S&W shield EZ 9mm performance center

daddymikey1975 · Feb 8, 2024

Good morning!

My bride and I went to coonfinger some pistols last night and she really took a liking to the performance center shield ez.

We went to the range and rented one and she was ready to read some reviews and then make a buying decision.

One of our friends mentored to her that the grip safety can malfunction or be a problem on these guns and advised her to not go with it. I did some cursory googling and didn't find much.

Have any of you had first hand experience with the performance center version of M&P pistols?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

d.kaufman · Feb 8, 2024

Don't have the performance center version but do have an EZ Shield in 380 and 9mm. Wife has probably run 1000 rounds thru the 380 without a hiccup. Bought the 9mm off a member here and have added 4-500 rounds thru it also issue free.

Born2vette · Feb 8, 2024

Not personally but a buddy has had the standard EZ in 380 for about a year with no issues.

223 Gunner · Feb 8, 2024

I wouldn't listen to your friend. Buy it and shoot it. If there is ever an issue Smith will fix it and most likely pay shipping both ways.
FWIW I bought the EZ .380 for my oldest daughter, no issues at all out of it.

mcapo · Feb 8, 2024

The entire EZ has been pretty well received in the market.

Your friend may have been referring, not to a mechanical failure, but to a failure to physically manipulate the grip safety to a firing position.

If your wife test fired the gun without issues engaging the grip safety and she continues to train (with any firearm she buys), I say buy it!

Having a self-defense gun that is comfortable to use and that is "liked" makes a person more likely to train with it - that makes it a good choice.

Ziggidy · Feb 8, 2024

The safety grip concern can be easily negated by regularly training and learning to know your gun. She may have not even noticed it until someone pointed it out. Try different grips and see how it impacts shooting but learning “your own” gun is crucial for anyone.

daddymikey1975 · Feb 8, 2024

I will share these replies with her.

I appreciate the input.

I'm sort of biased and believe in running a couple hundred rounds thru a new gun as well as a bunch of self defense loads to see what it likes and doesn't like to eat.

I wanted some input from the community that's unbiased to share with her so she feels good about purchasing something.

Thanks for all of the input!

Mcoleman85 · Feb 8, 2024

Wife has the 380 ez as well, nice and dependable. Good to go!

VERT · Feb 15, 2024

The grip safeties on the 9mm can be an issue for people with small hands. The grip is larger than the .380 version. The grip safety is opposite that of a traditional 1911 so you have to make sure to get high on the gun. Yes I have seen this be an issue with several different guns with several shooters. I have also seen people reengage the manual safeties under recoil. The solution to this is to ride the safety but it opens the grip for people with small hands and doesn’t allow them to disengage the grip safety.

Solution - if you have hands smaller then Men’s Medium (women’s large) avoid the manual safety on the 9mm version. Or purchase the .380.

yanmarguy · Feb 15, 2024

Have had the chance to pick one of these up recently. Not the performance center version, but the regular e z. Can anyone tell me if I am better off getting the model with the thumb safety or without? I have mixed emotions on the switch. I just wasn't sure if I liked it when I felt it so I wondered if anybody else had personal opinions based on experience. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

ECS686 · Feb 16, 2024

I taught classes and the grip safety was usually an issue for the 60 aome year old crown and above. The main issue was with the Tacticool thumbs firearms or high thumbs grip caused the web if the hand to not 100% engage the grip safety.

The alternate was teach them the revolver grip or locked thunbs and it will 100% disengage the grip safety.

Some would come around with the thumbs forward and be able to use it some did not and we moved on to plan B.

Whe the S&W rep was here asking for input I suggested either they somehow reverse the safety so it’s lined at the top like a 1911 OR put a more raised ridge or raised spot like a memory hump in the middle (especially at the top. Liked the input but it probably won’t get changed.

The EZ is a great gun jut not for everyone they marketed it to!

VERT · Feb 16, 2024

ECS686 is correct regarding the grip safety. I have seen the same thing. This is why I recommend the model without the manual thumb safety. If you ride the safety the web of the hand might not engage the grip safety. If you put your thumb under the manual safety lever you could bump it on when you do not want it engaged.

I have a men’s size medium hand and have no problems riding the manual safety with the .380 EZ. My wife owns two of the .380s and they are slick little shooters, personally I am a fan. The .380 EZ without a manual thumb safety is the gun that consumers need and not necessarily what they wanted.

The 9mm that I seen people bring to the range gave me some fits. I feel that S&W was simply responding to the consumer demanding 9mm.

S&W shield EZ 9mm performance center

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