I bought one today on a whim. I never knew this gun existed but I saw it in a case and as soon as I held it I really liked it. Usually I do some research on a gun before I buy but I jumped right in on this one.

Anyone else have one? Any reviews good or bad?

Are you talking about the polymer version, or the tried and true 638 (all metal)?

I have the metal version, which I quite like. I don't have a real need to far access to the hammer, and the idea of a shrouded pistol is perfect for pocket carry, which is where mine have always been found. The 642 is perfect for me, but the shrouded hammer-accessible bodyguard 38, 638, 49, etc works just fine, too.

I only have experience with the old model 49 Bodyguard, which looked like the pic below (not my gun). These old model 49's are WONDERFUL guns, and for their time they were perfect carry guns. The absolute statement of perfection.

But, I bet you are asking about the newer M&P 38 special bodyguard, which was introduced about 4 years ago. I know nothing about these newer models.

Nothing bad to say about it... only points of interest is that the recoil is bit more due to the lightness of it and you may need to double check the laser for accuracy.

Each morning when off duty around the the house. Pants, S&W 438 in a pocket holster, 1 speed strip, Sypderco Military knife, shirt then wifes honeydo list. Works for me. 20 years and counting. VI...

I pocket-carried a 638 for many years, now replaced with a Glock G42.

The Bodyguard- as with all S&W centerfire J frames- is ultra-reliable. They're also very hard to shoot well and require frequent practice, and with +P ammo, J frames are unpleasant to shoot. That's the word- unpleasant. At contact distance, though, and loaded with quality +P ammunition such as Speer's 135 grain Gold Dot, the Bodyguard is lethal.

From time to time, I still drop my Bodyguard into a pants pocket, such as when working in the yard. If I could shoot it better and if +P didn't slam the palm of my hand like fire with each shot, I'd still be carrying it on a regular basis.

There are things than can cause your revolver not to fire- for instance, if the bad guy manages to get his hand on your pistol and prevent the cylinder from rotating. Overall, though, J frames are really very reliable handguns, more than just about any auto you might carry.

I also carried a S&W 638 for many years in both the pocket, OWB, and even a Galco Miami Classic shoulder holster, it is a great carry revolver. The Sig P365 has mostly taken its place, in both the pocket, and OWB, I have yet to find a proper shoulder holster for it.

I like the concept of the J frame. But to shoot them effectively, Ive found I need them to have a little more weight & prefer an SP101 or K6S.

...or, bigger grips, which are available for the J frame, but which also seriously compromise the Bodyguard in its primary function of concealed carry.

After shooting J frames for many years, I bought an SP101. The DA trigger pull of the SP101 is longer than that of the J frame pistols, and I found that despite the extra weight of the SP101, I shot it worse than my Bodyguard.

Carried an S&W 642 for a couple of years. Which is Bodyguard in style. All Paras comments apply. A snub can be a viable defensive pistol, provide you are proficient with it and aware of its pros and cons.
Many people I instructed who wanted to use the snub, could not reload it under stress.

Thanks for the input. I have owned two S&W model 60 revolvers and I liked them well enough, but this feels like a great split between weight and size. It’s light enough and small enough it should carry great but not so light or small that I think it will suck to practice with.

I don’t really know why I bought it. I have a plethora of semi-auto guns, but I just feel like a good j-frame is a must have.

I have a 442 that I sometimes carry in an ankle holster. As mentioned it is not pleasant to shoot at all, even with target wadcutters. I have tried every grip in the book from big to small and decided it really didn't matter since my use was a "last ditch" type of thing. So I settled on a small service style grip to reduce the size.

When I take it to the range I usually only put 4-5 cylinders through it but they are all defensive ammo (Speer 135gr Gold dots) to remind myself how much it smacks my palm. And it does.

That being said at 7 yards I can easily put all five in a fist sized group center mass, and I can do so quickly. Yea it stings but I didn't buy it to be a comfortable target pistol.