S W M P M2 0 in 9mm Review

I remember a couple of years back getting to spend some time shooting the M&P 380 Shield EZ, and being rather impressed. I also recollect thinking that it'd be swell if Smith & Wesson would build that idea in 9mm. And then they did.

The M&P ix Shield EZ brings the positive features of its predecessor into a 9mm, internal-hammer-fired pistol that very well-nigh mirrors the dimensions of the .380 model.

Why Consider the 9 Shield EZ

The Yard&P nine Shield EZ is a pistol in a size and configuration that makes it rather easy to carry curtained. While it is larger than its original Shield namesake, it is still rather meaty. It is slightly smaller and thinner than a Glock 19, just it'south however enough gun to be easy to grip and control while firing.

Y'all might consider the 9 Shield EZ for the fact that it is deliberately fabricated to be easy to rack the slide—as the spring is far softer than is found on virtually pistols. It is therefore well suited to people who may have trouble manipulating the slide of other pistols. You might also consider the nine Shield EZ for the 8-round magazines that are extremely like shooting fish in a barrel to load. Pull tabs on either side of the single-stack magazine let virtually anyone to hands load the mag to full capacity. Or you might consider it for the fact that it'south 1 of the few modern poly-pistols that has a grip safe; a feature that some find very appealing and comforting.

I recently got the chance to try out the 9 Shield EZ and take a few thoughts to share on the feel. Permit'south start with the specs:

• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Activity: Internal hammer fired
• External Safety: Grip safe, models with & without thumb condom
• Length: vi.8"
• Height: 4.85"
• Butt: 3.675" Stainless Steel – Armornite ® Finish
• Slide: Stainless Steel – Armornite ® Finish
• Grip: M2.0 textured polymer, xviii-degree angle
• Weight: 23 oz.
• Sights: 3-dot (white), drift-adjustable rear
• Capacity: 8+1 (2 magazines included)
• Trigger: ~4.5 lbs.
• Colour: Black
• Price: ~$479

Shooting the 9 Shield EZ

Despite the prominent visual characteristic of the large grip prophylactic protruding from the backstrap, I'1000 happy to report that information technology is a non-factor in running the gun. I never felt it or noted its engagement. And that'south the way it should be. Yes, it looks a bit weird when the gun is not in your hand, but it'due south something 1 should and likely will get over.

The frame is right in what I consider to exist the sweet spot for size and configuration. It's small-scale enough to be somewhat compact, only big enough so that you get a full grip and full control when firing. The grip features M&P's M2.0 texture, which is pretty nice, but still non rough plenty for my gustatory modality. But it'southward better than you lot're apt to discover on most poly pistols.

Loading the magazines is as easy every bit reported and anyone should be able to load them. Similarly, racking the slide to bedroom the commencement round was ridiculously piece of cake. That is one soft spring! I took my first shots for precision and slow fire to become a experience for the gun. Pretty much what I expected; neither likewise stout nor overly soft-shooting. If feels similar a gun its size and weight should feel when shooting 9mm. Information technology was non at all hard to control the gun in shooting strings. I and then picked upwards the stride.

I later ran some fast shooting strings, with 4 shots in ane 2nd to a torso target, followed by one round to the face up. It was not as easy as doing it with my Glock 19, but this smaller gun was still manageable for keeping rounds where I wanted them. The ane thing that did requite me a flake of problem was the front end sight.

The nine Shield EZ's front end sight is a white dot, but not just a white dot. The "dot" is a hole in the front sight post and that hole is filled with white pigment (or whatever material). The white is fine, merely the fact that information technology's a pigsty means that dirt and grit and gunpowder residue can make it there and return the "white" dot invisible. It was especially hard for me to pick up the front sight and to maintain a practiced sight picture when shooting faster strings of shots. Were I to own this pistol, I would trade out the stock 3-dot sights for something far more than vivid and visible.

The trigger on the 9 Shield EZ is pretty darned practiced. The activity is shine and the trigger breaks at around 4.5 lbs. The reset is very soft; while the leap on some pistols' triggers push your finger forward in the reset, the EZ's trigger reset is insufficiently weak. I don't retrieve that'south good or bad, it's just different from what I've found in well-nigh triggers. I had no trouble with the trigger and it completed what was, overall, a very easy-to-shoot feel.

Features and Components

The grip safety is large and runs for well-nigh ii/three of the backstrap. This feature prevents the trigger from engaging unless the grip protrusion is fully depressed, ensuring that a total grip on the frame is required for the pistol to burn down. This feature allows you the do good of reholstering while not depressing this backstrap lever, ensuring a far safer performance even if some foreign object catches on and depresses the trigger. Information technology's a characteristic found on a number of pistol models and one that many people prefer.

The 9 Shield EZ looks similar a striker-fired pistol, but it's really an internal-hammer gun. If you're not familiar with internal-hammer-fired pistols, they're not at all uncommon and, for performance, you likely won't observe any deviation from what you're used to. There are differences on the inside, merely you run information technology similar any other modern pistol.

It sports white three-dot sights that are serviceable, just problematic, every bit detailed earlier. The stainless-steel slide has nice cuts on the rear and those…silly M2.0 machining marks on the lower front of the slide (I can't help just make fun of that terrible pattern characteristic). The slide is remarkably easy to rack and this is an first-class feature that suits the "EZ" brand. The rear of the slide has short "wings" machined from the slide to human activity as an easy ballast for racking the slide.

The M&P ix Shield EZ comes either with a thumb prophylactic lever or without. My experience here was with the non-pollex-safety model, so I cannot comment on the capability or action of that needless gadget. The slide-stop lever and takedown-lever are located in the traditional positions and neither got in my way when running the gun. The magazine release, which is reversible, I found well positioned and easy to manipulate when it was time to reload. Smith & Wesson know how to blueprint pistols.

The frame sports a picatinny rail for lights or other accessories. The M2.0 grip texture is nicer than tin be establish on many poly pistols, simply I'll nonetheless argue that it must exist stippled for proper everyday behave security (rain, and especially sweat and blood are very slick). The grip angle is xviii-degrees, which is common to the M&P line—it'due south more vertical than is plant on a Glock, for instance.

The trigger, every bit detailed earlier, is quite nice. The shoe is a jumpsuit component instead of the two-piece hinged design mutual to the Shield model. Like all One thousand&P pistols, the trigger shoe is clean and does not have a eye "safety tab" common to most modern pistols.

Conclusions

Pros:

• The Thousand&P 9 Shield EZ is of sufficient size to exist wieldy, merely yet small enough for piece of cake concealment.
• The like shooting fish in a barrel-to-load magazines and easy-to-rack slide make this model perfect for many individuals who might otherwise have trouble with those ii operations.
• The grip safe is a feature many will enjoy, especially those who may have trepidation when reholstering a loaded pistol.
• The grip texture is ameliorate than is found on many other like models.
• It'south built on a proven design from a proven line of guns from a reputable company.

Cons:

• The sights—front sight especially—is non optimally design and begs for a replacement model.
• Eight rounds is fairly anemic for a pistol of this size; these days especially.

Equally you can see, in that location are few issues with this design and it's hard to observe something really wrong with this pistol. I would not hesitate to recommend the M&P 9 Shield EZ to anyone who wanted an easy-to-load and easy-to-rack slide for their carry gun. If you're interested in these features, I recommend yous hire the pistol and requite it a try yourself!

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Source: https://www.eaglegunrangetx.com/first-shots-review-the-mp-9-shield-ez/

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