In April, I reported that the Los Angeles, CA Police Department had approved the Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 for back-up and off-duty carry. BlueSheepdog.com obtained one for review, so here we go!
The S&W Bodyguard 380 out on the range during SWAT training.
LAPD’s initial specifications for the gun called for a deactivation of the laser sight, which is an integral part of the receiver’s polymer frame. In addition, their specs requested a removal of the left side safety lever.
The laser and safety lever are present on current guns, but a S&W representative told me that future production guns for the LAPD would eliminate these two features.
Unfortunately, the reworked Bodyguard did not exist at press time, so S&W sent us the current production gun. To be fair, for testing we left the laser and safety alone.
The Bodyguard 380 Pistol
The Bodyguard shipped in the dark blue cardboard box. Inside, the gun was encased in a nice zippered nylon dayplanner-style case. The interior of the case had elastic slip holders for the gun and a spare magazine.
The Bodyguard arrived with one steel-bodied six round magazine that has a slightly flared floor plate for added gripping surface. The magazine has a bright orange follower for visibility. Included in the box were the manual, test fired casing, and a gun padlock.
The Bodyguard 380 is a hammer-fired, double action only, .380 ACP semi-automatic pistol with a polymer lower frame and a stainless steel slide. The slide is coated in black Melonite. The left side of the gun has the takedown lever, slide stop lever, manual safety lever, and button magazine release.
For the record, the Insight Technology laser sits in line with the barrel and is activated by a gray button on either side of the frame. The laser buttons cycle between “on,” “pulsing,” and “off.”
The frame of the gun is a matte polymer with stippled sections on the front, sides and rear of the grip. I found the gun felt solid in the hand, especially with the lower lip jutting down on the magazine. The front of the magazine lip also has the stippling.
The gun’s patridge sights are a serrated front ramp and a serrated square-notched rear sight. Both front and rear sights are drift adjustable for windage. The sights are designed to be smooth and snag-free.
The slide has a loaded chamber indicator that is a small window in the top of the slide/chamber junction. This allows you to visually see the case rim of a chambered round. The bullet casing can also been seen in a relief in the right side of the slide immediately in front of the extractor.
The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 after a day of testing at the range.
The Smith and Wesson Bodyguard has a 2.75” barrel. The gun is 5.4” in length, 4.1” in height, and a very svelte 0.75” in width. At 11.85 ozs., it is very light, yet retains enough weight and size that it does not handle like a toy.
A word about field stripping. When I first went to break the gun down, I had trouble with the takedown lever. It did not seem to rotate down as instructed in the manual. I soon learned that the lever had a slight redesign not yet found in the manual.
Early production guns had a problem with the takedown lever coming loose during extended firing. Smith & Wesson addressed this by changing the lever. Now, instead of turning the lever 180 degrees counterclockwise, the lever turns 270 degrees in that direction for disassembly.
This also requires a bit of added force, so unless you have longshoreman’s hands, I suggest using a wood or plastic dowel to assist its movement.
Range Time
I shot the Bodyguard in two range venues: SWAT training and at a local gun range. The .380 ACP ammunition I fired included 90 grain Speer Gold Dot Hollow Point, 95 grain Speer Lawman Total Metal Jacket, and 95 grain Fiocchi Full Metal Jacket.
The first range run was predictable for a new semi-auto. Initial shooting was punctuated with the expected hiccups. The Bodyguard suffered its share of failures to feed and failures to eject.
The gun shot just below point of aim at 7 to 10 yards with all three rounds. The Speer GDHP is my department mandated carry ammo. I did not use the laser, though it could be seen in the bright daylight at 7 yards on the white portions of the targets.
The trigger pull of the Bodyguard is excruciatingly long. The sear breaks at about 3/16th of an inch before the trigger meets the frame. I put the trigger pull between 8 and 10 pounds. The hammer falls with a sharp snap.
Though I had zero ammunition failures, the Bodyguard’s hammer allows for a second strike capability should a primer not fire.
My next range experience with the Bodyguard 380 was much more favorable. Though I had three failures to feed at the very beginning of the range session, the gun has come into reliability the more it has been fired.
Neither Richard, nor I, was in love with the long trigger pull, but I will say that for a close range combat weapon it is manageable. Besides, this gun’s intended playing field is the street, not a sniper competition.
I got used to its heavy revolver-like trigger early into several hundred rounds. By the time we were ready to get some barbeque for lunch, the gun was shooting flawlessly, even with mixed magazines of hollow point and hardball.
