How To Clean and Lubricate a Bodyguard 380- Disassembly Instructions for M & P Bodyguard 380

Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 Pistol
Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 Pistol

How to Disassemble, Clean and Lubricate a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380

I am going to show you step-by-step how to disassemble and clean a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 pistol. From the field stripping to complete lube and reassembly, this tutorial will allow you how to quickly and confidently perform this task in 15-20 minutes. After you have done this once, you will be able to do it even quicker the next time without instructions.

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If you have never tried to take down (field strip) your M & P Bodyguard .380, it can be tricky the first time as the take down pin is small and not the easiest to deal with. A little instruction is all you will need, then the rest is easy.

Bodyguard 380 cleaning Supplies

Here are the supplies you will need to complete the disassembly, reassembly and cleaning of the  S & W Bodyguard 380 pistol. There are lots of different cleaning products, so I will list the ones I have used for years of trouble free results.

Brownells also carries all the products you need to clean your handgun. Check them out here: Handgun Cleaning supplies.

Here are the steps to Field Strip and clean the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 pistol:

Unload the gun

Unload the Bodyguard 380
Unload the Bodyguard 380

 

This is the most important step. Eject any magazine that is in the gun, and then remove the round in the chamber. Be sure to do it in that order! Magazine first, then empty the chamber! Remove any and all ammo from the area.

Repeat Step 1. Verify the gun is completely unloaded

This step is in case you skipped step number one.

Remove the slide, barrel, recoil spring and guide rod

Lock the slide to the rear using slide stop lever.

Lock the slide to the rear
Lock the slide to the rear

Move take-down lever to 6 o’clock position, forcing if necessary

Rotate the take-down lever to the 6 oclock position
Rotate the take-down lever to the 6 o’clock position

Move the take-down lever back and forth until you can grasp it and remove it

Turn the lever further until it starts to come out
Turn the lever further until it starts to come out
Remove the take down pin
Remove the take down pin

Move the slide forward and off the front of the gun frame.

Remove the slide off the front of the gun frame
Remove the slide off the front of the gun frame

Turn the slide upside down and remove the guide rod CAREFULLY as it is spring-loaded.

Apply pressure to the guide rod and remove
Apply pressure to the guide rod and remove
Remove the guide rod and recoil spring assembly
Remove the guide rod and recoil spring assembly

Remove the barrel from the slide.

Remove the barrel
Remove the barrel

Clean barrel and guide rod

Use Hoppes Number 9 solvent & a rag or cotton swabs to clean the recoil spring and guide rod assembly. Run a Boresnake through the barrel a couple times. Wipe any remaining solvent off with a cloth or paper towel.

Clean the gun frame

Use Hoppes #9 solvent and a paper towel or cotton swabs to clean all surfaces of the frame, especially the rails where the slide contacts the frame. On the Bodyguard and other guns that have a polymer (plastic) frame, do not get Hoppes No. 9 solvent on parts that are not metal.

The best way to clean a polymer frame is to spray it down with Birchwood Casey Synthetic-safe Gun scrubber or equivalent. After using either cleaner, use a paper towel or rag to wipe any excess solvent off of the frame.

Clean the Slide

Use Hoppes No. 9 solvent and a cotton swab or paper towel to clean the inside of the slide, especially the areas that contact the frame rails during operation.

Lubricate

Using a quality lubricant such as Frog Lube, Slip 2000 (my preference as this is thicker than most and stays on the gun a long time) or Tri-flow superior Lubricant, apply just a few drops to the following areas:

Frame:

  • Rails
  • Hammer pivot
  • Slide stop
  • All moving parts in trigger control area

Slide:

  • Rails
  • Hammer cocking surface
  • Firing pin aperture

No need for more than a few drops. The oil will move around on its own and coat the necessary surfaces.

Lubricate the frame slide rails
Lubricate the frame slide rails
Lubricate the trigger control mechanism
Lubricate the trigger control mechanism

Reassemble the gun

This part is very easy once you do it a few times. Set the slide upside down and put the barrel into the slide. Then place the recoil spring assembly on top and press on the end so it fits in the groove on the barrel as shown in the picture.

Place the barrel and guide rod as shown
Place the barrel and guide rod as shown

Then line up the slide with the frame and slide it on. Move it to the rear and lock the slide back with the slide lock lever.

Be sure the barrel is all the way forward.

 
Lock the slide to the rear. Be sure the barrel is all the way forward as shown.
Lock the slide to the rear. Be sure the barrel is all the way forward as shown.

