Gentlemen,

A woman from my church asked me to take a look at her Bodyguard 380 because she could not reassemble it.

It turns out that she put it together, after cleaning, and forgot to install the takedown lever. And she cannot find it. Anyway, I cannot get the gun into battery. The slide will move about a half inch in either direction but that is all.

I called S&W and they were no help and I have not tried the S&W forums yet. I always get great advice here.

Is there anyone here that owns the gun and can guide me in the right direction?

My email address is hammertime57@gmail.com if you would like to deal direct. I can supply a phone number if you would like to walk me through any corrective steps.

Thanks in advance.

Does it have a laser? I know there were some issues with adjustment screws backing out. I think that had to do with dis-assembly though.

No laser.

Try using a dental pick thru the takedown hole and wiggle the guide rod into a normal position, then you may be able to take it apart again

Thanks Mike. That didn't work.
I broke a punch in the process.

Call S+W, they're very good about fixing guns and warranty work.

If you cant find the takedown lever, you'll need one anyways. Ship it back to Smith.

Thanks guys. We were hoping to avoid the 6-8 week wait.
I'll send it back.

You should be able to find a good local Gunsmith that can take it apart without sending back,