Smith 637 Performance Center vs Bodyguard 380?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
2,392
Location
Waveland, MS
I know I have a new pistol thread almost every week! but I am researching my options for pocket carry and here's my conflicts :

Shooting is expensive! I shoot my own 9mm and 38s. That has cut down costs quite a bit. Getting into another caliber would mean more dies, more casings, more time.

So I'm torn between caliber, cost, stopping power, price, size, placement in my collection, and value! Whew!

So I originally thought I'd go the cheap route with a Taurus pt738 ($250) or a Kahr cm9 ($350) but after reading bad reviews I don't think I'll go that way. For a little more money I can get a much better gun. So I WAS looking at a used sig 238 but that one got sold. Bummer. So now I've got two in my sights - the 637 Performance Center model, and the Bodyguard 380 w/laser. I've thought about the shield but this gun is going to have to fill the niche of going with me when the other guns won't. So small, light, concealable, yet with enough stopping power and wont make me broke with ammo. The 637 is $500, the BG is $400. If I got the BG I could get the 380 dies and some brass and be about even with the 637 price. BUT - I feel a little leery about carrying a 380. Do they do well with hot reloads? I reload to pretty hot standards. The BG melts away and the 637 is a little more noticeable... But I also don't want to trade caliber for comfort COMPLETELY. On the other hand from an aesthetic standpoint I prefer semi autos over revolvers. I have a 357 stainless SP101 that I consider my quintessential revolver and have never felt the need for another one. Semi autos however are an addiction for me. So there is that. But the 637 is growing on me!

What would you go with out of these two?

Note - I've looked at and handled pretty much EVERY gun in this category - Ruger, Kel tec, Kahr, Taurus, ad nauseum.
 
Originally Posted By: Fleetmon
What does it mean "I reload to pretty hot standards'?


Shouldnt be hard to figure out.

When looking at a reloading recipe, Max load is x.x grains, I load at that or just slightly below it.
 
First off, no one gun can do it all, no need to look. It sounds like you already have a few options, you want this gun 'to go where others can't'. That would be a small 'pocket pistol' , price is a factor.

I have 2 380's, a Ruger LCP and the Sig P238. The Sig is more enjoyable to shoot but the LCP packs better. Most of us don't shoot bad guys very often, SD has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. A 380 in the pocket is several times better than no gun, though situational awareness trumps most. Then you read the stats on shootings or 'The Armed Citizen' in the NRA magazine. Most defensive situations are close & personal with a low shot count. Most bad guys back down when they get a notion you ave a gun.

I load my 380 just under factory Speer 90 grn gold dot ammo, as tested on my crony. The LCP isn't a high round range gun but an easy choice for CC.
 
If you plan on shooting I do not understand the reasoning behind looking at an inexpensive gun. If $50 for a set of dies and the ancillary equipment for a new caliber is the determinant rethink it.

I load for 14 rifle calibers and a few handgun. I own 2 revolvers and am pretty much a semi-auto guy. I am however very impressed with the Ruger LCR 357. I picked one up real cheap. I also have a S&W 340PD. I use them mostly for my fly fishing times in black bear country when I don't want the weight of G29 but still need a stunner for a bear.

Just my 2cents. Spare no expense on the gun since sooner or later shooting it will cost 5x the the gun.
 
If you're looking at costs why not buy a 642? All that exposed hammer is good for on a CCW is snagging.
 
If you want to stick with 9mm, you might look into the G26 "baby glock", It conceals well under a t-shirt with in the waistband holsters like king-tuk or cross breed, and you can comfortably shoot full power loads with the benefit of a 10+1 capacity.
 
Originally Posted By: hatt
If you're looking at costs why not buy a 642? All that exposed hammer is good for on a CCW is snagging.


This. The 642/442/340 is a much better conceal carry gun than the 637. Get the 638 if you want a cockable, concealable hammer.
 
I absolutely advise against the Bodyguard .380ACP.

It is a horrible weapon. It will self destruct. The body pins will slide out when least expected, the laser will quit working, the screw that holds the laser will back out and jam the slide and the only fix is to return it for repair.

The S&W Bodyguard .380ACP is the only gun I ever returned for a full refund. It's that bad.
 
As mentioned, the 642 draws easier from a pocket than any revolver with an exposed hammer.

There are bad reviews for all of the established micro guns in .380 and 9mm. They simply are not as reliable as their bigger brothers. It'll be interesting to see if the new Glock .380 has reliability issues.



