FEATURE

S&W's New BODYGUARD Line

For some, the word bodyguard conjures up the mental image of a hulking brute in an ill-fitting suit just waiting to pound someone into a pile of goo. In the world of private security, however, the opposite is almost equally true. A bodyguard is also light and agile and oriented toward avoiding conflict, but still being powerful enough to stop a fight should a fight be unavoidable.

Smith & Wesson's new BODYGUARD line follows the industry's current leaning toward small, easily concealable handguns designed to be easily concealable and accurate enough to allow someone under duress to put rounds into an attacker.

Smith & Wesson's new BODYGUARD Series handguns are shipping. The revolver (above) is a .38 Special while the pistol (below) is chambered in .380. Smith & Wesson photo

The revolver is, as you would expect from the longtime compact revolver maker is chambered in .38 Special +P - another of S&W's long line of small-frame revolvers. This one, however, is completely different in its design, despite the familiar looking S&W snub-nosed profile. This five-shot hammerless revolver features several changes- the most notable being an ambidextrous cylinder release located on the top of the frame. That feature really does set this compact pistol apart from any that came before it- unless you go back to the top-breaks of another century.

The pistol is right in the wheelhouse of the current rage- a polymer framed, steel slide and barrel pocket pistol in .380. It has a seven-shot capacity (magazine capacity +1 in the chamber) and is small. A 2 3/4-inch barrel, and an overall length of just over 5 inches. It's also light enough (11.85 ounces-unloaded) to ride in a pocket holster without dragging down trousers or seriously "print" in a jacket.

Both BODYGUARD models feature something that has generally come as an add-on feature for the smaller handguns - a laser. A collaboration between Smith & Wesson and Insight Technologies has both units sporting integral Insight lasers. On the revolver, the laser is on the right side of the frame. On the .380 pistol, the laser is underneath the barrel and just forward of the trigger housing.

The S&W/Insight collaboration brings the laser and handgun in a single package. Jim Shepherd photo.

Fitting a laser onto the pocket pistol isn't a new idea, but the collaboration is the first where one goal was making an affordable unit. While the MSRPS of $575 for the 380 pistol and $625 for the .38 Special +P revolver aren't cheap, they're not significantly different than the costs of putting together a gun/laser combination from other manufacturers.

I had the opportunity to try both handguns recently while taping an episode of Guns & Gear. Both were comfortable in the hand, easily concealable and had sights that I could actually see. My major complaint with pocket pistols- without the laser - is that I'm just pointing and shooting at a target because I can't get a sight picture. Granted, these aren't target guns, but the ability to easily pickup a sight picture more than makes up for the slight additional surface area created by them.

The .380 pistol has controls that felt familiar to me, including a manual thumb safety, slide stop and takedown lever. They definitely made the left side of the gun busier than some, but I like a safety on a pocket pistol. Having carried a Colt .380 for many years, I'm accustomed to the safety and the flipping of it off (or on) when I'm presenting or holstering.

The revolver, however, took some handling. It feels like a Smith & Wesson small frame-revolver, but the top cylinder latch caused me to do some fumbling around until I broke myself of unconsciously reaching for a side mounted release.

Several sales reps tried the new BODYGUARDS during our taping. Everyone liked their accuracy and triggers, but some struggled with the unfamiliar top release on the revolver. Jim Shepherd photo.

Where I learned the most about the BODYGUARDS, however, wasn't from shooting them myself, it was watching a group of sales reps giving them a try. Watching them shoot, I realized the first-time shooter wouldn't have any problem with either gun. A veteran shooter, however, will go through a couple of head-scratches before realizing the clyinder release really is located on the top of the revolver.

This isn't intended to be the exhaustive and comprehensive review of either gun- that comes from trigger time. Tactical Wire editor Rich Grassi is getting that this week in Springfield, Massachusetts, he'll have the professional's impressions later.

From my limited time on them, they seem more than capable of being employed-accurately- should the need arise.

--Jim Shepherd