Report: Problems with new S&W Bodyguard 380

[cateye]

Report: Problems with new S&W Bodyguard 380
I purhcased a S&W Bodyguard 380 on Saturday. With great enthusiasm and expectations I took it to the range on Sunday morning for a first shoot. Unfortunately that is all I got! after the first shot the trigger failed to return (trigger return spring or something else failed in the gun). With out taking the gun past the field stripping described in the manual, I have not been able to correct the problem. I will be taking it back to the dealer this morning to see what remedies are available. Obviously this was a great dissapointment. I am a long time fan of S&W revolvers (my wife and I are NRA certified instructors and shoot S&W 340PD's) and this is the first semi automatic I have purchased for self defense.

 

[Stilch]

Wow; now that's what I call a raspberry
pisser. I've been looking forward to the
BG380 as well; haven't found any in my
area yet. I hope you get some satisfaction
from your dealer; if not, surely S&W will
make it right. Maybe I should hang on to my
Ruger LCP after all...

 

[wsl1971]

I want one also but i think ill wait 6-8 months until they get all the kinks worked out. Until then ill keep my LCP in my pocket!!

Bill

 

[Kilted Cossack]

cateye:

Welcome to the board.

I try to resist the "early adopter" syndrome. In cars, computers or firearms, newly introduced products quite frequently are subject to unforseen design issues. I'd prefer that this didn't happen, but just look at the numbers. If 10,000 people have bought S&W Bodyguard .380s and spent three hours each shooting them, that's 30,000 hours of range testing, with 10,000 different grips, shooting stances and ammunition.

I'm reasonably confident that S&W will make the Bodyguard series right. In the meantime, could I recommend a nice little 3913? They worked the bugs out of that one a long time ago.

 

[M29since14]

We're starting to see a few of these BG380 failure threads here and there. It's a new product, but even so, you would certainly hope to get more than one shot!

I probably was foolish and jumped on the bandwagon too soon - bought a BG380 Saturday, but did not have time to shoot it. I will be giving it a test drive Wednesday. One thing is for sure, if there is trouble, you won't sit around on pins and needles wondering if S&W will fix it (that's a given). It's just the inconvenience.

The gun is certainly an attractive little package with a lot of nice features. I particularly like that it has a good set of sights, a thumb safety, and of course the built-in laser. For my purposes, I would have preferred a magazine safety, but I guess with the safety lock, I can get by without it. I think it will be a winner: priced more attractively that the Kahr, and much better in features and ergonomics than the lower-priced competitors. Hopefully whatever bugs there may be, they will be resolved quickly.

 

[ladder13]

Report: Problems with new S&W Bodyguard 380
I purhcased a S&W Bodyguard 380 on Saturday. With great enthusiasm and expectations I took it to the range on Sunday morning for a first shoot. Unfortunately that is all I got! after the first shot the trigger failed to return (trigger return spring or something else failed in the gun). With out taking the gun past the field stripping described in the manual, I have not been able to correct the problem. I will be taking it back to the dealer this morning to see what remedies are available. Obviously this was a great dissapointment. I am a long time fan of S&W revolvers (my wife and I are NRA certified instructors and shoot S&W 340PD's) and this is the first semi automatic I have purchased for self defense.

Call S&W, they'll send you a return label and arrange to have the gun shipped back on their dime.
These 380's are starting to look like the 15-22's which were problematic from the getgo. Smith has got a handle on the issues with the 15-22 it seems.

 

[SMSgt]

Yep, saw threads on some other forums about BodyGuard problems, mainly trigger issues. Shouldn't be happening in today's world. I think companies are relying too much on computer design and testing rather than pumping ammo through them and see what breaks.

 

[Pioneer461]

Old saying; "Beware of low serial numbers."

 

[goldenlight]

They look like the perfect 'summer' CCW, but I'll wait until AFTER the inevitable recall...or the upgrade, or whatever.

 

[duckloads]

OK, a little rant.............

