Smith and Wesson M&P Shield EZ 2.0 review.

Everything can be done exactly right, but it may not be perfect for everyone.

While the M&P Shield EZ was easy to shoot, really easy to rack, reliable, and reasonably accurate, I did not love it.

The EZ’s claim to fame is its ease of use, especially in racking the slide, loading the magazine, and manipulating the magazine release. It did all these things well, but the pistol felt a bit unsubstantial in my hands. In full transparency, I prefer the all-steel 1911-style pistol, so I will freely admit my bias could be showing through. Note the ledge at the bottom of the magazine follower that allows you to lower the follower by hand, making the magazine far more effortless to load. There is a standard Picatinny Rail molded into the dist cover.

The Shield EZ can be had with or without ambidextrous safety. Exzagerrated cocking serrations aid even more in getting the slide moving when loading the chamber. The slide stop was tight to the polymer receiver, ensuring you do not inadvertently engage it during live fire. The magazine release is textured and reversible. The only challenging part of the manual of arms was field stripping it. The takedown lever had to be rotated down, and the slide was removed by pushing it forward. This was not a big deal With good hand strength, but since this pistol was designed for those with lessened hand strength, an easier way would have been welcome. The S&W M&P Shield EZ incorporates a grip safety, which I approve of, but this one is upside down for me, and a few complained it was less comfortable during extended shooting. The port, starboard, and front and rear straps were all well-textured.

Very traditional three-dot nights are standard; the rear is drift adjustable for windage. Fitment was just fine, with all sharp edges of the pistol rounded. The pistol ships with two eight-round magazines.

The M&P EZ carried well and offered no issues with shootability or reliability. Though it appears to be a striker-fired pistol, in reality, it has an internal hammer, but the trigger pull was reminiscent of a striker-fired pistol. There was a lot of take-up, a clean break, just over four pounds, and just enough reset to feel. Accuracy was satisfactory, with an average of three-inch groups from a rest at twenty-five yards.

Conclusions

There is nothing bad to say about this pistol, and if you have issues racking the slide on an autoloader or have problems with hand or upper body strength, the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield EZ is an excellent option for you. Smith and Wesson uses a lighter recoil and magazine spring to accomplish this; however, do not get lured into thinking the recoil spring keeps a pistol from beating itself up during fire. If you were to do the math, you would find the slide hitting the receiver with about six foot pounds of energy. It is just not that bad. There were no malfunctions over about 400 rounds of various defensive and ball rounds. Even if you do not care for it, this pistol will make an excellent first step for someone who struggles with an autoloader and getting their technique down to manipulate the pistol.

Specifications