The brand new S&W Bodyguard has earned its “2.0” standing. To place it bluntly… the unique 6-shot Bodyguard .380 left a lot to be desired. The brand new 2.0 model fixes what was incorrect with its predecessor.
The older one was stubby, slick and had a set off that made you wish to say wirty dirds. The sights sucked, to be sincere. The one factor that saved it, for my part, was the truth that you can get it with a built-in CT laser. I feel that alone bought extra Bodyguards than would in any other case have occurred with out the laser.
A New Bodyguard
With the introduction of this 2.0 model in July 2024, S&W proved that it does hearken to shooters. This little man is without doubt one of the finest pocket .380s I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a number of. I’ve owned a number of and have usually been happy with them, however there was all the time one thing missing in the best way they match my hand. I don’t have giant fingers, however they’re not mouse-sized, both.
Kel-Tec, Ruger, Kahr… they only didn’t really feel proper. Not so the two.0. It’s like somebody shrunk a full-sized M&P pistol and made it slot in a pocket holster. The grip is, in a phrase, superb. Extra later. So… what did they modify to result in this long-awaited pocket blaster?
2.0 Upgrades
They completely re-designed the pistol. Listed here are some examples…
Slide
The slide has serrations entrance and rear that cowl the complete facet of the slide and are aggressive, and simple to grip. Racking this slide is simple, as is press-checking the chamber. The robust Armornite end ought to maintain up very nicely to day-to-day knocks and dings.
Sights
Sights that had appeared an afterthought on the unique had been modified to a big U-notch within the rear, serrated to stop glare. This sight jogs my memory of the rear sight on my Springfield Armory Hellcat RDP – the identical giant opening and serrations. It really works nice.
The entrance sight has a tritium heart surrounded by an orange ring, the most effective of two worlds. Each are windage adjustable. They work nicely on a pocket-sized pistol.
Grip & Set off
The grip is, for my part, the most effective improve they did to the Bodyguard. I discussed above how the gun looks as if a shrunken M&P, and the grip and set off aren’t any exceptions.
Right here we see the grip texturing, back and front, with a smaller quantity on the edges. That works. Additionally of observe is the brand new striker set off. You not want an extended, gritty DAO pull to drop the hammer… there is no such thing as a hammer. The set off on mine breaks at 4 kilos, 2 ounces with little or no take-up and no creep. This flat-faced set off with its integral security lever is a game-changer within the pocket .380 world.
These are the details that stand out to me after I take into consideration the variations between 1.0 and a couple of.0. There are different modifications however these are those that seize your consideration while you decide the gun up.
Specs
Let’s take a look at the specs, from the S&W web site and my observations…
width 0.88 in
size 5.5 in
peak 4 in
weight 9.8 oz (no magazine)
CALIBER 380 AUTO
SIZE MICRO
CAPACITY 10,12 – considered one of every journal included
ACTION STRIKER FIRED
BARREL LENGTH 2.75 in
GRIP & FRAME POLYMER
SIGHTS BLACK (entrance evening sight)
OPTIC READY NO
SAFETY NONE (obtainable with thumb security or state compliant magazines)
COLOR/FINISH BLACK
STATE COMPLIANCE CO, DE, IL, VT
THREADED BARREL NO
BARREL MATERIAL STAINLESS STEEL
LASER NO
NUMBER OF MAGAZINES 2
10LB TRIGGER NO
The place To Purchase
I used to be not stunned to see that there is no such thing as a optics-ready choice for this gun… it’s lower than an inch vast, for Pete’s sake…
Vary Time
My .380 ammo choice is restricted, so I assumed I’d minimize to the chase… I selected consultant observe and protection masses. They had been the S&B 95-grain FMJ and the Remington Final Protection 102-grain JHP. Listed here are a few targets I selected, and velocities that I acquired with my Garmin Xero C1 Professional chronograph. The targets had been set at 7 yards in my yard vary…
S&B 95-grain FMJ, 847 fps.
Remington Final Protection 102-grain JHP, 915 fps
I want I had entry to containers and containers of ammo, however even these two targets present promise. Each masses had been principally centered on the targets and could be price investigating additional. It appeared to love these masses, over a number of targets. That speaks nicely for its total accuracy… in all probability virtually any first rate .380 load ought to present promise.
The gun was a bit snappy off the remainder, one thing I’ve discovered true for different small weapons. Taking pictures them standing again in your hind legs, because the saying goes, tends to assist a bit with recoil. One factor that helped with the dreaded “R” phrase was the body design. The set off guard was undercut a bit and the beavertail was pronounced… that allowed me to rise up greater on the gun. When you are able to do that, the bore axis is lowered so the gun doesn’t flip up a lot because it comes straight again in recoil. That makes it simpler to manage.
Discipline-Stripping
The gun comes aside like most striker-fired pistols. The great factor is that it has a take-down lever like many German pistols so that you don’t get “Glock Thumb” from flattening these sharp little tabs, nor do it’s important to play “Search And Ye Shall Discover” like some Ruger and Kel-Tec pistols trigger you to do when the take-down pin drops off the bench and jumps to components unknown. Right here’s the drill for the two.0…
Be sure the chamber is empty and take away the journal.
Lock the slide again with the slide cease.
Flip the take-down lever downwards 90 levels.
Launch the slide and pull the set off… off she comes.
Separate the barrel and spring from the slide and clear away!
To re-assemble, do that checklist backwards…I’m certain you realize the drill. There aren’t any tough patches upon reassembly. The spring goes the place it ought to beneath the barrel, and the slide mates simply with the body. That captive take-down lever saves lots of put on and tear in your fingers.
Remaining Ideas
Pocket and different .380s are gaining in recognition, as developments in bullet know-how have helped the “shorty 9” acquire some floor amongst many hid carry practitioners. The spherical was sufficient to start out WWI when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated by a Bosnian Serb pupil, Gavrilo Princip. The gun used was a .380, FN Mannequin 1910. That horrible occasion induced the dominos to fall and WWI to start out.
That occurred 110 years (plus a few months) in the past. In additional fashionable phrases, the spherical is able to self-defense – particularly now with the high-tech, whiz-bang bullets now we have. An increasing number of .380 pistols are being made and bought than earlier than.
If you wish to hop on that individual bandwagon, may I like to recommend you take a look at the S&W Bodyguard 2.0? I feel you’ll be glad you probably did. I’ve it in my pocket (holster) proper now. It carries very simply. Many different gun reviewers are singing its praises… there should be a motive for that. For those who personal one, let’s hear from you beneath!