All this talk about S&W making the 380 and the 15-22 right is a bunch of crap. It is unacceptable.

I have a High Point 995 9mm carbine (yeh I admit it) that has never failed me. period. It ALWAYS goes bang, ejects the spent shell and chambers a new round. ALWAYS. It's one of the early ones, perhaps 7-8 yrs old.

Now that my truck gun is better that your gun, I feel better.

 

[LuddhaBuddha]

Well duck I agree that there shouldn't be all these problems with the guns but, you only hear about the bad ones, not many people go out of their way to inform the world when something works as it should. That being said I'm sure your High Point works great but, if I go by all the problems I've read about on the internet then yours is in the minority. Is it really, probably not but, by your logic most of the new body guards are crap and so are most of the high points out there, I don't believe either are.

 

[spec5]

Took my Bodyguard .380 to the range for the third time and mine had a major problem. The take down lever backed out after firing about 100 rounds today and the slide, spring, guide rod, and take down lever blew off the gun. I was left holding only the lower with the mag in it. I picked up the pieces and put it all back together and the only way to keep the take down level from backing out was to put my finger next to it. If I would take my finger away it would continue to back out after firing several rounds. Called S&W and told them my story and I got the shipping label and just took it to FedEx. The CS person had heard the story before and they don't know a reason why it is happening. The way I see it is the take down lever is being moved by recoil when the slide is open and will drop all the way down and out of the gun. There does not seem to be enough tension on the take down lever on my gun as it moves easily on slide open or slide lock.

 

[PittShooter]

That's a bummer. I'm not a huge fan of that take down pin as it is.

I lost the right side button/cover for the laser yesterday, must have popped off while switching holsters. Other than that everything else is A-OK. Emailed S&W about getting another button, currently hole is covered with some electrical tape.

 

[Dragon88]

Surely S&W fired a *few* rounds through the new pistol after designing it..... Didn't these problems with the pistol shaking itself apart come up in testing?? It seems that most gun makers build these 380s to shoot one or two boxes of ammo, then be stuffed in a pocket or purse and never fired again.

 

[boomer453]

after the 1st 6 rounds through mine i noticed the laser was off by almost 2' at 3yds and won't adjust using the procedure in the manual. kept shooting for 100rds without any other issues.

 

[gabriel76]

I found that while adjusting the laser, if it will not adjust enough in the direction you need it to, adjust it back in the opposite direction and then start over. This worked for me and my laser is now spot on.

 

[Milspec]

We fired my wife's new S&W Bodyguard Sunday afternoon. After some initial drifting and readjustment the laser stayed dead-on and helped me to shoot consistent 4" groups at 50 feet (my old eyes don't work well with iron sights anymore). It's not as bright as the CT laser on her LCP, but if you keep the lens clean it works fine indoors. Unfortunately, it only comes with one magazine and spares aren't available yet. That's a dumb move by S&W...even mouse guns need spare mags. So she still carries her LCP while we wait on mags to come off backorder. Other than that it's a fun gun that didn't miss a beat during 100 rounds of break-in firing. I guess I like the thing...might even buy one myself...

Milspec

 

[luke812]

Sending mine back today. EAA35**. Take down lever...disappeared. It was approx 15 ft to the left of where I thought would be its trajectory.

Good fun hunting for part of your pistol after just talking it up. I Trust S&W will resolve and restore my satisfaction in the firearm.

 

[luke812]

Also hope there is some improvement in the trigger. Not sure if spring issue, but its got seemingly and 7+ pound trigger and the longest drag Ive ever experienced.

 

[ladder13]

OK, a little rant.............

All this talk about S&W making the 380 and the 15-22 right is a bunch of crap. It is unacceptable.

I have a High Point 995 9mm carbine (yeh I admit it) that has never failed me. period. It ALWAYS goes bang, ejects the spent shell and chambers a new round. ALWAYS. It's one of the early ones, perhaps 7-8 yrs old.

Now that my truck gun is better that your gun, I feel better.

Didn't realize a HP 995 could slip into your front pocket.