Shooting the New Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380

We got to shoot the new Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380 at SHOT Show 2014 Media Day at the Range.  I uploaded the short video above.  Since I have carried a Bodyguard 380 both off duty and as a secondary firearm on duty for the last several years, it was a familiar platform to me.  No one I observed had any failure with the M&P 380’s at the range.

Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380In the video, I bobbled the trigger reset after the second shot.  As a weak defense, I will just testify that I had been shooting a lot of very different guns that day.  It is a good reminder, though, that the Bodyguard 380 has a long, heavy trigger pull–like a revolver.  You have to remember to give it a full cycle.  I must have been in Glock reset mode when I shot it…

This gun is little different from the original, except for less material at the dustcover.  Removing the laser diode, batteries, and supporting polymer does not affect the gun’s balance.  Though it looks like the Bodyguard 380 is a bit weightier at the front, the M&P Bodyguard feels the same in the hand and has a similar overall weight.

If deep concealment is your aim, and it probably is if you are carrying a .380 ACP for self defense, the new M&P Bodyguard 380 is just a tiny bit smaller than its predecessor.  It looks like you have more holster choices, too, since the M&P Bodyguard should fit in Ruger LCP and Kel-Tec P3AT holsters that are form fitted.  My original Bodyguard 380 does not fully seat in some of my Kel-Tec holsters because of its bigger nose.

If you have no use for the integral InSight laser, then the M&P is your model.  No batteries to change and no buttons to push.  Here is some of the previous material I have written about this gun:

ThinBlueFlorida.com–New Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380

ThinBlueFlorida.com–Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 Review

ThinBlueFlorida.com–Replacing Bodyguard 380 Laser Batteries

BlueSheepdog.com–Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 Review

BlueSheepdog.com–LAPD Adopts Ruger, S&W .380 Pistols

M&P Bodyguard 380 Randall

This entry was posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, SHOT Show and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

11 Responses to Shooting the New Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *