Posted by For some, the word bodyguard conjures up the mental image of a hulking brute in an ill-fitting suit just waiting to pound someone into a pile of goo. In the world of private security, however, the opposite is almost equally true. A bodyguard is also light and agile and oriented toward avoiding conflict, but still being powerful enough to stop a fight should a fight be unavoidable.
Smith & Wesson’s new BODYGUARD line follows the industry’s current leaning toward small, easily concealable handguns designed to be easily concealable and accurate enough to allow someone under duress to put rounds into an attacker.
Smith & Wesson's new BODYGUARD Series handguns are shipping. The revolver (above) is a .38 Special while the pistol (below) is chambered in .380. Smith & Wesson photo
The revolver is, as you would expect from the longtime compact revolver maker is chambered in .38 Special +P – another of S&W’s long line of small-frame revolvers. This one, however, is completely different in its design, despite the familiar looking S&W snub-nosed profile. This five-shot hammerless revolver features several changes- the most notable being an ambidextrous cylinder release located on the top of the frame. That feature really does set this compact pistol apart from any that came before it- unless you go back to the top-breaks of another century.
The pistol is right in the wheelhouse of the current rage- a polymer framed, steel slide and barrel pocket pistol in .380. It has a seven-shot capacity (magazine capacity +1 in the chamber) and is small. A 2 3/4-inch barrel, and an overall length of just over 5 inches. It’s also light enough (11.85 ounces-unloaded) to ride in a pocket holster without dragging down trousers or seriously “print” in a jacket.
Both BODYGUARD models feature something that has generally come as an add-on feature for the smaller handguns – a laser. A collaboration between Smith & Wesson and Insight Technologies has both units sporting integral Insight lasers. On the revolver, the laser is on the right side of the frame. On the .380 pistol, the laser is underneath the barrel and just forward of the trigger housing.
The S&W/Insight collaboration brings the laser and handgun in a single package. Jim Shepherd photo.
Fitting a laser onto the pocket pistol isn’t a new idea, but the collaboration is the first where one goal was making an affordable unit. While the MSRPS of $575 for the 380 pistol and $625 for the .38 Special +P revolver aren’t cheap, they’re not significantly different than the costs of putting together a gun/laser combination from other manufacturers.
I had the opportunity to try both handguns recently while taping an episode of Guns & Gear. Both were comfortable in the hand, easily concealable and had sights that I could actually see. My major complaint with pocket pistols- without the laser – is that I’m just pointing and shooting at a target because I can’t get a sight picture. Granted, these aren’t target guns, but the ability to easily pickup a sight picture more than makes up for the slight additional surface area created by them.
The .380 pistol has controls that felt familiar to me, including a manual thumb safety, slide stop and takedown lever. They definitely made the left side of the gun busier than some, but I like a safety on a pocket pistol. Having carried a Colt .380 for many years, I’m accustomed to the safety and the flipping of it off (or on) when I’m presenting or holstering.
The revolver, however, took some handling. It feels like a Smith & Wesson small frame-revolver, but the top cylinder latch caused me to do some fumbling around until I broke myself of unconsciously reaching for a side mounted release.
Several sales reps tried the new BODYGUARDS during our taping. Everyone liked their accuracy and triggers, but some struggled with the unfamiliar top release on the revolver. Jim Shepherd photo.
Where I learned the most about the BODYGUARDS, however, wasn’t from shooting them myself, it was watching a group of sales reps giving them a try. Watching them shoot, I realized the first-time shooter wouldn’t have any problem with either gun. A veteran shooter, however, will go through a couple of head-scratches before realizing the cylinder release really is located on the top of the revolver.
This isn’t intended to be the exhaustive and comprehensive review of either gun- that comes from trigger time. Tactical Wire editor Rich Grassi is getting that this week in Springfield, Massachusetts, he’ll have the professional’s impressions later.
From my limited time on them, they seem more than capable of being employed-accurately- should the need arise.
–Jim Shepherd
www.shootingwire.com
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How intuitive and ergonomic was the laser switching options? They don’t seem to be even close to the ease of use for the grip activated switches in the crimson trace units.
