S&W Bodyguard 2.0

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Finally got my BG 2.0 today. I got the no-safety model.

First impressions before firing: It's small and lightweight...more so than I thought it would be. But it doesn't feel tiny (like a Kel-Tec P3AT does) when holding it. I like the feel of the 12 round magazine with slightly longer floorplate a lot. Trigger pull and reset could be better. Mine feels a little gritty on the take-up. Reset could be a LOT better...feels pretty mushy but it's doable. Pins and sights look to be centered and the gun operates as it should. Actually everything feels a little gritty...probably just because it's new. Mags seat and eject very positively. That big "U-notch" rear sight might take some getting used to. The texturing on the grip and the sides of the frame are pretty aggressive. I like all the angles and serrations on the slide, too. Holding on to this thing shouldn't be a problem.

Impressions after firing: I was only able to sneak in 45 rounds. I didn't do anything to the gun in terms of cleaning/lubing...just loaded mags and fired. 25 rounds of Federal American Eagle and 20 rounds of Sig hollow points. Function over the 45 rounds was perfect. I was shooting at steel so didn't get to check for groups. I got the impression I was shooting everything slightly left. Sights appear to be properly centered. I think it's just so small I'm getting a little too much finger on the trigger. I had to make a conscious effort to properly place my finger on the face of the trigger. I'm really surprised at how mild the recoil is. It's light, even for a .380. Mags are a PITA to load. The odd-shaped follower makes the first round a little tough for me. I finally figured out to push the first round down and towards the right side of the mag (the follower is much higher on the right side. And I couldn't get the mags fully loaded...10 in the 12-rounder and 9 in the 10-rounder was the best I could do. Some type of loader assist tool would be helpful. I'll use my MagLULA to fully load them and let them sit for a week or so. The texturing/serrations on the frame/slide are some of the best I've ever used. Really like it a lot.

I got this to see if my wife wants to switch from her G42 to the BG 2.0 for the higher capacity. I'll have to get her out to shoot it in the next couple of days. I'll put some rounds on paper, too, to check accuracy.

I came away with some pretty positive vibes about the gun. I'm gonna try to put about 200 rounds thru it in the next few days.

 

[bubbaturbo]

I had pretty much the same experiences. The grip is thin enough that I think I'm pushing it off target to the left. I was able to load the 10 round mag completely but not the 12 round. It carries very well in a pocket holster. No function problems.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

A few other things to note...

I think the S&W and the Glock 42 are very similar and will really be a good comparison. So here ya go for those interested...

I also had some issues replacing the recoil spring assembly back into the gun. I finally figured out (on mine anyway) that if I just placed the guide rod in position and pushed down directly towards the barrel on the exposed, round end that locks into the grove on the barrel, it would pop right into place. Maybe it says something to that effect in the manual, I dunno. Because being a guy I don't need stupid instruction manuals.

With the standard 10-round magazine I can get half my pinky on the grip of the BG 2.0. With the standard 6-round mag in the G42, I can't get any of my pinky on the grip. The trigger guard on the 2.0 is undercut far more aggressively, and it's thinner, than it is on the G42. That's a huge advantage for the S&W over the Glock in my opinion. With the 12 round mag all fingers are easily wrapped around the grip for a really secure hold.

BG 2.0

G42

The other major advantage of the BG 2.0 over the G42 is obviously the magazine capacity. This is what it looks like:

The S&W is slightly smaller overall than the G42 and it's much narrower. The trigger on the G42 is night and day better than the BG 2.0 in all respects. I really find it hard to believe S&W can't do better than the trigger on the BG. I'd rather have the DAO trigger on the Kel-Tec P3AT than BG trigger. I'm just gonna say, it sucks. It's usable, but it could be so much better. Someone will make a fortune with a good aftermarket trigger for the S&W. And I'll be in line to hand them my money.

A few more comparison pics.

 

[bubbaturbo]

I could not reinstall the the recoil spring in mine when I first got it so I contacted S&W for a replacement. Both then went in with absolutely no issue. I kinda feel like an idiot because I can't figure out what happened with the first try.