BODYGUARD 2 SLIDE

[larry8]

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?

 

[hittman]

I’d let Smith fix it or trade it for something that works and I can gain confidence in.

 

[arfmel]

Trade it for a S&W Shield .380EZ.

 

[rammerjammer]

And if S&W won't make a trade consider a Ruger Security-380.

 

[hittman]

G43

 

[blume357]

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.

 

[Mike J]

At this point it seems you just have to wait until you get it back & see if it is better.

 

[buckshotshorty]

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.

 

[arfmel]

Maybe "Handiracker"? Here's a link.

https://handiracker.com/
There seems to be numerous similar devices available but I think this is company offering the green one.

 

[pisgah]

The "solution" to this "problem" is to be had BEFORE you buy the gun; if you can't comfortably work the slide, don't buy it.

 

[HoosierBilly1]

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.

 

[povertyponies]

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.

 

[buckshotshorty]

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.

 

[davevabch]

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.

 

[HoosierBilly1]

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.

 

[The Norseman]

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.

 

[gc70]

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.

 

[larry8]

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.

 

[hittman]

Well thats disappointing.
I couldn’t get rid of that boat anchor fast enough LOL.

 

[Mobuck]

One of the downsides of these itty bitty pistols is the difficulty of hand cycling the slide. Takes a bigger/stronger spring to resist the slide travel when fired.

 

[larry8]

The SR22 I bought was made in 2016. It looked very good on Gunbroker and at 1/2 the price I took the chance and got it. I was surprised that nobody else bid on it. Anyway, when I got it I took it apart and went to clean it. Surprised that there was no carbon or dirt anywhere in the gun. That gun looked branew both inside and the outside. I think whoever had it never used it or shot it as some internal parts were dry too. Not a scratch or wear mark anywhere. The trigger was a little stiff when I got it but a few drops of oil cured that. I cant imagine who had bought it back in '16, never used it, just put it in the safe all these years.

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

Absolutely zero problems/issues with mine...Runs like a top! It'll be my go to for a pocket carry 380 when the weather warms up.

 

[kmoore]

I brought a S&W bodyguard 2.0 home on Monday, Jan 27th. I racked the slide along with trying all functions of the little gun before buying it. It has a strong recoil spring, stronger than I am used too. The slide is small of course in length and width. Those features make the slide tough to rack quickly and repetitively. But is doable. It would be a better gun if it wasn't as hard to rack the slide.
The 2 mags. also have real heavy springs. I have only loaded them to 8 rounds each on the first trip to shoot it. Again, the mags are small, the 10 rd has sharp base. That makes forcing it to capacity difficult. the 12 rd mag can be loaded to 10. I loaded them up at home and they will sit for days and will try again. That trick has worked for me to soften up other new mag. springs.

I shot 70 rds. 50 federal FMJs and 20 Federal Premium hydra shok JHPs. All worked and shot well. At 15-10 and 5 yd distance. Trigger is lighter than some pocket carry guns that is true. But I like it. The trigger reset is soft as in not a solid feel or has a loud click. Sights are easily useable unlike other pocket pistols. Rear sight has a large open U for quick target acquisition, front is a glow in dark orange with white center. Grip is long enough to get a solid hold on it with 3 fingers using the 12 rd mag. Overall, I like it. It's a keeper.
Edit: Racking a slide or working the slide. Many do it wrong and do it the hard way. I am mentioning those that pinch the slide with a thumb and fore finger at the rear of the slide. S&W even made the slide with serrations fore and aft (front and back). Griping the slide along its length, palm and thumb on one side, fingers on the other. Now your using your whole hand to rack the slide. Depending on handgun you may need to be mindful of blocking the ejection port.

 

[BuddyJ]

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.

It's Jan 2026, and I am in my seventh month of owning a bodyguard 2.0 that I got for a summer everyday carry. S&W has not 'fixed' the impossible to rack the slide to the lock position in all these years. I have not carried it - other than to the gun range - even once because I don't trust that I could safely clear a malfunction if the need should arise. I have done all the things recommended on forums and videos to 'fix' this problem, but I still cannot rack the slide and engage the slide lock without using the green Handi Racker, and I do not want to incorporate a Handi Racker into my EDC routine.

