The S&W Bodyguard 380 has full size service gun accuracy in a pocket pistol!!

Mystro

New member
I needed to post this on the Semi Auto side of life...I have to say i have been looking for the perfect pocket pistol for a long time. The Bodyguard looked awesome with its first release but I waited for S&W to work the bugs out and wasn't in any particular hurry. Two years later and the BG380 was still the standout in its class of guns. I picked up one today and put 150 rounds through it.

Ammo choices were slim these days but I did find some PMC and Sellier Bellot. Both were extremely accurate, I mean tack drivers! I was lucky to find any 380acp. The gun was very reliable and spit the cases out in one neat little pile on the ground. No break-in issues of any kind. Recoil was not even worth mentioning. I generally limit myself to a 9mm as my minimum caliber but with the advancement in high performance bullets and the manufacturers are all using them in the 380acp, I feel the Bodyguard is a Pit bull for its size and weight. Sometimes the right caliber in the right gun is a perfect marriage and that is the case with the Bodyguard 380. Super thin, light, accurate and comfortable to shoot in one package. It makes a Glock 27 feel too heavy and too big to ever pocket carry again.

I am a experienced tactical hand-gunner and handgun hunter so the heavy DAO trigger was no issue to get outstanding accuracy. It is heavy but breaks crisp and clean. It has a very unique feel that makes it very easy to stage the trigger almost like you would with a DA revolver. Once you got the feel of staging the trigger, you can take head shots all day long. If you are new to guns, this trigger might just seem heavy but old school revolver guys will love this trigger. I have seen similar accuracy claims so the trigger will perform if you learn the gun and it took me about 2 magazines to do that. A DAO is what I want in a pocket gun. Its just added insurance. The safety is also a nice option when the gun is loose in a pocket. The DAO trigger doesn't need to have the safety engaged for normal safe carry but I like the option. I did have to fine tune the laser for pinpoint accuracy but I was pleased with both the iron sights and laser accuracy. I get why S&W is using these sights, a tritium front sight would snag on your pocket. Painting the front sight is what we always did pre tritium sight days and I don't see it being any different with the BG380.

With very little effort, I could get accuracy bettering some full size service sidearms. The one target, I just used the iron sights and the other i just used the laser as I was tweaking it for accuracy.
380targets.jpg

I was able to put 6 shots in the size of a quarter at 10 yards when the laser was sighted in.


Bodyguardholster.jpg



This will make a perfect hot weather pistol or just when I don't want to carry one of my bigger sidearms. There is no reason with this accuracy, the Bodyguard 380 couldn't be your only or main CCW especially with the high performance ammo now in 380acp. Number one rule in a gunfight is to bring a gun and you would be well served to have the BG380. My LGS let's me try about anything they have and I really didn't find any of the other pocket guns to be in the same league as the BD380. People tend to cheap out on their pocket guns and it should be just the opposite. Little guns need excellent engineering and S&W set the bar with this gun. The BG380 feels like a $500 gun and the fact that S&W lowered it to $400.00 for a laser integrated gun makes it a bargain in my book. I live in the mountains so this little gem will ride along with me as a light weight trail gun on ATV rides or scouting deer. Now to locate some high quality defense rounds like Gold Dots or PDX1.....:eek:


These holster fit the BG380 perfectly. The IWB is for shorts or sweatpants. The gun is light enough you dont need a belt.
 

IDbound

New member
Nice review. Totally agree with your assessment. A Recluse leather front pocket holster makes it quick and easy to remove from suit pants.
 

Tad_T

New member
I bought my wife a BG380 for Christmas.

After I test fired it and sighted in the laser, she almost didn't get it. ;)

She likes it a lot, too.
 

Old_Dog

New member
Try firing 5 shots in 3 seconds and then compare it to a full sized gun. Too many people shoot real slow at the range and that is now how a self defense shooting goes at all. Most do not even use their sights or two hands. I can shoot an LCP into the bullseye more times than not and have done so to prove to some locals that they are the problem and not the LCP. However I cannot shoot it nearly as well as a full sized gun in rapid fire when I cannot stage the trigger and take my time.
 

SIMP

New member
I love M&P pistols as I own an M&P9c and Shield 9mm. I just don't like the bodyguard 380 for some reason. I do, however, love my LCP. Glad you're happy with the S&W though. Enjoy it.
 

Mystro

New member
A cool sight mod I stumbled across was to use reflective DOT tape on your front sight. Its thin, weather resistant and sticks very well. I had some I bought for my Kubota plow and I remembered that when its stuck, it is extremely hard to peel off. It glows like a fiber optic pin. Its a cheap mod and still lets your front sights be snag free.




I bought mine here but you can find it on Ebay. Email me and I can send you some cheap.
Reflective Tape - TapeJungle.com - The Industrial Tape Superstore
 

RamItOne

New member
I like mine, the DAO pull is stiff but that's what I want, I'll drop 5" steel plates at 10 yards no issue, grouping on papers isn't as good as the OP, but this gun is for pull squeeze and run. Not going to stay in a fight with 7 rounds of .380
 

Noreaster

New member
Very nice. I like my LCP, just wish it had sights! The self defense 380 ammo is top notch now and I have confidence in it.
 

