Thoughts or experience with S&W M&P Shield 380 EZ?

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AirOpsMgr

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Saw it on sale at Academy for $340, comes with a free pistol vault box. The model I was looking at has the optional thumb safety along with the standard grip safety. Single stack, 8 rnd capacity, slim & compact, just curious if anyone has any experience with them?

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/mp-380-shield-ez-0

sw-mp-380-shield-2.jpg


 

Jake

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My neighbor just got one. I haven't shot it but I've handled it. She's 60 years old and lives by herself. This is her first gun that she's ever owned. She's been talking about wanting one for a while and I had taken her to the range several years ago and let her shoot a bunch of different stuff but she didn't end up buying one until a couple weeks ago. It's perfect for her since she has arthritis and the slide is easy to manipulate and it's large for being a .380 so it shouldn't have too much felt recoil. I was kinda glad she got that one instead of the LC9s that she wanted...now I'm stuck with the LC9s though since I had already committed to buying it before she changed her mind and bought the S&W EZ and I wasn't gonna back out of the deal that I had set up.
 

Mac11FA

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I had the non safety shield in 9mm and it was okay but a bit on the large side for appendix carry on long car rides. I am sure the .380 is a bit more compact. They should have a Pro version without the extra safeties.
 
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Cudruln

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I have been thinking about introducing my mom to one. She currently has the shield and has a hard time manipulating the slide. I think that's the only real upside to this particular gun.
 

AirOpsMgr

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My neighbor just got one. I haven't shot it but I've handled it. She's 60 years old and lives by herself. This is her first gun that she's ever owned. She's been talking about wanting one for a while and I had taken her to the range several years ago and let her shoot a bunch of different stuff but she didn't end up buying one until a couple weeks ago. It's perfect for her since she has arthritis and the slide is easy to manipulate and it's large for being a .380 so it shouldn't have too much felt recoil. I was kinda glad she got that one instead of the LC9s that she wanted...now I'm stuck with the LC9s though since I had already committed to buying it before she changed her mind and bought the S&W EZ and I wasn't gonna back out of the deal that I had set up.
Similar situation, looking to purchase for myself to test first (may keep it), but primary driving factor is that I have a female family member with some early arthritis and her hands lack the power to manipulate the slide on some pistols.

She has some experience with handguns, but she needs something that she can manipulate easily, isn't too heavy / non- boat anchor.... enter the reason for this thread.
 

Mac11FA

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Similar situation, looking to purchase for myself to test first (may keep it), but primary driving factor is that I have a female family member with some early arthritis and her hands lack the power to manipulate the slide on some pistols.

She has some experience with handguns, but she needs something that she can manipulate easily, isn't too heavy / non- boat anchor.... enter the reason for this thread.
Well that makes more sense. Should led off with that. It is interesting that a few of the reviews I read did not state the slide pull numbers but had the trigger pull. It looks like the EZ accomplishes the easier slide pull buy using a reduced rate recoil spring and light weight slide. This could be a factor with some hotter loads due to recoil snap. Not that people will use the hotter loads but should still be considered. The reduced weight will make for a lighter carry package as well.
 
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AirOpsMgr

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Well that makes more sense. Should led off with that. It is interesting that a few of the reviews I read did not state the slide pull numbers but had the trigger pull. It looks like the EZ accomplishes the easier slide pull buy using a reduced rate recoil spring and light weight slide. This could be a factor with some hotter loads due to recoil snap. Not that people will use the hotter loads but should still be considered. The reduced weight will make for a lighter carry package as well.
Sorry about that, was doing a drive-by posting before jumping into some other work ... Figured with all the folks on SET, somebody may have played with one of these ... the problem with Academy is that some of the counter folks won't take the trigger lock off to let you dry-fire, so I was curious of the trigger creep and pull.

You have a valid point on the spring / hotter loads; I typically suggest HST hollows, but since they are currently marketing "micro" designated 9mm and .380, perhaps it's dumbed-down enough where it won't cause an issue (Speaking of which, if you watch the the Hickok45 vid I posted, he encounters 2 FTFs (unshot round stovepipes) ...
 
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Shemp

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I shot one. Not a bad piece for it's intended audience, but for a cognoscenti it's a bit large and underpowered. Shoots soft and accuracy and reliability were good, though the grip safety started feeling odd in the hand after extended shooting.

I think truprep has that same setup for 299
 
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AirOpsMgr

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I shot one. Not a bad piece for it's intended audience, but for a cognoscenti it's a bit large and underpowered. Shoots soft and accuracy and reliability were good, though the grip safety started feeling odd in the hand after extended shooting.

I think truprep has that same setup for 299
Good info, thnx. I didn't want to get anything too Sub-compact as I didn't want recoil to be an issue, but if you're saying it shoots soft, we might be on the right track.
 

Mac11FA

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Sorry about that, was doing a drive-by posting before jumping into some other work ... Figured with all the folks on SET, somebody may have played with one of these ... the problem with Academy is that some of the counter folks won't take the trigger lock off to let you dry-fire, so I was curious of the trigger creep and pull.

You have a valid point on the spring / hotter loads; I typically suggest HST hollows, but since they are currently marketing "micro" designated 9mm and .380, perhaps it's dumbed-down enough where it won't cause an issue (Speaking of which, if you watch the the Hickok45 vid I posted, he encounters 2 FTFs (unshot round stovepipes) ...
It is not exactly a micro pistol. The accuracy is attributed most likely to the 3.6" barrel length and the lower recoil of the .380 round which another EZ attribute.

I did not watch the entire video although did see near the beginning where he stated he had only run a box and a half of ammo through it.

I am not sure if anyone reviewing it touched on the thumb safety but to me that would be a sticking point on ease of manipulation. The grip safety should be more than enough for even a novice.

I do like the easy loading mags and reminds me of the Ruger .22lr pistol mags with the button, which seems easier than a plastic finger sticking out. Guess there might have been some patent infringement had they gone with a button.

Still, the idea is solid for the platform and sounds like sales are good.
 
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AirOpsMgr

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I am not sure if anyone reviewing it touched on the thumb safety but to me that would be a sticking point on ease of manipulation. The grip safety should be more than enough for even a novice.
Actually, the thumb safety may not be bad in this case as her last pistol was a PX4 Storm Sub, chambered in 9mm, which I believe is still larger than the 380 EZ, but she kinda struggled with manipulation... In any case, she's used to a thumb safety, and if she carries it in a purse, a thumb safety may not be a bad idea
 

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The slide is insanely easy to rack and it shoots incredibly soft. To be Frank, if this has too much recoil I'm not really sure any pistol will work
 
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Jake

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I didn't compare them side-by-side, but I'm thinking the .380 would be a tad slimmer, no?

I'm just going off of memory on the 9mm Shield that I carried for about 6 months a couple years ago but I don't think that it's slimmer than the 9mm. I could be wrong though, as I said, it's been a few years since I had a regular Shield but the EZ didn't feel any slimmer.
 
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cmshoot

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Looking at this same pistol for my Mom, as a replacement for her 1971 Colt Cobra. She has problems with the trigger pull on the Colt.

I’ve handled the EZ in a shop, but ain’t fired one yet.