Questions for S&W .380 Bodyguard owners

[S-1]

I shot about 30 rounds out of a co-workers Bodyguard the other day during quals. I really liked this little pistol. It had low recoil for such a small gun, it seemed to be accurate and had a decent trigger pull. The reset was long and would take some getting used to, but overall I really liked it.

I wouldn't mind picking one up for summer carry. It would be convenient to throw something in the pocket of my shorts when running to the store or walks with the wife etc.

Has S&W worked out the quirks on these? Are they ammo sensitive? Any reliability problems?

Thanks

[m91196]

Issues with the lasers and the buttons.
I dont know if they have worked everything out yet but I have one on back order at the factory store, so they arent sitting "available"
Gun has real sites and second strike capabilities.
Mags are not easy to get nor inexpensive.
Shot a few hundred rounds with one with laser issues but I ordered one regardless.
It is a back up back up for me when it arrives and has been vetted.

[scottryan]

I don't want the integral laser. I don't trust this thing to be working in 20 years and it will be out of date.

I also don't want a manual safety.

[tpd223]

While I think the design has merit, mine has been back to the factory twice so far and still doesn't reliably cap off rounds due to light strikes on the primers.

[High Tower]

Initially, they had some issue - mostly with the lasers not working. We sent most of our first batch back. I have not heard any complaints recently, but that could also be due to the owners not firing them.

[VelveteenMole]

In 1000 rounds mine had two light strikes, one failure to feed with a RNFMJ nose in the chamber and bolt over base, and one failure to extract causing a double-feed, then the laser battery contact broke off. Then during dry firing with snap caps the rear of the firing pin broke off at the front of the safety block notch.

It is currently at S&W. I think the fact that the extractor, on its own, holds the cartridge base away from the breechface by a couple millimeters, combined with possibly imprecise snap cap case length, leads to poor impact absorption. There was notable peening on the back of the firing pin's safety block notch and I've only dry fired it without caps maybe 100 times. I was using the red, aluminum snap caps from Cabela's.

I'll look into getting different snap caps that seat taller, but I'm not sure if I want to keep it. I love how it shoots though. Maybe I'll just get an LCP or a Sig P238.


EDIT w/Update: I got the pistol back from S&W. They replaced the laser and buttons and the firing pin and a few other parts showing normal wear. I'm happy with the service.

I also should add that I don't think dry firing with or without caps has anything to do with the broken firing pin after all. The break looks like something that would be caused by flexion of the firing pin during hammer strike. The peening I mentioned on the rear face of the safety block notch (a very small surface) was pretty light and probably just from forward slide shock with the safety block engaged. I haven't had the firing pin out of the gun and there are no diagrams available yet, but I realized there is no second step in the safety block for the rear notch surface to hit upon overtravel. Dimensions and design don't allow it and closer inspection shows nothing visible behind the raised safety block, so only a (likely circumferential) shoulder well forward of the broken area stops overtravel, meaning nothing would put significant stress near the break point in the safety notch after the hammer strike occurs.

Seems to me it's just an issue of marginal metallurgy vis a vis the hammer impact. This makes me wonder how predictable or common the breakage is if I can't mitigate the cause other than not firing it in any fashion.