New Smith & Wesson Bodyguard - Opinions

Sig Guy · May 8, 2010

I'm seriously considering the new Smith & Wesson Bodyguard pistol for the times I need easy/deep conceal and carry. I currently have the little Beretta .32 but it's a lot heavier than it looks and obviously lacks some power. I was all set to buy a Ruger LCP but heard this new Smith & Wesson is coming out this month/May (you can check it out on the S&W website).

It looks like a lot more substantial gun than the LCP although it's a wee-bit heavier (unbelievably it's thinner, however). I'm sure it will probably cost a lot more money (some are saying $500-$550) but you need to add the price of laser grips to the LCP to compare apples to apples, since the S&W has it standard (with a much superior integrated solution I might add). So that will bring the prices better in-line but the S&W will undoubtedly still be a little more.

So what do you guys think? It looks like an ugly gun but I sort of like it in that bulldog sort of way. The LCP looks like more of a toy. I'm sure they all have pluses and minuses. Yes, I know these are mouseguns and I know .380 ammo is in short supply but that isn't the subject of this discussion. Anyone else waiting for this new gun or are you looking at other tiny .380s? :gun05:

8ball · May 8, 2010

It's an interesting pocket gun. I've seen the 380 pistol online for as low as $389, and Buds has it at $432, which beats pretty much everything in the class considering it has a built in laser.

I'm not familiar with the .380 round though. It's a short 9mm right? How effective is it?

I haven't seen many range reviews yet. Massad Ayoob gave it a reasonably positive review.

smithmax · May 8, 2010

$390 is pretty much giving away the built in laser.

Sig Guy · May 8, 2010

8ball said:
It's an interesting pocket gun. I've seen the 380 pistol online for as low as $389, and Buds has it at $432, which beats pretty much everything in the class considering it has a built in laser.

I'm not familiar with the .380 round though. It's a short 9mm right? How effective is it?

I haven't seen many range reviews yet. Massad Ayoob gave it a reasonably positive review.

Yes, .380 is a short 9 mm. Sometimes it's marketed as "9 mm kurz" which is German for short. Although stopping power is a loaded subject (pardon the pun), the .380 is better than a .32 but a lot weaker than an actual 9 mm. Check out this great web site for a comparison of real-world stopping power percentages:
http://www.handloads.org/misc/stoppingpower.asp?Caliber=10&Weight=90

The price of $389 you found was at "Express Police Supply", right? Do you have to be in law enforcement to get that price? That's incredibly good but unfortunately nobody has the gun in stock yet.

I saw Ayoob's preview article on the S&W .380 from the SHOT show. Did he actually range test and do a full review of it? If so please point me toward it. I have a lot of respect for him. I've taken some shooting/tactical classes from him.

SiegGeringer · May 10, 2010

To me a S&W Bodyguard begins and ends with the metal-framed revolvers, like my beloved M638 or the steel-framed 649.

Blitzkrieg · May 10, 2010

As already stated, the .380 is not s stellar manstopper. 1/3 of those hit solidly in the torso with a .380 continue to do whatever they were doing before being shot

Choose your defensive weapons for the worst case scenario.. think 2 or more crazed crackheads with firearms

The usual minimum calibers recommended by those in the know is 9MM +P or .38 Special +P

PlayboyPenguin · May 10, 2010

That thing is uglier than Trlsmn after a week long bender.

In fact, when I look at it I keep thinking it is a Taurus for some reason.

I am not sure how it will perform from a practical standpoint but it looks promising.

deen_ad · May 10, 2010

PlayboyPenguin said:
That thing is uglier than Trlsmn after a week long bender.

me on a GOOD day :s0114:

MountainBear · May 10, 2010

You've just been mean lately, PP. Did you break one of your collectibles or something?

It looks the same as every other .380 out there. The recoil will be a bit snappy. The accuracy will be minute of bad guy. The caliber is questionable, but if you carry it every day, then its better than the gun that sits in your safe and doesn't get carried.

Lloyd Braun · May 10, 2010

i dont like that style safety on pocket guns
i usually carry 380 in a pocket holster. that s&w looks jagged and bulky. price seems a little too good on it. also i dont know anyone who has one of those s&w's go with keltec and add crimson trace youll be around the same price range

soberups · May 10, 2010

Most experts recommend that you run at least 200 rounds of your chosen carry ammo through a semi-auto to ensure reliable function before using it as a carry weapon.

It is even more critical to do so when the gun in question is one of the sub-compact pocket .380's such as the LCP, The Keltec 3AT, or the Taurus TCP which are all known to have reliability issues out of the box. I wouldnt expect the Bodyguard to be any different.

The problem here is that the only way to get the anemic .380 round "off its knees" and into the fight is to use exotic +p hollowpoints (Cor-bon, Gold Dot, Buffalo Bore etc.)

A lot of this stuff can run $20-$30 per box of 20....when you can find it. So in order to have anything like 100% confidence that your gun will function when you need it most, you could wind up spending $500-$600 bucks on the 200+ rounds of ammo you will need to ensure that reliability.

