Smith & Wesson’s latest addition to the M&P SHIELD lineup is intended to reduce the barriers to shooting a semiautomatic handgun. The M&P 9 SHIELD EZ is touted as easy to use from all perspectives. Many have said it’s ideal for those with lower grip strength, like women and the elderly, but who wouldn’t want a gun that’s easier to use?
The new 9mm SHIELD EZ shoots well, carries well, and its easy-to-load magazine makes a day at the range much more enjoyable.
Note: Let me apologize for using “easy” so frequently. It’s just that it’s the best word for this gun. I wish they had named it something besides “EZ” because I’m tired of saying it — even though it’s an accurate word.
Bigger & Beefier
We’ve got two guns for comparing with the 9 SHIELD EZ: The original 380 SHIELD EZ and the 9 SHIELD. For ease of discussion, let’s call these guns the 9 EZ, the 380 EZ, and the 9 SHIELD.
The 9 EZ is the biggest of the lot. As expected for a 9mm compared to a .380, it’s 0.1″ longer, though the barrels are both 3.675″ long. It’s also 0.7″ longer than the 9 SHIELD, and a little taller, too. The 9 EZ is 6.8″ long overall.
The 380 EZ weighs 18.5oz, while the 9 EZ weighs 23.2oz. The 9 SHIELD weighs in at 18.3oz. The 9 EZ is the heaviest — its slide alone weighs about 1.5oz more than the slide on the 9 SHIELD (according to my kitchen scale).
Magazine
The 9 EZ ships with two 8-round magazines. They are particularly easy to load because of a tab connected to the follower. You can pull the tab downward to reduce the upward pressure as you load the next round. You can even rest it flat on a table and drop ammo in.
Think about the last time you went to the range: What is the one thing you could really do without? It’s probably the pain of loading magazines and wearing out your thumb. These mags eliminate the pain points of loading mags. They are as easy to load as .22 mags that also usually have tabs. It’d be great if all magazines had this feature.
For those with arthritis, it really makes a big difference. My friend used this gun with me and he was amazed that even his pained hands could load it without trouble. The tabs on the 9 EZ are also much better than the round knobs on the 380 EZ mags.
The magazines also have an indentation at the top corner which helps the ammo load properly. The mags for the 9 SHIELD only hold 7 rounds and are much more difficult to load.
Slide
The slide is the other EZ part of this gun. It is easy to rack. I can do it with thumb and pinky, or just by grabbing anywhere on the top. My friend with arthritis also had no issues working the slide. It’s so easy to use that it looks like those prop guns they use on TV that seem to rack if you breathe across the top.
The ease is increased with considerate design in the serrations. They look like the classic SHIELD serrations, but the rear serrations are actually cut away deeper into the slide and leave a pronounced ear at the back of the slide that is also easy to grip.
There are also scalloped front serrations. They kind of look like a machining mistake at first, but do provide a little grip. They also provide a relief to help when moving the takedown pin.
The slide is stainless steel with Smith & Wesson’s Armornite finish, which is their brand of nitride.
Takedown
Removing the slide and barrel on Smith & Wesson’s M&P 9 SHIELD EZ is easier than on most other handguns. Lock the slide back with the slide catch and push the takedown pin downward. Then pull the slide back a little and it will now slide off the front of the frame.
Make sure that you’re not depressing the grip safety when you try to remove the slide, or it won’t come off. The safety raises a tab that interferes. Same goes for putting it back on — make sure you’re not engaging the safety.
Even after you let the safety go you might have some issue getting the slide off. I’ve found that just working it back and forth a few times resets whatever was in the way and it’ll come off easily. It really shouldn’t take any amount of force, so don’t push too hard. Just start over without engaging the safety.
The barrel and guide rod come out easily and since the spring is so light, you won’t feel like it’s going to fly across the room. The spring is capped on both ends on the guide rod so it can’t come off. It’s also easy to compress to reassemble. The guide rod is keyed so it nestles in place on the bottom of the barrel.
Remember not to engage the safety when you try to put the slide back on or it won’t work. I keep saying this because I’ve seen other reviewers who continually had a hard time with it.
The only other issue you might have reassembling the gun is if you pulled the trigger while the slide was off. That will release the hammer, which will be sticking up and block the slide. Just reset it with your finger and it’ll be fine.
On the 9 EZ I didn’t need to use the rim of a case or a screwdriver or anything to push it down the takedown lever.
Barrel
The barrel on the Smith & Wesson M&P 9 SHIELD EZ is made of stainless steel with the company’s Armornite finish for durability. It is 3.675″ long, the same length as the 380 EZ barrel. The smaller 9 SHIELD’s barrel is just 3.1″ long.
Trigger & Safety
The trigger on the 9 EZ is surprisingly good. The 9 SHIELD is a striker-fired pistol, and looking at the 9 EZ you’d expect the same. But it is actually a hammer-fired gun. That means the trigger is much better than you’d expect from a striker-fired gun.
It’s a two-stage trigger and it breaks fairly crisply, though it has a little bit of creep. I weighed the pull and its ten-shot averaged was 4.9oz and was always within .2oz of 5lbs. There’s a bumper molded in the frame to stop its backward travel.
