Review: Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0

As I pen this during the first few days of 2025, Smith & Wesson just finished a busy 2024. Not only did American gun owners start seeing the new crop of Maryville, TN-produced firearms on shelves and display cases across the United States, but the storied gunmaker also launched a bevy of new firearms. These guns ranged from the company’s first-ever lever-action rifles to the 9 mm trio of M&P M2.0 Carry Comps to the latest iteration of its .380 ACP micro-compact: the new Bodyguard 2.0. 

The name “Bodyguard” was originally attached to mid-century .38 Spl. snubnose J-frame revolvers like the Models 38 and 49. And, even if one didn’t know Smith & Wesson’s nomenclature, chances are they’d recognize the 38, 49 or any of their derivatives. Bodyguard revolvers possess a distinctive hammer shroud that’s built into the frames and looks nothing like the Centennial branch of the Smith J-frame family tree. The original Bodyguard’s role was to offer a snag-free revolver that could be easily carried by anyone for self-defense, hence its name.

In the current millennium, Smith & Wesson continues with the Bodyguard series by adapting them into micro-compact .380 ACP semi-automatic models. Smith & Wesson’s original Bodyguard 380 was released in 2010 with an Insight laser built into the frame. In 2014, the company changed the internal laser to a Crimson Trace unit following Smith & Wesson’s acquisition of that brand, and started calling the gun the “M&P Bodyguard.” It was intended to compete with the likes of KelTec’s and Ruger’s ultracompact .380 ACP semi-automatics that were taking the market by storm at the time. The Bodyguard 2.0, however, encompasses a completely new approach in function and design, while still being easily carried by anyone for self-defense.

Made in Maryville, the Bodyguard 2.0 deviates from the previous design by practically doubling the magazine capacity from 6+1 to 10+1/12+1 rounds. The new gun also trades its predecessor’s concealed hammer for a striker mechanism, with a corresponding standard striker-fired trigger instead of the former’s DAO unit. It has also ditched the internal laser. Smith & Wesson offers variants of the Bodyguard 2.0 with or without an ambidextrous thumb safety. 

One of the reasons the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 has such an impressive magazine capacity is because it feeds from“stack-and-half” magazines like the wildly popular micro-compact 9 mms on the market today. Despite adding a half-stack of magazine, the Bodyguard 2.0 is a mere .88 inch wide, making it incredibly concealable. In fact, if the new Bodyguard 2.0 had an overall theme, it would be “efficiency of size.” Despite its looks, this Lilliputian .380 ACP pistol is actually smaller than I expected, yet it still comfortably fits most adult-size hands.

Like the rest of the modern crop of micro-compact .380 ACP semi-automatics, the Bodyguard 2.0 eschews the traditional .380 ACP straight-blowback design and instead uses a Browning-style delayed-blowback, tilting action with a captured recoil-spring assembly. The tilting action not only dampens felt recoil, but also grants the Bodyguard 2.0 its ability to maintain such a thin profile.

The Bodyguard 2.0’s dimensions are small. How small? Well, its 1:10-inch-twist, stainless steel barrel measures 2.75 inches for starters. With an overall length of 5.5 inches, the Bodyguard 2.0 is shorter than the typical smartphone. The pistol’s slim width is too thin to support even the smallest MRDS-optic footprints, which is only a negative if you insist upon one for your deep-concealment pistol. Instead, the Bodyguard 2.0 includes a generously wide U-notch serrated rear-sight and a bold-orange front sight with a tritium insert. The sights are wide and “coarse,” but perfectly suitable for the pistol’s defense-oriented mission.  

Internally, the Bodyguard 2.0 is functionally reminiscent of Smith & Wesson’s SD9 2.0 due to their similarities in trigger assemblies and the way their triggers break. They even look nearly identical. While the measured trigger-pull weight was what I would consider average, the feel of the trigger itself was substantially better than expected. Like the M&P M2.0 series, the trigger breaks better, smoother and nearly perfectly when a round is in the chamber—markedly superior to when dry firing. Why this is I do not know, but it works and works well.

On the outside, it is apparent that the Bodyguard 2.0’s contours were influenced by the M&P M2.0 and M&P Shield; it possesses the same 18-degree grip angle. Most adult hands can fit its grip reasonably well, because this micro-compact has a shallower slide that’s only roughly a half-inch tall. In turn, this gives the Bodyguard 2.0’s grip more leeway in having a deeply radiused backstrap that provides a fuller firing grip without the pistol being taller. Though shallow, the slide is aggressively serrated fore and aft, while the grip is mildly textured on all sides. It won’t be as easy to rack as the M&P Shield 380 EZ, but that’s one of the trade-offs for a much smaller footprint. That said, it is not particularly difficult to chamber a round with the new Bodyguard.  

