Smith & Wesson M&P380 Shield EZ Review

The M&P EZ 380 has been my favorite go-to handgun since Smith and Wesson unveiled it. I can’t speak enough about this gun’s functionality, reliability, and safety features.

Now that Smith & Wesson is giving a $50 rebate for every Smith & Wesson purchase, it’s a great time to go through this gun. Let’s get into it.

First, as is the norm, we will look into the chamber to ensure there’s no ammunition. For the record, as we do this, there are no live rounds in the room, except a few snap caps to test different features of this firearm.

To test the gun’s ease of use, the first thing we’ll look at is the magazine. The M&P EZ 380 comes with two eight-round capacity magazines. So, it will typically hold eight plus one rounds. A fantastic feature of the magazine is the finger guide which allows you smoothly depreciate the follower for effortless loading.

This pistol’s slide is the easiest I have racked in my life. It makes it perfect for anyone looking for a smooth-operating firearm, not just women.

Some other critical features in this handgun are the chamber indicator, trigger, shield, recoil spring, and sighting system.

A chamber indicator accompanies M&P EZ 380 chamber to let you know of any rounds at a glance. So, the presence of ammunition in the chamber will make the indicator face up. That is indeed a life-saving feature that minimizes accidents during firearm handling.

Hands down to this gun’s trigger. It has a huge difference with older M&P model triggers. It is light and crisp and operates pretty smoothly with minimal struggle.

The sight system of this gun consists of three white dots and an adjustable rear sight for windage. With this set of sights, you can clearly see when training or other shooting.

The grip texture of this gun is enhanced on both sides for recoil, which rarely happens.

Let’s try disassembling the firearm. Another fantastic feature of the shield is the ability to disassemble with zero chances of pulling the trigger. This, of course, adds to its safety benefit.

So, to tear apart the pistol, first lower the teardown lever. The next thing you’ll do is pull the slide back, forward and then pull it off. It is worth noting that when taking back the firearm together, you’ll first drop the barrel forward, then move it back to keep it in its correct position.

When you look keenly at the recoil spring, you’ll notice it has a curved edge and a flat side. The curved edge will face up when in the correct position, which is kind of unreasonable, as you’d expect the flat end to be facing up. The other way around will give you a hard time getting your gun back together.

Once you have fixed the recoil spring, be careful not to lower the grip safety when pulling back the slide. Flip up the switch, and the firearm is fully operational again.

With Smith & Wesson, you have ambidextrous thumb safety, which is optional. An additional safety feature is grip safety. Its benefit to the gun user is that should they be in a physical altercation and someone snatches the gun, they’re unlikely to shoot unless they have trained with it. Why? Because when the grip safety is not lowered, the trigger won’t work at all.

The magazine release is designed in a way that it is flexible enough to switch sides. If you’re left-handed, you can change the release to your preferred side and comfortably use it.

At the front of this firearm is a Picatinny rail to carry your lights, lasers, accessories, and other training gear you need to move with your gun.

The fact that this gun is slim and lightweight makes it an optimal carry gun. At the tip of the iceberg is an 18-degree grip angle that gives you a natural aim point. That makes it much easier to become your arm’s extension, unlike many other guns where you have to adjust it to your wrist’s height.

All that said, the Smith & Wesson has a durable finish that is resistant to rust and corrosion, meaning it will last forever without looking worn out. Every shooter needs to have this gun.