EZ grip safety issues

[cehollier]

My wife recently bought a .380 EZ for personal defense. We noticed if not perfectly held the grip safety will not allow the pistol to fire. I have been shooting for 40+ years and have never had a pistol with this issue. I sent it back to S&W and they returned it stating it passed their tests. It continues to do this even taking care to perfectly grip the pistol. Unacceptable for a personal defense weapon. Anyone else have this issue? Is there a fix? Thank you.

 

[LVSteve]

Bottom hinged grip safeties are picky about your grip, with the shape of your hand and how much flesh is on it being critical. The S&W EZ pistols and the Remington R51 are equally finicky in this respect. The only fix I know of is to fit a larger grip safety. There have been vendors selling such devices. Google is your friend.

 

[gun1]

I don't have anything to offer, but what you state is very important to know.

I don't have an issue with any of my "grip safety" pistols - 380 EZ and Equalizer. However, that sounds like it may not be the case with everyone. Until reading the info in the thread thus far I was not aware of some people having issues with them.

On a different, parallel, note - this does go to highlight the importance of practicing with what ever pistol you choose to carry, and not just pick one up and roll with it. Even if a pistol is broken in and proven with a good amount of rounds with "no issues" - how it shoots for YOU may be entirely different.

 

[gc70]

Browning designed the Colt 1903 and FN 1910 pistols with bottom-hinged grip safeties before he made the 1911 with a grip safety hinged at the top.

There are some people whose hands are not a good fit for particular grip safety designs, hence the number of 1911 grip safety designs with 'speed bumps' on the bottom.

The grip safety for the Performance Center EZ is larger than the one used in the standard EZ. Check with S&W and see if they will sell you a PC grip safety or direct you to one of their authorized parts sellers to buy one.

 

[NFrameFred]

/\/\/\ THIS /\/\/\


Bought the wife a standard EZ for the range and she loves it, but . . . occasionally she has to adjust her grip or run into that problem. So I bought her a PC model to carry and she's had no issues. I would go that route, or as gc70 recommends, have a PC grip safety installed .

 

[Mike-AK]

No problems with the grip safety on my Equalizer. I suggest working on your grip. It is surprising the number of folks I run into at the range that don’t know how to properly hold a pistol. Ridiculously low grip…resting the butt of the pistol on the opposite flat outstretched hand…it’s like they got their pistol training from watching bad cop shows. High grip…both hands…thumbs forward.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

No grip safety at all on the Ruger Security-380. Higher capacity too!

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

This might be a solution to your problem. Even though I've never had an issue I might buy one for my gun. Works for the EZ and Equalizer. Available at Amazon, cheaper at NDZ.

NDZ Performance Grip Safety for Smith & Wesson Shield EZ 9MM Performance Center in Black, Limited Design | NDZ Performance

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAT24Gc8AUI[/ame]

 

[cehollier]

Thank you all of the members for your responses. I understand practicing with the weapon you use for self defense. I have done so with her pistol and it is unreliable for self defense IMO. I have shot many pistols in my 40 years of collecting firearms and this is a problem design. My wife will probably sell it and buy a 42 which she was going to do in the first place until the salesman showed the EZ.

 

[jschmidt]

You can't effectively simulate what is a bad grip hold but you can exxagerate it to the point where it seems like a problem. This is also the reason for complaints about the XDM grip safety which is similar to the 1911 grip safety.

You owe yourself to sell it because you don't have confidence, but I don't think there is a problem with it.

 

[Mike-AK]

The problem is using a grip from a bad cop show. Your grip is too low to depress the grip safety. Easy fix, and it’s free.

 

[gun1]

The problem is using a grip from a bad cop show. Your grip is too low to depress the grip safety. Easy fix, and it’s free.

Given the OP's stated decades of being around firearms I imagine his wife has plenty of guidance and gets a decent amount of range time. That isn't to say an instructor wouldn't have any critiques on their techniques if they were to get some input, but think of it like a golf swing - if you're confident in a technique you have used for a while, whether or not it is 100% "proper", then why change what works? In the case of the thread - whatever the said technique is of the OP's wife is apparently not compatible with the gun's mechanics.

There are lots of happy owners of EZ's and Equalizers so I doubt it is "the gun".

However, I will say, I have had issues with my Bodyguard dropping mags and came up with a solution to it that works (there is another thread on that subject). In that case - it was the fitment of the mag in the gun that was the issue for me, not necessarily my technique. I found a resolution to it. I am not sure how you would be able to rectify the grip safety issue. If it isn't getting depressed far enough then it won't come off of safety mode.

 

[cnj]

No grip safety at all on the Ruger Security-380. Higher capacity too!

This...All. Day. Long.

 

[Krogen]

Thank you all of the members for your responses. I understand practicing with the weapon you use for self defense. I have done so with her pistol and it is unreliable for self defense IMO. I have shot many pistols in my 40 years of collecting firearms and this is a problem design. My wife will probably sell it and buy a 42 which she was going to do in the first place until the salesman showed the EZ.

This is the right answer! Move on to something else. There can be lots of discussion of the merits/deficiencies of the design or proper grip etc. But the reality of the situation is that any difficulty with a gun in casual range shooting makes it totally unsuitable for defense. Perhaps some training is in order, but if you can't depend on the gun to go bang when it has to, get something that does.

 

[kstewart61]

I own the equalizer 380 and 9mm ez models and never an issue with the grip safety ever.


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[Lee in Quartzsite]

I received my new Grip Safety today from NDZ. It was about a 5 minute install and it works great. I had no trouble with the stock safety, but my wife had some issues…now those are resolved. It’s made of metal, not plastic, very well machined and a perfect fit. Eager to get some range time on Thursday and try it out.

 

[Bullet Bob]

This question seems to arise every 3 - 5 months. Lot of experts telling people why they're doing it wrong. I've always like Mark Twain's definition of an expert.

For me it seems that my hand's too large, and with the relatively short distance to the trigger I have to concentrate more than usual to make sure I engage the safety. I've thought about giving it away, but I don't know many people anymore. Also thought of selling it, but it's sweet little pistola, and doesn't eat anything, so I've still got it.

 

[Mike-AK]

Lot of experts telling people why they're doing it wrong.

It’s not me telling you that you are doing it wrong…the pistol is. Use a proper grip and the grip safety works fine. There is no defect in the pistol design.

 

[gc70]

It’s not me telling you that you are doing it wrong…the pistol is. Use a proper grip and the grip safety works fine. There is no defect in the pistol design.

Here is an apparently little-known fact: your hands are unique, as are everyone's hands.

Hands fit other objects, such as gun grips, to varying degrees. If the fit between a hand and an object is poor enough, there is no amount of "proper grip" that will fix the problem. Nothing is defective about either the object being gripped or the way the hand grips the object - the two simply don't fit together well.

 

[gunny4053]

Not everything fits everyone, send it down the road. I tried the EZ when I got one for my wife. When shooting, hated the grip and it had the worst trigger ever. One range trip and it went to someone who appreciated it. Such is life, find something that works better for you and move on.