BODYGUARD 2 SLIDE

L

larry8

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 23, 2011
Messages
955
Location
NE SC USA
I just got my Bodyguard 2 and I can't rack the slide. It is so hard to rack that I have to push the slide against the board below my desk in order to get it to go all the way to the back. I took it apart and cleaned and oiled it but to no avail. All my other pistols (many Ruger, S&W, Kel Tec and others) I can rack the slide. This S&W Bodyguard 2 is the hardest of any pistol that I have. I Emailed S&W and they said (at first) to go to Wolf spring co and see if they can send me a weaker spring. Wolf replied back that the gun is too new and they don't have any springs for it. Back to S&W and I suggested they send me another spring and I will heat up the spring I have to weaken it, but if I weaken it too much and get light primer hits I'll need another spring to bring it back to stock. They didn't want me to do that and wants me to send the gun back to them and their gunsmiths will see what they can do. OK, sent back 10 days ago and waiting for them to do their magic.
Has anyone here had this problem? and what can be done?
 
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Why would you trade or sell a gun that is not working right?
I know a lot of women and some men have trouble with racking a slide on a 9mm semi or larger but it sounds like this is a specific problem with the gun and not the user since you don't have that problem with others. Also a .380 is usually a lot easier to rack. sounds to me like S&W needs to fix it and I suspect they will in their own time.
 
At this point it seems you just have to wait until you get it back & see if it is better.
 
I have a mod 2 and that's normal for the mod 2. There is a solution : "Handy Racker " it's so simple but it works.
A buddy of mine is 84 and he just picked up a new mod 2 …..HE couldn't rack the darn thing; and I let him use the Handy Racker and couldn't believe how simple it was to rack the slide using the Racker.
Make sure you order the green one; it's 5he correct size for the Bodyguard
Go on line and look it up ….they have a video that shows how simple it is.
 
Maybe "Handiracker"? Here's a link.

handiracker.com

Home

The Safest Way To Rack Your Pistols is a patented tool to help manipulate the slide on semi-automatic pistols.
handiracker.com handiracker.com

There seems to be numerous similar devices available but I think this is company offering the green one.
 
Could it be possible they shipped the gun with the wrong spring? I know this sounds crazy, but I can't believe a small 380 to be that hard to rack. I used to own a bodyguard, 1st generation, which wasn't too bad at all. I was able to rack it easier than I can rack the Security 9, which is too slick. I sold my bodyguard and bought a LCP Max. So happy I did that. While the finish is not near as nice as the bodyguard, the LCP Max is easy to rack, soft recoiling, and it has way more capacity than the old bodyguard I had.
 
If you can find another bodyguard 2 locally try to rack it and compare. You might have a "dud", I've had more than one new s&w that had to go back to the factory.

Some pistol designs are just really hard to rack (Browning Buckmark, I'm looking at you.) If it's due to the design, I wouldn't weaken the spring because that could cause problems closing the slide, especially as it gets a little dirty.

One trick to work stiff pistols is to push with one hand while pulling with the other.
 
I have the model 2 and although it is very difficult to rack I can do it. I did buy a Handi Racker and it is a fantastic, simple tool that takes the pain out of racking. Moreover, it makes it much easier to clear a jam should one arise!
Don't expect that it will get easier. My gun has 545 rounds fired and it is still as difficult as the day I got it.
 
I saw the new Smith and thought about purchasing. But saw the stupid 4lb trigger and said no way. I am a pocket gun enthusiast. Own many, belong to a club that shoots them in friendly competition for years ever since the LCP came out. Took the Kahr CM9 out today and dang it alway's proves to be reliable and MILD shooting and I love the super smooth DAO style trigger. Pocket guns are suppose to be small. And the best of the best is the Beretta Pico. The most reliable 380's I have ever owned and I own many. So mild, slim. and so misunderstood. Thank God, I bought three of them with plenty of parts for the future Picked it up today and did 7 rapid fire head shots with No problem . And God Bless the Kahr CM9. They got it right a long time ago. And love their small 380's. I own three.
 
I watched a video of someone disassembling this gun. The recoil spring metal tip that snaps on the bottom of the barrel is not completely round. They flattened 2 sides that must be installed parallel to the slide walls in order to assemble it correctly. I wonder if your gun came assembled wrong, having more friction by not installing the recoil spring correctly.
 
A several weeks ago I final got to inspect
S&Ws new auto loading Bodyguard 2.0
380Auto. Small, thin, trim, and highly
concealable. The spring was strong but
shouldn't be any different than it was.
Future purchase, maybe.

Over the weekend I got to handle a Glock
G43 subcompact 9mm. Small, thin, trim,
smooth, and highly concealable. Definitely
a future purchase before the Bodyguard.
Another consideration; 9mm ammo easier
to find when bad times come.
 
My wife has impaired grip strength after extensive hand surgery, so we have significant experience with .380s and racking force.

Our Remington RM380 (DAO hammer-fired), Ruger LC380 (SAO hammer-fired), Ruger Security 380 (SAO hammer-fired), and S&W 380 EZ (SAO hammer-fired) are all substantially easier to rack than the S&W Bodyguard 2.0 (SAO striker-fired). Part of the difficulty racking the BG2's slide is due to the slide being so short and offering little room to grip the slide, but striker-fired designs like the BG2 also require more force to rack than similar-sized hammer-fired designs.
 
Well Smith sent it back and said "cannot find any problem". However I managed to talk them into sending me another spring. So, I heated the original spring and about 6 coils collapsed before I could rack the slide. I took it to the armory, and it would not shoot. So I have to put in the original spring and use a "handy racker". The only thing is that if I use it for home protection, I have to keep the mag full and one in the chamber, so all I have to do is grab the gun and pull the trigger. Not a very safe way to keep it. I guess I'll have to use my Ruger 380 for home defense instead.
On another thought, I just bought a Ruger SR22, maybe I'll use it for home protection.
 
Well thats disappointing.
I couldn't get rid of that boat anchor fast enough LOL.
 
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