My experience with my "repaired" BG380

[firehawk1]

NOT HAPPY First 2 full magazines.... trigger STILL failed to reset. After that it did start to reset properly... about 95% of the time. The final 40-50 rounds it did reset 100% of the time. Most of the time now I can feel a "catch" in the trigger travel about halfway. There can be no way S&W actually fired this pistol after "repairing" it. It makes no difference if I "yank" the trigger back, or try to "ease" it back.

There is no way any firearm should have a trigger pull this hard, zip zero nadda. There is no reason I should have to pull a trigger all the way back to the frame before it fires, again zip zero nadda. My bad I guess for buying it BEFORE I could actually shoot one.

IMO the BG 380 is a poorly designed, poorly thought out pistol. I does fit my hand nice but, at this point I don't know if I trust S&W customer service, or the pistol itself. Guess it's time to start looking for something else.... live and learn.

 

[Dragon88]

I completely understand your frustration, and I'm disappointed in S&W over their recent habit of rushing products to market and having the public beta test it for them. i.e., the 15-22 and now the BG380.

Here's what I would do. Wait a month or two until S&W figures out how to fix the BG380. Not just replace the same faulty parts, but actually fix the design. Then send it back under warranty and get it fixed for good. That is a hard thing to live with considering you paid good money for a self defense pistol, but it is probably your best course of action right now. Give S&W some time to fix their new design.

That's for the trigger reset issue though. If you can't live with the trigger pull period, you might have to consider a trade. I tried the BG380 at a local shop along with the LCP and Diamondback 380, and the BG had the worst trigger pull of the lot to me. Way too long and stiff.

(btw, I went with the Kel Tec PF-9. Cheaper ammo, better ballistics, decent trigger, about the same size, and the design is a few years old and has had the bugs worked out. It's cheaper to boot, you should be able to trade one for one at a decent shop, if you want to go that route.)

 

[jrs70]

I would send it back again. Tell Smith your not happy. See what they will do for you. In the past they have given the customer a new gun. This could be another model that you would be happy with. just my 2cents

Paul

 

[firehawk1]

Dragon, at this point I guess I will take your advise. I'll wait awhile to contact S&W again about this.

I'm no gunsmith, but can anyone tell me why this gun needs such a stiff spring? Heck my 64 year old M1 carbine has a MUCH better trigger on it than the BG380.

 

[Dragon88]

Liability. The harder a gun is to shoot, the "safer" it is in the eyes of the law. Sad as it is, just look at the NY trigger for Glocks and the stiff triggers on most newer self defense pistols. I'd take the trigger on my M1 Carbine as well. It was good enough for WWII so I guess that says something...

When you send it back have them upgrade the takedown pin to the latest specs as well, just in case that problem pops up on your pistol too. Watch the forum here and you will know when the right time comes to send it in.

 

[firehawk1]

Liability. The harder a gun is to shoot, the "safer" it is in the eyes of the law. Sad as it is, just look at the NY trigger for Glocks and the stiff triggers on most newer self defense pistols. I'd take the trigger on my M1 Carbine as well. It was good enough for WWII so I guess that says something...

When you send it back have them upgrade the takedown pin to the latest specs as well, just in case that problem pops up on your pistol too. Watch the forum here and you will know when the right time comes to send it in.

I appreciate your input on this. BTW, what exactly have they upgraded on the takedown pin? That is one thing I have had no problems with so far... after a total of about 250 rounds.

 

[Dragon88]

Some owners are having the takedown pin back out while firing, to the point that the pin will eject completely and the slide will shoot off the pistol, leaving you holding just the frame. It is one of the major issues being reported along with the trigger reset issue.

 

[Goffman]

Some owners are having the takedown pin back out while firing, to the point that the pin will eject completely and the slide will shoot off the pistol, leaving you holding just the frame. It is one of the major issues being reported along with the trigger reset issue.

...and the broken firing pin shaft. Can't forget that. It's only a matter of time before someone else experiences the same problem that I encountered.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-semi-auto-pistols/148484-bodyguard-380-first-problem.html

 

[kas1263]

I have had the problem of the take down pin coming off and was left holding the frame. There even was a bullet in the chamber waiting to be fired! Mine is on the way to Smith right now for repair. We shall see what happens.

 

[Loco Weed]

Mine should be back from S&W this week following repairs to a trigger that wouldn't reset. I'm ready to start putting a lot of rounds down range but I just don't have a warm fuzzy feeling about this pistol. With all the problems that have cropped up I have little confidence in it as a self-defense pistol.

 

[firehawk1]

I was aware of the pin backing out problem, I wasn't aware of a "fix" S&W had for it. As I said, that is one problem I have not experienced.

I'll wait awhile before calling S&W again, but after shooting my nephew's Ruger Mark III yesterday I "might" just have to trade this thing in for one and look at something else for a small CCW weapon. I don't know if S&W monitor's this site, but they had better get their act together QUICK on this as far as I'm concerned.

I really had high hopes for this pistol as the LCP is simply too small for my hand, and the Kel Tec's just looked cheap IMO.