Smith & Wesson double down, introduce the Shield EZ 9 MM

[michael_b]

Pistol is already at FLL's to debut on the 12th.

Basically, it's the exact same design as the Shield EZ 380, but in 9 mm. Feels the same, has the one finger easy racking, slide rack assist milled right into the slide etc.

[Maccabeus]

Interesting.  I'm sure it will sell.  

After hearing so many positive comments on the original, I briefly toyed with getting the .380EZ for my wife, but when I paid closer attention and realized it was a single stack/Shield with only 8+1, it just didn't seem worth buying.  

It won't replace her easy to rack 16+1 SD9VE for home defense, and .380 isn't the most affordable caliber for plinking away at the range for fun, when there are plenty of .22s to fill that role.

I'd love to see an M&P 2.0 Compact in .380 sporting the same 15+1 capacity as the 9mm. (Or even a full size).  I would feel more comfortable with the 9mm-.380 trade off, knowing that my wife had a pistol that was easier for her to shoot AND offered some reasonable capacity to make up for the weaker caliber.

[michael_b]

1 hour ago, Maccabeus said:

Interesting.  I'm sure it will sell.  

After hearing so many positive comments on the original, I briefly toyed with getting the .380EZ for my wife, but when I paid closer attention and realized it was a single stack/Shield with only 8+1, it just didn't seem worth buying.  

It won't replace her easy to rack 16+1 SD9VE for home defense, and .380 isn't the most affordable caliber for plinking away at the range for fun, when there are plenty of .22s to fill that role.

I'd love to see an M&P 2.0 Compact in .380 sporting the same 15+1 capacity as the 9mm. (Or even a full size).  I would feel more comfortable with the 9mm-.380 trade off, knowing that my wife had a pistol that was easier for her to shoot AND offered some reasonable capacity to make up for the weaker caliber.

I love my EZ 380. I deal with some arthritis issues and it still allows me to shoot on a bad day. We sold a ton over BF weekend and I get the 'does it come in 9mm' question quite often. There is definitely a niche for these and I imagine it will sell really well. I can't tell you how many housewives I've turned on... to the EZ 380.

I would love a double stack 380. I wish someone would make a conversion barrel/mag for the Glock 19. 

[Borg warner]

One reason the Shield EZ 380's slide is so easy to rack is because the 380 doesn't need a very strong recoil spring but in 9mm it would need a stiffer spring.

In 9mm, I don't see that it would have any advantage over the SD9VE except for maybe the addition of a grip safety which would be nice if eliminated the need for a thumb safety. As far as 9mm recoil, I used to have a Smith and Wesson model 39 and a friend of mine had the larger model 59. When I shot the model 59 I was amazed at the difference in recoil between the two guns.

 

[Pistolay]

19 hours ago, michael_b said:

I would love a double stack 380.

If brand snobbery is not an issue, you should check out the SCCY CPX-3/CPX-4. It's 10+1 while being no larger than a P365, as easy to rack as my Ruger SR22, and completely reliable through almost 1800 rounds, which I sure can't say for my Glock 42. And the CPX-4 comes with a Crimson Trace Red Dot. My only complaints are the finish on the mags (which nevertheless work fine) and the fact that the front sight is glued in. But, I suppose they've got to shave the costs somewhere.

[Maccabeus]

33 minutes ago, Pistolay said:

If brand snobbery is not an issue, you should check out the SCCY CPX-3/CPX-4. It's 10+1 while being no larger than a P365, as easy to rack as my Ruger SR22, and completely reliable through almost 1800 rounds, which I sure can't say for my Glock 42. And the CPX-4 comes with a Crimson Trace Red Dot. My only complaints are the finish on the mags (which nevertheless work fine) and the fact that the front sight is glued in. But, I suppose they've got to shave the costs somewhere.

Interesting.  I didn't realize that was out there.  Not the compact/full size I'd prefer, but better than most on capacity.  It's hammer-fired DAO.  How is the trigger pull?  How does the weight compare to a Bodyguard .380 or similar?

OP: Sorry for the hijack.