Actually, the word “bodyguard” makes me think of that stupid Kevin Costner/Whitney Houston movie
I actually sold my glock 22 to purchase the famed smith and wesson. I bought the bodyguard 38 on friday. been real busy and finally shot it last night…. misfired on the 2nd shot, and the cylinder completely locked after firing all 5. the cylinder release on top is plastic and cheap. On my lunch break today, i returned it for a GLOCK 27 model. enough said
In response to your comments Zach…..I almost purchased a bodyguard revolver yesterday and after reading the reviews posted I’m glad I didn’t….I own several S&W revolvers that I’ve purchased in the past and they are built like tanks….I hope this new approach to the market with cheaper materials isn’t going to be a trend from our beloved S&W manufacturer…I’m alarmed at all of the negative reviews online!
I swear up and down that I have the finest revolvers ever made by S&W and I am going to hold back on thinking about purchasing any of these new style light weight wheel guns until years after the first one hits the market…..I learned this lesson from a Taurus 22 mag revolver that I purchased 6 months ago that would not release the ejection rod after 6 rounds were spent. Luckly the owner of the gun shop let me return it for a Walther.
Someone mentioned misfire; I have found the BG revolver to be picky on ammo—-NO foreign rounds, please! I even sent mine back to S&W, thinking the gun was defective. But, as soon as I switched to American-made ammo, at their suggestion (specifically Winchester white-box) I’ve had not even one misfire. Watch out for ammo made in Serbia….
I haven’t shot Serbian .38 Special, but I’ve shot ammo from around the world in revolvers, even in [gasp!] Rossi and Taurus. In only a minuscule fraction of a percent was ammo the reason the gun didn’t go bang. If S&W is saying that the Serbian .38 they have inspected is out of spec I -might- believe them, but if they are saying that non-US made ammo is not recommended for the .38 BG then they probably have a bad revolver design.
The .38 BG certainly seems cheap, and not in a good way. The LCR feels like a Korth next to the BG.
And don’t get me wrong, S&W revolvers are the best production revolver made and I own more than a few. But S&W has stumbled with more than one product change or introduction in the last 10 years. I hope I can remain a S&W fan, and buy American-made firearms from an American company.
Took my bodyguard 38 out for first time to shoot and one out of every five misfired. Sellier & Bellot .38 Special FMJ was ammunition. Every miss fire had a soft hit on the primer, and when refired would work. I am going to try a different ammunition and also try and see if it is the same cylinder each time. I bought this to keep next to the bed at night and carry concealed in ankle holster. I just can not feel good about a revolver that might not work when really needed.
I have fired 100 rounds through my bg38. Not one misfire. About have of that was cheap target round reloads I wanted to use up. guess I must have been lucky and got a good one:)
I bought one of the .38s and have been shooting it along side of my older Charter Arms Off Duty and I have not had one misfire, no problems with it at all. I have at least 500 rounds through it. It does hurt the hand after a while, but I don’t plan on shooting it much more on the range except for the occaisional pratice. Fun little gun to shoot. Ammo was Winchester White Box and Remington JHP. I actually bought the gun for my wife but I’m keeping and going to purchase another for her.
I just bought a bg.38 and took it to the range for the first time today. 100 rounds no misfires, after laser was set it shot 3″ groups at 5, 7 and even 10yds. I do have a problem with the stock sites. From a rest, aiming dead center the bg.38 shot 4″high and 5″left. This was confirmed by shooting 3 seperate groups of 3 rounds. This is unacceptable to me. If the laser goes down the sites are unreliable and that causes a liability issue. I have emailed S&W about this. I am waiting to hear back.
All things considered the bg.38 is accurate, lightweight, balanced and seems to be a reliable weapon. I also shot winchester white box ammo along with hornady critical defense rounds although I am looking into speer gold dot .38+p short barrel specific rounds.
Try this video, it shows you what you are doing wrong. If your are not getting good groups its probably how you handle your gun. This video has a chart which describes what your doing wrong depending on which direction you are missing your targets.