I have shot over four hundred rounds through this gun. It has broken in nicely. I like to have five hundred rounds through a gun like this before I will trust my life with it, but I don’t foresee a problem making this happen.
Summary
Despite that it was not yet proofed as a carry gun, I did tote the Bodyguard around as a back-up for several months. Though similar to my Kel-Tec P3AT, the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard has an advanced feel, as if it were an evolution of the popular original polymer .380.
I cannot stress enough the proper break-in period of a firearm for self defense carry. Had I not spent the time to shoot this gun into good function, like many other guns I’ve owned, I might have gotten rid of it prematurely.
The Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 offers a list of features not all found on comparable .380 guns; namely, second strike capability, real adjustable sights, a safety lever, a loaded chamber indicator, a slide stop lever, slide lock after the last round, and a built in laser.
S&W achieved a price point of $399.00 MSRP for the Bodyguard 380, which is very reasonable considering how much gun you get for your money.
I like this gun. With a holster, it is ideal for pocket carry. I have shown the Bodyguard 380 to quite a few co-workers. After taking a close look at it, many fellow cops have offered to buy it from me. I think that says it all.
Randall is a twenty-three year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department. He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader. He is currently the Midnight Shift K9 Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.
April 2013 Update – As with most things, the price on the pistol has gone up. If you are looking for a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 for sale, the suggested retail price is now $419. All things considered, this is still a pretty reasonable price for this little pistol.
Also, Smith & Wesson has not made any options or models of the Bodyguard without the laser or manual (thumb) safety. There may be various gunsmiths who are offering to disable those functions, but neither is a factory option at this time. Should that change, this page will be updated to reflect that.
i just bought this gun and i love it for the 350 i paid i think it is worth every penny great gun i would recemend it to any one and the trigger can be smoothing bye a guns smith for people with that as there biggest complant.
I am having a problem with turning the laser sight off of my Bodyguard .380 semi, do you have a solution?
yea you can send it back to smith and wessen they will have it a few weeks probably but 9 out of 10 they will send it back with a free magazine or you can get a ink pen from the store and cut small pieces and put it were the nubs in the button goes and it will keep the soft part in contact with your laser there is a you tube video explaining what to do id send it in first though my laser aint great either but i did what i said and it works alot better any other questions just ask be glad to help if i can
I bought this gun a couple of weeks ago, and I really like it. I have three 380 autos. The Smith & Wesson PPKS, AMT Back-up and my 380 S & W Bodyguard. It’s a great little gun for concealed carry. I have had zero failures with the first 150 rounds. Great weapon for Back packing, hiking and I carry mine on my Harley Davidson to protect me from the local animals.
Looking back, I would give the laser set screw a little attention during cleaning, just to make sure it is tight. I assumed, incorrectly, that fresh out of the box the BG 380 would only need a barrel and slide cleaning (factory residue removal) but that single screw could make trouble.
My wife just bought a Bodyguard 380. Less than 2 weeks and approx. 300-400 rounds thru the gun, the slide will not go far enough to chamber another round. From a quick inspection by the gunshop it appears that the set screw holding the laser assembly has backed out. Being returned to S&W for warranty and no indication or estimate on repair time. Somehow, this does not look too good for the reliability of a defensive carry weapon.
Until she gets the BG back in satisfactory working order, meaning a guaranteed fix, she will be carrying my old Glock 26 (which has never had a malfunction) but weighs almost twice as much.
Aside from the obvious reliability strike there is the matter of the total black sight picture. A little dab of white appliance paint to the front sight might help.
PS – she is now learning that 380 ammo is about 30% more expensive than 9mm ammo. Go figure.
Yea i had the same prob when you get it back take the little allen wrench they gave you back out the screw and put a tiny drop of lock tight on the screw if S&W dont do it there selves they will send a letter saying what was done one thing good about S&W is there customer service.
Blue LocTite only, not the red stuff. When I work on small electronics, I sometimes use a drop of fingernail polish on top just to keep screws from unwinding.
It’s my opinion that the safety lever is too stiff to operate with one hand. I find it necessary to first grip the slide with my left hand and turn the weapon sideways to the deck in order to provide sufficient resistance to push the safety into the firing position. The time delay necessary to execute that maneuver could find me scheduling a posthumous appointment with the medical examiner.
Readers: Please recommend methods for freeing up the safety lever so that it can easily be moved to the firing position with one hand.
