From my limited fondling of the little pea shooter at the gun counter of my local gun store, I think S&W did a lot of things right while at the same time doing several things wrong.
First off, the Bodyguard really looks like a well made gun. It is certainly a continuation of the quality work S&W has become known for. Fit and finish are wonderful, and man does it feel good in the hand. There are those pesky reports of the take down lever working itself loose (here and here), but I am betting that these reports are so few that its almost not worth while noting them. Despite that, I have no doubts that this little gun would be a reliable shooter that you could stake your life on. The sights on this gun are the biggest plus going for it, and are probably the best going for any gun in the mousegun category. I also really like the blaze orange magazine follower which makes it incredibly easy to check mag levels with this gun.
One gripe I have with this gun is the laser. While I do like the value added benefit of boxing a concealed carry gun with a laser straight from the factory, I am really not a fan of the activation method for the laser that they chose for this gun (and their new revolver as well). Man it is a process to mash that button to get the laser to turn on, and as a concealed carry gun I definitely do not want to have to take that extra step in a dynamic critical incident. It might be fine for range work, but not my cup of tea for personal defense. Why on earth S&W didnt go with an Armalaser or Crimson Trace (who they have partnered with in the past) I will never understand.
Along those same lines, the manual thumb safety on this gun is over doing it a bit. For one, I dont really see the need for one on a pistol with a heavy DAO trigger. For two, they made that little bugger difficult as all get out to manipulate..... Once again, not good on a personal defense gun.
My biggest gripe with this gun is the weight of the gun. At 11.25 oz it is on the lighter side of the heavier "new .380s", but nowhere near what has been achieved by Kel-Tec and Ruger. The gun also comes close to the maximum of what is pocket-able, and more realistically pushes it into the realm of "purse gun"..... and if you are gonna carry a gun off body, then why not just carry a bigger gun/caliber?
Dont get me wrong, I do like the new Bodyguard .380.... They have definitely got a hit, but its not a home run. I definitely wont be buying one (I'd buy a Ruger or a Kel-Tec first), but they are gonna sell a lot of them!
*More info, pics and vids here, here, here, and here
Hey there! Just a word of caution about the Ruger LC9 (as you said you would buy the Ruger or the Keltec), it has a magazine disconnect. I don't know how you feel about mag disconnects, but it personally is a deal breaker for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your honest review. Love your site!