Are they smoking crack at Smith and Wesson?

[Big_Red]

Earlier this week I bought the S&W Bodyguard 380. It is a nice little gun and very concealable. Today I took it to the range to make sure all was well with it. It shot really nicely, although the trigger is somewhat stiff. After I got home I decided to completely strip the gun for clean up and to familiarize myself with the internals. When the time came to remove the firing pin I was completely stumped. A quick search of the Interwebs revealed that in order to remove the firing ping, the rear sight needs to come out first. Seriously?

Oh, I tried to push the sight out using various punches and a "universal" slide pusher. It will not budge. It looks like I will have to apply heat and risk damaging the sight in order to remove a clean the firing pin.

What f-ing moron thought this was a good design?

 

[LoginName]

Most likely micro stamping on the firing pin, and the designers wanted to make it as difficult as possible to swap the pin out and/or remove the markings.

 

[Cuz]

Why would you want to remove the firing pin?

 

[Boris]

you should definitely remove that pin and take some close up pics. WTF is this micro-stamping crap? You should engrave "**** Marsha" and spread many cartridge of gun.

 

[turbo38gn]

Why would you want to remove the firing pin?

ya, what he said.... it obviously isn't a part that requires cleaning at your level of use. Guess the moron that designed it figured there weren't any morons out there that would try to remove it...

 

[vellnueve]

Why the hell do you want to take the firing pin out?

News flash: there are several very popular firearms that require the rear sight be removed to access the striker/block assemblies.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Is there a reason to remove the firing pin?

 

[MACGYVR]

Is there a reason to disassemble a brand new gun? Just curious....

Do you do this to your cars when you buy them?

How about a microwave, TV, washing machine etc

The level of idiocy i see on here sometimes is incredible.

Its brand new, it was tested at the factory to meet specs and function. If it failed, it never left the factory.

You took it to the range and confirmed that it works as sold.

SO WHY THE F WOULD YOU TAKE IT ALL APART?

There is absolutely zero reason to disassemble a brand new functioning firearm beyond a field strip. ZERO

 

[drgrant]

It's clearly a gun designed to be shot very little and carried a lot. I doubt the lifetime service interval of that gun would ever require removing the firing pin for regular maintenance.

I take it you would get pissed at Sigs, HKs, and other guns that require removal of ROLL PINS to get the firing pin out of their channel. I've owned tons of both and have never had (or wanted to) to remove the firing pin on either.

-Mike

 

[Remsport Mfg]

All of the S&W semi auto's have to have the sights removed to remove the striker or firing pin. This is how the safety fp/striker plunger is installed. S&W is not the only company that does this it is very common.

 

[Big_Red]

Thanks for crapping all over me. I did not realize that I was the only idiot in the world who takes apart his guns so I can familiarize myself with the ins and outs. I will be sure to never do that again. I guess that next time I need to adjust a sear spring in a 1911 I will just go buy a new gun.

FYI, This particular gun has had some reported issues with the firing pin cracking/breaking. I wanted to remove it to inspect it and clean it along with the pin channel.

Its brand new, it was tested at the factory to meet specs and function. If it failed, it never left the factory.

There is absolutely zero reason to disassemble a brand new functioning firearm beyond a field strip. ZERO

Not sure what universe you live in but in mine guns leave the factories with all types of problems. Owned Para Ordnance LDA where the safety lever fell out on my first trip to the range. I guess the gun was perfectly fine leaving the factory.

The Bodyguard 380 has had its own list of problems with light strikes, trigger not resetting, take-down lever falling out, etc. Again, all of those guns were 100% leaving the factory.

 

[Big_Red]

News flash: there are several very popular firearms that require the rear sight be removed to access the striker/block assemblies.

All of the S&W semi auto's have to have the sights removed to remove the striker or firing pin. This is how the safety fp/striker plunger is installed. S&W is not the only company that does this it is very common.

Be that as it may, I still think it is a lousy design.

 

[eisenhow]

All of the S&W semi auto's have to have the sights removed to remove the striker or firing pin. This is how the safety fp/striker plunger is installed. S&W is not the only company that does this it is very common.

My M&P must be broken because I can remove the striker without taking the rear sight off.

You do have to remove the rear sight to remove the plunger though.

 

[Jason]

It's clearly a gun designed to be shot very little and carried a lot. I doubt the lifetime service interval of that gun would ever require removing the firing pin for regular maintenance.

I take it you would get pissed at Sigs, HKs, and other guns that require removal of ROLL PINS to get the firing pin out of their channel. I've owned tons of both and have never had (or wanted to) to remove the firing pin on either.

-Mike

This knowledge make me appreciate the Lucy Lawless cameo from Burn Notice a little more. Even if their writing is sometime a little silly with armor piercing +P .380 rounds.

 

[Business]

If your that concerned with fully disassembling your guns you should have done the research before the purchase to see what was involved in breaking it down to the level you wanted to. You must love mosins

 

[richc]

- Not sure what universe you live in but in mine guns leave the factories with all types of problems. Owned Para Ordnance LDA where the safety lever fell out on my first trip to the range. I guess the gun was perfectly fine leaving the factory.

