I carry the first and only gun I’ve ever owned: a Smith & Wesson BODYGUARD .380, with three crucial mods/enhancements:
1. Galloway Precision’s short stroke trigger kit — because even a noob like me could tell that the BODYGUARD’s factory trigger sucked.
2. A Garrison grip extension on EVERY magazine I own — these let me grip with my pinky finger as well as my middle and ring fingers, which boosts accuracy without compromising weight, portability or concealment . . .
3. Precision One .380 ACP 90 grain HP/XTP ammo, plus some COR-BON 80 grain DPX rounds.
I wanted to err on the side of portability. Neither my job nor my personal life puts me in harm’s way. If that were the case, I’d have gone heavier.
My BODYGUARD, even when holstered, slips neatly into a pocket or glove compartment. Its weight and form factor never make me think twice before packing it. A bigger gun just doesn’t travel well in a pocket.
The new trigger, the grip extender and the badass ammunition make me confident that if I ever have to fire defensively, I’ll modify my adversary’s behavior in a tactically conclusive manner. And I’m will to forgo the superior firepower of a 9mm or a .45 in favor of a less powerful weapon that will likely be in my pocket at crunch time — not at home in my valet drawer.