[Pistolay]

8 hours ago, Maccabeus said:

Interesting.  I didn't realize that was out there.  Not the compact/full size I'd prefer, but better than most on capacity.  It's hammer-fired DAO.  How is the trigger pull?  How does the weight compare to a Bodyguard .380 or similar?

As you would expect from a hammer-fired DAO, the trigger pull is long and the reset is long. I don't have a gauge, but I've read that it's somewhere between 8 and 9 pounds. I find it to be very smooth and I like it, but Galloway Precision sells a short stroke trigger kit. The weight is around 21 oz loaded, which is an ounce or two lighter than the EZ.

I bought this gun because I was looking for a small, locked breech, double stack .380, and none of the top tier companies make one. It took a while before I was able to put my own brand snobbery aside (I'm a Glock guy), and take a chance on it. I'm glad I did.

[michael_b]

9 hours ago, Pistolay said:

If brand snobbery is not an issue, you should check out the SCCY CPX-3/CPX-4. It's 10+1 while being no larger than a P365, as easy to rack as my Ruger SR22, and completely reliable through almost 1800 rounds, which I sure can't say for my Glock 42. And the CPX-4 comes with a Crimson Trace Red Dot. My only complaints are the finish on the mags (which nevertheless work fine) and the fact that the front sight is glued in. But, I suppose they've got to shave the costs somewhere.

Hate the feel of the SCCY. Feels cheap and boxy to my hands. My 42 has been perfect for me. The only issue I've had is some teething issues with an ETS mag.

Edited December 6, 2019 by michael_b

[Dric902]

On 12/5/2019 at 8:04 PM, Borg warner said:

One reason the Shield EZ 380's slide is so easy to rack is because the 380 doesn't need a very strong recoil spring but in 9mm it would need a stiffer spring.

In 9mm, I don't see that it would have any advantage over the SD9VE except for maybe the addition of a grip safety which would be nice if eliminated the need for a thumb safety. As far as 9mm recoil, I used to have a Smith and Wesson model 39 and a friend of mine had the larger model 59. When I shot the model 59 I was amazed at the difference in recoil between the two guns.

 

My first thought as well

the selling point of the EZ was the easy rack slide

 

.

[Pistolay]

5 hours ago, michael_b said:

Hate the feel of the SCCY. Feels cheap and boxy to my hands. My 42 has been perfect for me. The only issue I've had is some teething issues with an ETS mag.

I wish I could say the same about my 42, but it is without a doubt the most unreliable firearm I've ever owned. It's already been back to Glock and had several parts replaced. Since it came back, it's much better, but it remains very ammo sensitive. It's not reliable with CCI Blazer or Aguila FMJ, which aren't exactly junk ammo. Sometimes I wonder why I keep it, but it's very soft shooting, I like Glocks, and I've found both a range and carry ammo it likes, so it's still here.

And I don't think the SCCY feels cheap at all. It's more solid and well built than a few Rugers I've owned. Well, except for the mags and that front sight. It IS boxy, but so is my G26, which is my favorite of all the guns I've owned.

Edited December 7, 2019 by Pistolay
Detail

[michael_b]

On 12/6/2019 at 10:28 PM, Pistolay said:

I wish I could say the same about my 42, but it is without a doubt the most unreliable firearm I've ever owned. It's already been back to Glock and had several parts replaced. Since it came back, it's much better, but it remains very ammo sensitive. It's not reliable with CCI Blazer or Aguila FMJ, which aren't exactly junk ammo. Sometimes I wonder why I keep it, but it's very soft shooting, I like Glocks, and I've found both a range and carry ammo it likes, so it's still here.

And I don't think the SCCY feels cheap at all. It's more solid and well built than a few Rugers I've owned. Well, except for the mags and that front sight. It IS boxy, but so is my G26, which is my favorite of all the guns I've owned.

Mine LOVES Agulia. Yeah, they SCCY polymer just does not feel 'right' to me, not sure why. Everybody's hand is different. The G26 is boxy lol, but Glock's aren't know for their ergos except the g48/43X which feel fantastic to me.