I am awaiting S&W to send me a Recoil Assembly, for which I hold out a slim hope for resolving this problem. I did try racking the slide of a rental Bodyguard 2.0 that presumably had many rounds shot through it, and I WAS able to - with an extremely great effort - rack the slide and engage the slide lock. A new Bodyguard 2.0 at the same gun range store had the same problem as mine . . . unable to manipulate it to engage the slide lock.

S&W offered to send me the Recoil Assembly with no questions asked as an alternative to sending the gun back. I feel like I will be sending the gun back. I want to keep this gun as my EDC because it addresses my elder-challenged physical abilities to control recoil and place shots accurately while having the 12+1 round capacity to make up for the decreased power, and carrying it in a slick Alabama pocket holster. I do carry the Ruger Security 380 during the months when I can conceal it with my cold-weather outerwear.

 

[ArizonaTea123]

This is one of the reasons (of many) that I didn't get the "improved" Mod 2.0.
I have the original Bodyguard and I don't have any of the issues mentioned above. It's fairly easy to rack.
Now my Desert Eagle? That's another story.

 

[kmoore]

It's Jan 2026, and I am in my seventh month of owning a bodyguard 2.0 that I got for a summer everyday carry. S&W has not 'fixed' the impossible to rack the slide to the lock position in all these years. I have not carried it - other than to the gun range - even once because I don't trust that I could safely clear a malfunction if the need should arise. I have done all the things recommended on forums and videos to 'fix' this problem, but I still cannot rack the slide and engage the slide lock without using the green Handi Racker, and I do not want to incorporate a Handi Racker into my EDC routine.

I am awaiting S&W to send me a Recoil Assembly, for which I hold out a slim hope for resolving this problem. I did try racking the slide of a rental Bodyguard 2.0 that presumably had many rounds shot through it, and I WAS able to - with an extremely great effort - rack the slide and engage the slide lock. A new Bodyguard 2.0 at the same gun range store had the same problem as mine . . . unable to manipulate it to engage the slide lock.

S&W offered to send me the Recoil Assembly with no questions asked as an alternative to sending the gun back. I feel like I will be sending the gun back. I want to keep this gun as my EDC because it addresses my elder-challenged physical abilities to control recoil and place shots accurately while having the 12+1 round capacity to make up for the decreased power, and carrying it in a slick Alabama pocket holster. I do carry the Ruger Security 380 during the months when I can conceal it with my cold-weather outerwear.

Explain how you grip the gun when racking the slide. Yeah it's an effort on that little gun.

 

[BuddyJ]

And if S&W won't make a trade consider a Ruger Security-380.

I have the Security 380 and it I can manipulate it easily and it shoots great. I got the Bodyguard 2.0 because it conceals better on my relatively small frame and has 12+1 capacity that will partly make up for what the 9 mm short lacks from the 9 mm 9x19. I want to carry the Bodyguard 2.0, but I can't safely manipulate the too-stiff slide on the gun I got - the gun store suggested it just needed to be 'broken in'.

 

[hittman]

Find a different gun store.

 

[kmoore]

Sell it on here. My 67 year old GF likes mine and wants 1. After working with her a few minutes she was racking the slide.

 

[BuddyJ]

Sell it on here. My 67 year old GF likes mine and wants 1. After working with her a few minutes she was racking the slide.

I like the Bodyguard 2.0 size, capacity, and how it shoots. I want to keep it. I let one of our rangemasters, who is a good-sized 260+ pound dude, try it, and he had to struggle 2 or 3 times to rack the slide to the extreme rear and hold it there so he could engage the slide stop. I have been using the Handi Racker when I need to do that. I am now on a campaign to shoot 1000 rounds through it in the hope it will 'break in' - I'm up to 250 rounds, plus hundreds of Handi-Racker-assisted racks. After that - and sending it back to S&W - if it still requires a 260+ pound guy to get it to rack to the rear and hold it there to engage the slide stop, I'll sell it and settle for a different manufacturer 12+1 capacity 380 pocket-carry sized good-shooting [low muzzle flip] gun.

I just shot 100+ rounds through my Bodyguard 2.0 today, and then shot my Winter-time EDC Ruger Security 380, and the size difference is enormous!