S&W BG 2.0 Review - Ready for Prime-Time?

[Sarvershooter]

Bought a new S&W Bodyguard 2.0 last week. Cleaned/lubed and took it to the range and fired 100 rounds of factory FMJ with no FTF/FTEs. There were one or two instances where I thought the trigger did not reset because of not being familiar with it and maybe not letting the trigger out all the way. Other than that, it shot great. It's no target gun in spite of what some Youtube gunslingers can do and those who say the recoil is like a .22 LR are dreaming, but it feels great in hand and is very shootable and inspite of the 4 lane wide rear sites (which come on target quickly) I would easily described it as as combat accurate. Trigger at that point was measuring 4#, (4.5 when new and unfired) with a clean break and decent (but not great) reset. Slide stop was stiff to the point of not being able to use it to drop the slide and both magazines could not be loaded to the full 10 and 12 round capacity by hand. Counting on them to loosen up with more use. I cleaned thoroughly and returned to the range two days later to put 200 FMJ (Fiocchi, SB, Magtech) and 75 JHP (Federal Punch, Hornady FTX) though it. Here's where it gets a little questionable:

1) Again zero FTE/FTF all ammo fed and ejected fine. I repeated several full mag dumps (with the 9 and 10 rounds each I get in them) pulling the trigger as fast as I could. Ran great and maintained solid center mass hits with no functional failures.

2) The the slide stop became more slide release friendly using the tip of my strong hand thumb to press it down to drop the slide on a fresh loaded mag. Yay!

3) My accuracy improved as I became more familiar with the sights using a "combat hold" sight picture with the front sight covering the targe and it will shoot POA. The gun needs a tight grip with little to no pinkie pressure when firing. No shooting low and left as has been described often in on line reviews. Get sloppy with the grip and low and/or left happens.

Questionable stuff:
1) Early in the session had one instance of what I believe was the trigger not resetting. After taking a shot I went to pull the trigger and nothing. Dead trigger. Not thinking I didn't look to see if it was a light primer strike, but when I racked the slide again it reset the trigger and fired. I tried to recreate the problem lightly letting the trigger out, loose grip, etc, but it never happened again. Strange.

2) The trigger pull dropped from 4# to 3#. after the 2nd range session. The pull weight was measured 3X at that 3# weight, however the reading was taken with the gauge placed at the bottom of the trigger which increase leverage. Action and reset feel great, just thought it is a very low pull weight for this firearm. Doesn't bother me as I shoot it well and religiously practice good trigger discipline during handling.

3) Mags are still impossible to full load by hand. Will get and Uplula universal loader and see if that helps till the springs break in.

Ready to put it into my carry rotation. But somewhat hesitant due to the possible failure to reset instance. I'll continue to shoot it at the range every few weeks to keep skill level up and monitor function. We'll see how it goes. My other EDC's are S&W Performance Center 637 and 642 and a Sig P365 (my only other striker fire auto).
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[feudist]

Interesting review.
I'd be very hesitant to carry the gun until all doubts are resolved("If there is a doubt, there is no doubt.") and retested thoroughly. This is a first run of a new design and that has a history across brands and designs towards problems in beta testing, which is what gun companies consider their customers function.
Being an early adopter has its pitfalls, and sorting out production issues, minor design tweaks, parts source supplier gotchas and QC are just a few.

I appreciate your scoffing at the 22 recoil comparisons as that sounds like "new gun euphoria" among the reviewers I've seen and read. The dead trigger I've seen mentioned a couple of times and the mag loading issues are nearly universal, and there likely will be no spare mags available for months.

[Sarvershooter]

Interesting review.
I'd be very hesitant to carry the gun until all doubts are resolved("If there is a doubt, there is no doubt.") and retested thoroughly. This is a first run of a new design and that has a history across brands and designs towards problems in beta testing, which is what gun companies consider their customers function.
Being an early adopter has its pitfalls, and sorting out production issues, minor design tweaks, parts source supplier gotchas and QC are just a few.

I appreciate your scoffing at the 22 recoil comparisons as that sounds like "new gun euphoria" among the reviewers I've seen and read. The dead trigger I've seen mentioned a couple of times and the mag loading issues are nearly universal, and there likely will be no spare mags available for months.

The "dead trigger" issues I've seen and read in other reviews were all related to failure to go fully into battery and needed to be tapped in. This round (middle of the mag) was fully in battery after firing the shot before it, but the striker was not reset. Closest I could come on line for an explanation for that symptom was "trigger flutter". I have never heard of this before but seemed it was common on early M&P 1.0s and those with modified Apex triggers. The cause was always a weak sear spring. This is a brand new pistol so a weak sear spring seems highly unlikely.