Because it’s a hammer-fired gun, there is not the option for a trigger safety. Instead, the 9 EZ comes standard with a grip safety. The safety pivots at the base of the tang instead of the top like a 1911. Some people don’t like grip safeties, but this one has worked each time I’ve held it firmly in a firing grip. If I’m holding it in anything less than a ready-to-shoot grip it often won’t drop the hammer. There’s another model with an additional thumb safety but it also has the grip safety.
Frame & Grip
The frame on the M&P 9 SHIELD EZ is polymer with steel components. The serial number is on a plate mounted under the barrel with some cutouts to reveal it. The grip is stippled aggressively, but it’s not so rough that you feel like it’ll wear out your clothes.
The magazine release is a steel button and it can be swapped to the right side for left-handed shooters. Either-handed shooters can take advantage of the 18-degree grip angle, which S&W feels will help you naturally bring the gun up on target.
Under the barrel, there’s a 1913 rail for accessories. Smith & Wesson also offers the pistol with an included Crimson Trace laser for an additional hundred bucks.
Sights
Front and rear sights are dovetailed into the slide whereas the front sight on the 380 EZ was pinned in place. They all white dots and the rear sight is surrounded by serrations to reduce glare when the sun is behind you. They are both adjustable for windage.
Fit and Finish
The machine work on the slide is crisp both inside and out while the nitride finish on the slide is flawless. It all feels tight and well made. The difference between this and a cheaper gun would be seen immediately in the quality of the finish.
The polymer of the frame is also finished well. The color is uniform and the seams fit tightly. You can detect the seams but they don’t have pronounced ridges like some polymer guns. Even up under the beavertail you’ll never notice the seam with your hand’s sensitive web between thumb and forefinger.
Aesthetically, the chamfers and radiuses on the slide look good. The carry cuts on the slide meld into the polymer on the frame well. As I mentioned above, the scalloped front serrations look out of place. The grip safety ruins the line of the rear of the grip and makes the silhouette look blocky like a Soviet gun, but it looks good in your hand.
Shootability
I’ve already discussed all the ways this gun makes it easy to get ready to shoot, but it’s also easy to shoot. Compared to the 9 SHIELD, the 9 EZ has a lower bore axis. All the movement is lower and closer to your grip, which helps reduce the muzzle rise when you shoot.
Overall, this gun is comfortable to shoot over and over again. I have shot several hundred rounds on a few different visits to the range and I can shoot it over and over without discomfort. Being shootable makes it easier to practice a lot and become proficient.
I consistently shot 3″ groups or tighter with the Smith & Wesson M&P 9 SHIELD EZ. My targets were at 7 and 10 yards. All ammo shot about the same for me. Winchester white box 115-grain was just fine. SIG’s 124-grain +P 9mm NATO ammo also shot well. Aguila’s 115-grain cheap stuff didn’t shoot tightly — I was shooting 8″ groups with those.
This gun shoots better than me, and it shoots consistently. I’d say those are two very good characteristics.
Out of the 850 rounds I’ve shot so far, there hasn’t been even one malfunction. The only problem with this gun is that because the magazines load easily and quickly, you’ll end up spending less time at the range. Better take an extra box of ammo along.
Carryability
It’s not the smallest 9mm out there, but it is a good shooter. At more than an inch thick, it’s thicker than the 9 SHIELD and longer and taller — but it also carries one more round. It’s certainly not a pocket gun, but if you’re planning to use a holster it’s a reasonable option. It may be a little long for appendix carry, but I’ve worn it several days inside the waistband and it’s not bad.
Holsters are already available for it. I’ve got the CrossBreed Reckoning. The Reckoning has adjustable tension via the plate that presses on the trigger guard. I like that feature quite a lot.
It’s A Good Option
There are a lot of guns out there, but I think the Smith & Wesson M&P 9 SHIELD EZ deserves your consideration. S&W sees it as a carry gun, a home protection gun, and a good one for shooting at the range. I agree with those uses. The 380 EZ already has several models, including Performance Center versions, and I think we can expect the same for the 9 EZ.
The 9 EZ is simple to use and comfortable to shoot. It’s been reliable and consistent. It’s not too big to carry and its fun to shoot.
If you’re a person with “reduced grip strength” this is a no-brainer. It’s definitely easy on the hands, but it doesn’t compromise in other areas.
The Smith & Wesson M&P 9 SHIELD EZ retails for $479, and the laser version’s MSRP is $575. It is available right now anywhere Smith & Wesson is sold.
Specs
| Model: M&P®9 SHIELD™ EZ® Manual Thumb Safety |
| Caliber: 9mm |
| Capacity: 8+1 |
| Barrel Length: 3.675″ / 9.3 cm |
| Overall Length: 6.8″ |
| Front Sight: White Dot |
| Rear Sight: White Dot Adjustable for Windage |
| Action: Internal Hammer Fired |
| Grip: Polymer |
| Weight: 23.2 oz / 657.7g |
| Barrel Material: Stainless Steel – Armornite® Finish |
| Slide Material: Stainless Steel – Armornite® Finish |
| Frame Material: Polymer |
| Purpose: Concealed Carry, Home Protection, Personal Protection, State Compliance |
I just bought a M&P EZ and how do I fix trigger pinch top and bottom. I am 6′ 0″, 175lbs with normal hands.
