Smith & Wesson Bodyguard
Family of small, J-frame revolvers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard is a family of small revolvers with shrouded hammers manufactured by Smith & Wesson. They are available chambered in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum.[1]
Models
Model 38
The Model 38 is aluminum-framed, has a carbon steel barrel, a carbon steel cylinder with a five-round capacity, and is chambered in .38 Special.[2]
Model 49
The Model 49 is an all-carbon-steel-framed revolver chambered in .38 Special.[2]
Model 638
The Model 638 is aluminum-framed with stainless steel cylinder and barrel. Chambered in .38 Special.[2]
Model 649
The Model 649 is an all stainless-steel framed revolver. Chambered in .357 Magnum or .38 Special.[2]
M&P Bodyguard 38
The M&P Bodyguard 38, introduced in 2014,[3] is the latest incarnation of a Smith & Wesson revolver using the Bodyguard name.
It is a polymer framed revolver chambered in .38 Special, and available with a Crimson Trace (previously Insight) red-dot laser sight integrated in to the grip.[4] Like previous Bodyguard models, it has a five-round cylinder and a concealed hammer but unlike the previous models, the hammer cannot be cocked for single action fire.[5][6]
The lockwork is different than any other Smith & Wesson revolver and the model has no parts interchangeable with the J-frame series.[7]
In 2018, S&W announced a new version of the Bodyguard which lacks the integrated laser sight. It is most closely related to the Centennial models.[7]
Users
United States
- Massachusetts State Police
- Plainclothes officers[8]
- Clyde A. Tolson, special assistant to FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover, owned a Model 38 Airweight, serial number 512236, with his name engraved on the side.[9]
- Massachusetts State Police
Former users
Kingdom of Laos
- During the Laotian Civil War
- Royal Lao Army (RLA)
- Royal Lao Police (PRL)
- During the Laotian Civil War
Rhodesia
- During the Rhodesian Bush War[10]
- Civilians
- Air Rhodesia aircrews
- During the Rhodesian Bush War[10]
South Vietnam
- During the Vietnam War[11]
Portugal
- During the Portuguese Colonial War[12]
- Civilians
- Government officials
- During the Portuguese Colonial War[12]
Criminal activities
- Nguyễn Ngọc Loan, South Vietnam's chief of National Police, was photographed using a Model 49 Bodyguard to execute a Viet Cong prisoner, Nguyễn Văn Lém, during the Tet Offensive of 1968.[13]
- Bernhard Goetz used a Model 38 Bodyguard in the controversial 1984 New York City Subway shooting.