New Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ

[lonestar outlaw]

M&P 380 ez

I have owned smith and Wesson pistols for 50 years
and have often wondered why they did this or did that.
But it allways seem to be a product that suited someone's need
as is with this 380 ez.
They do a lot of research in developing a handgun and do it well
in my opinion
Just because someone thinks this handgun is worthless doesn't mean it won't suit the needs of others
I plan on buying one for my wife to carry as she has issues with racking and recoil
She has a bersa 380 thunder but it just doesn't suit her needs but a lot of people that own them like them

 

[Telecaster]

I don't understand the bashing. Who wouldn't appreciate an easy-to-rack slide? A .22-style magazine you can pull down a lever and just drop the rounds in, without the feed lips eating up your fingertips? The grip safety is from "god" himself, JMB. If you don't like it, don't buy one.

It's just a skosh bigger than a 9mm Shield, longer barrel & grip. So maybe a 9mm EZ will happen one day, to please the manly-men on this forum.

 

[dben002]

I don't understand the bashing. Who wouldn't appreciate an easy-to-rack slide? A .22-style magazine you can pull down a lever and just drop the rounds in, without the feed lips eating up your fingertips? The grip safety is from "god" himself, JMB. If you don't like it, don't buy one.

It's just a skosh bigger than a 9mm Shield, longer barrel & grip. So maybe a 9mm EZ will happen one day, to please the manly-men on this forum.

I can agree with most all you stated, however, I can't understand the larger size of this 380....could have done all this in a smaller than the 9 shield 2.0 frame.

 

[Vandal320]

Could it be longer due to the internal hammer taking up space?

 

[Telecaster]

Some people prefer a full size grip so their pinky doesn't dangle? If it's for ladies, they may be carrying it in their purse, so size isn't critical. If they get their purse stolen that's not my or S&W's problem, I know...

Longer barrel helps make .380 more effective. Just trying to guess, here...

 

[ancient-one]

A geriatric .380. Nope. Ain't going there. Sorry. Now where's my drool cup????

Just wait a few years and it won't be so funny.

 

[gc70]

I can agree with most all you stated, however, I can't understand the larger size of this 380....could have done all this in a smaller than the 9 shield 2.0 frame.

The smallest possible gun for its caliber is an obsession of gun enthusiasts. Oddly, non-enthusiasts seem to prefer guns that are easy to shoot.

 

[Vulcannut]

I myself wouldn't run out to buy one but I think it's a well thought out pistol that will appeal to quite a few different folk. That said my wife who already has a 9mm and has fired all of my different caliber and style pistols really wants to check one out. S&W must be on to something as she likes the idea and will probably get one and she hasn't even handled one yet.

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

The issue I have with this gun is, why only 8 shots? IF it's as big as I've heard, why not increase capacity. I didn't get the LC380 at first. But I came to understand the niche it fills.
I have not interest in this gun. But I could see this gun being the parent of something I would like.

 

[gc70]

The issue I have with this gun is, why only 8 shots? IF it's as big as I've heard, why not increase capacity.

The fact that the pistol has a single stack also bothered me at first. Then I realized that the tabs on the sides of magazines to make loading easier take up space. The tradeoff was apparently between a double stack magazine or a single stack magazine that was easier to load.

 

[rbuzz]

A geriatric .380. Nope. Ain't going there. Sorry. Now where's my drool cup????

Don't make fun of your elders, you'll be in their shoes one day.

 

[lhump1961]

I'm going to give S&W the benefit of any doubt on this gun. They are the one's getting all the feedback from consumers and I'm really sure they would not spend precious time and money on a new product that has no potential market. Same goes for the design characteristics. The size, magazine design, hammer fired, grip safety...all of these things are to produce (with some compromises as is always the case) a gun that enough people have said they want.

No company gets it right all the time but tip of the hat to Smith for trying new things. A lot of us here are older and set in our ways, myself included, so I don't claim to understand most new things now-a-days. A new gun made in the U.S.A.? God bless America!

 

[lonestar outlaw]

I talked to my LGS earlier and was told they thought the 380 ez would be shipping sometime this month

 

[Colt357]

As an old retired guy suffering from boredom, I spent the last couple of years working part time in a local gun store and shooting range. I waited on a LOT of folks who were not shooters or gun enthusiasts, but were looking for a gun for personal protection and with which they could effectively manipulate the controls and tolerate the recoil.

Many were older. Others had various strength and dexterity issues that limited their choices. Most of this group struggled racking the slides of most any center fire semi autos, and many could not effectively pull the trigger on a double action revolver. Recoil sensitivity was a concern for this group as well.

I would often try to show them every gimmick I had learned over 60 years of shooting that might help with the slide manipulation but sometimes none of those techniques worked for these folks. Sometimes I would try to point them to hammer fired semis, showing them how to pull the hammer back prior to racking the slide to make moving the slide easier. Sometimes that worked. Sometimes not.

The 2 pistols that we had that were the easiest to rack the slide were both Walthers: the PK380, and the 9mm CCP. Interestingly, they were actually approximately the same size. However, the CCPs had some reliability issues, and the PK380's manual of arms is a bit convoluted and unnecessarily complicated.

Based on what I have been reading, I believe this new S&W M&P 380 EZ is aimed squarely at the demographic that I was discussing above. If this new gun is as easy to work as advertised, and as reliable and shootable, then I think S&W will have a winner on their hands. It may not be for everyone, but for folks like those described above, it just may be the cat's pajamas.

Colt