New guy with questions and issues on my new .38 BG

[Hmebuildr]

My BG will be back tomorrow so we will see what the out come is.

FWIW I sent it to Smith on the 10th they got it on the 11th but did not check it in till the 24th according to the CS Rep. It was repaired and shipped out to me on the 25th. I will get it tomorrow the 27th sometime after 4pm according to Fedex

 

[5Wire]

Dry fire the BG38 a lot and the trigger smooths right out. If you don't allow the trigger to fully return or if you stall during trigger pull you'll skip a round, so if you're used to "staging" the trigger, this could be problematic. I can recreate the skip on my 617, haven't tried it on two 686s and 625.

A Q-Tip will clean the lens of the laser. Gently, though. I only remove the laser if there's fouling around it I can't get off without some kind of cleaner. Zero doesn't seem to change with removal and reinstallation.

I find the laser most helpful during dry firing to confirm proper grip, one or two handed. Regular sights for daylight is my preference. Switching the laser on is no more difficult than hitting the safety on a 1911 or similar safety. A little thought and a little practice, easy.

If you want a pretty revolver, all metal, traditional configuration, get one. The BG38 is a functional, practical and relatively inexpensive self defense weapon. Mine works fine.

I switch off between the BG38 and a 642-1.

 

[bad4dad]

38 Bodyguard Problems

Mr. Fahrenheit, I am new to the forum, I have recently purchased the Bodyguard38 and the Bodyguard 380. I purchased the Bodyguard 38 on December 20, 2010, fired less then 50 rounds through it and experienced the same problems, cylinder is not rotating properly causing ftf's and if I stage the trigger 2 or3 times repeatedly the trigger will lock up. I have to rotate the cylinder manually to free the trigger up. I sent the gun back to Smith & Wesson 2 weeks after this happened, got the gun back today and still have the same issue with it, they did not fix it. I contacted them once again and they are sending me another shipping label. Let me know if they correct your problem or if anyone else reading this forum has any information on this please let me know. Thanks bad4dad from Northeast Pennsylvania.

 

[rz625-8]

Sounds like what people were saying on the Ruger LCR. What you have to do is pull the trigger and let it release all the way to the front. I have showed my customers how to do it becauseof the way the trigger mech. is inside the grip. That is why you all are having a problem with the bodyguard .38. After you shoot it release the trigger with your finger all the way toward the front of the trigger guard until it [trigger] stops.

 

[Hmebuildr]

Got the BG back on Thursday called CS to see what it was they did as they did not include any paperwork. They replaced the Cylinder as they felt that was the problem and sent it back. Time to wade through the 3 feet of snow at the range and see if it fixed the problem.

 

[HiCap]

I've put 500 rounds of various makes and specs and I have no issues with it at all. In fact I sold my two J frames and my LCR, down sizing to what I need, shoot well and like. I did install a green Hi-Viz, since the laser is ineffective in the day and if I needed the weapon in a hurry w/o time to turn the light on.

HiCap

 

[rodeo kid]

Bodyguard .38 issues

Mr F, I must take issue with your wording. No revolver can fire with cylinder open. That is impossible. You might be able to pull the trigger, but the gun will not fire. I do agree about the trigger issue, one must release the trigger all the way forward on each round. All revolvers have this to some degree but the Bodyguard is more critical. As for the slow trigger pull, in a self defense situation, one will pull the trigger rapidly, trust me it is nothing like practice and one cannot understand until you actually shoot at another human being. God Bless.

 

[everett walker]

Never had the trigger hang but have had the cylinder not rotate to the next round when shooting.

this is not simply a matter of failing to release the trigger and allowing it to reset. Apparently the ratcheted gonad they used to replace the hand gets bounced out of register with the cylinder ratchet on some of the revolvers.. It is not an operator-caused error.

 

[5Wire]

this is not simply a matter of failing to release the trigger and allowing it to reset. Apparently the ratcheted gonad they used to replace the hand gets bounced out of register with the cylinder ratchet on some of the revolvers.. It is not an operator-caused error.

Maybe on yours. Not on mine where it is a simple matter of allowing the trigger to reset.

 

[everett walker]

Maybe on yours. Not on mine where it is a simple matter of allowing the trigger to reset.
__________________

Right. I didn't mean to incinerate otherwise or case asparagus on your experience. The one I had was definately defective as a few others seem to have been.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

Sorry, guys. I started this thread and failed to contribute much.

To update. I've taken the revolver to the range six times since I first posted and I've put an average of about 50 rounds a visit through the barrel. Although I never had any failure to rotate issues, I did have the trigger hang on me twice. Once on the third visit and once on the fifth.

However, yesterday, my sixth visit, a problem with the laser developed. Dang it if the laser didn't go out on me after 15 rounds while I was firing.

I pressed the on/off button and the laser came back on...but, after a cylinder reload, the laser again shut itself off while I was firing and no amount of pushing the button down would make it come back on.

I took the revolver home and got ready to closely inspect the laser...and it came on. Batteries are fine.

I don't know...not my best S&W, or handgun by any manufacturer, that I own.

I guess I could send it back, but they'll likely just send it back without any problems being found or resolved.

Whenever I take it to the range it seems like I'm not shooting for fun, but rather to see if the gun will fail. At 35 to 40 cents a round...forget it.

On the bright side, I picked up another 642 last week. No lock.

 

[5Wire]

I've had two laser related problems. Both attended to right away by S&W.