S&W Bodyguard 2.0 vs Bodyguard 380: What Actually Changed?
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Smith & Wesson gave the Bodyguard 380 a sequel, and it is not just a new coat of paint. The name is nearly the same, the caliber is the same, and the size looks close on paper. Underneath, it is a different pistol.
Here is what actually changed, using S&W's published specs and a few reviewers who put real rounds through both.
Short version: The 2.0 keeps the same .380 ACP chambering and barrel length, then swaps almost everything else. Hammer-fired double-action-only became striker-fired. Six rounds became 10 or 12. The built-in laser is gone. The magazines are different, so nothing swaps between the two.
The side-by-side
| Bodyguard 380 (original) | Bodyguard 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Caliber | .380 ACP | .380 ACP |
| Action | Hammer-fired, double-action only | Striker-fired |
| Capacity | 6+1 | 10+1 (flush magazine) or 12+1 (extended magazine) |
| Barrel | 2.75 in | 2.75 in |
| Overall length | 5.25 in | 5.5 in |
| Height | 4.1 in | 4.0 to 4.1 in |
| Width | 0.75 in | 0.88 in |
| Weight (empty) | About 11 to 12 oz | 9.8 oz listed |
| Sights | Adjustable drift sights | Tritium front sight, U-notch rear |
| Laser | Built in | None |
| Thumb safety | Yes | Optional |
| MSRP at launch | $399 | $449 |
What you will actually feel
The trigger. The original uses a long, heavy double-action pull every single shot. The 2.0 is striker-fired with a flat-faced trigger, and American Rifleman measured the break at just over 5 pounds. Reviewers almost all call this the biggest upgrade.
The capacity. Six rounds became 10 flush or 12 with the extended magazine, and the pistol ships with both. The extended magazine adds about 0.39 inches of height.
The grip. The 2.0 borrows the 18-degree grip angle of the Shield series, so it points more naturally. It is also a bit wider, about 0.13 inches, because it holds that bigger magazine. That is the price of 10 or 12 rounds in a pocket-sized gun.
The magazines. This is the one that trips people up at the gun counter. The original uses a single-stack magazine that holds six. The 2.0 magazine starts double-stack and narrows to a single column at the top, which is how it fits more rounds in a small grip. Different design, different magazine. They are not interchangeable.
The laser. The original had an integrated laser (Insight at first, Crimson Trace later). The 2.0 drops it and puts a tritium dot on the front sight instead.
A note on the numbers
Published weights do not line up across sources. One reviewer weighed the 2.0 at just over 11 oz with an empty magazine in it, while the 9.8 oz figure is the listed weight without one. The original shows up as both 11.1 and 11.9 oz depending on where you look. Heights vary by 0.1 inch between sources too. Use the table for the big picture, and check S&W's current spec page before you buy a holster off a single number.
Which one should you look at?
| If you want... | Look at... |
|---|---|
| The most rounds in the smallest .380 | Bodyguard 2.0 |
| A lighter, flatter trigger pull | Bodyguard 2.0 |
| A built-in laser | Bodyguard 380 (original) |
| The thinnest, slickest pocket profile | Bodyguard 380 (original) |
The original is a niche pick now. For most people the 2.0 is the one to try first.
From Jelly Bird Manufacturing
If you landed on the 2.0 and your pinky is hanging off the bottom of the grip, we make extensions for it. We make one for the flush-fit magazine and one for the extended magazine. Each adds 8mm of grip, and they come in a large-hand size and an extra-large-hand size. They are made for the 2.0 only, not the original.
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