Or you can just do like a lot of people do...practice with FMJ and carry it with premium ammo that you hope will feed and eject reliability. Or, carry it loaded with FMJ and hope that the bad guy even knows that you shot him.

My choice? A Ruger LCR .38 Special airweight snub in a pocket holster loaded with 125 or 158 gr. +P JHP's. Buy one box of "carry" ammo, run 5 or 10 rounds thru the gun to see how it feels and where it hits...and you are good to go.

DAE51D · Jul 9, 2010

I was hoping for some dialog on this new gun. I just saw the fliers for it at West Coast Armory in Bellevue. They didn't have a real one. I am hoping to spot one at the WAC show this weekend. I don't know why you guys think it's ugly? I think it's pretty good looking, especially compared to the Taurus/Ruger/Keltec clones. It's certainly more "real" and "menacing" looking than those "toys" look. I like that those three have the little belt clip (well 2/3 of them at least) so no holster needed. And I agree this S&W seems a bit jagged, but I am noticing that many of the levers and releases are recessed so maybe they won't catch on clothing the way they appear at first glance. The integrated laser is a really nice addition as the crimson trace ones look goofy for the other guys IMHO.

<broken link removed>

I currently have a Walther PPS .40+P that I really love for my carry, but as my friend "Cobra Ky" says, "I need a gun to carry for when I can't carry". ;-) -- such as at work and other places where it's legal, but frowned upon, and something too big would be a potential to be spotted.

Sig Guy · Jul 9, 2010

I'm still very excited about this gun. I think it has at least one lever too many aesthetically and hope they don't catch on things. That aside, I really like the looks. It's very futuristic and intimidating. It certainly doesn't scream "mouse-gun" like most of the other .380s on the market.

Does any one have a true release date for this thing? I have been waiting since May (when it was promised by S&W) and it's killing me. I normally carry a .40 caliber but with the mercury pushing 100 degrees, I would love something smaller while it's still T-shirt and shorts weather. I hope this weapon doesn't turn out to be the arms equivalent of vaporware and never sees the light of day. Please post any reliable information you guys hear. Thanks!

claypigeon · Jul 9, 2010

Sig Guy said:
So what do you guys think? It looks like an ugly gun but I sort of like it in that bulldog sort of way. The LCP looks like more of a toy. I'm sure they all have pluses and minuses. Yes, I know these are mouseguns and I know .380 ammo is in short supply but that isn't the subject of this discussion. Anyone else waiting for this new gun or are you looking at other tiny .380s? :gun05:

It doesn't seem to matter how much you say you know it is a small caliber people still have to tell you how under powered it is. It looks like it has some good things going for it. I like the fact tht it has a slide lock and a safety. I have a Kel Tec and it is handy for the times you can't carry a larger gun.

longcolt · Jul 9, 2010

I think for the money I would at least take a close look at the Kel-tec PF-9 in 9mm. Its small, its powerful and its reliable, and its cheap.

Yea, it kicks but I can tell you its accurate and when the Adrenalin is flowing you will never feel the recoil. I did some testing of mine at 50 feet and am surprised at how accurate it is.

The Ruger LCP or Kel-tec P3AT are other good choices that are far more reasonable in price and will be very easy to carry.

Just my opinion, I know everyone has a different idea of what they like and thats what keeps the gun industry humming. Good luck with your choice.

8ball · Jul 9, 2010

I shot a Ruger LCP with laser during the week and was pleasantly surprised. I'd definitely like to try out this Bodyguard for those times when you can't carry something bigger.

One advantage the Bodyguard is supposed to have over the LCP is that it has a slide lock on empty. The Ruger slide was hard for me to operate.

FWIW, I saw a S&W dealer post online that they weren't expecting stock for another month.

I think this would be an ideal weapon to conceal carry to my yoga class. :s0114:

goober22 · Feb 6, 2011

I have been waiting for months and finally found one the same day it came in to the dealer. He told me it was the most fondeled gun of the day. At $349+tax I couldn't leave without it. So far I have only put 2 dozen rounds of magtech ammo through and not a single problem but remain skeptic. The only issue I have is the brute force required to turn on the laser using the button on the right side, this sounds like it is a common problem and hope to hear of a fix in the future but I can live with it as is if I have to. I am also impressed with the acuracy from the tiny barrel at 17 yard I was grouping in the 6" which was better than expected especially considering the awefull long and heavy trigger and I do not consider myself an expert marksman by any means. I am trying to get my hunting partner to bring up his new LCP for some side x side comparison which I will report back on.

tag-a-long · Apr 15, 2011

I thought mine was great... Fired four clips thru it and the takedown pin came out. Serious malfunction. Put it back in and next clip, same thing. Sent it to Smith and got a different serial numbered piece... See my foll up in the handgun discussion... Trigger pull was something in the area of 26 pounds.. It was rediculous. It fit me well, and the integrated laser was cool. I got one of the first 3000 made. Smith's customer service sealed it for me. Its on its way back for a full refund.
It was pretty accurate at 25 yds. Did not have a FTF, but the take down pin falling out is a dangerous flaw. If you search some boards, you can find alot of blogs about it...