S&W Bodyguard 380 Problem

[walton6467]

I have a Bodyguard 380 that I've carried every day for several months. Its been several weeks since I fired the gun, but it worked fine last time at the range. Today, I was showing this toy to a family member. As I unloaded the gun to hand it to this person, the slide would not go back far enough to eject the chambered round. The slide would not go back far enough to engage the slide lock. It was about 3/16 of an inch too far forward. I had to put ALOT of pressure to push the slide back to eject the round.

Once the gun was unloaded, I tore it down and examined it. I didn't find anything wrong, but when I reassembled the gun, the slide is rubbing on something in the last 1/8 to 3/16 of the slide motion. The slide will go back with normal pressure, but the last fraction of an inch requires extra muscle and you can feel something rubbing. This is with the gun unloaded and no mag in the gun.

Any ideas? If its fairly simple, I'd rather fix it myself than ship it back to S&W. I really don't want to be without it.

[walton6467]

Ok, I talked to the customer service at Smith and Wesson today, I must say, they were VERY nice and very helpful. The Bodyguard 380 has a screw that holds in the laser assembly and this screw had backed out. The head of the screw was interfering with the action of the slide. I disassembled the gun, tightened the screw, reassembled and everything is working perfectly. I'll just have to know to check this screw when I clean the gun in the future. Just so you know.

[Sandman]

That is good to know. Glad it worked out for you rather easily.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I would use some blue loctite on the screw that backed out. Cheap insurance. Imagine if you have not caught it and the screw backed out far enough to affect function.

Dolomite

[Defender]

Wow. I never thought about something like that happening. Hate to discover it in the middle of needing to use the gun. I'll be checking mine tonight!

[walton6467]

Thanks for the tip Dolomite, the only Locktite I have is the RED and I was afraid to use that on such a tiny screw, was afraid it would never come back out.

Barewoolf, I highly recommend that any of us who carry this gun check that screw right away. Had I needed it, it would have fired the round in the chamber, but wouldn't have cycled for the next round. Up a creek without a boomstick (or boomtwig as the case may be), ugly thought.