The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 38 is a new design revolver. It is of polymer construction. This Revolver is double action only and is hammerless. It has an ambidextrous cylinder release and is free of protrusions that would snag the gun when drawing. Capacity is five rounds. At 14.4 Oz. and 6.6 In. in length it is easy to carry and conceal. These guns are available with an adjustable laser also. The sights consist of a fixed rear sight and a pinned front sight. The Bodyguard 38 is not as easy to shoot at targets or the occasional pop can that might be encountered because of being double action only and may require more practice to be proficient at those kind of targets. For the primary use of this revolver as a concealable self defense gun it is more than adequate.

The S&W 637 Airweight is a stainless steel version of the Chief’s Special which has been around since the 1950’s. It is chambered in 38 Special +P and holds five rounds. The 637 is a double action revolver with an exposed hammer. The primary purpose of this gun is concealable self defense. Overall length is 6.3 In. and weight is 14.3 Oz. ,which makes it easy to conceal and carry. Grips are synthetic. The frame is aluminum alloy with the barrel and cylinder being stainless steel. The sights consist of a fixed rear and an integral front sight. The 637 Airweight is a little easier to shoot targets or to plink with because it can be manually cocked for each shot rather than having to cock and fire each shot with the long trigger pull of a double action only revolver. This model of revolver and it’s variants have a long history of being an efficient carry gun.

Shooting the 637 Airweight

In these videos both guns were shot using 38 Special handloads with 125grain Hornady XTP bullets. The guns were fired by a shooter who had not fired either gun before. This was done to try and avoid any prior bias. In the first video, “Shooting the Smith and Wesson 637 Airweight”, function of the revolver was flawless as expected. Firing the gun double action, the trigger pull was decently smooth and not excessive in pull weight. As is common to this type of revolver, double action trigger pull is longer and stacks before the revolver fires. The gun is controllable and comfortable to shoot. Muzzle flip is manageable. There were no sharp places on the revolver that gouged the hand. Notice the trigger pull And muzzle flip. In the second video ,”Shooting the Smith and Wesson Bodyguard Revolver”, function of this revolver was also flawless as expected. The Double Action Only trigger pull was noticeably lighter and seems to roll through to firing better than the 637 Airweight. Felt recoil was greater with the Bodyguard which was a surprise since the weight of both guns is close to identical. No difference in muzzle flip was noted between the two revolvers.

Side by Side Comparison

In the third video, “Side by side comparison shooting the Smith and Wesson 637 Airweight and the Model BG38 Bodyguard revolver”, the two revolvers can be watched while being shot side by side. Notice the difference in the two triggers. Not much difference in muzzle flip can be seen. A little bit of difference in the way the two revolvers recoil can be noticed. The conclusion of this comparison is that either revolver will make a decent concealed carry gun. there are some differences between the two which are going to amount to personal preferences. Maybe we all just need to get one each.

Specifications

Bodyguard 38 637-2

38+p rated 38+p rated

5 shot 5 Shot

Hammerless DAO External Hammer

1.9 inch barrel 1.875 inch barrel

6.6 inches overall 6.3 inches overall

14.4 Oz. 14.3 Oz.

Ambidextrous cylinder latch Cylinder latch on left side