A FEW WEEKS AGO I PURCHASED A NEW S&W EZ9. I AM 68 YEARS OLD AND HAVE SOME ARTHRITUS IN MY HANDS. I CAN STILL OPERATE ALL MY OTHE PISTOLS OK BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE. I'M HAVING A PROBLEM FULLY DEPRESSING THE GRIP SAFETY. I HAVE SOMEWHAT LARGE HANDS AND THE WEB OF MY HAND DOESN'T ALWAYS PUSH IT FAR ENOUGH. EACH TIME I TAKE IT TO THE RANGE, I PUT A 50 ROUND BOX THROUGH IT. I USUALLY GET 2 OR 3 TIMES WHEN IT WON'T FIRE BECAUSE OF THE GRIP SAFETY. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, THIS IS UNACCEPTACLE FOR A SELF DEFENSE PISTOL.

I HAVE TRIED THE LITTLE FURNITURE BUMPS, SOFT VELCRO, ETC. I CURRENTLY HAVE A STRIP OF TALON GRIP MATERIAL ON THE GRIP SAFETY. THIS WEEK I ALSO ADDED THE TALON GRIP WRAP TO THE GRIP HOPING IT WOULD ADD THICKNESS TO THE GRIP MAKING THE WEB OF MY HAND COME CLOSER TO THE GRIP SAFETY. NOTHING WORKS. DOES THE GRIP SAFETY OF THE PERFORMANCE CENTER PISTOL WORK BETTER? I'M GETTING CLOSER TO TRADING IT IN. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN.

I use Luxon hand strengtheners and a VIVE Hand Therapy Ball kit to keep my grip strong. I use them while reading, watching TV, or browsing the internet.

The gun should function flawlessly once you fix the real problem .

MY GRIP STRENGTH IS NOT THE ISSUE. THE PROBLEM IS WHEN I GRIP THE PISTOL NORMALLY, THE WEB OF MY HAND IS TOO FAR BACK BECAUSE THE GRIP IS SO SMALL (OR NARROW). WHEN I GRIP IT SO THAT THE BALL OF MY PALM CONTACTS THE GRIP SAFETY, I HAVE LESS OF A PROBLEM. THIS METHOD HOWEVER PUTS MY TRIGGER FINGER MUCH FARTHER INTO THE TRIGGER. IF THIS WERE JUST A TARGET/RANGE PISTOL IT WOULD BE OK, BUT FOR SELF DEFENSE IT IS NOT THE ANSWER. I DON'T GRIP ANY OF MY OTHER GUNS THIS WAY.

I am assuming you are right hand. What I do, and recommend to my students, is always dry fire and practice drawing the pistol, grip, if you are right hand, and as the left hand starts to rise and and grip the right hand, disengage the safety and grip the pistol with both hands. Start slow and increase the normal speed. I use it with my Springfield XDE and other pistols with a manual safety. Hope this helps and practice.

Nick

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NRA Instructor\GCA Gunsmith

Maybe a pic of your grip would help but the way most shooters are taught is to grip the pistol with the web high so there is no gap and total control of the handgun.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

Check with Smith & Wesson. The grip safety on the standard EZ (on the left in the picture) is not as large as the grip safety on the Performance Center EZ (on the right). It might be possible to buy the larger Performance Center grip safety separately or to get S&W to switch safeties.

Some people who complained about the Performance Center grip safety being too large have reported that S&W switched the safety to the smaller grip safety from the regular model, so there is apparently precedent for a switch.

Attached Images

EZ_grip_safeties.jpg (45.1 KB, 75 views)

TO hobby-gunsmith:

I AM RIGHT HANDED AND I DO HAVE A HIGH GRIP. I REALLY WANTED A SPRINGFIELD XD-E IN 9MM WITH EITHER THE 3.8 OR 4.5 INCH BARREL BUT THEY ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND IN MY AREA.

TO ken158: SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I STARTED USING THE THUMBS FORWARD GRIPPING METHOD. IT IMPROVED MY ACCURACY SO THIS IS WHAT I USE. MAYBE IF I GO BACKWARDS AND WRAP MY LEFT THUMB AROUND MY RIGHT HAND IT WOULD WORK. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP CHANGING YOUR GRIP FOR EACH GUN.

TO gc70: I THINK I WILL TRY CALLING THEM AND SEE WHAT IT WOULD COST.

THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS.

try squeezing your left hand harder; that should force the right hand to hold down the grip safety.

Does anyone know how much pressure it takes to push in this grip safety? I don't have one, but I do have an elderly female friend that has no issues with it. Of course, since she's an old farm gal, that might have something to do with it.
Mr. Doubleshot might want to look into having the grip safety pinned in. It really doesn't add enough of a safety factor that you'd take the chance on not being able to fire the gun. Tradeoffs, ya know...
By the way: OP, WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?!?!?!

The grip safety's resistance -like on a 1911- is nominal. The issue is not the pressure needed to depress the safety, but whether the safety makes contact with a shooter's hand to allow the safety to be depressed at all. It is the same issue that prompted "speed bumps" to be added to 1911 grip safeties to better ensure hand contact.

Some guns just don't fit. A couple of examples in my experience.

Years ago I picked up a Star Firestar in 9mm. Compact, but with enough weight to tame recoil, I thought it would make a great carry gun. After a successful trip to the range, I got a holster and started practicing my draw with the gun. That was when it all fell apart.

I have "surgeon's hands", with slim fingers and not much beef in anywhere. The grip on the Firestar might as well have been a bar of soap when trying to draw. I could never establish a proper initial grip at the beginning of the draw. I presented the gun pointing every which way you can imagine. I still have a gun as a minor collector piece, but I'd never carry it.

Later, I bought a Ruger LC9s because I liked the way it concealed. But, I'd never shot one. Turns out there is something in that gun's recoil impulse combined with its narrow grip that I just cannot get past when it comes to making quick follow up shots. I put a Hogue grip on it, and while it helped, it was not a complete fix. The only total fixes have been a Kahr CW9 and a Walther PPS M2.

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Release the Kraken

With a thumbs forward grip that doesn't work.

This grip safety needs a speed bump. I have not problems with the grip safety on my 1911 but that grip safety gets depressed on the bottom. The EZ9 pushes in at the top. I just came back from my LGS and they have a couple of PC EZ9s in and the grip safety on those does not have to be pushed in as far. I think I will call Smith next week and see if I can get one of the PC grip safeties. (Sorry, I didn't realize I was shouting. I have to fill out some reports for work and they are in all caps.)

I agree with the fit. I probably should have waited and got the PC version as the grip safety on those sticks out more. My hands are a little on the large side but I don't have any problems holding My 92, 1911 or my P365!

It might just be that this gun will never work for you. I have the same situation with Crimson trace laser grips on a J frame revolver. My hands too fat and pudgy and it would never activate the laser just by the way I would naturally hold and shoot the gun.

You might be right. I still want to give a try with Smith and try to get the PC grip safety.

Let us know how it works for you. I have the same large hand issue with my EZ .380; I sometimes have to think about more than I should, to me, to fully depress it. My hands aren't pudgy, by the way.

I tried one out at our local gun shop. I wear an extra large glove and had the same problem with the grip safety.
I wanted to like the gun but without shifting my hands around, I couldn't use it.
What good would that be in an emergency situation?
I'll stick with my snubby.

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Keep on Chooglin'

How about some slip on grips that would depress the safety, A strong rubber band may also work. I hate to deactivate a safety but in your case you may want to consider it.

This gun would be for self defense so slipping on a glove wouldn't work. I think a rubber band on the grip or pinning the grip safety would be frowned upon should I have to use it. I got to hold a PC EZ9 at my LGS today and if anyone is thinking about buying one I would get the PC version.

I have a std EZ9 with no issues, but when reading on the PC thought some of the PC owners actually did not like the grip safety on theirs….not so much due the height but the sharper edges? After running some rounds thru it (not just holding at the gun counter).

Could be wrong but would say maybe check out that if able, to ensure if swapping it out it will be the fix needed.

I am aware of those reports but this will be a self defense gun, not a range toy. While I will need to become proficient with it, it will not see as much range time as some of my other pistols. I can't imagine it could be as painful as my S&W 38Spl. J frame when I run full 38Spl. loads through it.

A couple of comments / facts.

The EZs are hammer-fired, not striker.

The grip safety is there as a drop safety, not an accidental trigger pull safety.

Personally, I would not disable it. If the grip safety doesn't work for you, get a different gun.

