utm fk

44 G&A February 2020 | still EZ
or grasp the slide on the Shield EZ
with no fear that your fingers will
slide off before fully racking it. To
test the real-world utility of this feature,
I asked individuals of varying
age and strength abilities to rack the
slide; Everyone was able to do so.
Even the Shield EZ’s single-stack
magazine was easy to load. On both
sides are tabs that allows a shooter
to push down on the follower with
maximum leverage. Because it’s only
a single stack magazine, the spring
is also more easily compressed. One
could argue for increased capacity,
Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield EZ
Type: Internal hammer fired,
recoil operated, semiautomatic
Cartridge: 9mm
Capacity: 8+1 rds.
Barrel Length: 3.67 in.
Overall Length: 6.7 in.
Height: 4.85 in.
Weight: 1 lbs., 2.5 oz.
Materials: Stainless steel (slide assy.);
polymer (frame assy.)
Finish: Armornite (slide);
Matte black (polymer frame)
Grip: M2.0 textured polymer,
18-degree angle
Trigger: 4 lbs., 4 oz. (tested)
Sights: Three white dot; post (front),
drift adj. notch (rear)
Safety: Manual lever; grip lever;
firing pin block
MSRP: $416
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson, 800-331-0852,
smith-wesson.com
but that would require a more forceful magazine spring, which goes
against the goals set out for engineering the EZ. It is the gun’s slim
lines that give it its only real disadvantage in this growing category
of compact 9mms. Due to the single-column mag, the M&P9
Shield EZ capacity is eight plus one in the chamber, if you desire.
Other compacts are now offering 10 to 15 rounds of 9mm capacity,
but they’re not as easy to load and rack as this Shield is either.
In order to be useful for self-defense, the Shield EZ has to be
easy to shoot. Two things are required to
make a handgun shootable: a good trigger
and serviceable sights, and the Shield EZ
has both. The sights are robust, made of
steel and installed into dovetails making
them drift adjustable for windage. They
are quite visible with the front post with
white dot measuring .135-inch wide,
while the snag-free rear sports a .140-inch notch flanked by
white dots. These are non-luminescent sights, so you might want
to consider upgrading the sights for self-defense use.
The trigger was crisp rather than spongy as many striker-fired
pistols tend to feel. Of course, the internal hammer helps keep
trigger pull weight down and we measured a short single-stage
draw that released the hammer after 4¼ pounds. There was little
discernable creep. The trigger on the M&P9 Shield EZ felt lighter
the dustcover and rails feature s&W’s M2.0 stainless steel reinforcement
as well as front scallops for manipulating the slide.
A long, spring-loaded lever serves as a visual and tactile aid to
the condition of the chamber. this image shows it unloaded.