New Bodyguard 38 no laser

[HiCap]

Any information when this model will be shipped?

HiCap

 

[Rpg]

I don't know about shipping dates.

However, I'd be very reluctant to spend my money on the Tupperware Bodyguard 38: they are subject to freezing up. They employ an action not used in any other gun. They aren't j frames.

You can get an airweight j frame 38 (eg 642) without laser for a very competitive price. It's a real j frame that doesn't exhibit the reliability problems folks often encounter with the Tupperware Bodyguard 38.

 

[DocB]

I don't care if they ever ship. With an abundance of M36's from the 1980's and before out there in the $200-$250 range, why would anybody even consider throwing money away on junk.

 

[VictorLouis]

If the MSRP is 385, what will these 'street' at?

S&W Announces Addition to M&P Bodyguard 38 Revolver Series - The Firearm BlogThe Firearm Blog

 

[photoman]

I don't care if they ever ship. With an abundance of M36's from the 1980's and before out there in the $200-$250 range, why would anybody even consider throwing money away on junk.

I haven't seen a $200 Model 36 in 20 years. Must be looking in all the wrong places.

 

[shawn mccarver]

The Bodyguard 38 revolver has a reproducible problem in which under certain conditions (like you just closed the cylinder), the first trigger pull simply will not cause the cylinder to rotate. With mine, it also happened at random other times as well.

Many owners never notice as the round under the hammer fires and they think the cylinder has rotated. Not a problem, I suppose, if you always have your cylinder fully loaded. A disaster if you don't, which can happen in a defense situation.

Many owners ignore it or claim it has never happened to them, likely because they are embarrassed to admit they spent money on junk.

I am not embarrassed to admit I spent money on junk. Wouldn't be the first time, and probably won't be the last.

I could not, in good conscience, give away the gun, nor can I throw it in a river, for legal and other reasons. So, like some Taurus revolvers that are also non-working junk even after trips back to the factory (in both the case of the S&W and the Taurus revolvers in question), it sat gathering dust. My son-in-law thought he could fix it - he is an engineer - so I gave it to him. I warned him strictly never to use it until he was happy with its reliability. He reports his efforts are a no-go. So, the junk still sits. If it were anything other than a firearm, it would have been in the trash years ago.

I simply will not buy a revolver that does not work 100% of the time. S&W knows about this problem, and has made a decision to not address it. Shameful, really.

So, if you want their junk, be my guest. I have regretted it every day since the day it arrived, including after its multiple trips back to the factory.

Save yourself the heartache. Get a 442 or 642 without the lock. You will be much happier.

 

[hostler]

My 38 Bodyguard would occasionally lock up the cylinder or the trigger. I bought it to carry but because of the reliability issues I never did. It sat in the safe for months and finally I took a huge loss on it and sold it back to a dealer because there was no way I was going to pass that thing off to another consumer. I know the dealer probably did but he knew the issue and that's on him.

 

[slabside2]

I rented one at the range to try and sometimes when you'd pulled the trigger the cylinder wouldn't turn. I was thinking since it was a range rental gun it was beat to death but after reading all this guess not. Oh yeah and the laser we shooting off into left field somewhere.

 

[Outfitr]

You guys got me worried now. Mine's been fine, no problems at all. It has the insight laser. I've shot it quite a bit too.

 

[hardknocks]

Wowzers

I don't care if they ever ship. With an abundance of M36's from the 1980's and before out there in the $200-$250 range, why would anybody even consider throwing money away on junk.

I wish where I live a model 36 could be had for 2 bills.
4 to 500 bucks and even more commonly.
I didn't know the bodyguard had a glitch but luckily I don't fancy them.

 

[GeoJelly]

I have handled two of them in the last couple of years - both triggers were very rough and the lock-up reminded me of the old (metal) cap guns back in the 60's. Maybe they start new employees off by having them assemble (I can't use the term "fit" here!) these clunkers. Used - but very good looking - 442's and 642's show up around here for $300 to $325... They both have polymer grip frames - but the Ruger LCR's I have handled have been a couple orders of magnitude better than the .38 Bodyguards.

 

[hostler]

You guys got me worried now. Mine's been fine, no problems at all. It has the insight laser. I've shot it quite a bit too.

Try something with it.
Unload it, slowely pull the trigger until the cylinder rotates about half way between chambers, release the trigger and try to pull it again. Report back.
I found out about this little trick at the range one day doing slow fire and I thought I saw a kid run out on the range while I was staging the trigger for a shot.
There are other ways to make it jamb like closing the cylinder and pulling the trigger without indexing the cylinder first.
A true j frame will just rotate to the next chamber in these circumstances when the trigger is pulled..

 

[hostler]

They both have polymer grip frames - but the Ruger LCR's I have handled have been a couple orders of magnitude better than the .38 Bodyguards.

If I was in the market for a hi-tech polymer revolver the Ruger would be the only one on my list. That being said, it's hard to get past the sound of sleigh bells that the LCR makes every time you touch it.

 

[slabside2]

If I was in the market for a hi-tech polymer revolver the Ruger would be the only one on my list. That being said, it's hard to get past the sound of sleigh bells that the LCR makes every time you touch it.

I owen two LCR's love them both you can shake the hell out of them and nothing. I did hear reports the early ones did play jingle bells. If you can get past the looks of them they are awesome little guns. I'm still a S+W fan and have some....older ones but the out of the box trigger on the LCR can't be beat. The Kimber K6S also is also a nice gun if you don't believe plastic belongs on a revolver.

 

[joeintexas]

I took the 38 bodyguard in on a trade, thought it might be a good carry piece. It shot to point of aim, was light weight and easy concealable. Problem was it would misfire every so often, sent it in to S&W and it returned with the same problem. Sent it back. This time they seemed to get it right and it fired every time fine. They replaced the cylinder, firing pin and spring. Just could not trust it for a carry piece, sold it to a fellow that said it would just be a range gun. I told him about the problems I had, he didn't care as it would not be carried. My 638 and XD sub work just fine.

 

[badge 851]

I have an S&W® BODYGUARD 38 Special Mdl BG38 with the Crimson® Trace Laser I bought new in 11/2014. I have put about 1K rounds through it w/nary a hiccup (1K rounds). While cleaning the gun in 02/2018 I noticed the trigger would not fully reset.

Bottom line: off to S&W® for repair & return in 20 days. Works fine now through several hundred rounds.

I am satisfied. YMMVH...

 

[Edmo]

Several years ago I bought a BG38 new in the box. It lasted about a month and the action locked up. The trigger was frozen and the cylinder would not rotate or open.

I sent it back to the mothership and when it returned a few weeks later it would misfire two to three times in five shots! Light primer strikes with multiple different brands of ammo.

I sent it back again and S&W called uncle. They credited the gun's value towards a Model 642-1 which has been flawless.

My suggestion is to avoid the BG38 and get a J frame Airweight 442 or 642.

Edmo

 

[shirojiro]

Try something with it.
Unload it, slowely pull the trigger until the cylinder rotates about half way between chambers, release the trigger and try to pull it again. Report back.
I found out about this little trick at the range one day doing slow fire and I thought I saw a kid run out on the range while I was staging the trigger for a shot.
There are other ways to make it jamb like closing the cylinder and pulling the trigger without indexing the cylinder first.
A true j frame will just rotate to the next chamber in these circumstances when the trigger is pulled..

I just took my bodyguard 38 out of my pocket, unloaded it and tried these maneuvers.

The first one - pulling the trigger part way and releasing - was difficult for me to reproduce. I did it just right once and got the trigger to jam, but that took a fair amount of concentration with my gun. To get it to unjam in that circumstance, I only need to rotate the cylinder a bit.


The second one - where you don't index the cylinder after closing - doesn't jam my gun. It makes it so that it fires the pin on the current cylinder without rotation. With this gun, and my other J frames, when I close the cylinder, I index it so that it clicks positively. It has become habit, and for me, an important part of loading my revolvers.

I have mixed feelings about this plastic bodyguard revolver. Mine has been very reliable, and it's easy to carry, and I like the laser.

That said, I would not shed a single tear if it were lost, or damaged, or otherwise. I have three other J frames - a 36, a 60-7, and a 642-2. They're all nicer than the Bodyguard 38, and the 642 is also on my permit, but they haven't been more reliable.

I still carry the Bodyguard though, and part of my thinking is that if I'm involved in an incident that requires use of deadly force (I sure hope I never have to though), and if the Bodyguard were impounded and never returned, I'd be ok with that.

Of course YMMV, IMHO, etc.

 

[milton6x]

Plastic is for knobs . Pass it on .