One of my first concealed-carry handguns was the Bodyguard .380. It was cheap, micro-sized, and easy to pocket. However, it was a pain to shoot and turned me off from pocket .380s.
I moved on and forgot about The Bodyguard until a few months ago when an ad leaked revealing the Bodyguard 2.0. I saw it on Reddit, and it appeared to be another micro-compact-looking pistol that would join the S&W Equalizer, the Shield Plus, and the CSX.
A few months later, the Bodyguard 2.0 was released, and it defied my expectations.
The Bodyguard 2.0 retains the .380 chambering and is arguably still a pocket pistol. However, it’s been revamped in all the right ways to deliver what I feel is the best modern .380 ACP pistol on the market. It has a few quirks, but overall, S&W has a real winner.
The Bodyguard 2.0 is Deceptively Small
What’s old is new once more! The current crop of concealed carry pistols revolves around Micro Compact 9mms like the SIG P365, the Shield Plus, and similar little 9mms. Before micro-compacts, it was single stack 9mms. Before single stack 9mms, it was pocket-sized .380 ACPs.
Have we rotated back around to pocket .380s?
Yes, but no, and like your first relationship in college, it’s complicated.
The Bodyguard 2.0 is a pocket .380, mostly. It’s a bit bigger than the pocket .380s of the past, and it might not fill all pockets. As a dude with dude-sized pockets, it works for me. Smaller pockets might make carrying a Bodyguard 2.0 difficult to do.
The Bodyguard still features a 2.75-inch barrel but is slightly shorter at 4 inches rather than the Bodyguard 380’s original height of 4.1 inches. It’s magic. The Bodyguard 2.0 is 9.8 ounces, making it a couple of ounces lighter than the original Bodyguard .380.
The gun is .88 inches wide, which is slightly wider than the old Bodyguard .380 ACP. It is also a quarter inch longer overall and measures 5.5 inches. I’m half convinced S&W used interdimensional witchcraft to make a gun this small but this capable.
In reality, they made two strategic ergonomic redesigns to the grip: an aggressive undercut to the trigger guard and a deeper beavertail. This provides more grip in the same space. Your hand gets higher so the grip doesn’t have to be longer.
Also, the original Bodyguard magazines had a pinky extension that added some length to the grip when measured. The original Bodyguard .380 is a bit smaller all around.
What Else Is Different With the Bodyguard 2.0?
One big slap in the keister is the move from a hammer-fired design to a striker-fired design. This causes the rear of the gun to be slightly longer but ditches the terrible DAO trigger of the original gun for a trigger that is very similar to the M&P 2.0 series. The trigger is flat-faced with a trigger safety device.
The Bodyguard 2.0 gets a set of useable sights. The front sight is a high-visibility design with an orange insert. The rear sight has a large U-shaped notch that puts lots of air around the weapon’s front sight for a fast-sight picture.
Oh, and the gun holds 10 rounds in a flush-fitting magazine. Yep, 10 rounds instead of six. The gun comes with a 10-round magazine and a 12-round magazine. These both feature the same hybrid design that combines a double-stack and single-stack magazine to put a lot of lead in a fairly small design.
What’s the Purpose of The Bodyguard 2.0?
This is a tiny, highly concealable pistol. It’s a tad bigger than the old pocket .380s, but it’s also much easier to shoot with significantly more ammo.
It’s a great deep concealment gun. As mentioned, it fits in my pocket, and that’s where mine will stay. It’s small enough to be carried without any printing in my front pocket.
Some folks might feel nervous about pocket-carrying a striker-fired gun. The longer DAO trigger of old pocket .380s was a bit of insurance against a negligent discharge. However, the Bodyguard 2.0 comes with an optional thumb safety. I don’t think this is a problem when using a proper holster.
If it’s too big for your front pocket, it’s still significantly smaller than something like the P365. With an AIWB or IWB rig, it would disappear and be very convenient for everyday carry. You’re still getting 10 to 12 rounds of ammo in a very small but controllable platform.
Performance At the Range
How does the new Bodyguard 2.0 handle? Surprisingly well.
First, it lacks the hand-slapping recoil of the older pocket .380s. The larger grip certainly helps, as does the higher grip on the gun. This allows for better control over the gun and easier shooting.
I don’t want to sell this as a recoil-free handgun. It weighs less than 10 ounces, so you have to expect a bit of recoil. It’s not painful, though, and I think “stiff” describes it well.
I can put multiple rounds on target very quickly and effectively. At close to moderate ranges. The gun’s recoil helps make it easy to shoot, as do the large, very visible sights.
I did the famed 10-10-10 Drill, which is 10 rounds into a B8 target at 10 yards in 10 seconds. After a few runs, I was able to consistently score all-black runs in around eight seconds. That’s pretty fast for a little gun. The group wasn’t palm-sized, but every .380 round remained in the black of the B8. I could have never done that with the recoil of the old pocket .380s.
Punching Paper
Out of the box, the gun hit pretty far to the left. I noticed the front sight was pushed to the side, so I centered it, and my accuracy cleaned right up. The wide rear sight makes finding the orange front sight easy, even with the fairly short sight radius.
Between three and 15 yards, the gun is easy to shoot fast and straight.
I was impressed with the Bodyguard 2.0 at the 25-yard line. I could consistently hit a steel IPSC target. I’d feel confident using the gun defensively at this range if pressed. It won’t match a dedicated duty pistol, but it doesn’t get much better than this for a micro-sized pocket pistol.
Grip and Go
It’s pretty solid ergonomically. The slide’s serrations are quite deep and easy to grab, and the controls are standard. Nothing is too small to access, and the magazine release and slide lock are standard.
The grip is well-textured and allows for a good, solid grip on the gun. Under recoil, it stays put in your hand and doesn’t move.
The Bodyguard 2.0 and I do have one big ergonomic disagreement, and that’s slide bite. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for most shooters, but it is for me. The gun digs into my hand with every shot. After a few magazines, I’m bleeding. Gloves might become a necessity for any serious training ventures. Maybe I just have fat hands.
That’s my biggest complaint about the gun — it makes me bleed. I have no reliability squabbles, accuracy problems, or control issues. It’s a surprisingly solid little gun. It’s smaller than you’d expect, but it still manages to offer 10 (or 12) rounds of .380 ACP.
The Bodyguard 2.0: It’s A Winner
S&W has a winner, as far as I’m concerned, it’s most certainly the best pocket .380 ever produced. The gun has a rock-solid design and is an impressive option for those seeking a pocket-carry handgun.
The Bodyguard 2.0 even comes with a fairly mid-level price point, and if you’re seeking a pocket .380 I’d snatch it up!
