S & W Bodyguard

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GunLvrNLearner

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I assume both the 38 and 380 are both out by now but i may be wrong,does anyone have one or saw one yet?What are your thoughts?And what are the prices they seem to be ?
 
I've gotten both of them in. I am disappointed in both of them. I cannot comprehend how Smith & Wesson has paid people to put these guns into production as they are. I really like the M&P, the bodyguards needed a little more thought.

I'm going to shoot the Bodyguard 380 tonight and I have a little more insight tomorrow but for now I'd give it maybe a 80/100 because of the safety, trigger, and laser.
 
Why S&W didnt pay Crimson Trace to come up with a version of their laserguard for the Bodyguard .380 and sell it with that installed is beyond comprehension to me.

The pressure activated laserguard is, to me, far superior to any manual switch operated laser device i've ever used.
 
The revolver "bodyguard" is mediocre but the little .380 Bodyguard I got to handle compared very favorably to the LCP & Keltechs.
 
...the little .380 Bodyguard I got to handle compared very favorably to the LCP & Keltechs.
Click to expand...

Is that a good attribute? :scrutiny: I'm not sure yet...guess time will tell.

S&W looks like they really yucked up the "new" Bodyguard revolver. It has no appeal to me whatsoever. :(
 
Saw the revolver at a gunshow. Liked the way it felt, finish seemed ok, for what it is (hybrid polymer revolver). Couldn't figure out the laser functions. The cylinder release is...interesting. Would definitely take some getting used to.
 
Cocked & Locked,
S&W made both a polymer revolver and semi-auto and called them the Bodyguard line. Neither have anything to do with a Bodyguard frame like the revolver you posted. I knew them naming that 2 gun line the Bodyguard line was going to cause confusion with the Bodyguard J frame.

BTW, I just love that revolver of yours and those grips... The Bodyguard frame is my favorite J frame!
 
BTW, I just love that revolver of yours and those grips... The Bodyguard frame is my favorite J frame!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comment! Once upon a time I also HAD a S&W model 49 Bodyguard and like an idiot sold it...now I miss it. It had the diamond grips with the slightly higher horn that numbered to the gun. :o
 
Bass Pro Shop is selling the S&W Bodyguard 38 Revolver for $550 and the S&W Bodyguard 380 pistol for $500.

Last I checked Bass Pro was also selling the Ruger LCP w/laser for $500 (the same price as the Bodyguard 380. The Bodyguard has a better slide and barrel finish (melonite) and also comes with a thumb safety which may or may not be to your liking. Most women I've talked to want the thumb safety. Men seem to be split with some saying they want it and some saying they don't want the thumb safety.
 
I just read the review in guns and ammo on both guns. Both had laser sites and are concedered great guns of course ,,surprize. I don't get the plastic revolver at all. It wiegh 14.6 oz and that ain't a real light wieght by todays guns and retail cost is 642 i think. For that kind of money you can be look'n at a real revolver in the same weight class. Just more modern day crap out of a company that allready has to many models.
 
I looked at both the 38 has the laser button in a bad spot. The 380 was a little better spot if they proof to be bug free I might buy the 380. under 500 with a laser. The 38 cylinder release takes a little getting use to.
The workers at the gunshop didn't like the feel of them,
 
I wish you could buy the pistol WITHOUT a laser, so that you could adapt a crimson trace laser to it instead.

I handled one of the .380 Bodyguards today. The button activation and multi-mode settings are stupid.

Pressure activated is to me by far the best way to go with a laser.
 
I had mixed feelings about the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 last week when I got it in. I had to take it out for a test run that very night though.

The box of ammo that I grabbed off the shelf at home only had 30 rounds in it, so that's what I shot out of it. At 7 yards, I put most of the rounds in a group not much larger than a quarter. I was impressed with how well it shot and equally impressed with how well it functioned without any issues.

I don't really like to carry a gun with a safety but this little gun has one, and while it can be worked while bringing the gun to bear, I'm not sure I would trust being able to do so in a tense moment where I might die if I didn't find it right away. Since the trigger feels like it will take two men to pull it back, I'm not sure the safety is needed.

