M&P Bodyguard FTF Last Round

[Big Max]

Received my M&P BG 380 back.
Just a little over 2 weeks, not bad. Cleaned & polished feed ramp / repaired mag springs is what the repair sheet read.
Put 50 rounds of Blazer Aluminum through it. Had 1 FTF, and 2 failures to hold slide back on last round.
Not completely happy. Do not have that "trusted" feeling with this gun. But not giving up on it yet.

 

[Rickgus]

Put 50 rounds of Blazer Aluminum through it. Had 1 FTF, and 2 failures to hold slide back on last round.
Not completely happy. Do not have that "trusted" feeling with this gun. But not giving up on it yet.

Big Max - I had hoped that the return would have solved all your problems! I just don't know anything about Aluminum ammo being used in these small pistols! Usually the failure to hold the slide back on the last round can be associated with magazine problems. Was that one of the problems you addressed with Smith when you returned it?

Do you have any friends that you shoot with, that might have other brands of ammo, mainly brass, that you could try? I know it gets expensive to buy full boxes of ammo just trying to find something that works! Maybe someone on here has had some experience with aluminum cased ammo.

I really do like your comment of "not giving up yet!" I wish you well in finding that fix. I would definitely make a call to Smith and run it by them again.

 

[Big Max]

I am going to buy some quality self defense rounds and see if the BG shoots any better.

Any recommendations for ammo ? I know my LGS has Hornady JHP, Winchester W JHP & Federal HST JHP.

Are hollow points an issue in feeding ?

 

[mikey460sw]

I shoot American eagle 95gr and also hornady critical defence with no problem at all give them a try if you can get them.
The American eagle I have shot over 800 round with no problems I run 100-150 at a time at the range. Had a lot of x-Mas money and b-day money blew it on ammo for the brass to reload.
The hornady critical defence I've only run two boxes of 20 with no problems.

 

[lmacrichter]

I had all the problems you have mentioned and a couple more. When I got it back from S&W I traded it on a Sig P238. So far I love the Sig. I just have to get used to carrying "cocked and locked".

 

[Trigger_Man]

I had the latest M&P Bodyguard 380 (no laser). It worked flawless with a large array of 380 ammunition. I traded it for a Glock G42 380 which has a lot of slide stop lock back issues with rounds in the magazine (even after a trip back to Glock).

I should have kept mine, it was perfect with about 350 rounds from day one. A Bodyguard in the pocket and a Ti Lite 38 or 357 j-frame inside the waist is the perfect hot weather set-up.

 

[Big Max]

Just got back from the range.

Shot the following ammo through the M&P BG 380.

Also used 3 new magazines.

50 rounds Blazer Brass - No Issues ( slide held back on every last round )

20 rounds Federal Hydra Shock JHP - No Issues at all.

25 rounds Hornady Critical Defense FTX - 1 failure to feed

I am considering this gun reliable.

Going to buy some PMC FMJ on line and try that as my SD ammo.

 

[Rickgus]

Just got back from the range.

Shot the following ammo through the M&P BG 380.

Also used 3 new magazines.

50 rounds Blazer Brass - No Issues ( slide held back on every last round )

20 rounds Federal Hydra Shock JHP - No Issues at all.

25 rounds Hornady Critical Defense FTX - 1 failure to feed

I am considering this gun reliable.

Going to buy some PMC FMJ on line and try that as my SD ammo.

Big Max - When I read the above post I can almost feel your smile! I am so happy for the results of your range trip! 75 rounds and only 1 FTFeed and that could have been anything. Keep on shooting and keep us posted. BTW, my best online purchase of the PMC FMJ was with Cabellas just before the holidays, $15.99/box of 50, no sales tax, no shipping. Shop around, though, I have also purchased from Gander Mountain. I haven't paid any shipping yet and that is probably what will raise the price of the ammo. 2 boxes of 50 get heavy fast. Like I tell my wife, when you see it on sale with no shipping you have to jump quickly!

Oh, and the 3 new magazines, were they OEM Smith or another brand?

Take care, enjoy your BG! Keep us posted!

 

[Big Max]

Magazines are OEM S&W

 

[Rickgus]

Going to buy some PMC FMJ on line and try that as my SD ammo.

Just saw PMC Bronze FMJ on sale at Target Sports USA for $16.99/box of 50 no mention of free shipping. Cabela's is priced at $18.99.

 

[Rickgus]

Going to buy some PMC FMJ on line and try that as my SD ammo.

Big Max - I just went on Target USA Sports site and did an estimate of the PMC Bronze, two boxes @16.99=$33.98 plus $12.91 shipping to my state, total $46.89. About $23.45/box shipped. I noticed you are from Ohio and some sites warn residents of Ohio to check for their local restrictions on purchasing ammo online. I did see another article on the same subject and they said those restrictions are mainly for Cleveland (oops, you are around the Cleveland area), Toledo and Columbus? You could always go on the Target Sports site and plug in an order as if you are going for the real deal to see what shipping might be and if they are going to charge you sales tax. My estimate order for shipping to my state said no sales tax. You can always delete the order once you get your answer.

