Page 44 - American Rifleman (February 2020)

SMITH & WESSON

When news of the 9 mm arrived, several of the editors pistols, these are hammer- red guns. Much like some call
were sitting in my of ce, and I was looking for a volun- the S&W Model 442 revolver “hammerless,” there’s one
teer to write the story on short notice. That’s when Senior in there—you just can’t see it. Too, you have mechanical
Executive Editor Brian Sheetz just looked at me deadpan advantage on the EZs’ low-mounted internal hammers as
and said, “If only we had the author of the .380 cover story you rack the slides.
right here.” It turns out I was that guy. Speaking of slide racking, there are short scallops cut
Is the M&P380 Shield a thing? Is it here to stay? If not, on the slide’s fronts above the frame’s Picatinny rail slots,
S&W would not have introduced a Performance Center but then there are full-height scallops on the slide’s rear.
model. Nor would there be a version in 9 mm Luger, the In addition, there are subtle ears (adding about an extra
M&P9 Shield EZ. Frankly, who doesn’t appreciate a gun 0.10") machined integrally with the slide’s back, giving the
with an easy-to-load magazine, a slide that’s easy to rack shooter something to grab onto when working the black
and a takedown lever that won’t cost you a thumbnail? Armornite- nished, stainless steel slide.
Both EZs accept single-column, detachable eight-round
So, What Makes The EZs Easy? magazines (for the 9 mm it’s 1.25" deep and 0.56" across).
What the M&P Shield EZ line does is make it easier for By not going double-stack, single-feed, loading effort is
those without a lot of hand strength or manual dexterity reduced. There’s enough room inside the frame for tabs on
to ef ciently operate their pistols. The U.S.-made, recoil- either side of the orange follower, allowing one to really
operated polymer-frame guns have 18-degree grip angles, get a hold of it and depress it for loading without having
and they are actually a little larger than the standard 9 mm to reach for one’s trusty Maglula. Other EZ traits include
M&P9 Shield. minimum spring tension on the slide lock/release and the
An internal hammer is one of the keys to the ease of takedown lever. They stay in place, but you don’t need to
cocking effort. Even though they look like striker- red be the Hulk to overcome them.

The M&P9 Shield EZ eldstrips in the typical manner and consists of subas-
semblies that do not appear out of the ordinary. The secret to its easy-to-
operate slide, controls and magazine are in the details: effective scallops on
the slide’s front and rear; a low-mounted internal hammer (inset, arrow);
and tabs on the single-column magazine’s follower (below, r., arrow) that
make it easier to load than many double-stack models.

42 FEBRUARY 2020 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN