I’m still deep in the weeds with my S&W Bodyguard 2.0 testing, which has been ongoing since August of 2024. One of my many gripes with the gun are the sights. The rear notch is far too wide, and is quite sharp. These leads to an inaccurate sight picture, and a gun that tears up your clothes when carrying. Well, XS has released a new set of sights for the BG 2.0.
The RD3 sights for the BG 2.0 are new for SHOT, and are certainly an improvement over the OEM ones. The rear sight is the proper width to keep the slide intact (the sight holds the slide endplate in place), and has a much smaller, nicer square notch. I’m not a big fan of the tritium vials (which glow green) and would prefer a fully black rear, but the serrations and small vials are good enough.
I can’t be negative enough about the BG 2.0’s OEM rear sight. It’s too tight in the dovetail on every example that I’ve seen and monkied with, and the U-notch is wider than Texas. This is already an improvement, strictly in the way that the notch is smaller, and that the installation should be easier. It is retained with a set screw, which is nice to see. The front ledge is square enough to use for racking the slide, and it shouldn’t be as sharp on your body and clothes as the OEM rear sight.
The front sight is a tritium vial with an orange or green ring. It’s highly visible, and that’s all fine by me.
The price direct from XS is $124.99. I imagine that street price via a retailer may be cheaper down the line, but only time will tell.
A pleasant surprise was to see U-notch rear sights for 3-screw-topstrap S&W guns. XS had a 686+ with a set of sights, and they caught our eye.
The front sight uses a brass bead, a classic way to make a high visibility front sight. I’ve used many a brass and gold bead on my guns, and for irons-only guns, it’s my preferred front sight.
Pricing was not available at this time, but I expect it to be around $120.
The BG 2.0 desperately needed a new set of sights, and this seems like a good way to get them. I would like to see a less expensive rear sight option from XS (just a black rear sight), but for now, this is a step in the right direction.
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Very nice review would it be OK to just replace a rear site and leave the front one?
I asked, but they didn't tell me if the height would cause elevation issues since the new rear is shorter. Visually, the OEM front looks to be about the same height as the XS one, so I think it could work.
On my BG 2.0, the front sight is significantly easier to drift than the rear, and I think most are like that. Thanks for coming over YT Steve!