Grip safety on the EZ pistols…WHY??

[trees4]

My aged parents both bought the Shield EZ pistols (coincidentally, they’ve been divorced for decades, and live 1,000 miles apart, and don’t speak - Mom got a .380, Dad got a 9). My dad is a retired martial artist instructor, yet NEITHER of them can manage to hold down the grip safety reliably while they try to fire the pistol.

Why did S&W choose to ruin this pistol with the stupid grip safety???

 

[Cphobes]

My advice is to work on their grip, it'll likely translate into better accuracy and handling.

Inexperienced shooters will have an issue with the grip safety and will just need some range time and training to get it right. Took my wife less than one range session to get the gist of it and grip it properly. She likes the 380EZ.

I have both the 9EZ and 380EZ, I found the NDZ grip safety replacement made it easier at least on the 9EZ to operate and grip properly.

 

[bobsguns]

Because of who the gun is marketing to. The whole EZ premise is geared to folks who have weaker hands, that's why the slide is easier to rack. Folks in that situation might be more prone to having their gun wrestled with or away.

I hold my contempt for the salesmen who sold your parents a gun they can't dry fire at the store counter. Dry firing is a basic checking a box, IMO.

My .o2

 

[trees4]

My advice is to work on their grip, it'll likely translate into better accuracy and handling.

Inexperienced shooters will have an issue with the grip safety and will just need some range time and training to get it right. Took my wife less than one range session to get the gist of it and grip it properly. She likes the 380EZ.

I have both the 9EZ and 380EZ, I found the NDZ grip safety replacement made it easier at least on the 9EZ to operate and grip properly.

Neither of them have strong enough hands to reliably keep the grip safety pressed - I’m a shooter/collector/RSO/instructor with over 30 years of experience in pistols specifically.
Even having a correct grip doesn’t mitigate their weaker hands, which is why they chose (without consulting me) the EZ.

My workaround has been to slip a bike inner tube over the grip safety to essentially pin it down - but my initial question remains - WHY put this problematic grip safety on a gun that’s meant for people who probably have weak hands to begin with???

 

[trees4]

Because of who the gun is marketing to. The whole EZ premise is geared to folks who have weaker hands, that's why the slide is easier to rack. Folks in that situation might be more prone to having their gun wrestled with or away.

I hold my contempt for the salesmen who sold your parents a gun they can't dry fire at the store counter. Dry firing is a basic checking a box, IMO.

My .o2

Excellent point that the guys at the counters should have checked this with them - but we’ve all seen that at the counters. Something can seem fine, and days later it becomes annoying, especially in the hands of people who aren’t schooled in what to look for. It’s like asking ME to take a lap in a race car and then tell the mechanics how to adjust the steering and suspension for a faster lap time. I’d have no idea, and just say “Well, it’s faster than my car, so it must be good!”

To return to the point that you’ve answered, did S&W really put it there to keep it from being a take-away concern?
Because if so, they’re not thinking it through. They’ve only made it more difficult for the owner to use as intended, facilitating a BG having the opportunity to take it away! I’d rather have them include classes for proper shooting and carry instead of modifying their design to add a grip safety, when none of their other M&P types have this detestable device!!!

 

[Denverd0n]

I have to wonder how aged is "aged." My wife is 77, with arthritis in her hands, and she has no problem at all with her EZ 380.

When she first got it she would, now and then, not get the grip safety fully engaged. That was because she was not gripping the firearm correctly. Fixed her grip and all is good. She has since done both training sessions and competitions that included draw-and-fire, and has no problems with the grip safety.

I would suggest you look at how they are gripping the firearm. I suspect that a proper grip will not only solve the safety problems, but also -- as someone else mentioned -- improve their control and accuracy with the firearm.

Pinning the safety down is not a good solution, because that also disables the drop safety on the firearm. Meaning, drop the gun and it could go off. Not really what you want.

 

[gc70]

Why did S&W choose to ruin this pistol with the stupid grip safety???

S&W understood it was not a good idea to market a self defense pistol with a light, short trigger pull and no device to help prevent an accidental or negligent discharge.

 

[dajogejr]

I’m gonna say it. And I may catch flack for it. While I’m all for one’s right to self defense and right to own, shoot, and enjoy.

But…
If they’re not strong enough to hold grip pressure, on what I feel is very, very easy to do on the EZ line, do you have confidence…they can fire them safely?
I’m not trying to be a jerk, I’m just asking a real question.

At a certain point in time, due to vision, memory, or other they’ll probably have to give up their right to drive due to safety to themselves, and to others.
This may…follow along those same lines.

 

[dajogejr]

Pinning the safety down is not a good solution, because that also disables the drop safety on the firearm. Meaning, drop the gun and it could go off. Not really what you want.

I don’t believe that’s correct/accurate.
The pulling the trigger deactivates the drop safety, also called the safety plunger.

You could argue the trigger, without the safety blade could potentially, via inertia, go off…but I digress.

 

[Ghostdriver]

One thing also is S&W makes both 380EZ and 9EZ without the grip safety. I also wonder if they should they should own guns if that small thing is stopping them from shooting.

 

[gc70]

I don’t believe that’s correct/accurate.
The pulling the trigger deactivates the drop safety, also called the safety plunger.