[Sarvershooter]

Ignore the 3# pull gauge pic. When taken halfway up the trigger (instead of the bottom) trigger pull is a much more reasonable 3.75lbs. Also I somehow am now able to load all 10 rounds by hand in the 10 round mag. 12 round mag is still stiff.

[SWAT Lt.]

First range trip with mine today. Fired 265 rounds. AE, Lawman, and Herters (flat point) ball. Shot 50 Gold Dot, some Hydra Shok, Hydra Shok Deep and some American Gunner XTP. No malfunctions. The gun has mild felt recoil, IMO. The only thing I don't like is the super wide rear sight window. Okay for fast and up close but after about 10-15 yds it was difficult for me to keep things well centered. At 25 yds I was hitting Cs and Ds slow fire (to the left) on the USPSA target I was using. I would buy new sights (or at least a better rear) in a heartbeat. Overall I really like it and it will fill a niche for me.

[GJM]

First range trip with mine today. Fired 265 rounds. AE, Lawman, and Herters (flat point) ball. Shot 50 Gold Dot, some Hydra Shok, Hydra Shok Deep and some American Gunner XTP. No malfunctions. The gun has mild felt recoil, IMO. The only thing I don't like is the super wide rear sight window. Okay for fast and up close but after about 10-15 yds it was difficult for me to keep things well centered. At 25 yds I was hitting Cs and Ds slow fire (to the left) on the USPSA target I was using. I would buy new sights (or at least a better rear) in a heartbeat. Overall I really like it and it will fill a niche for me.

Are the front and rear sights centered? I saw a report where one or the other was not centered, causing a POI issue.

[SWAT Lt.]

Are the front and rear sights centered? I saw a report where one or the other was not centered, causing a POI issue.

Thanks for mentioning that, I didn't even check to see whether the front was centered. The rear sight was a bit left, I centered it after the first two mags. I will check the front, hopefully that will remedy the issue.

[Tannhauser]

My experience with these tiny autos, particularly the double stacks, is you’ll always struggle to fully load them without a mag loader assistance.

I have P365 training mags that have been used for years, loaded many times and often fiend time sitting fully loaded. I still need a mag loader to top them off. I think the stout mag springs are an inherent feature, not a bug. The subcompact mags never seem to loosen up like those from a service pistol in my experience.

[RUT]

>>I think the stout mag springs are an inherent feature, not a bug<<

I agree...you either learn to muscle it or simply down load it by one round.

[SWAT Lt.]

I tapped over the front sight a tad and fired an additional 50 Gold Dots and 50 Lawman, for a total round count of 365 with no malfunctions. That brought the POI to pretty well center although I could only shoot out to 15 yards this time. Still, it is much better than it was. I still dislike the rear sight.

[SJC3081]

I need a good firm leather or kydex pocket holster. Twice while carrying the Bodyguard 2.0 with a Desantis Nemesis for the Beretta 3032 pocket my magazine was released inadvertently.

[SWAT Lt.]

Up to 489 rounds through my BG2 as of this afternoon. Have fired 4 types of ball and 4 types of JHP without issue. For anyone interested spare 12rd magazines are showing up online now.

[Sig_Fiend]

Bought one today. Only 150rds of WWB 95gr through it so far. Shot it side-by-side with my P365 .380. 1 FTRTB at either round 2 or 3 but fixed with a quick tap. Other than that, no actual malfunctions. Also, no sight regulation issues on mine as some have reported.

The gun cycles in a robust manner which seems like it bodes well for reliable function. The trigger is lighter and crisper than the P365. The thumb safety takes quite a bit of force to activate but is easy to deactivate. This seems good if you happen to get one that has it but may not decide to use it. The ergos on this gun are great IMO. A few years ago, I really wanted to like the G42 but, the grip felt like nothing to grip on to. The BG 2.0 very much feels like G42 size, but with the ergos I wish the G42 had. Even with the flush mag, the BG 2.0 feels great to hold with a two finger grip.

The P365 is maybe 10% softer in recoil, if that. However, the P365 cycles in a sluggish manner that doesn't inspire confidence. My wife easily gets failures to feed on the P365 if limp-wristing even just a bit, though I haven't been able to replicate that myself.

