We had the opportunity to handle and shoot Smith and Wesson’s latest addition to their Shield EZ line, and found it to be a really enjoyable handgun to shoot.  Chambered in 9mm it appeals to those who want to carry a small concealable handgun but don’t think that .380 has enough stopping power. The S&W M&P 9 Shield EZ is also very popular with first time handgun shooters, women and those of us whose grip strength is fading with age. 

We want to thank Smith & Wesson for sending us two of their handguns, one with a manual safety and one without the manual safety. 

As previously mentioned, women are one of the fastest growing segments of the shooting sports and as evidenced by these new handguns are having some impact on handgun controls and functionality. 

Some things we notices immediately were: 

Every control is easier to manipulate

8+1 capacity

Slide pull weight roughly ½ of the regular Shield 9mm handgun

Both front and rear cocking serrations for better grip when racking the slide

3 slot accessory rail 

Grip texturing , not overly aggressive

Excellent Novak style 3 dot sights

Loaded chamber indicator on top which is both tactile and visible

Reversible mag release tab

Stainless Steel magazine with side loading tab and markings for # of rounds

Armornite durable, corrosion resistant finish

When we were able to take the run to the range to shoot steel, we could tell the difference in ease of loading the magazine and manipulating the slide. Overall, it is a real smooth shooting 9mm and had minimal felt recoil.  The grip angle feels better when you are actually pointing and shooting, my hand felt very natural in the grip. 

We shot 200 rounds through the gun without any issues to speak of.  The trigger was something that all of us loved, it had a light and crisp feel to it. 

The S&W 9 Shield EZ is everything Smith and Wesson claimed it would be.  I can see new shooters being able to buy one of these and start having fun at the range immediately.  When your thumb isn’t sore and cramped from loading mags and you aren’t intimidated by having to grip and rack a stiff slide, you can enjoy the act of shooting. 

If and when you get a chance to give one a try I would highly recommend the M&P 9 Shield EZ from Smith and Wesson for anyone interested.

If you are thinking of purchasing one of the models you can get them here:

Manual safety: http://bit.ly/2GQ4pRY
No Manual safety: http://bit.ly/2RVJgME