So, the trigger, is probably now what I dislike about the gun the most. I'll admit that the average guy could probably pull the trigger back, but it is very stiff and very long, not firing until the trigger is basically touching the frame. Taking your time, it is possible to shoot this little gun well, but not fast. The reset is almost all the way back out. I tried repeatedly last night to pull the trigger 7 times as fast as I could (basically emptying the gun), I would HOPE and PRAY I wouldn't need to do that with that gun.

When I was first handling it, I was afraid that the laser button might get bumped on accidentially while carrying in the pocket or in a holster, but after spending several days with the gun in my rear pocket I realize that isn't a real concern. I do wonder about the pulsating laser. Why does this gun need a pulsating laser? It is easier to find the laser in the daylight when it is pulsating but this isn't a gun that is going to be used for any distance that a laser might be needed during daylight hours.

In my opinion the pistol feels good, shoots very well, but needs a trigger job immediately upon purchase.
 
Got the 38 Bodyguard a week or so ago for $439.00 plus tax. Great shooter with what I consider minimal recoil. Good carry revolver IMHO.
 
My .02

Got a .380 Bodyguard last week, and with 200 rds downrange, it's been perfect. Laser works well, gun is accurate, easy to disassemble/reassemble and clean--so far, just a boresnake gets it done.
 
New S&W .380 Bodyguard

I have been seriously thinking of getting this to replace my LCP as a BUG to backup my daily carry, M&P9C. I just don't like the trigger on the LCP. Too long and slow to bang. I am on Cabela's online order for it and waiting for the call when they get them in. I believe S&W has the 2 free mag/$50 rebate currently back up?
K.
 
Haven't actually seen either in stores yet, but here's my take on the .38:

Looks good:
-ambi cylinder release
-ratchet drive seems much simpler and more robust
-integrated laser
-looks a lot better than the LCP
-supposedly improved grip geometry
-pinned front sight
-NO LOCK

Not so hot:
-pressure-sensitive activation seems the overwhelmingly obvious route to go with lasers
-cylinder release eliminates possibility for a hammer (though I personally don't want one)
-laser jacks up price for those that don't want it

IMO the ratchet drive thing has a lot of potential. With a concealed hammer, it pretty much eliminates any possiblity of debris entering the mechanism to jam up the gun. It also looks simpler to produce, and bringing down costs is always a good thing.
 
call me cynical, but ever since the british got involved with S&W i don't trust their stuff anymore. Like colt, smith realized they could sell the name on anything they stamped it on, and with the mess they have made out of walther, i'll spend my money elsewhere. there was a time when their 3rd gen autopistols were world class, there was a time when colt could make a revolver that worked, there was a time when gas was .25 cents a gallon too. oh well, by gone days.
 
When I turn 21 I had planned on getting a S&W Airweight as my carry piece, but upon seeing the Bodyguard 38, I liked some of its features. Points for the more classic-style grip frame (the one on the LCR looks HUGE and lumpy, and the Airweights all have short grips) and the placement of the laser. I'm a lefty, so my support-hand gets in the way of where the laser is with CT. Above the cylinder looks like it'd be out of the way. And the ambi-cylinder release is good, too. But the on/off switch for the laser is something one would have to engage before use, slowing down use. I mean one of the reasons to go revolver is non-complicated ease of use, so adding to things needed to use the gun defeats the idea. Now I'd kind of rather have something along the lines of Colt Detective Special or a classic Smith & Wesson J-frame.

Are there any modern versions of these to be had new? I have nothing against buying used, but I prefer to put my own wear on guns.

Also, sorry for thread-jack, but it's kind of related...
 
I will keep my real Model 49 Bodyguard S&W should be ashamed , sticking classic names on the modern junk. Chief special , M&P, Bodyguard , they have no shame just want $$$$$$$ Their no longer getting my $$.
 
I don't really like to carry a gun with a safety but this little gun has one, and while it can be worked while bringing the gun to bear, I'm not sure I would trust being able to do so in a tense moment where I might die if I didn't find it right away. Since the trigger feels like it will take two men to pull it back, I'm not sure the safety is needed.
Click to expand...
I was watching Shooting USA on Wednesday (they were doing the Shot Show 2010) and the S&W rep said the safety was for people who like to carry cocked and locked.
I just don't like the trigger on the LCP.
Click to expand...
Kris - I don't like the trigger on mine either. But, I think I'll fook for an older S&W 442 or a 642 instead of a Bodyguard.
 
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