What’s the fix?
The grip safety is partly responsible for the light rack + good trigger weight, lose the grip safety, the difficulty of both goes up quite a bit. Bought the 380EZ for my wife, only gun she can rack. Not a fan of grip safeties either. Don’t own a 1911 because I don’t like grip safeties, but its part of the deal for the 9EZ and 380EZ. WONDERING WHY THIS COMMENT “MODERATED” OUT….
I have both guns as well as arthritis in my hands. They are both outstanding pistols. I am a 1911 lover, but age and infirmity have caused me to try something more manageable. Never had a problem with the grip safeties, I would think that if your grip is not firm enough to depress the safety you don’t have a good hold on the gun and you should practice getting a proper “high and tight” grip for good control. Can’t say enough good about these S&W pistols.
it would have been nice if S&W didn’t sell guns that were re-called before they were sold , so that the new owner didn’t have to send in his or her new gun to be fixed as son as they got it home.
My gosh, The most important aspect of hitting your target is a good grip/purchase. If someone with grip issues can not depress the back strap safety of this handgun, it should not be bought. Any potential buyer would know this prior to completing the sale and could then go with the alternative 380EZ.
I cannot find a single or double pouch magazine holder for belt attachment that will fit the unique design of the M&P 9mm Shield EZ magazine. The main issue is the EZ loader tabs that stick out of the side of the magazine (which I otherwise love) makes it to wide for most 9mm single-stack magazine pouch holders and the it is too loose in a double-stack pouch. I called S&W but the two places they said to try don’t have anything that is compatible with the 9mm Shield EZ magazine.
Tax Shield makes a double pouch that fits the ez 9 mags
I know a ‘seasoned citizen’ lady, very small stature and in mid-80’s who got one of these a few months ago. She doesn’t have trouble loading the mags or working the slide…but that grip safety is a lousy way to go on pistols for these type of folks. I would say out of every magazine, she has three or four attempts to fire that don’t go bang because of the shape of the safety in relation to her hand size. They need to have a bump-out near the middle of the safety that will make it more positive for compromised grippers. Otherwise, I really like these handguns. Seriously considering getting one of these for my wife.
I totally agree with you on the lousy grip safety spring. My wife and several other school administrators use this gun and can’t stand how stiff the spring on the grip safety is. It’s EZ, except the grip safety. They have to requalify every three months on a tactical shooting proficiency test and will use medical tape to disable the grip safety during this. Due to their weak grip strength, just taping the grip safety increases their accuracy about 25%-30% and reliability of no jams to 100%. No 1911 grip safety has such a stiff spring. I’ve discussed this issue with S&W and if fell on deaf ears. I totally believe the guy at S&W is outta touch with the intent of the gun being EZ to use. His grip is strong and doesn’t see the issue. Once a few older folks or women get in a lawsuit on the inability to fire due to stiff grip safety, maybe they’ll wake up and complete the design properly. I wish someone would make a drop in grip spring solution. It’s an excellent gun other than that stiff grip spring.
I have both the 380 and9. I had to sell a custom Colt and Sig. because I could no longer rack the slide on either following surgery on both hands and elbows for carpal tunnel deterioration. It left me with little hand and finger strength.
I bought the 380 shortly after it came out and loved it so much I added the 9 as soon as they were available. They are the only autos I own now. As a younger man, I was amazed that some older friends had difficulty manipulating their handguns. Now I am one.
This gun makes me kinda like smith again. Hard to forget what a crap they took on their revolvers.a picture definition of devolution
Great review on this S&W EZ hand gun. Based on your review and demo I’m convinced I’d like to see this piece in my gun safe. Thank you Levi Sim.
So what makes it easy to rack? I had a Glock 17 that took little effort to rack. My FNS 9 is a bear, made worse because carpel tunnel has left me with little feeling in my left hand. I have to grasp it in my left hand, rack it with my right, and then swap back to hold it.
My guess is the heavier weight of the slide, which allows a softer spring, combine to make it easy to rack
I teach a lot of first time shooter classes at the range where I work. I have had occasion to shoot both the 380 and 9mm variants of these pistol in recent weeks. In general, I like them. But I do not like the grip safety!. I have seen multiple instances of failures to fire due to the grip safety not being fully pressed with new shooters. This is just one more thing for a new shooter to have to contend with. I would much rather it have a frame/slide safety in its place. That being said, for current shooters with strength issues that need an easy to operate slide, S&W got that part right! I would not recommend this pistol for a first time shooter. The triggers are pretty decent as well, and the sights are good.
I purchased the 380 EZ 2 months ago for my spouse who has arthritis in her thumbs. Smooth slide action and crisp trigger. The 380 recoils less than several 9 mm we own. An excellent choice for us.
My wife is unable to retract the slide on my G19 but with the .380 EZ she can do so easily.
Reliablity has been 100% over several hundred rounds. Great little pistol.