I wouldn't get either of your two choices. One is an overpriced snagfest and the other is a marginal caliber in a bulky frame.
 
If you want to pocket carry, does that mean you want the gun for self-defense. If the answer is yes, why would you want to carry a 380 popgun when you could carry a 45?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: loyd
If you want to pocket carry, does that mean you want the gun for self-defense. If the answer is yes, why would you want to carry a 380 popgun when you could carry a 45?


What 45 do you suggest that is comparable, or at least close in size and weight, to the handguns mentioned in the original post?
 
Answer: There isn't a small.45 the same as a .380 bodyguard or j frame.

And as far as caliber wars go, let me offer some real world experience to this thread. I used to be a police officer in one of the ten most dangerous cities in America. I responded to shootings/gun shot calls on average about every other shift, so I saw a lot of gun shot victims.

.380 works, and works pretty darn good from what I have seen. Many gun shot victims were dead right there (DRT) and all of them were completely out of the fight or incapacitated if the bullet struck their upper torso region (center mass) and not an arm/leg.

So based on what I've seen, I wouldn't be so quick to discount .380. It works if you hit center mass.
 
Originally Posted By: loyd
If you want to pocket carry, does that mean you want the gun for self-defense. If the answer is yes, why would you want to carry a 380 popgun when you could carry a 45?


Here comes the 45 ACP brigade!

Closest thing in 45 I can find around that size is an XDS. But those things are 25 oz. I want something light for gym shorts and light clothing. I have no problem with 45, but there are simply no good options that I know of that work to tuck in a pocket. But again there's the whole 'Nother caliber thing.
 
Kahr PM45 is only 1/2 inch longer than a .380 Bodyguard. Too many people have taken a 38 round and killed their victim anyway. When I shoot someone I want them to stay down and preferably stop living!
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: loyd
Kahr PM45 is only 1/2 inch longer than a .380 Bodyguard.


And it's an utter turd pile just like all the other Kahr firearms.

.38 and .380 are good defensive calibers.
 
Originally Posted By: loyd
Kahr PM45 is only 1/2 inch longer than a .380 Bodyguard. Too many people have taken a 38 round and killed their victim anyway. When I shoot someone I want them to stay down and preferably stop living!


If I'm ever presented with a self defense scenario, I NEVER, EVER want to defend myself in the hopes of killing someone else. I want to stop the threat, not kill another human being. Do I want to incapacitate them? Yes. But do I think people deserve second chances? Absolutely. Incapacitate and disarm, call the police and keep a gun on him/her until they screw up that second chance.
 
Round effectiveness is one thing. Shooter effectiveness is paramount. No point in getting a gun in a caliber that you can't shoot effectively...bullets that miss do no good. "A hit with a .22 beats a miss with a .45"...right?

Personally, I like my 10mm...but that's a pretty hot round in full power loads, and missing the threat with a 10mm isn't going to do a person any good for self defense...

So, caliber choice depends on the shooter and on weapon controllability. I would take a .380 for SD if that was 1. the size I could conceal, and 2. the caliber I could control.

My wife, at 5'7" and 120 lbs isn't going to be able to conceal a .45 anything on her frame...and 9mm is her upper comfort limit. A .380 like the Glock 42 might just be perfect for her. At 6'1" and 200, I might be able to conceal and control a bit more...

So, in a duty weapon that is carried openly, pick the capacity you need and the biggest caliber you can handle.

But concealed carry is a different proposition...
 
Originally Posted By: loyd
Kahr PM45 is only 1/2 inch longer than a .380 Bodyguard. Too many people have taken a 38 round and killed their victim anyway. When I shoot someone I want them to stay down and preferably stop living!
Little deer take .300 mags in the boiler room and run for 200 yards. When you learn a little about how stuff works you'll realize .45 isn't magic. There is no such thing as knockdown power. That tenth of an inch isn't going to move mountains.
 
Originally Posted By: loyd
Kahr PM45 is only 1/2 inch longer than a .380 Bodyguard. Too many people have taken a 38 round and killed their victim anyway. When I shoot someone I want them to stay down and preferably stop living!


The PM45 is almost double the weight of the LCP, more than double the weight of the P32, and closer to the Glock 26 in weight.

For gym shorts carry like the OP is talking about, the PM45 is a no go.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top