Slide difficult to pull back

[CB3]

It's easier to pull the slide back on your full size pistol because the mass of the slide is heavier, the travel longer and the spring pressure is set accordingly to provide proper function.

Mini pistols must have heavier springs because the slides are lighter, the travel shorter and so is the service life of the spring. This is the cost of having something handier. Reducing the spring pressure will increase slide velocity, causing damage to the pistol frame and possibly feed failures.

Yeah, you can screw with spring rates, but remember you're potentially betting lives on the pistol working properly. Those springs are that heavy because they have to be. Remember: There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

Spring rates, or the operational needs of a gun related to spring rates, have a fairly broad range within which they will work. New springs are at the upper range of stiffness because they will relax with use and still work fine. Putting aftermarket recoil assemblies designed to perform properly in your gun is unlikely to cost you your life. Put some rounds through the gun after installing any aftermarket parts. If the gun works, it works.

 

[Zoner]

FWIW try gripping the rear of the slide and pushing the grip/frame forward instead of pulling the slide

 

[Rastoff]

I'm not comfortable with that until they fix the stovepipe issue.

What stovepipe issue? According to the membership here the EZ is perfect.

 

[WR Moore]

Spring rates, or the operational needs of a gun related to spring rates, have a fairly broad range within which they will work. New springs are at the upper range of stiffness because they will relax with use and still work fine. Putting aftermarket recoil assemblies designed to perform properly in your gun is unlikely to cost you your life. Put some rounds through the gun after installing any aftermarket parts. If the gun works, it works.

You have a limited point if you're talking about full size pistols. As the size goes down, the range of suitable spring rates rapidly contracts. As does the service life of said springs. It's my experience that many people don't change recoil springs in anything like a timely manner.

Just because someone makes a product does not mean it's entirely suitable for your purposes, especially if you're betting lives on the proper functioning. As an example, at one point in time there were after market recoil springs available for the 1911 rated from 10 t0 24 lbs, standard being 16 lbs. It was understood that the ones below 16 lbs were intended to allow function with target type loads. The heavier ones were produced under the belief that a stiffer recoil spring reduces muzzle rise/recoil. What we saw from the folks who took that to the limits were failures of barrel underlugs and slide stops. Seeing slide assemblies launching down range was impressive and in the real world could have had fatal results. Sure, it worked-for awhile. Doesn't mean it's a long term good idea.

FWIW, with the 1911 the G forces on the slide/frame when it reaches full recoil position is on the order of 700 Gs. Going into battery after feeding a round, it's 750 Gs. This is with the stock 16 lb spring. No idea what the forces are in the Shield, but the various gun companies spend a lot of money testing prototypes and there are good reasons the products are produced the way they are.

 

[CB3]

Just because someone makes a product does not mean it's entirely suitable for your purposes, especially if you're betting lives on the proper functioning.

Your points are valid, especially with the extreme examples you used that go far outside of factory specs. They may not be as valid when considering replacements that function within factory specs/tolerances, no matter the size of gun.

There is more than one way to skin a cat and still stay within specs. Checking a vendor's reputation and their performance claims is important when considering using non-OEM parts.

Your and others' point that smaller guns have narrower functioning ranges are also valid. However, even the small guns have identifiable ranges to which others can build. Factories do not have exclusive abilities to meet specs, or achieve reliable functioning.

Apex parts, including their springs, often improve functioning. I have them in many of my self defense guns. In one of them during the function test I experienced light strikes. I had Apex tune it. It is now my every day carry and has been 100% functionally reliable for over 2,500 rounds.

Aftermarket recoil spring assemblies can fail for a variety of reasons. If they do so much sooner than OEM parts, the vendor will soon stop selling them—perhaps even go out of business. However, it is not impossible to meet factory specs and do it in an even better way, such as substituting a metal guide rod for a plastic one.

Any change to your self defense gun requires thorough shooting proof, even when you use factory replacement parts—in any size gun.

 

[s&wm&p4me]

I'm with Zoner, grab the slide with your weak hand, and with your strong hand on the grip , push forward!

 

[Noshoot]

I also teach people to grasp the slide with their "off/weak" hand and push forward with the other. This is far easier than trying to grasp the slide and pull it backward.

 

[jnichols2]

I'm not comfortable with that until they fix the stovepipe issue.

Actually, they have fixed it. Keep a firm grip.
If you use a loose grip on the EZ, it (and most other smaller guns) will stovepipe. A firm grip solves the issue.