Page 45 - American Rifleman (February 2020)

SMITH & WESSON M&P9 SHIELD EZ
MANUFACTURER: SMITH & WESSON (DEPT. AR), 2100 ROOSEVELT AVE., SPRINGFIELD,
MA 01104; (800) 331-0852; SMITH-WESSON.COM
6.86"

3.67"
4.98" MAGAZINE: EIGHT-ROUND
DETACHABLE BOX
SIGHTS: STEEL SQUARE-
NOTCH REAR, POST
FRONT; DRIFT-ADJUST-
ACTION TYPE: ABLE, THREE-DOT
RECOIL-OPERATED, TRIGGER: SINGLE-ACTION;
SEMI-AUTOMATIC, 5-LB.,13-OZ. PULL
CENTER-FIRE PISTOL WIDTH: 1.07"
CHAMBERING: 9 MM LUGER (1.45" WITH SAFETY)
SLIDE: BLACK ARMORNITE- WEIGHT: 23 OZS.
FINISHED STEEL ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S
FRAME: POLYMER MANUAL, LOCK, EXTRA
RIFLING: SIX-GROOVE; MAGAZINE
1:10" RH TWIST MSRP: $479

SHOOTING RESULTS (15 YDS.)
9 MM LUGER VEL. @ 10' ENERGY GROUP SIZE (INCHES)
CARTRIDGE (F.P.S.) (FT.-LBS.) SMALLEST LARGEST AVERAGE
FEDERAL HYDRA-SHOK DEEP 952 AVG. 272 2.12 2.75 2.41
135-GR. JHP 12 SD
HORNADY AMERICAN GUNNER 1062 AVG. 288 2.52 3.66 3.28
115-GR. FTX 12 SD
SPEER GOLD DOT 916 AVG. 274 1.06 3.28 2.35
147-GR. GDHP 6 SD
AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD 2.68
NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS FIRED OVER AN OEHLER MODEL 36
CHRONOGRAPH AT 10 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-SHOT GROUPS AT
15 YDS. FROM A SANDBAG REST. TEMPERATURE: 65° F. HUMIDITY: 46% ABBREVIATIONS: FTX
(FLEX-TIP EXPANDING), GDHP (GOLD DOT HOLLOW POINT), JHP (JACKETED HOLLOW POINT),
SD (STANDARD DEVIATION).

The grip safety pivots at the bottom of the backstrap (top). It is ilk, many polymer-frame duty and service pistols do not
linked to the disconnector/trigger bar/sear assembly (middle). have manual frame- or slide-mounted safeties. For the EZ,
The at-wire recoil spring rides on a steel guide rod (below, r.). though, according to a couple of reliable retailers, the ratio
can be as high as three to one with a preference for the
A distinctive EZ feature is its grip safety, which is manual safety over slick slides. This customer, apparently,
pinned at the frame’s bottom and prevents the gun from is a belt-and-suspenders kind of person. You get not only
ring unless depressed with a rm grip. But it does more the grip safety but can have bilateral manual safeties at no
than just act as a safety. If not depressed, the passive r- extra charge.
ing safety, which protrudes down from inside the slide, is
not lifted up by its frame-mounted plunger, and the ring
pin cannot move forward if hit by the hammer.
The grip safety is linked to the disconnector, which acts
as a “connector” between the trigger bar—running along
the inside right of the frame—and the sear. When the grip
safety is depressed, the disconnector lifts the trigger bar.
Then, movement of the trigger pushes the trigger bar rear-
ward, which allows the “connector” to trip the sear and let
the hammer go forward.
Since the ascendancy of guns like the Glock 17 and its
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AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG FEBRUARY 2020