Company Launches New Compact Pistol and Revolver with Integrated Laser System
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Smith & Wesson® Holding Corporation (Nasdaq Global Select: SWHC), parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 158-year-old company in the global business of safety, security, protection and sport, announced today the introduction of company's newest line of firearms designed for personal protection – the Smith & Wesson BODYGUARDS. The BODYGUARD 380 semi-automatic pistol and BODYGUARD 38 revolver have been designed in conjunction with Insight Technology®, a leader in the laser optics field, to offer consumers a new and uniquely engineered, lightweight, self-defense firearm with built-in laser sights.
Here's what caught my eye:
BODYGUARD 380 Pistol
Compact, sleek and ergonomic, the BODYGUARD 380 delivers personal protection in an easy-to-carry platform. Chambered for .380 ACP, the lightweight pistol features a high-strength polymer frame with a black, Melonite® coated stainless steel slide and barrel. The new BODYGUARD 380 is standard with a 2 3/4-inch barrel, which contributes to an overall length of 5 1/4-inches and an unloaded weight of only 11.85 ounces.
Hot damn, there's a pocket .380 ACP coming on the market that has:
a. A take-down lever rather than a pin;
b. A dedicated slide stop and release; and
c. More than a snowball's chance in hell of being approved for sale in MA.
Smith & Wesson has been excellent about certifying their pistols for sale in MA. I cannot think of any model they currently produce that is either not MA compliant or submitted for testing. If this does make the MA list and goes on the market at a reasonable price (factoring in the extra cost for the laser), I'll be taking a long look at this as a replacement for the P3AT.
Now, I'll admit it's ugly as sin (picture here) and has the same number of levers as my P226 in 1/3 the slide space, but being able to purchase it new from a company I trust is worth putting up with an ugly gun. Besides, it's the same weight, dimensions, and capacity as the Kel-Tec P3AT, which isn't exactly a beauty queen itself but more importantly never leaves the DeSantis Nemesis holster other than for practice...
Side note: Insight Technologies, eh? Wonder if they'd be interested in supplying some laser sights for testing???
That is all.
7 comments:
That's not ugly, it's cute. I like the tab on the magazine to allow you get your little finger on the grips.
I'm not sure about .380 as a defensive round, but as they say, the .22 in your pocket is way more of a stopper than the .45 at home in the safe.
A couple of questions:
Does say anywhere how thick the gun is? What's the retail cost going to be?
I *saw* a spec sheet for it floating around somewhere, but I'll be damned if I can find a link to it...
From all looks, though, it should be about the same as the P3AT/LCP - I can't imagine it could be significantly thicker than the P3AT yet weigh almost exactly the same...
What I want to know is if Smith got the message and did NOT supply this gun with an internal lock and a magazine disconnect.
Also I am not a huge fan of DAO gun with a manual safety.
Also not a huge fan of .380 Auto.
Pass, and keep pushing ahead to the promised land that is Kahr PM9!
Oh my Gawd...it looks like someone stock a Glock under the *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids* raygun....
Fugly.
I'll stick with my extra one inch in length for compact carry, and keep my Bersa Thunder.
Seriously tho...this offering, at least to me, seems like a direct response to the popularity of the Bersa/Firestorm line of CC (compact carry) versions of their .380 offerings. About the same size, quite accurate and reliable, and pocket-able.
Want a Pouch for it thats about an inch shorter and skinnier than the review model? ;-)
Heh.
Assuming it *is* the same size as a P3AT (roughly), I have a camera bag that will fit it and a spare mag quite nicely.
And no one knows you have a gun just hanging off your belt - they think you're a damned tourist!
Err, not that I've done this, of course...
Be careful about that tourist thing. Someday Florida will start issuing tags again.
Back before Tourists became a protected species, the opening of Tourist Season was widely anticipated...
What?
It's just when the tourists are here? Oh.
Well never mind then.
"I cannot think of any model they currently produce that is either not MA compliant or submitted for testing."
Five inch M&Ps.
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