Now insert the take-down pin onto the hole, with the lever in the 6 or 3 o’clock position, and press it into the gun until fully seated. This may take some twisting of the lever to get it to go in.

Insert take down lever pin
Insert take down lever pin

Be sure the lever is back in the original position, at 3 o’clock.

Make sure the take down lever is in the 3 oclock position
Make sure the take down lever is in the 3 o’clock position

Work the slide back and forth several times to be sure it operates properly, and to allow the lube to spread into all the areas that move.

Lastly, you can test the functionality of the gun by taking some dummy rounds and loading the gun with them. Now make sure a round is ejected every time to rack the slide to the rear.

Also see my article on How to Clean a Springfield XD or XDm pistol.

The gun is now fully assembled and ready for another day at the range, or to slide into your DeSantis Die Hard Ankle Holster!

Bodyguard 380 Disassembly and Cleaning Video

Thanks for reading my tutorial on cleaning a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard .380 pistol! I hope this has helped you out. Also see my tutorial on Cleaning a Kimber 1911 Pro Carry II.

Please leave a comment blow if you have any improvements I could make, or to share your experience with this gun.

16 thoughts on “How To Clean and Lubricate a Bodyguard 380- Disassembly Instructions for M & P Bodyguard 380”

  1. Thank you for making this instructive article. It really helps that you included pictures for every step for cleaningthe bodyguard 360. Maybe a video will be helpful?  I think many people forget to move the barrel forward and cleaning the area, leading it to potential jaming later. Or they get stop there and didnt take further steps 

    Reply
    • Shellykh, thanks for reading my tutorial and leaving a comment! I am working on the video of How to Clean the Bodyguard 380.  It will be added in the next few days!

      Dave

      Reply
  2. Awesome Dave, it’s a comprehensive article. Very well written and suitable images are provided wherever necessary. Very easy to understand.

    You have provided some good lubricants. What do you think, if some water drop may get trapped inside accidentally? Will it give serious rusting issues. or it’s not a serious issue, at all. Can be sorted out?

    Thanks a lot for sharing this useful information.

    Cheers:)

    Akshay

    Reply
    • Akshay,

      Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! Yes, water is the enemy of any firearm. However, a good portion of this particular gun is polymer and not susceptible to rust. Most of the metal parts are lunricated per my tutorial, so small amount of moisture will not be a problem. That being said, it is always a good idea to keep firearms in a secure, dry location. If you were to carry a firearm on your person on a daily basis, I would be sure to clean it every few weeks. This way any issues with rust can be dealt with and any sweat that may have contacted the gun can be cleaned and oiled.

      Dave

      Reply
  3. This was very interesting. Thank you for taking the time to give instructions step-by-step. For someone who has never taken a gun apart, you made it look very easy. I can see how with a bit of practice it could be done in 15 minutes or so. I liked how you provided easy to understand instructions as well as pictures for those like myself who are visual learners. Thank you for the helpful information!

    Reply
    • Randi, thank you for reading and commenting on my tutorial! I also like step by step instructions and lots of pictures when I am learning something new. I thought it would be easier for people to clean their firearms with lots of closeup pictures.

      Dave

      Reply
  4. thanks for sharing this post about how to clean a Bodyguard 380. Very well explained. thank you for this article it is useful to me. yes this weapon a good one, I have one like yours in the picture. Your Instructions are very practical and I like to keep my gun clean. The pictures are especially helpful to make sure I am doing it correctly.

    Reply
    • Bajram, thanks for reading my tutorial on cleaning a Bodyguard 380 and leaving a comment! I am glad you found it useful for your firearm!

      Dave

      Reply
  5. Hey Dave,

    HOnestly, I have never used any pistol, but this very useful information for them who uses it!  You have given a step by step information with picture and explained how to do it!

    Do you need any specific instruments like extensions to clean it?  

    I think you should make a Youtube video of how to clean your gun, that should be more appealing,  though you explained it beautifully.

    Reply
    • Shubhangi,

      Thanks for reading my tutorial on How to Clean a Bodyguard 380 and leaving a comment! I actually just added the youtube video! I had a lot of editing to do before I could post it.

      Dave

      Reply
  6. Thank you for sharing this up. Nice step by step explanation. This is a great tutorial for those that own a Bodyguard 380.  its good for them to find out a way of making their firearms neat and free of dirt, which could also be of positive impact to the easy usage of the gun.

    Reply
    • Debbie,

      Thanks for the comment. I prefer to read step-by-step instructions as well. that way you don’t lose your place so easily when disassembling your Bodyguard 380 or other firearm!

      Dave

      Reply

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