Why is the Shield EZ just for weak hands?

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Milkmaster

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Long time shooter here with many firearms including pistols. I have been reading about the S&W Shield EZ pistol. The articles I am reading and comments on THR are all saying how it is a good choice for those who cannot rack a slide easily etc. My question is why would it not be a good choice for anyone regardless? Why would any of us not like a pistol that is easier to use? Lots of holiday sales around here on the ShieldEZ now. I am thinking about getting one to use for myself and have around when the daughter shoots with me. I just don't understand why everyone wouldn't want a pistol that is easier to use if it fits your needs otherwise. Comments?
 
I never got the impression that anyone way saying it was exclusively good for weaker hands but instead highlighting that. Of course some will say since it is a 380 if you have the strength for a more adequate cartridge you should go with that. Interested to see if they put the same design features I to a 9mm or a 45.
 
{sarcasm}
No respectable gun owner would own anything larger than a pocket pistol chambered in 380. 9mm is the absolute minimum caliber for anything larger than a micro-pistol ... and many savvy Americans would reasonably question whether the wimpy Euro-pellet is really acceptable. The idea of owning a gun with practically no recoil is ridiculous; how would you know you had shot the gun if it lacked blinding muzzle flash and mighty recoil? If your caliber of choice does not challenge your ability to control your gun, you need to seriously consider a larger caliber.
{/sarcasm}

Posturing and virtue signaling aside, there is absolutely no reason to avoid a gun that is easy to operate and easy to shoot well.
 
IMO, if you can run (rack, control, clean) a similarly sized 9mm, you should because it's a much more capable weapon. If you can't, the .380 is much better than a similarly easy .22.

I'm just finishing a couple months of "Intro to Defensive Pistol" for a 70 yo lady with arthritic hands. The 380EZ was the solution for her, and she enjoys shooting it much more than her 642 (brutal to the point of bleeding hands), or Walther's craptastic P22.
 
A Shield in 9mm is pretty tame from a recoil standpoint and smaller than the 380EZ, plus it's 9mm vs 380. Unless you have a specific reason for needing the extra light recoil or slide on the EZ, a Shield is a better choice. If somebody is super recoil sensitive or has a problem working the Shield's slide, there's nothing wrong with the EZ. It just wouldn't be my first choice between the two.
 
It is for anyone that might appreciate an easier to use and softer recoiling center fire pistol. I am sure it appeals to a lot of people that simply don't want to take the time to become proficient in a more powerful caliber such as 9MM. .380 ammo is more expensive that 9MM however.

For occasional shooting fun for those not really interested in owning their own pistol, something in .22 might be a more sensible choice. The M&P 22 Compact is a good choice for that.
 
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I have a pk380. Same type of thing, SUPER easy to rack and next to no felt recoil. I almost think it is easier to rack than the EZs that I have handled. However, it is not marketed that way like the Smith and Wesson is. Its just marketing.
 
I got one for my wife and she loves it. I enjoy shooting it too, in fact I'd have one myself if .380 ammo could be had for the same price as 9mm.
 
It’s not just for weak hands. It allows a person to get all their fingers on the grip, and the longer barrel provides much greater performance than other popular .380s*. At the same time, the single action trigger and lighter recoil allow a person to be more accurate with initial and follow-up shots, and in tighter time splits than with 9mm and .38 Special firearms. The version without the thumb safety is very easy for anyone to fire. The ammo does cost more than 9mm for a person who does not reload, but that should not make any real difference to the average person who is shooting a few boxes of ammo a year or less. The fact that some guns are more powerful in smaller packages does not make them better for the average user in any more than a theoretical muzzle energy sense. I enjoy shooting the gun, although I am not used to the trigger or reset.

* Velocity examples out of my EZ versus my Glock 42. Speer 90 grain Gold Dots: EZ 1059, Glock 42 955; Hornady 90 grain Critical Defense: EZ 994, Glock 42 934; Federal 90 grain Low Recoil Hydra Shocks: EZ 974, Glock 42 928. The latter two are very mild and accurate at a decent rate of fire in the EZ, with a slight edge to the Hydra Shoks.
 
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For occasional shooting fun for those not really interested in owning their own pistol, something in .22 might be a more sensible choice. The M&P 22 Compact is a good choice for that.

The gun is close to the M&P 22 Compact in size, and the single action, hammer fired action is similar if not the same.
 
Rented one today and I have to say I loved this gun! Felt great in the hand, quite accurate and worked very well. Been toying with the idea of reloading for the .380 and the EZ just put me over the edge. I carry an LCP an awful lot so why not a bigger gun in the same round?
 
A lot of folks like it for the 1911 style safeties. You can get it with not only the grip safety but also a thumb safety.

Personally I think if it was a double stack it could've been a game changer.

As it is it just suits certain folks.
 
{sarcasm}
No respectable gun owner would own anything larger than a pocket pistol chambered in 380. 9mm is the absolute minimum caliber for anything larger than a micro-pistol ... and many savvy Americans would reasonably question whether the wimpy Euro-pellet is really acceptable.

You say sarcasm but its true. :neener:
 
S&W needs to work on that grip safety. Some people have difficulty deactivating it. My wife is one. She would not be well armed with it.
 
S&W needs to work on that grip safety. Some people have difficulty deactivating it. My wife is one. She would not be well armed with it.

My first shots with it went well. I have large hands, and the grip safety wasn't a problem so far. I might see where someone who has a low grip or small hands might experience the grip safety differently.
 
My first shots with it went well. I have large hands, and the grip safety wasn't a problem so far. I might see where someone who has a low grip or small hands might experience the grip safety differently.


Yep that is the problem. Small hands. So she really has to make sure she has a high enough grip to actuate the grip safety. If she doesn't, gun doesn't fire. It just adds another thing to the list of things that might go wrong in a stressful situation.

So she is sticking with an S&W J Frame in 22 magnum.
 
Nothing to work on.
Can't really lighten that grip safety any further.
If your hand can't work the pistol, then you move onto something else.
There's always going to be somebody somewhere that can't work with some gun.
Denis
 
I've heard and read a lot of favorable feed-back on this pistol from male shooters. As the wife (who has some bad arthritis in her hands and wrists) has issues racking slides of most auto-pistols and as a result, currently favors her Beretta 86 with the tip-up barrel, even though I constantly encourage her to go to a pistol in at least 9mm ... We'll give this pistol a try when we get our hands on one.

Anyway, if it's anywhere near as good as the other Shields, it's a winner.

It's not always about packing the smallest gun one can find. Often life is about compromises and what works best for each individual.
 
I think the OP is confusing specific design features and marketing with a nonexistent attitude from people not needing those features.

It doesn't mean someone who likes the design but doesn't need an easily manipulated gun won't buy this model.

If you like the design and want the gun, easy manipulation is only a bonus.
 
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I don't "need" any special consideration due to injuries or weakness or anything else, I shot it and loved it and that's good enough for me. I ordered one last night so it's just for fun right now but if I need those features in the future then I'll have them ready to go.
 
One of the more prolific YouTube gun reviewers has an interesting perspective on the Shield EZ. He said he first thought the EZ might be a good gun for people with physical impairments and the EZ has proven to be great for those people. However, he now believes the EZ is ideal for the much larger group of people who never practice to become proficient with their larger-caliber guns.
 
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