My wife, with her small hands, has NO trouble thumbing the safety off. I might consult the dealer’s gunsmith for advice on getting the lever to move freely.
just work the safety at first it is a little stiff but the more you work it up and down it will loosen up. Lol that way of explaining it sounds dirty but works if not might have to be serviced.
Many boxes of different ammo, ZERO issues. There were a few known problems with the gun that were addressed by S&W. I had read about these before buying and none of them were a concern for me, I’m a pretty decent smitty. The trigger pull I like as it puts a relaxed pressure in my palm and helps me stay on target. The DAO long pull is very safe also for this gun’s purpose and allows me to carry it hot, safety off, without worrying about an accident. The sights are better than most for a pistol in this class and can be lit up with with a little well placed nail polish. Feels GREAT in the hand, sight picture come up naturally, extremely reliable and an easy carry. Hell, I’m in love!
I just bought this gun today. I am glad I read your review all I needed to hear was “Hell, I’m in Love!” gave my purchase confidence!
The safety is very stiff going on, but manageable coming off. I’m sure with some work it will loosen up. The best of all the ‘pocket’ .380′s I’ve tried so far, with the TCP coming in second.
I OWN BOTH THE S&W BODYGUARD AND THE RUGER LCP. BOTH HAVE TERRIBLE TRIGGER PULLS. THESE PISTOLS WOULD BE DEADLY ACCURATE AT 50′ IF THE TRIGGER PULLS WERE FAR LESS AND LIGHTER. THE BODY GUARD HAS A SAFETY WHICH ELLIMINATES THE NECESSITY FOR A LONG TRIGGER PULL. I AM LOOKING FOR A GUNSMITH AT PRESENT WHO CAN MODIFY THESE PISTOLS TO BECOME THE EXTREMELY ACCURATE, AT RAPID FIRE, THAT THEY SHOULD BE. THE BUTTONS ON THE S&W FOR THE LASER NEED REWORKING FOR BETTER RELIABLILITY AND OPERATION. BOTH PISTOLS HAD MISFIRES AND EJECTION PROBLEMS AT FIRST, BUT WORKED THEMSELVES OUT DURING BREAK-IN. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IETHER OF THESE PISTOLS FOR PERSONS WITH LARGE HANDS, ESPECIALLY THE RUGER. THE TRIGGER GUARD RUBS YOUR FINGER RAW AFTER 50 ROUNDS, AND EVEN WITH SHORT EXTENSION ON THE CLIP YOU CAN ONLY GET 1 1/2 FINGERS ON THE GRIP. THE SIGHTS ARE POOR ON THE RUGER, AND MAKE THE LASER VERY NECESSARY. THE BUTTONS ON THE RUGER ARE A LITTLE TOO LONG AND VERY EASY TO MOVE, WHICH RESULTED IN DEAD BATTERIES IN MY LASER THE FIRST TIME OUT SHOOTING.
This is my second comment on the S & W Bodyguard 380, as in my first I still think this is a great little auto. I put another 200 rounds down range without a single flaw. Ammo is really hard to find now but I had a few boxes of target rounds and it was fine. Safety is still stiff, but a safety will get you killed anyway.
Today I received my new Bodyguard 380. One apparent issue: the magazine loaded with six rounds will not fully insert. Five rounds in the mag go in just fine; six rounds will not. Any thoughts?
Take apart the magazine look for anything like a bend in the spring. I bet when you put the 6th round in your spring is bending into itself instead of strait down or up had that prob with another gun take it apart and check and see if it is installed correctly.
Did contact S&W, and new spring is on the way, no charge of course. Great people.
Great suggestion! Spring was bent somewhat. I am contacting S&W for a new spring. Thanks much.
Yea S&W and Taurus has the best CS in the business and trust me I used them all.
[...] to the Smith & Wesson representative with whom I spoke, LAPD began looking at the Bodyguard 380 at the 2011 SHOT show. They were enthusiastic about the “real” sights on the gun and the fact [...]
I don’t actually know for sure but I do think there may be after market or 3rd party fixes to lighten the trigger pull and/or the trigger travel. My wife loves the long pull but my own hand gets a sore finger after 20-30 rnds. S&W seems to be great on customer service so maybe a call might get good info. A visit with the shop gunsmith might result in some re-working of the trigger…….gratis.