[jandbj]

I need a good firm leather or kydex pocket holster. Twice while carrying the Bodyguard 2.0 with a Desantis Nemesis for the Beretta 3032 pocket my magazine was released inadvertently.

Email the guys at aholster.com.

They did one for my LCP Max with mag release protected and it’s been perfect.

[LotI]

I finally found one locally and shot it today. 100 rounds of XTP, FTX, old Golden Saber, and a bunch of hand loads with XTP’s and LRN. No malfunctions but it shot a bunch left. Shooting rested at 25yds was pretty good if I held about 6-12” right. I shot steel only, 1/4 size IDPA and a 6” square. Got a little slide bite with my high strong hand grip.

Cleaned it after the range session and made an adjustment to the rear sight. It was REALLY tight. Quite a pop when it finally moved in my universal pusher. After this shooting session the slide release loosened enough that I could release it with effort.

I don’t have a safety on any carry guns but have one on the BG 2.0. As mentioned, it’s really hard to activate so I won’t worry about it. This will replace a Kahr P380 that is a chore to shoot but soooo concealable.

[feudist]

Bought one today. Only 150rds of WWB 95gr through it so far. Shot it side-by-side with my P365 .380. 1 FTRTB at either round 2 or 3 but fixed with a quick tap. Other than that, no actual malfunctions. Also, no sight regulation issues on mine as some have reported.

The gun cycles in a robust manner which seems like it bodes well for reliable function. The trigger is lighter and crisper than the P365. The thumb safety takes quite a bit of force to activate but is easy to deactivate. This seems good if you happen to get one that has it but may not decide to use it. The ergos on this gun are great IMO. A few years ago, I really wanted to like the G42 but, the grip felt like nothing to grip on to. The BG 2.0 very much feels like G42 size, but with the ergos I wish the G42 had. Even with the flush mag, the BG 2.0 feels great to hold with a two finger grip.

The P365 is maybe 10% softer in recoil, if that. However, the P365 cycles in a sluggish manner that doesn't inspire confidence. My wife easily gets failures to feed on the P365 if limp-wristing even just a bit, though I haven't been able to replicate that myself.

How would you compare the recoil to the G42?

[Sig_Fiend]

How would you compare the recoil to the G42?

It's been a few years since I shot the G42 but, I'd say it's about the same. The recoil is nothing. Regardless, the BG 2.0 with the better grip than the G42 is more easily controlled. So while it might not be less overall recoil, it "feels" quite a bit better to me. The geometry of the grip undercut, overall grip length, and circumference just feels good, even for my size large hands.

Again, I'm only at 150rds so this is just anecdotal so far. Ran the gun SHO and support hand, also with a really loose grip and intentionally limpwristing. Never skipped a beat and never felt like it was on the edge of doing so.

A few other observations. I did notice the exposed back edge of the slide release did tend to dig into my support hand palm a bit. Not a big deal but worth noting. As Lotl mentioned, I also noticed I had to consciously get a little less aggressive with my tendency to choke up on the grip as high as possible. Got slide bite just a bit a couple times then brought my support hand down just a hair to move my gun hand thumb and no issue. Lastly, with such a small slide, the gun heats up FAST! ;) Overall, I'm really like this thing so far.

[CarlK]

Horrible results today at the range during its maiden voyage. Pistol was inspected and lubed with a light oil prior to heading to the range. My plan was for this to replace my ultra-reliable G42 for non-permissive environments and it is also a bit more concealable than my fantastic P365-380.

It choked on everything. Unfortunately, being in WA, it was delivered with only one 10 round magazine so I was unable to see if a different mag would have given better results. Fully loaded magazine and the pistol FTE’d on round two or three every time. Downloaded magazine to just three or four rounds and it failed to extract - without fail - after two rounds being fired. I am a very experienced shooter and former LEO firearms instructor and I definitely wasn’t limp-wristing it (I even shot a video with my locked-out stance and had a predictable FTE with Gold Dot).

The same FTEs with HST, Gold Dot, Fiocchi FMJ, and Winchester FMJ.

[CarlK]

Here’s the video link: https://youtube.com/shorts/ts05tIODVyg?feature=share

[Sarvershooter]

Here’s the video link: https://youtube.com/shorts/ts05tIODVyg?feature=share

565 rounds and have not had an FTEs. However, ejection is weak to me compared with other my semi-autos (P355 and SA 1911). Pattern varys form 2-6 o'clock, even with the same box of ammo. I've had a few shells land next to my right foot and hit me in the shoulder or just over the top of my head. Two or three of the brass I've picked up have a slightly dented mouth, but no extractor bite marks on the rim. My slide does get some typical brass kisses on the rear upper corner of the ejection port. My extractor is very tight. I keep it clean, but when I do a shake test on it the round (with 90 gr bullet) will not come out. It will move up and down slightly, but will not drop out of the slide regardless of how hard I shake it including smacking it in my hand. If I try to physically press the extractor outward from the slide with a plastic tool, it takes a lot of pressure and barely moves. To me it's a FTE waiting to happen.