Dragline45

New member
I really want to like this gun, but the trigger is hands down the worst trigger I have felt on any firearm period. I learned to shoot with DA revolvers, and carried a couple for a few years so it being a DA trigger is not the problem. Maybe it was just the one I handled, but it was long and very gritty. I also think they should offer the pistol without the laser, it would make it more streamline and just better looking overall. I am going to bet that if I pick one up the only thing the laser will be used for is amusing my cat. Maybe ill have to check another out next time I go to the shop.
 
Last edited:

Mosin44az

New member
Mystro,

Nice idea on the DOT tape, thanks for that and the link.

As for the BG 380, I respectfully disagree with you though I am glad you are happy with yours.

Staging the trigger might work if you have enough time, but when would you have such time in a defensive situation. My BG did have a very heavy trigger, definitely inferior to my LCP's after it smoothed out...

The BG does have better sights, and is more comfortable to shoot due to its slightly higher weight and wider grip shape. These are the BG's main advantages in my view.

My LCP was far more reliable than my BG, even after I got it back from Smith for multiple problems out of the box (Smith gives the best service in the industry in my experience, but Ruger's is also good).

Reliability is THE MOST important feature on any defensive gun, and it's why I kept my LCP and sold off the BG. I note that Ruger has recently improved the trigger pull and sights on the newest LCPs also.

LCP still wins in my view. And I can do pretty fast head shots out to 7 yards with it, though 5 yards is generally its best range.
 

skeath

New member
Good review. The 380 doesn't get much respect in the handgun world, but given that the average critical incident occurs at 3 yds, I think it would prove a point when required. I have a Hornady round that is hollow-point with a plastic plug, intended to increase penetration.

The BG is well-made and very reliable, and great for those of us who need deep concealment. Some of you may know it is one of two guns authorized for BUG/off duty carry for LAPD. The trigger does get better with use, but it takes about 600 rounds to get there.
 
I like the idea of the BG380.

Hate the trigger.
Laser...why?

And...there are more than a few reports of these things breaking firing pins.

S&W should just build a small Shield in 380.
 

Mystro

New member
The Laser is for low light shooting. Why would that be dismissed on the BG380 yet so very popular with all other guns equipped with lasers?:confused: A integrated laser weighs next to nothing, is more accurate than a after market add on laser simply because its laser is closer to the bore axis. Its a win win situation.
I am challenging the whole premise that a pocket gun cant be every bit as accurate as a full size gun. It obviously can be.;)


I am really good with open sights but I couldnt shoot this accurate in a gun this small WITHOUT a laser...

14 shots
 
I see that youre an experienced "tactical hand-gunner". Is this rapid fire? Also can you draw this gun quickly and have a good grip on it? If you can good on you. If it works for you, great. I am a huge S&W fan, just not a fan of this gun. I'm not a fan of pocket carry either. I tried to like this gun and appreciate the benefits of pocket carry but neither are for me. So what's up with the firing pins breaking?
 
Last edited:

skeath

New member
I have felt for months that the trigger was inferior, but it was really me. Once I got serious about dry-fire practice, my groups got smaller. BTW, while the laser might not be something you would have time to turn on in a SHTF situation, it is a great training aid. Point the laser at a small aiming point on the wall, and squeeze the trigger, without letting the laser move. I use a target intended for 22 rifles; the center point is the size of a dime. I have had great results with that exercise.
 

Billy Shears

New member
Bought one of these recently. A huge disappointment.

Put 500 rounds through it the first week. I got reaaallly tired of having brass hit me in the forehead (1 or 2 out of every magazine) and having to readjust the laser every 25-30 rounds so I traded it in (still almost brand new) on something that actually works with less frustration.

I suppose I just got a lemon, but it wasn't worth my time to send it back to S&W to have it fixed. The BG380 is a nice concept with impressive features and more affordable than I would have expected, but at the end of the day it's just another plastic .380 and the market is flooded with those right now, both new and used so I didn't feel any real attachment to mine.

My Ruger LCP has been in my pocket for more than 4 years now and has been flawless in every way. Even though I wish it had some of the features of the Smith I think this is the one I'll keep.
 

jon_in_wv

New member
I've owned the LCP and sold it shortly after I bought the BG380. There is no practical difference in size between the two. The Bg380 has a better grip, better sights, a BETTER trigger (in my opinion), and much better sights. The LCP was pretty accurate but I can and do shoot my BG380 almost as well as my M&P 9mm and my 3913. Yes, the DAO trigger takes more effort than the superb single action trigger of the 3913 in rapid fire but that should go without saying right? The slight advantage in size and snag free design of the LCP/P3AT may make them a better choice for a BUG but for times when you want to carry and conceal only one small gun the BG380 has a LOT going for it.
 

Sevens

New member
Unless I missed it in someone's post (apologies ahead of time), has nobody brought up the method of turning the laser "on" with this pistol?

Or has Smith & Wesson redesigned and revamped it?

It's a deal breaker, IMO, incredibly ill-conceived. Extremely difficult and not at all intuitive to turn on the laser, and I can't imagine anyone in a defensive situation that happens instantly could ever turn the laser on.
 
Top