I’ve had my BG. 380 for almost a year now and have passed thru some of the issues mentioned by other posters, but I am very satisfied with the gun. The trigger pull length and weight is something that (a.) you get used to, or (b.) you go to a striker-fired gun. It is a double-action trigger just like what you would find on a small revolver with similar characteristics. Because it is small there is no room for the long leverage and longer, softer springs that a bigger frame can allow. You can’t fight the physics or the geometry of the platform with much success. I see it as a safety feature that allows me to carry with the slide safety disengaged and a round in the tube, secure in the knowledge that no slight unintentional movement of part of the trigger will release a striker and set off an explosion in my pants. The slide safety is a double insurance of this. Also, I found during an advanced carry techniques class that during rapid, combat-situation fire (multiple targets, multiple shot placement requirements on each), I didn’t notice that trigger pull or it’s weight one bit. It may not have been the precise, measured squeeze and glass-rod sear-break of a Bullseye shooter, but I got the rounds downrange and into my targets quickly and sufficient accuracy to neutralize the simulated threat. All this in my late 60′s with arthritis in my hand. This is not a range pistol; it’s function in life is to save your bacon at distances of three yards or less and if you are spending more time trying to achieve sub-one-inch strike groups instead of practicing weak-hand shooting and combat reloads you are missing the whole point of the gun.
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I bought mine two summers ago and shot it maybe 2-300 rounds, only the first mag set had a FF, otherwise no problem with jacketed ammo. I shot a couple of boxes of DPX which I carry, great accuracy with that….the gun shoots low at 25 ft, maybe 2″…no bid deal. It is amazingly accurate and easy to shoot. Laser failed the first month, the button, I may have sat on the gun in my back pocket. I had XS illuminated Big Dot sights installed later.
My other carry is a Beretta NANO, I like both equally, the NANO is slightly larger of course, 19 oz., still pocketable…not quite as much. If I had to choose one, I’d probably choose the NANO, which is, for a micro nine, the best engineered pistol, very well thought out, no failures at all. And a 9 is preferred of course. However, the BG has clear advantages over many mini 380s: double strike capability, relatively good sights, safety (I have no issues with mine), very light and slim, you hardly are aware it’s on your person. For the summer with Tshirts and shorts, the BG is really ideal, a very modern, well-thought-out pistol.
To the fellow who is concerned about the relatively long trigger pull. This is NOT a target weapon. It should not be modified! You’ll have liability issues if you do. It is a small defense weapon designed for maximum safety for the owner, and minimum safety for the perp. The long pull and the safety attests to the designer’s priorities. Many people carry this small pistol in a pocket and there is no room for errors in this scenario. You must put the safety on, unless you would like to speak in soprano. If you have a minimalist IWB holster, ie VERSACARRY, which is excellent and a fast draw, you can leave the safety off.
For the guy who doesn’t care for the sights, you can ship the slide to XS-Bid Dot for an upgrade to better sights – the front is illuminated, the rear is not. $90.
As I had stated, I had reliability issues with the laser, Smith fixed it, that was that. And that was two years ago. Otherwise with today’s good defense ammo, you have a fine concealable short range weapon with practically no recoil possessing ballistics bellow a 38spl, and size and tactical advantages over a revolver.
Lastly, for the very same reason I enjoy the tiny bit larger and far more powerful Beretta NANO 9mm, which is, for the reasons of ballistics, a still better weapon with the same tactical advantages over a revolver. Nevertheless, I have a S&W 640 pro in stainless on order that can shoot 357 mag…but can only hold 5 shots, is heavier, and much slower to reload.
Ballistics with the best class DPX ammo:
38 spl 270/ft.lbs
.380 200/ft.lbs
9mm 400/ft.lbs
357 mag. 470/ft.lbs
Note: for 38 spl, 357 mag, and 9mm, the test barrel is 4″
For the .380 it is 2.5 inches.
Because of this disparity, one can expect the muzzle velocity of the first three calibers to decrease, coming closer to the .380. Also note that the bullet diameter of all four is exactly the same; the bullet velocity, bullet weight and ft.lbs energy delivery is not.
I am just glad that this is my wife’s gun, her personal carry, and not mine. I don’t have large hands but long fingers and so after even 20 rounds at the range my fingers hurt just because of the angle required to complete the trigger pull. There is not enough real estate to use the pad of my trigger finger and so the trigger rests on the first joint of a moderately arthritic digit.
On the liability issues: Here in Flawridduh, once you pull that piece, you might as well have used it. That finger should never even be inside the guard unless you are ready to fire. That being said, NYCPD required modifications to their duty Glocks: the trigger pulls were increased to around 8 lbs. There are 2 different mods for NY Blue but they are both hard pulls.
For the barely visible front sight, my wife painted the ramp with a small dab of appliance paint which improved the viz. She may yet upgrade the sights, tho!