need +P ammo for self defense. There are plenty of decent rounds available that will work just fine. Hitting your target is the most important part.

 

[dsink]

First off, recoil on a 638 with +P ammo is not that bad. You can get used to it. That said, you don't need +P ammo for self defense. There are plenty of decent rounds available that will work just fine. Hitting your target is the most important part.

I agree. I carry S&W factory wadcutters in mine. Recoil is very light and accuracy is outstanding all the way back to 25yds. Its pushing them at 700 fps so im pretty sure they would do some damage if I can put them in the right place.

 

[Yiogo]

I carry a 637...Airweight and love it. I bought my youngest daughter the Bodyguard and she likes it. I bought my oldest daughter a J frame from Charter Arms. They shoot wad cutters. I shoot 38's.
They like their revolvers and I like mine.
They are not range - plinking guns except for practice time.
They provide enough punch when needed.
Recoil is a non issue if you need your revolver.
Yiogo

 

[Donn]

Hate to throw a **** in the swimming pool, but my Bodyguard 38 was just that, a ****. Less than 100 rds, had a timing issue. Sent it back under warranty, trouble returned after less than 20rds. Traded it in for a Model 36, much better gun. Mine might've been the exception, but I can't recommend the Bodyguard 38.

 

[Old cop]

Have you looked at Ruger's .38 competitor to the J Frame? I don't own one but have heard good things about them.

 

[BubbaBlades]

Guinea Pig Shoot - YouTube

This is a YouTube video of me shooting .38 special +p ammo rapid fire from my BG38. As the video shows, this gun is controllable and accurate. I have had no mechanical issues with the BG38 after 500+ rounds.

Mark

 

[gwgw60]

My wife got a Ruger LCR 38. But her hand is sensitive and she can't tolerate the recoil of standard factory 38 loads so doesn't like shooting it. She might be able to build more tolerance with regular practice but I don't know if we will get there. She does really enjoy shooting her Walther P22 22lr.

My point is we often jump to outfitting our ladies with very light weight easily carried revolvers that we have no problem handling. But it becomes a problem for the ladies. I'm not suggesting all ladies will have a problem, but some do. My recommendation is to test fire model first whenever possible and find where that point of intolerance is before purchasing.

 

[mcclain205]

Let your wife choose

I read all of the responses and I think I am the only 'wife' responding. I say don't buy your wife anything without her with you. I have the BG380 and I don't love it. For me, it's not the recoil but the long trigger pull that I hate. From all the reading I've done, it's because of the DAO. She should be involved in choosing her own self defense weapon.