- The Bodyguard 380 has had its own list of problems with light strikes, trigger not resetting, take-down lever falling out, etc. Again, all of those guns were 100% leaving the factory.

When you buy a Para Ordinance that's the risk you take.

And why did you buy the Bodyguard if there were so many reported problems?

 

[Big_Red]

You must love mosins

I actually do. Took mine apart too.

 

[Big_Red]

And why did you buy the Bodyguard if there were so many reported problems?

That was mostly with Gen 1 and I hope that most of those have been resolved. Besides, I really like the gun.

 

[vellnueve]

This

Not sure what universe you live in but in mine guns leave the factories with all types of problems.

is because of this

Owned Para Ordnance LDA

If the gun was so unreliable you should have bought something else. Not all guns are designed to be user serviceable.

 

[Big_Red]

If the gun was so unreliable you should have bought something else. Not all guns are designed to be user serviceable.

I didn't know there was a problem with the gun until after I had bought it. I sent it back to Para and they fixed (replaced the frame).

 

[OB1Kenobi]

^ this ^

 

[EddieCoyle]

Thanks for crapping all over me.

That's what you get for using a drama queen thread title for a design feature that turns out to be pretty common. If the title of the thread was something like "Why did S&W do this?", you would've got a much different reaction.

 

[chinalfr]

FYI, This particular gun has had some reported issues with the firing pin cracking/breaking. I wanted to remove it to inspect it and clean it along with the pin channel.

The Bodyguard 380 has had its own list of problems with light strikes, trigger not resetting, take-down lever falling out, etc. Again, all of those guns were 100% leaving the factory.

If you know the firearm has potential problem, why purchase it?

 

[turbo38gn]

That was mostly with Gen 1 and I hope that most of those have been resolved. Besides, I really like the gun.

Then lets go shoot em and forget this thread even exists... You inspired me to throw my BG in the range bag with a couple SW1911's and that crappy LC9 I picked up for really, really cheap... gonna shoot em all tonite at Smith and Wesson range and Retail store..

 

[Dench]

I have a SW BG 380 and it is easily the most shitty pistol I own.

Cumbersome take down? Check.
Failure to eject's significantly more than other modern pistols? Check.
Questionable trigger? Check.
Useless laser? Check.

I can get the firing pin out of my glock in under 2 minutes without question. I can get it completely apart in less than 3 easily. Get on the wagon, S&W. I guess the Sigma was their attempt at a modern pistol thats not a huge POS. That worked out good. S&W should be sticking to revolvers.

 

[Big_Red]

That's what you get for using a drama queen thread title for a design feature that turns out to be pretty common.

Then perhaps it isn't only S&W where they smoke crack.

If the title of the thread was something like "Why did S&W do this?", you would've got a much different reaction.

Not so sure about that.

 

[Big_Red]

Shouldn't that go here: What-do-you-look-like-part-III

 

[turbo38gn]

I have a SW BG 380 and it is easily the most shitty pistol I own.

Cumbersome take down? Check.
Failure to eject's significantly more than other modern pistols? Check.
Questionable trigger? Check.
Useless laser? Check.

I can get the firing pin out of my glock in under 2 minutes without question. I can get it completely apart in less than 3 easily. Get on the wagon, S&W. I guess the Sigma was their attempt at a modern pistol thats not a huge POS. That worked out good. S&W should be sticking to revolvers.

some guns need to be taken apart..... some guns don't...... I'll stick with my Smiths, I gots no problem with any of them, including my BG380.

 

[mousegunfan]

All of the S&W semi auto's have to have the sights removed to remove the striker or firing pin. This is how the safety fp/striker plunger is installed. S&W is not the only company that does this it is very common.

IMO this is one of the dumbest thing they have done. This creates a safety issue when you remove your sights. An amateur can change their sights, but now involve the risk of damaging a ufo or spring that blocks the firing pin when only changing sights. I wonder how many springs and disks have been lost changing sights. I knew about this when I changed the rear sights and the spring still went flying.

For the op, be careful, the plunger spring and disk will go flying when you knock the sight off. Wrap it in a baggie or something.

 

[vellnueve]

I didn't know there was a problem with the gun until after I had bought it. I sent it back to Para and they fixed (replaced the frame).

If you'd searched Para on this forum you wouldn't have bought it.

IMO this is one of the dumbest thing they have done. This creates a safety issue when you remove your sights. An amateur can change their sights, but now involve the risk of damaging a ufo or spring that blocks the firing pin when only changing sights. I wonder how many springs and disks have been lost changing sights. I knew about this when I changed the rear sights and the spring still went flying.

For the op, be careful, the plunger spring and disk will go flying when you knock the sight off. Wrap it in a baggie or something.

If someone is dumb enough to damage their firing mechanism by knocking the sight off, they shouldn't be trying to do work on their gun themselves.