[CarlK]

I noticed that about my extractor too- it doesn’t move at all! At least half of the spent case rims yesterday got stuck in the extractor and a simple tap-rack did not clear them. I have never experienced an extractor that tight before.

[CarlK]

The ejection pattern was very weak on mine too. Watch in the video how weak it is. Those spent cases that did clear the pistol fell just off to the right side (versus like 4-5 feet away with my P365 with the same boxes of ammo).

[Jim Watson]

Keep talking, guys, you are saving me money.

[Navin Johnson]

Seems to be a lot of them that work so I would get a free call tag and send it

The BG seems to be tracking better than the UC’s……

[LotI]

Horrible results today at the range during its maiden voyage. Pistol was inspected and lubed with a light oil prior to heading to the range. My plan was for this to replace my ultra-reliable G42 for non-permissive environments and it is also a bit more concealable than my fantastic P365-380.

It choked on everything. Unfortunately, being in WA, it was delivered with only one 10 round magazine so I was unable to see if a different mag would have given better results. Fully loaded magazine and the pistol FTE’d on round two or three every time. Downloaded magazine to just three or four rounds and it failed to extract - without fail - after two rounds being fired. I am a very experienced shooter and former LEO firearms instructor and I definitely wasn’t limp-wristing it (I even shot a video with my locked-out stance and had a predictable FTE with Gold Dot).

The same FTEs with HST, Gold Dot, Fiocchi FMJ, and Winchester FMJ.

Did yours come with an ejector? I saw one review show theirs was shipped without one.

[CarlK]

Did yours come with an ejector? I saw one review show theirs was shipped without one.

I’ll be damned- they forgot to put an ejector in…

[S Jenks]

Holy shit, Smith & Wesson. Get it together…

These are supposed to be life-saving tools.

[ldunnmobile]

My buddy and I have a pair with a couple hundred rounds through. Not a bobble yet. I guess we got a good batch.

[G19Fan]

Seems like victim of own success. So popular on newer models qc is suffering.

I will say if feels like guns like everything else have way worse qc than before

[mmc45414]

I’ll be damned- they forgot to put an ejector in…
I am actually glad to hear it is not a flawed design in some manner.


Seems like victim of own success. So popular on newer models qc is suffering.
Yeah, probably like anything else, these are not being built by skilled craftsmen that are gun nuts like us, they are being assembled by people who needed a job. I got a BCG from a prominent manufacturer that had an extractor that was nicely finished but had not been completely machined and had no hook. It had been built into a BCG by a person that obviously didn't know what the item does. These pistols could have been a batch that were done by a person that had maybe never shot a gun and never put one together before that day.
Just the reality of buying a mass produced item that retails for ~$300 and ships without a test fire.

[Beat Trash]

I’ll be damned- they forgot to put an ejector in…

Ok... So I'm trying to be sympathetic and understanding towards S&W. But how do you let a new product leave your facility without an ejector?!?

Especially when a substantial portion of sales for this gun may well go to those who are not, "gun people", and would just load the gun and assume it's good-to-go.

There are times in life where the phrase, "Oops my bad..." just doesn't cut it. . .

[idahojess]

Well it does say on the slide that it is "Capable of firing with the magazine removed."

Maybe they left out the word "only."

[Sarvershooter]

Well the inevitable finally happened. On one of the last mags of a 100 round range session (mix of Fed & Fiocchi 95 gr FMJ) and the last round in the mag left it's case stuck in the feed lips. Earlier while shooting, the ejection pattern was random as ever with some landing at my feet and others 4'-11' away. Most to the right around 2:00, some left at 9:00 and some behind a 5-6 o'clock. I attribute it to a tight extractor and heavy recoil spring.

Sorry, I don't trust carrying this thing for SD yet and will keep my J-frame Airweights as my pocket carrys for now.
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[LockedBreech]

My genuine, non-sarcastic thanks to the early adopters. Someone has to be first out the gate so the thing can run well down the line. Hope Smith gets you squared away.