The engineers at Smith & Wesson have apparently been busy this year, as evidenced by their flurry of mid-year new product drops. The latest is the .380 ACP Bodyguard 2.0. The original Bodyguard was released back in 2010 and was similar in size and capacity to the Ruger LCP. The new Bodyguard 2.0 looks to be a whole different creature with a different frame and slide design and a double-stack magazine accommodating 10- or 12-round magazines. Its styling is consistent with more recent M&P releases. It looks to be comparable in size to Ruger’s LCP Max and will likely go toe to toe with it in the higher capacity micro-compact market. The Bodyguard 2.0 has an overall height of 4 inches, is a bit under 1-inch wide and only weighs 9.8 ounces unloaded.
The Bodyguard 2.0 is striker fired with a flat-faced trigger and has a more ergonomic grip and slide serrations than its older brother the Bodyguard. It still uses a polymer frame and stainless steel slide and barrel with black Armornite finish. It comes with a black U-notch rear sight and a tritium-insert front sight. Being a micro compact it does not come optics ready or with a threaded barrel for a suppressor, but at the rate Smith & Wesson is going with new releases, give it time, that may come. It comes in either a standard model or the TS model with a manual thumb safety.
Tech Specs:
Caliber: .380 ACP
Size: Micro Compact
Width: 0.75 in.
Length: 5.25 in.
Height: 4.1 in.
Weight: 9.8 oz.
Capacity: 10,12
Action: Striker Fired
Barrel Length: 2.75 in.
Grip: Polymer
Sights: Black
Color/Finish: Black
Barrel material: Stainless Steel
Frame: Polymer
Number of magazines: 2
MSRP: $449
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While the 365 series is working out great on my end happy to see more options to cover various features/budgets.
The answer to the question nobody asked.
I don’t know about that. The LCP Max has been pretty popular, and this will probably be a slightly higher quality pistol.
I agree, Art. Plus, the hammer-fired double action only trigger on the original Bodyguard was awful. I am happy to see version 2.
Kevin:
I never fired a Bodyguard, but I did once try out a Ruger LC9, which had a double action only hammer ignition system. It was bloody awful. So, I know where you’re coming from. However, S&W does make a concealed hammer single action piece, the S&W Equalizer NTS, which is a 9mm and easy to shoot and easy to rack. It’s my current EDC piece. It also has a grip safety, which is a requirement for me.
It’s too bad they couldn’t go with that idea in the new Bodyguard 2.0, but I suppose they might not be able to squeeze all that stuff into a .380 cal. micro compact. Anyway, I surmise that racking a micro compact striker-fire slide has got to be hard on the fingers, and I wonder if anyone on this forum has had that experience yet.
Not a problem. It’s snappy with hot rounds, but I don’t shoot it a lot, it stays in my pocket. I just tighten up with it a couple times a year to rotate the ammo. I’m real comfortable with it.
I agree. I’ve carried a Bodyguard in my pocket for several years, every day, and the idea of a similar profile with double the capacity is very appealing.
I carry it in a Wright Leather Works Predator holster, super easy. So easy I got all the way to where you take your shoes off at the airport before realizing I hadn’t left it in the truck. Oops, excuse me, gotta go to the truck, pardon me.
I’ve had several .380’s. They will do the job. In an auto loader I prefer the .9.
.9mm strikes again! But hey. The best gun is the one you have on you, regardless of how small it is.
He didn’t say “mm”’. I don’t know about you, but I have several guns chambered in .9 cm
My wife has a mechanical pencil that uses .9mm lead refills. So I have an endless supply of reloads, cheap.
I like big bores, I cannot lie, .44s and .45s and my favorite .357, but not to carry in my pocket every day. I watch a lot of Forensic Files and First 48 when I’m on the road, and there’s a whole lot of people out there that get taken out by .380 and even .22s. If it’s put in the right place, .380 will definitely get the job done up close and personal.
Good to see this. Lot’s of females want a tiny thin gat they can easily hide. Especially one holding 10-12 rounds(like my wife). She is very strong so the “snappy” thing doesn’t matter🙄
I bought my Bodyguard for my wife, she didn’t like it and ended up with a Ruger LCR .38. So I’ve carried the BG every day in my pocket for a lot of years.
The LCP Max caught the gun public unaware.
It’s had three years uncontested as the pocket pistol to beat.
I bought the first LCP max I saw and it replaced my 2nd Gen LCP as my “always” gun.
The Bodyguard 2 may give the Max a run for its money.
Gotta be better than the 1st Bodyguard 380.
Time will tell. Long live the free market.
I’ll stick with my S&W 3913.
I’ll stick with my pepperbox. Hey, haven’t heard tell of Possum lately? Found a new tree to hang from?
Liking what I’m seeing with this new 2.0 Bodyguard.
I hate the blacked out rear sight trend. That came from competitive shooting that takes place during the day. Manufacturers are counting on saving money by using less tritium. A penny saved is a penny earned. I’ve tried various lighting scenarios. I can be looking into a well-enough lit area to identify a person while it’s still dark enough to take time to align my non-tritium sights. Having tritium rear sights means faster alignment for me.
Is it still straight blowback?
Because the original blowback bodyguard was miserable to shoot.
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