Depressing the grip safety raises the firing pin plunger lever (silver in the photo below). Page 31 of the EZ manual cautions against depressing the grip safety when installing the slide because the firing pin plunger lever in the up position interferes with slide movement.

What the manual does not explicitly state is that when the slide is installed, depressing the grip safety and raising the firing pin plunger lever also lifts the firing pin plunger (safety) to allow the firing pin to move forward. If the grip safety is pinned down, the firing pin plunger lever and firing pin plunger are always raised, disabling the drop safety functionality of the firing pin plunger.

 

[gc70]

One thing also is S&W makes both 380EZ and 9EZ without the grip safety. I also wonder if they should they should own guns if that small thing is stopping them from shooting.

All Shield EZ pistols have grip safeties. However, you can choose a model with or without a thumb safety.

 

[dajogejr]

Thank you for the education gc70, and apologies Denver.
I did a quick search on the EZ since I don’t own on, just handled them at the store…and the “interwebz Google” said trigger bar disengages the drop safety. I should’ve done better research, my bad and again, thanks for the auto correct

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I have to wonder how aged is "aged." My wife is 77, with arthritis in her hands, and she has no problem at all with her EZ 380.

With Arthritis in her hands does she see a Rheumatologist every six months?

Because my last visit to my Rheumatologist the man checking in ahead of me was maybe 30 and his hands were so disfigured I wonder how he cleans himself.

If you take Advil or use Icy Hot that is just arthritis from aging. If you need steroid injections in your joints and hands now that is Arthritis. JMHO

 

[KBONE59]

My aged parents both bought the Shield EZ pistols (coincidentally, they’ve been divorced for decades, and live 1,000 miles apart, and don’t speak - Mom got a .380, Dad got a 9). My dad is a retired martial artist instructor, yet NEITHER of them can manage to hold down the grip safety reliably while they try to fire the pistol.

Why did S&W choose to ruin this pistol with the stupid grip safety???

Not being able to depress the grip safety is the shooters way they grip the gun, they are not gripping it correctly, my advice is to order up a NDZ grip safety in their preferred color and when the grip safety is replaced with the NDZ grip safety take the spring and go to a good hardware store and buy a weaker spring that is close to the original size and shape as the original, install that spring in there and should be good to go, I own both a 9 EZ and a Equalizer and both have a NDZ grip safety, if you shoot a hundred rounds in one day the stock grip safety will cause the web of your thumb to hurt a bit but with the NDZ grip safety it depresses down to be flat and your hand won’t hurt when shooting a hundred rounds, both of my guns have the stock spring but I replaced the grip safety's and triggers with the flat style Galloway trigger before I ever fired them, it transforms them into a easier to shoot more accurate handgun, after 50 years of being a mechanic, my hands are crippled up and full of arthritis and my thumbs don’t hardly work, the 9 EZ and Equalizer are the only handguns I can operate properly, I have shot the 9 EZ for years and have run at least 5000 rounds thru it without a single problem so it’s my EDC, the Equalizer is my home defense handgun with the Viridian green dot scope and Viridian green laser/1000 lumen light, I have ran close to 2000 rounds through it without a hiccup, I have been shooting handguns for over 60 years and these 2 handguns are the easiest to shoot in most accurate guns I’ve ever owned besides my Colt trooper mark lll, shooting handguns is about the only fun thing I can do anymore with four cervical vertebrae and three lumbar vertebrae fused together and the arthritis that goes along with it and not being able to lift 10 pounds without hurting for days.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

My aged parents both bought the Shield EZ pistols (coincidentally …

What were their Self Defense firearms before?

My parents had a 1911A1 (45 ACP WWII bring back) and after my dad passed. Mom asked me for a 38 Special revolver. (Because men have been choosing firearms for womenfolk since colonial times JMHO)

 

[kelljor]

One thing also is S&W makes both 380EZ and 9EZ without the grip safety. I also wonder if they should they should own guns if that small thing is stopping them from shooting.

Haven't seen any EZ without the grip safety. Maybe you are thinking of M&P? Similar, but not ez rack slide and striker rather than hammer fired.

 

[agksimon]

I
If they’re not strong enough to hold grip pressure, on what I feel is very, very easy to do on the EZ line, do you have confidence…they can fire them safely?

I was thinking the exact same thing. I'm 80 years old, small framed and have no problem holding in the grip safety. If you can't hold in such an easy thing to operate, I would imagine the recoil of the 9mm would just about knock the gun out of your hand.

 

[Denverd0n]

...my advice is to order up a NDZ grip safety in their preferred color...

Fine for those with a 9mm EZ. NDZ does not make a replacement grip safety for the .380 EZ.

 

[walkin' trails]

I’ve seen the EZ models showing up in the range bags of wives and mothers, usually selected by husbands and sons. Common denominator is the grip safety, or rather lack of ability to properly grip to as to deactivate it. When the gin won’t fire during a concealed carry class qualification, it causes inexperienced shooters to get all flustered, point every direction besides down range, etc. and easy to load magazines are easy to load with bullets backwards. I don’t think the EZ series are bad guns but like anything, require training, sometimes in a quiet environment with an instructor specializing in patience.