I fired a variety of factory-loaded .380 ACP offerings in testing, including the 95-grain HOP Munitions FMJ, 95-grain CCI Blazer FMJ, 95-grain Speer Lawman FMJ, 90-grain HOP Munitions JHP, 85-grain Federal Punch JHP and the 90-grain Sierra Sportsmaster JHP. I even fired some original Winchester Black Talons loaded in brass cases that were sitting around. 

Between the three defensive JHP loads, group sizes were roughly 1.5 inches. Interestingly, despite the Bodyguard 2.0’s short barrel, the 90-grain HOP Munitions JHP shot faster out of the little pistol than the advertised velocity (1,075 fps versus 1,050 fps), which is the opposite of what usually happens. That extra muzzle velocity could be an asset to the concealed carrier, as it will help initiate bullet expansion. And the poor performance of .380 ACP loads is a major reason this cartridge was pooh-poohed by many shooters until the last decade and a half or so. Smaller, slower bullets are generally not ideal for self-defense. But, advances in bullet design have led to commercial .380 ACP offerings that perform substantially better than their forbears, with bullets expanding even at slower velocities. This adds to the appeal of the cartridge for concealed carry and personal protection. 

After nearly 325 rounds on its maiden voyage, the Bodyguard 2.0 appears to be both accurate and reliable. In addition to the groups I recorded, I shot at an open USPSA paper target and conducted two separate Dot Torture drills in order to get a good idea of this pistol’s user-experience. I even fired some modified Bill drills just to see what kind of splits I could record with the Bodyguard 2.0. I managed to go as fast as .18 second—not bad for one of the smallest centerfire semi-automatic pistols on the market. 

Even though the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 is incredible in its efficiency of size, it also posits some quirks because of it. Left-handed shooters must be careful when shooting the Bodyguard 2.0, because of their strong-side thumb. Either their left thumb physically prevents the fired brass from ejecting and induces a stoppage, or said brass will eject with full force and crash against the side of the thumb. Because I’m left-handed, I experienced both occurrences and found them aggravating. Shifting my thumb was all it took to eliminate these issues, but it’s something to keep in mind. 

Although it is by far the most comfortable pistol of its ridiculously small size to shoot, there are some drawbacks to its diminutive size. The combination of such a small grip when combined with its factory trigger means that one can inadvertently throw shots with the Bodyguard 2.0 if one isn’t careful. That is part and parcel of shooting smaller handguns and can be remedied with deliberate practice. Assertive support-hand tension really helps in this regard, and the Bodyguard 2.0 displayed less of this concern than other tiny handguns.

While the Bodyguard 2.0 has an excellent and useful sight picture for a defensive micro-compact pistol, the height of its sights appeared to be the cause of my shots printing approximately 2 inches low at 7 yards (6 to 7 inches at 25 yards). Given its mission, this isn’t a deal-breaker. It’s not hard to hit the A-zone or Down-0 targeting areas at closer distances, but the point-of-impact shift is also something to keep in mind when attempting more precise shots. Verifying windage is also highly recommended; my Bodyguard 2.0’s sight needed to be drifted to the right a bit. 

Finally, the Bodyguard 2.0’s stack-and-a-half magazines can be difficult to load due to their smaller size. Without the aid of a tool, it was impossible to load the 12th round in the bigger of the two magazines that come with the pistol. This is again a common trait among such small handguns. 

The Bodyguard 2.0 is remarkably soft-shooting with standard-velocity .380 ACP ammo. With warmer defensive loads, it feels slightly livelier in the hands, but it’s not snappy the way a micro-compact 9 mm would be. The quirks listed above aren’t deal breakers, and I found the pistol to be user-friendly. I do think the prospective buyer would do well to spend some time on the range with this little pistol in order to become acquainted with it. It is not the same as shooting a full-size M&P 2.0, but for such a tiny handgun, it is truly remarkable how comfortable it is to shoot. Ultimately, the Bodyguard 2.0’s form-factor makes it an extremely portable and without a doubt a viable option for self-defense, especially with its size-to-capacity ratio. Smith & Wesson correctly branded it with the historic “Bodyguard” moniker, after all.