I called Smith & Wesson today and they will not sell me the Performance Center grip safety nor will they install one on my pistol because it is not a PC gun. So I either have to make it work for me or trade it in for something else. I live in the People's Republic of New Jersey, (Phil Murphy - Tyrant King Governor), so I'll have to apply for another permit and wait. It will give me time to figure out what I want. I don't think I will get the PC version of the EZ9. Got a bad taste in my mouth from this one.

I bought an EZ9 from a friend locally who hated it. It shot low for him because he had to line the three dots up straight across. I bought it for a nice discount and discovered I had the grip safety problem. I solved it for me by putting a woman's hair band (for ponytails) on the grip. Problem gone.

I sold the gun to a friend for his very petite wife a few days ago. They took the hair band off and are happy shooting without it. I guess I'd say it's silly to get in a big rage at S&W because the gun doesn't fit everyone. I am a very experienced handgunner who had the same problem with 1911s. I solved the problem with out cussing John Browning.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

I'm not in a rage or cussin' out at S&W. I'm just unhappy that the gun isn't reliable for self defense for me and S&W won't help me out. I've heard of people buying the PC version and finding the aluminum PC grip safety cut their hand. Reportedly S&W will install the plastic one for them. Why won't they go the other way? I will loose some money trading it in and I don't want to take a chance on the PC version. I think S&W make some excellent guns. I have the S&W .22 Victory and I think it is a great target pistol.

What I would really like, they don't make anymore. That is a Sig P239 in 9mm. My son has one, the SAS version, and that shoots better for me than almost all of my other guns. I won't buy it from him because that is his compact carry piece, if they ever let us carry here. I don't trust Gunbroker and used P239s are hard to find here. I have time so no rush. I will try other methods on getting the EZ9 to work for me first.

BTW - the hair band trick won't work for a self defense gun. If I ever have to use it for defense that modification won't look good, especially in my state. We can't even have hollow points.

Sorry to hear you did not get a helpful S&W rep on the phone. I have also previously encountered phone reps who were not helpful, but later got satisfaction by emailing S&W about my issue. I don't think the same people at S&W handle both phone calls and email. At any rate, an email would be a cheap second approach.

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

Mr380.com sells grip safety replacements (3 sizes) for S&W 380 & 9mmEZ
pistols if I’m not mistaken. You can contact him at the above address.
He also has a phone number. Look him up on Google.

The web address is https://www.mr380ezproducts.com/. Unfortunately, no products are available and the owner's last blog post on May 21 said he would be coming back online on May 25.

The eBay store is still active, but only offers mag loaders. The same is true for the Facebook page, although it includes a phone number.

Here is an earlier video about the grip safeties.

Thanks for your post gc70 !
I’m not that proficient with a computer.

There is a difference between being proficient and just being a packrat for links like I am.

Well, then the solution is still the same - pin it. Then you have no worry about depressing it.

No worries. I'm not a grip safety fan, thus I don't have the EZ or a Springfield. I do think pinning it might work if the factory doesn't have a suitable solution. The grip safety is more of an "assurance" for novice shooters that the gun is safe to carry instead of a necessity, anyway, so if you have any degree of experience with firearms (and it sounds like you have plenty) I don't think you'll have any further problems with it.

If the EZ 9 is anything like the EZ .380, pinning it would be a bad idea. The gun cannot be disassembled if the grip safety is depressed.

Good point! Plus pinning a safety would not look good if you have to use the gun in self defense.

I've seen 1911s that had the grip safety drilled and pinned so there's one less thing to worry about for the 1911 target competitors. Is that possible with that gun? Oh heck I see someone beat me to it

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Waiting For The Sun.

It sounds like you simply purchased a pistol that is too small for your hands. That happens. That’s called “getting an education “. Has happened to me more than once. I have issues with my hands as well and have been contemplating an EZ9. I will learn from your situation. Something to look for.

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otis

While my hands are on the large size, I don't think it is too small for me. I have a Sig P365 and I find it fine to shoot well. The problem with the EZ9 is the grip safety. If I had waited and bought the PC version, we would not be having this conversation. As for education - I have been buying and selling guns for 40 years and they aren't all perfect. My LGS doesn't have all models to rent before you buy it. I knew that this might be an issue going in so it's on me.

Had the same problem.. I removed 2 coils from the grip safety spring on my wife's EZ 9 and it is MUCH better.