Smith Wesson Bodyguard 38 2.0 Laser – Superb Carry Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson Bodyguard 38 2.0 Laser is the second-generation Bodyguard 38 with an integrated Crimson Trace red laser built into the frame, adding an aiming solution that works in the dark to a 14.4 ounce double-action-only carry revolver.

Smith Wesson Bodyguard 38 2.0 Laser Why a Laser Belongs on a Snub Revolver

Small revolvers are hard to shoot well, and the reason is almost always the sights. A 1.875 inch barrel gives you a very short sight radius, the front blade is small, and defensive encounters happen in poor light. A laser sidesteps all three problems at once.

The Crimson Trace unit here is integrated into the frame rather than clamped on. That means no added bulk beyond the profile you see, nothing that can shift under recoil, and no snagging edge added to a gun designed specifically not to snag.

It also lets you aim from positions where you cannot get the gun to eye level, which is a realistic scenario for a firearm that exists to be used at very close range.

The Revolver Underneath

Everything else is the Bodyguard 38 2.0. A one-piece aluminum alloy upper frame keeps weight at 14.4 ounces, the 1.875 inch barrel is stainless steel, and the five-round cylinder is stainless with a PVD coating for wear and corrosion resistance.

The cylinder release is centre mounted and ambidextrous, which is unusual on a small revolver and genuinely useful for left-handed shooters. The polymer boot-style grip is contoured to spread recoil across the palm rather than concentrate it.

Iron sights are still fitted and still worth learning: a Patridge-style front blade with an orange dot against a machined u-notch in the frame. A laser is a supplement, not a replacement, and batteries eventually run out.

Getting the Most From the Laser

Zero the laser at the distance you expect to use it. Most people set a snub revolver laser somewhere between seven and fifteen yards, and inside that band the difference between the dot and the bullet path is small enough to ignore. Beyond it, the offset grows and the iron sights become the better reference.

A red laser is easy to see indoors and at night but washes out badly in bright sunlight. That is a limitation of the technology rather than of this particular unit, and it is the reason the iron sights still matter on a gun carried outdoors during the day.

Check the battery on a schedule rather than when you remember. A laser you assume is working and is not is worse than no laser at all, because it costs you the half second spent looking for a dot that never appears.

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 14508
• Caliber: 38 S&W Special, rated for +P
• Capacity: 5 rounds
• Barrel: 1.875 in. stainless steel
• Cylinder: stainless steel with PVD coating
• Frame: aluminum alloy
• Laser: integrated Crimson Trace red laser
• Action: double action only
• Cylinder release: ambidextrous, centre mounted
• Sights: Patridge-style front with orange dot, machined u-notch rear in frame
• Grip: polymer boot-style
• Weight: 14.4 oz
• Height: 4.6 in.
• Width: 1.35 in.
• Warranty: Smith and Wesson Limited Lifetime Service Policy
• UPC: 022188905236

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson Bodyguard 38 2.0 Laser

An integrated laser adds only two tenths of an ounce over the standard model, which is nothing, and gives you an aiming reference in exactly the lighting conditions where iron sights fail.

Lasers are also an excellent training tool. Dry firing while watching the dot will show you every bit of trigger-induced movement, which is the single most useful piece of feedback a new shooter can get.

The ambidextrous cylinder release makes this one of the few small revolvers that treats left-handed shooters as equals rather than an afterthought.

At 14.4 ounces this is a revolver that gets carried rather than left in a drawer, and a gun you have with you beats a better gun you do not.

Who Should Buy It

The Smith Wesson Bodyguard 38 2.0 Laser suits concealed carriers who want an aiming solution for low light, older shooters or anyone whose close vision makes iron sights difficult, and people who want a simple revolver with a modern advantage built in. Keep spare batteries, practise with the irons as well, and expect sharp recoil from +P loads in a gun this light.

Learn more from Smith and Wesson, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.

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