A couple other questions I've been asked that may be of interest...

What do you do holster-wise for the S&W?

I don't have any holsters for the S&W yet as I just picked it up from the FFL today. I'm going to get a Galco ankle holster first (since it will be a BUG), I want a high-ride OWB holster for it (probably the Galco COP 3 Slot) and then at some point I would like to get a Supertuck for this firearm as well.

Once I get some holsters for the revolver, I can comment on the difference of concealability as well.

Can you tell us some more about why you decided on that particular gun? Compared to say the Bodyguard 380 for instance?

Well, I used to own a KelTec P3AT, and I only put a few rounds through it before I decided I didn't like it. I knew that it wasn't going to be a range gun, but I just didn't enjoy shooting it at all. For me, if I'm not going to shoot my weapons, than I'm not going to carry them. So, at that point, the gun had no use for me and I got rid of it. The next logical step for me was a snubnose revolver. Although the revolvers are quite a bit bigger than the small 380 firearms, the round is also quite a bit bigger too. On top of that, I actually (surprisingly) really enjoyed shooting this weapon.

As far as choosing this snubnose over the other options, I did what I usually do. I went to stores and the gunshow to handle and dryfire the different models. I didn't like the feel of the Ruger LCR at all. I also didn't like the feel of the other JFrame models as much as this Bodyguard model. The ambidextrous cylinder release was also somewhat of a bonus for me. The laser had no bearing in my decision at all.

I hope this helps.

[QUOTE=BeefyBeefo;224689]

I shot the new Bodyguard 38 today and I was VERY pleased with it. It had minimal recoil (which I didn't expect) and the trigger action is very smooth. I cannot do that with most of the other factory J-Frame revolvers (642, 638, etc)./QUOTE]

Interesting post with great photos. Thank you. The deal on recoil is supposedly due to the polymer construction "soaking" up some of the energy that a metal gun passes on to the shooter. May I inquire as to what ammo you were using? Also, if I am not mistaken, the Laser is standard on the Bodyguard and I don't care for battery powered options much. But though I love my 442, if Smith offers the Bodygaurd without a Laser, and no "new gun" quality issues pop up, I GOTTA HAVE ONE!
Eli

Originally Posted by EliWolfe

Interesting post with great photos. Thank you. The deal on recoil is supposedly due to the polymer construction "soaking" up some of the energy that a metal gun passes on to the shooter. May I inquire as to what ammo you were using? Also, if I am not mistaken, the Laser is standard on the Bodyguard and I don't care for battery powered options much. But though I love my 442, if Smith offers the Bodygaurd without a Laser, and no "new gun" quality issues pop up, I GOTTA HAVE ONE!
Eli

No problem.

I shot it very well and I actually enjoyed shooting it. I was shooting the WWB value pack from Walmart. I now have some +p hollow-points that I'm going to try out next time at the range, but I suspect they still won't be very hard to handle.

They do not offer a model without the laser. I looked and you can remove the laser, but you will be left with a few holes in the frame (one threaded and the other two where pins from the laser are placed when installing). So, you could remove it if you really wanted to.

I hope this helps!

Originally Posted by BeefyBeefo

No problem.

I shot it very well and I actually enjoyed shooting it. I was shooting the WWB value pack from Walmart. I now have some +p hollow-points that I'm going to try out next time at the range, but I suspect they still won't be very hard to handle.

They do not offer a model without the laser. I looked and you can remove the laser, but you will be left with a few holes in the frame (one threaded and the other two where pins from the laser are placed when installing). So, you could remove it if you really wanted to.

I hope this helps!

Thanks, I will definitely keep that in mind.
Eli