In that you are near the Cleveland area, I don't know how you would find out if you can have ammo shipped to you. Maybe you have already checked that out seeing your post said you were going to go online and order. ********* I just checked again, and it was the Cabela's site that had a warning about Ohio. Target USA Sports does not! ************

Anyway, good luck and happy shooting! - Rick

 

[Big Max]

Thank You, went to Able Ammo before I seen your post. Ordered 4 boxes of PMC Bronze @ $17.99 a box plus $11.63 for shipping.

Yes I am from the Cleveland area, Able Ammo shipped it via UPS ground.
( about 5 day lead time )

 

[Rickgus]

Thank You, went to Able Ammo before I seen your post. Ordered 4 boxes of PMC Bronze @ $17.99 a box plus $11.63 for shipping.

Yes I am from the Cleveland area, Able Ammo shipped it via UPS ground.
( about 5 day lead time )

You did okay! If you're happy with the PMC ammo, it pays to keep looking around for sales on it, especially if you can find good prices and free shipping. $11.63 shipping is not bad, seeing that you ordered 4 boxes. Anyway, I think you will be pleased with this ammo. Keep us posted on your next range trip! - Rick

 

[Big Max]

Put 25 rounds of Blazer Brass, 25 rounds of PMC Bronze, and 12 rounds Hornady Critical Defense FTX.

Had 1 FTF with the Hornady. The FMJ Blazer & PMC ran perfectly.
( had 1 FTF with the Hornady last time at the range )

What ammo do you recommend for the BG 380 ?

 

[Rickgus]

Big Max - I'm still shooting FMJ rounds with my BG so I won't be able to recommend any SD ammo to you. If you are wanting to move on SD rounds, this is when things start getting expensive. Most of the top line SD ammo is packaged in boxes of 20, rather than 50, so you have reduced your range trials by 60%. I did see on Target Sports USA, they have a brand, Speer Gold Dot LE, 90 grain, JHP rounds, 50 per box for $29.99. Maybe someone on here has fired these rounds and might have some pros or cons to offer. Like I said, I haven't gotten that far, so I will be closely watching what kind of replies you will be getting!

http://www.targetsportsusa.com/speer-gold-dot-le-duty-380-acp-auto-ammo-90-gr-jhp-236061-p-3368.aspx

Good luck and happy shooting! - Rick

 

[Big Max]

I prefer a FMJ, I think they feed better then JHP ammo.

I just ordered 4 boxes of HPR 100 Grain TMJ from Cabela's.

Will post results after I receive ammo.

 

[Rickgus]

Thank You, went to Able Ammo before I seen your post. Ordered 4 boxes of PMC Bronze @ $17.99 a box plus $11.63 for shipping.

Yes I am from the Cleveland area, Able Ammo shipped it via UPS ground.
( about 5 day lead time )

Big Max - Did you receive the PMC's yet and if so, how did they work for you?

Your most recent post, you said you ordered the HPR TMJ rounds from Cabela's. I had never heard of these but saw where customer reviews were very high. I also went on to HPR's website and they pride themselves on their quality and their clean burning ammo. I'm anxious to see how these work for you!

Thanks for keeping us posted! - Rick

 

[Big Max]

Yes, Put 25 PMC Bronze through it - no issues, ran perfectly.

 

[triggerb]

900 rounds so far. No major issues.

One thing, after about 150 rounds of a mix of Korean and Swiss ammo, I'll have to use the double strike feature to get the primer to ignite. After this happened twice, I used a q-tip to dry wipe the firing pin and it solves the issue. Firing pin is most likely rough from machining and has contaminants sticking to it, effectively cushioning the impact of the firing pin on the primer.

As stated by many others, this isn't designed to be shot all day. It's a true pocket carry design engineered for close quarters defense. However, mine has proven to be reliable enough, unless I need to fire 150 rounds at a time, in which case I'd rather be using a cannon.

First I would make sure your gun is clean. If it is, completely disassemble it and clean every part. Lightly polish with 2k-4k grit sandpaper any critical component that has a rough surface to it. The idea is only to smooth the surface but not remove an unnecessary amount of material. I've found this to increase the accuracy and reliability of my BG tremendously. Upon reassembly, very lightly lube anything that will be moving. Keep in mind gunpowder, dust, and other contaminants will stick to nearly all oils and greases. Moderately lube the slide rails, barrel, and take down pin.

Disassemble your magazines, clean them, and inspect them for defects.

It's really not a lot of work and can be done in less than an hour with the proper tools, and less than two hours without.

 

[CaptRon956]

I have the newest non lazer M&P bodyguard 380 and so far no major issues at all. I'm guessing at least close to 600 rounds fired thru it and only less than a handful of FTF & only 2 times the slide failed to lock back. Upon the last time the slide didnt lock back I removed the magazine to see that the red plastic follower was sticking a little bit, didnt go up all the way. That was afetr I was at the range for an hour shooting it, with about 100-150 rounds fired during that session...

I've had 100% problem free using Monarch brass FMJ from the Academy, Remington UMC FMJ and Federal American Eagle FMJ...

The only few times that I can recall experiencing a FTF/and/or slide not locking back was using WWB FMJ's.. I think Winchester loads that ammo real light as it doesnt "feel" as snappy as the Federal American eagle rounds do. Same goes for my Shield 9, WWB feels wimpy compared to some other brands recoil...