Athlon Outdoors Supersite
Tactical Life Website
Ballistic Website
Personal Defense World Website
Skillsetmag Website
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
      • Thermal Vision
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Military Lifestyle
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
      • Thermal Vision
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Military Lifestyle
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors Super Site
No Result
View All Result
  • TL
  • PDW
  • BM
  • Skillset
 
ENTER TO WIN: Smith & Wesson's Free Gun Friday Package ft. Caldwell, Volcon, and Black Hills

Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380 Review

ShareTweetPin
M&P Bodyguard 380 GWLE Oct lead

Gun Review: Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380

Richard JohnsonbyRichard Johnson
September 2, 2014
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

For years, many cops, including myself, carried J-Frame revolvers from Smith & Wesson as backup guns. The little guns were fairly easy to conceal and utterly reliable. Now the same company is offering law enforcement officers another good option for backup duties: the M&P Bodyguard 380.

If the pistol sounds familiar, it probably is. Smith & Wesson introduced the original Bodyguard 380 a few years back. It has been a good seller for the company, and many have found their way into the hands of patrol cops. However, in addition to some minor styling changes, the M&P Bodyguard 380 differs from the original in that it lacks the internal laser-aiming unit.

Some law enforcement agencies prohibit the use of lasers on firearms. For example, one notable West Coast department allowed the use of the Bodyguard 380 as a backup gun, but only if the officer had the internal laser disabled by a department armorer.

Including a laser in every gun added to the total cost of the original Bodyguard 380. While the price of the original gun was not prohibitive to most shooters, it was a wasted expense for officers not wanting, or not allowed to have, an internal laser on a backup gun. By offering a pistol without that feature, Smith & Wesson now has a gun that is available to officers who could not purchase the pistol due to department policy or home budgeting concerns.

Gun Details

The M&P Bodyguard 380 is a subcompact pistol designed for concealed carry and backup gun duties. As the name suggests, the handgun is chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge, and it holds six rounds in the magazine.

The gun uses a polymer frame and is hammer fired. The trigger pull is long and somewhat heavy to reduce the risk of unintentional discharges. There is a fair amount of take-up and no overtravel.

RELATED: Smith & Wesson’s M&P Bodyguard 380 Is Compact, Ready For Backup

A manual thumb safety is mounted on the left side of the frame. I was concerned that the safety would be difficult to disengage, and that a shooter might accidentally engage the safety when handling the gun. However, I found that the opposite was true. While small, I found the thumb safety snapped into the firing position easily with a sweep of my thumb. But, when in the firing position, I found it extremely difficult to engage the safety without turning the gun in my hand and making a conscious effort to push it up into the “safe” position.

Smith & Wesson ships the M&P Bodyguard 380 with two magazines. One has a flush-fitting floorplate while the other is slightly extended to allow the officer to get two full fingers around the grip of the pistol. The extended magazine does not add much height to the outline of the gun, and I chose to use this magazine exclusively when carrying it. Neither magazine floorplate will allow most officers to get their pinky  finger around the grip.

One of the gun’s major selling points is that it, like the original Bodyguard 380, is very thin. The pistol is easy for a uniformed or plainclothes officer to conceal in an ankle holster or in a pocket. For uniformed officers, there are a variety of holsters designed to attach to soft body armor. One of these would work well with the Bodyguard.

Testing

I tested the M&P Bodyguard 380 with the Advanced Ankle Holster from Elite Survival Systems. I found the gun was extremely comfortable to carry for long periods of time with this rig. Due to the very flat nature of the pistol, it virtually disappeared and was undetectable to the average observer. The Bodyguard was nearly invisible when carried in a pants pocket, a popular backup
gun location for plainclothes assignments.

Unloaded, the M&P Bodyguard 380 weighs a mere 12 ounces. Loaded with seven rounds, the gun was a little over 14 ounces on my postal scale. As a guy who has carried both a S&W 642 (15 ounces unloaded) and a Glock 27 (22 ounces unloaded) as a backup, less than 15 ounces for a fully loaded pistol has its appeal.

RELATED: Top 10 Features of Smith & Wesson’s M&P Bodyguard 380

Sights on subcompact pistols range from nonexistent to near-duty size. Many of the guns that are similar in size to the M&P Bodyguard 380 have sights that are hard to find under stress. Smith & Wesson outfitted this pistol with usable sights, though they are not perfect. The black front sight is easy to lose on a dark target or in low light. I would have preferred to see a white dot, a fiber-optic rod or some other reference used in the front sight for faster acquisition.

