S&W Bodyguard .38

[Captain Skippy]

Thinking of buying the S&W Bodyguard 38 w/laser for the wife. I teach CWP and have had some LCR's come through but not the smith. Is it a reliable shooter? She will never enjoy my 1911's.
Thanks

[nighttime]

Always liked the J frame smith's but never had one with the hammer shielded or covered. Always used light reloads in it since the J frame cannot stand heavy loads. used to use a 158 grain bullet moving at moderate velocity.

[G27RR]

Are you talking about this one...



It will handle +P ammo. Mine has been perfectly reliable, and I carry it at times I don't have my 1911 on me. The lser is probably not the easiest thing to activate in a stressful situation. I can reach over the top with the thumb of my shooting hand and stab the button without looking, but I find if I don't practice that I will sometimes miss the button.

[GKC]

I've owned both the LCR and the BG .38. Personally, I prefer the LCR in .357. It has a better trigger (IMO), it is a little heavier (better recoil control), and it gives you the option to shoot .357s in it, if you wish. You can get the LCR with a laser if you wish (personally I don't care for them.) The cylinder release is rather different on the BG .38 and I really don't care for it. I also really don't like the lock...at least Ruger hides them under the grip, and as far as I know, there have been no problems with Rugers engaging accidentally. Rare, but has happened on the S&Ws...plus, I just don't like them in the side plate!

[Earlsbud]

I have owned a couple of Mod. 49's, and gave one to my Mom years ago. I was happy will them. I liked the fact you can fire through a coat pocket, purse, etc. without hammer snag.

[Captain Skippy]

Thanks guys. I have had folks come to class with the LCR and I put a few rounds through them and they seemed ok. I guess it comes down to price and I can find the Ruger cheaper. But being left handed I like the Smith. I know, it's for my wife...

[Crunchy Frog]

I know several people who have LCRs but no one who bought the polymer Bodyguard. If you want a laser the Smith is less expensive but I've heard lots of complaints about the location of the switchgear, especially for right handers.

When I've looked at them in stores I've noticed that the store owners are not very enthusiastic about them.

The Ruger is reputed to have a better trigger pull but I've not fired (or dry fired) the Smith to compare.

[AreB]

I've got a pre-lock Airweight Bodyguard that's +P rated, come to me from my late father-in-law. It is a handfull with +P, can only imagine the whippiness of the Scandium .357 j-frames with full power loads. I do understand that the plastic fantastics (Ruger LCR/new design Bodyguard) kick a little less due to the flex of the plastic frames, but I would still be concerned about recoil management-whether it was a woman or a man shooting.

Captain Skippy, is your wife's issue with the 1911 weight, recoil, manipulation, or...? With my spouse, it was a combination of all of these things. She has sucessfully shot a Glock 19 and a Ruger SP101 w/standard .38 Special loads. Also a Colt Python, but that's a story for a different thread.

[IraG2362]

I bought a polymer Bodyguard for my father and he loves it.. nice trigger, laser works great and it is pretty accurate for it's size.

[Osorio]

I had the opportunity to shoot both of them yesterday. The local range/gunshop allowed me to shoot their used models and I ended up buying the Bodyguard. The trigger on the LCR is better but I felt the recoil more on the LCR. Perhaps the geometry og the Bodyguard allows it to absorve the recoil better which is weird considering the grips are almost nonexistant. I felt more comfortable with the S&W and the added value of the laser helped in the desicion. The trigger will take a little getting used to!