Fortunately, the sights are dovetailed into the slide. This allows the officer to swap out the factory sights to an aftermarket set. XS Sight Systems offers the company’s Big Dot Tritium Express set for the Bodyguard 380 pistols. The front sight in this set has a large white circle surrounding a tritium vial to give the officer a fast sighting system in all lighting conditions.

Some people might argue that a backup gun like the M&P Bodyguard 380 is designed for point shooting. While I agree that most confrontations happen up close and fast, not all do. An officer may be thrust into a situation where a precision shot with the backup gun will be required. In that case, sights are mandatory for making the shot.

When compared to the traditional small-frame revolver, the M&P Bodyguard 380 offers several benefits including ammunition capacity and size. The Bodyguard will give an officer seven rounds before needing to reload: six in the magazine and one in the chamber. Contrast that with the current-production backup revolvers that typically only have five rounds on tap.

Even though the capacity of a revolver is less than that of the M&P Bodyguard 380, they are still thicker. The cylinder of a revolver is thicker than the slide and frame of the Bodyguard. This means the revolver is more likely to be visible to the casual observer. Also, it means the cylinder can dig into the ribs or ankle, depending on where the gun is carried.

Range Time

All of the features in the world will not make an unreliable pistol suddenly desirable. It is imperative that any gun carried as a backup be utterly reliable. The handgun could be the last line of defense in a violent encounter. It simply must work every time you pull the trigger. Based on my shooting, the M&P Bodyguard 380 seems to be that reliable.

My test pistol was 100-percent reliable. I shot six different loads: four self-defense loads and two full-metal-jacket (FMJ) loads. The gun fed, fired and disposed of each with ease. Considering the original Bodyguard 380 has been on the market for several years, I would expect the system to be thoroughly debugged. Nevertheless, it is always nice to take a new gun to the range and have it run without any problems.

A .380 ACP is not generally known as a harsh-recoiling round. However, if you make the gun light and thin enough, even it can be painful to shoot. I was happy to discover that the M&P Bodyguard 380 was not a harsh-recoiling pistol. The narrow edge of the backstrap does put a little sting into the web of the hand after about 100 rounds, but it is nothing that will bother anyone other than the most recoil-sensitive shooter.

Slide bite is always a concern for me when shooting small pistols. The term “slide bite” refers to a situation where the web of the shooting hand is lacerated by the slide due to a lack of appropriate spacing between the gripping area and the slide. I had no such problems with the M&P Bodyguard 380. I was able to get a solid, high grip on the gun without being “bitten.”

The gun’s accuracy was acceptable for its purpose. Shooting off-hand, I managed a best five-shot group of 1.5 inches at 7 yards with the Winchester 95-grain PDX1 load. From a rest, the results were very similar.

Final Thoughts

The M&P Bodyguard 380 makes for a good backup gun. It is thin, light and reliable. While a laser-aiming device might help aim the pistol more reliably than the plain black sights, the lack of a laser opens the M&P Bodyguard 380 to officers where department standards preclude its use.

Only time will tell if the M&P Bodyguard 380 supplants the J-Frame snubby as the backup gun of choice with many officers. Regardless, the pistol deserves a look from anyone who needs a backup pistol. If you don’t already, commit to training with and carrying a backup gun every day you go on duty. With quality, affordable pistols like the Bodyguard on the market, there are no valid excuses to not carry one.

For more information, visit smith-wesson.com or call 800-331-0852.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

MOST POPULAR

Vote & Win: 2023 Ballistic’s Best Readers’ Choice for Best Guns

Suicide by Cop

WINCHESTER’s SXP ‘Defender’ Pump Shotgun

10 Pocket Pistols Perfect for Christmas [2023]

The Truth Behind Building a “Ghost Gun” with 80% receiver kits.

80% Receiver Kits: The Truth Behind Building a “Ghost Gun”

TRENDING

The EOTECH EFLX Mini Reflex Sight.

EOTECH Announces its First Pistol Sight with the EFLX Mini Reflex Sight

Korstog Var 5.56mm solo

Meet the Duty-Ready Korstog Var 5.56mm Carbine

300 Below Cryo Barrel Stress Relief

300 Below Cryo Barrel Stress Relief | New Product

Lynda Turnbull has joined team Beretta

Lynda Turnbull Joins Team Beretta

BROWSE BY BRAND

Skillset-Logo_yellow-153x47png
Ballistic_LOGO-217x47
CH-Logo_blue-153x47
T-L-SS-stack life-47x140
PDW_CCH_LOGO-300x101
PDW-2022-Sidebyside-logo 160x30-blk
GOW LOGO x101
AF_LOGO-184x47

SPOTLIGHT

The new 360 Bukchammer

REVIEW: 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt Ammo, Henry Levers & the BFR

I’ve been tooling around this spinning rock for going on seven decades and have been shooting for over 50 of...

RELATED POSTS

The new 360 Bukchammer

REVIEW: 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt Ammo, Henry Levers & the BFR

...

The Citadel Taipan X SCSA Pump Action .223 Rifle.

The Citadel Taipan X SCSA Pump Action Rifle in .223 Wylde

...

The Colt King Cobra Target 22LR.

Colt King Cobra Target 22LR Review – Featuring Justine Williams

...

Load More

TRENDING

pistol mask

The Pistol Mask Holster: Looks Like a Cell Phone, But It’s Not

5 Stone Products, a company based out of Austin, Texas, are coming out with a new concealed carry holster designed to...

Suicide by Cop

WINCHESTER’s SXP ‘Defender’ Pump Shotgun

Tactical-Life.com brings you the newest products live from the NASGW ‘08 show!

10 Pocket Pistols Perfect for Christmas [2023]

Santa Claus is coming to town...to deliver these 10 pocket pistols from Remington, Ruger, Glock and many more!

Barrett MRADELR rifle.

Barrett MRADELR: The Extreme Long-Range MRAD is Here!

Barrett Firearms recently announced is long-awaited follow-up to the MRAD platform. The new Barrett MRADELR expands on the martial design...

MOST POPULAR

The Mossberg MC2sc semi-auto pistol.

12 Best Micro-Compact Handguns for Concealed Carry [2022]

A thick veil of fog stood forever in front of me as I cruised down the highway at 6:30 in...

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

Law enforcement in the United States is in constant evolution and that includes various police sidearms. These days, law enforcement...

Vote & Win: 2023 Ballistic’s Best Readers’ Choice for Best Guns

One of our most anticipated magazines each year, the 2023 edition of Ballistic's Best, hits the press soon. But first,...

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

The NSSF SHOT Show is the premier event to get your hands on new gear. It gives us a first...

VIDEO SERIES: AT THE READY | SEASON 2

MORE VIDEOS

The Citadel Taipan X SCSA Pump Action .223 Rifle.

The Citadel Taipan X SCSA Pump Action Rifle in .223 Wylde

Soldier shooting the SIG M17X

SIG M17X & M18X: Upgraded XSeries Pistols are Here!

HANDGUNS

The new 360 Bukchammer

REVIEW: 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt Ammo, Henry Levers & the BFR

The Colt King Cobra Target 22LR.

Colt King Cobra Target 22LR Review – Featuring Justine Williams

Soldier shooting the SIG M17X

SIG M17X & M18X: Upgraded XSeries Pistols are Here!

The Caracal USA Enhanced F Pistol.

Caracal USA Enhanced F Pistol: Designed with a Combative Edge

The Beretta M9A4.

The Beretta M9A4 Review: The Optic Ready M9 variant

Ruger Super Redhawk in .22 Hornet

Ruger Super Redhawk Adds .22 Hornet for Varmints & Small Game

RIFLES - click to see all

The new 360 Bukchammer

REVIEW: 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt Ammo, Henry Levers & the BFR

The Citadel Taipan X SCSA Pump Action .223 Rifle.

The Citadel Taipan X SCSA Pump Action Rifle in .223 Wylde

The MDT ACC Elite Chassis System Expands Model Compatibility.

MDT ACC Elite Chassis System Adds More Model Compatibility

The Extar USA EP9 Pistol-Caliber Carbine.

The Extar USA EP9 Carbine Accepts Glock G19 & G17 Magazines

AMMO - click to see all

The new 360 Bukchammer

REVIEW: 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt Ammo, Henry Levers & the BFR

Magtech Steel Case 9mm

Magtech Steel Case 9mm Brings Affordable Pistol, PCC Ammo

X-DEF Line from Freedom Munitions Expands with the Addition of .357 Sig.

Freedom Munitions X-DEF Line Adds .357 Sig Self-Defense Ammo

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland loads.

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland Expands Hunting Lineup

Ammo Storage, Survival Ammo, long term ammo storage, Prepper

Best Methods for Long-Term Ammo Storage

6 .410 Ammo Options for Home and Personal Defense.

.410 Ammo for Home Defense [2023]

No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
      • Thermal Vision
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Military Lifestyle
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS

© 2023 Athlon Outdoors - Premium Firearm product and industry news, reviews and magazines" .