Reviews on a Smith and Wesson 380 Ez

Why make a low-capacity, mid-sized pistol chambered in .380? This was my first question when I saw the specs of the 380 Shield EZ. Well, Smith & Wesson are no dummies and then at that place had to be some logic behind their motility here. What I found when I got my easily on the gun and a few rounds downrange was that they've got something rather interesting here.

The frame is seemingly larger than would be required for this chapters and chambering, but in that location is a benefit. The capacity is seemingly lower than would exist expected for a frame of this size, but at that place is a benefit. The result is an piece of cake to hold, piece of cake to manipulate, lightweight pistol that shoots a defensive round just feels like a .22 cal gun. Hrm.

Why Consider the Yard&P 380 Shield EZ?

The M&P 380 Shield EZ is a compact pistol purpose made for acquit and for home defense. Though compact, information technology is longer and taller than the 9mm Shield nearly of us know, so there is more of the gun to hold onto. 1 of the master features of the pistol is its like shooting fish in a barrel-to-rack slide, seemingly tailor made for people without strong hands. Another feature worth consideration is the grip rubber; a characteristic not often found on compact pistols. If you're someone who values an extra layer of safe, the 380 Sheild EZ might but exist the ticket for you. Finally, y'all might consider this pistol for its appealing price.

The combination of the slightly larger frame and the slightly softer round make this pistol a joy to shoot and very easy with which to exist very accurate…all then long every bit you don't mind the minimal defensive ballistics of the .380 circular.

M&P 380 Shield EZ Specs:

• Caliber: 380 Auto
• Activity: Internal hammer fired
• Length: 6.7″
• Superlative: four.98"
• Width: 1.15" (1.43" including the slide "wings")
• Barrel: 3.675" stainless steel Armornite™ stop
• Trigger: ~5lb.
• Sights: 3-Dot steel, adaptable rear
• Safety: Grip safety + available with or without ambi thumb levers
• Weight: eighteen.5 oz. west/empty magazine
• Slide: stainless steel Armornite™ terminate
• Capacity: eight+1
• MSRP: $399

Notation that the model I'm evaluating hither has ambi pollex safety levers.

Shooting the 380 Shield EZ

Shooting the 380 Shield is like shooting a .22 pistol. No kidding, the recoil impulse is almost nonexistent then the pistol is very like shooting fish in a barrel to command and to maintain a high degree of accuracy. While some .380 pistols are a bit snappy, due to their subcompact configuration, this Shield model has both the size and weight necessary to mitigate all snappiness. This is an easy pistol to shoot.

The frame is larger than a typical Shield, but smaller than, say, the Yard&P 9. This mid-sized frame offers plenty to hold onto and allows the controls to be very comfortably positioned. I had no trouble running the gun for on/off rubber, magazine ejection and reloads, and locking the slide back. It all felt very natural and comfy.

The trigger is actually quite nice and has a very brusk and well-baked reset, but somehow running it fast did not go every bit smoothly every bit I thought it should. I did a few strings of rapid fire during which I wasn't able to keep the gun as however every bit information technology seemed I should for being such a soft shooter. I chalk this up to my being familiar with my EDC gun and this slightly altered geometry of this 380 Shield EZ threw a wrench in my gears. Surely with a fleck of practice shooting fast drills would become smoother.

Mostly, though, I just enjoyed shooting this gun. No kidding, outside of a precision .22 this is the softest gun I've always shot. Then fun.

Comfort, Controllability, & Capacity
The 380 Shield is non at all heavy and lighter than even the smaller Shield 9mm. Though it is named for the Shield, it feels less like that model and more similar the M&P 9 in the hand. It's a single stack gun, but the grip is not overly thin. For my medium-sized hands, it was quite comfortable. And equally mentioned earlier, the controls were easy to get to and to manipulate. The eight+1 capacity is a flake low for a .380 of this size, but beingness a single stack gun keeps the frame width down and facilitates a more concealable gun.

Controlling the 380 Shield EZ is virtually equally easy equally it gets. Fifty-fifty older children and new shooters should do quite well keeping this pistol under control.

Components and Features

The 380 Shield EZ looks similar a typical striker-fired gun, simply it's not. It has an internal hammer and that brings consequences to both the trigger (shine) and the recoil spring weight you feel when racking the slide (softer), since there is no striker to load up.

The most conspicuous feature of the 380 Shield EZ is the grip safety. Information technology's a large component that disappears when the frame is gripped. I constitute that I never even noticed the grip safe fin so information technology was a not factor in my working with the gun. The model I used had the ambi thumb rubber levers. Though I always believe such components to be useless or fifty-fifty unsafe on a pistol, I did spend time engaging and disengaging the levers during shooting. They seemed stiff enough to be properly tactile and easy plenty to manipulate. The 380 Shield EZ can come without the manual safety levers if you prefer that model (and I promise you practise).

The sights are 3-dot steel and the rear sight is drift adjustable. I had no problem picking upward the sights and maintaining a good sight moving picture during shooting strings. The slide has proficient serrations, merely with the addition of some "wings" on the rear of the slide, I gauge to assist with slide racking. I establish them entirely unnecessary, but they as well didn't become in my manner every bit some similar components on other guns have.

These are the wings at the rear of the slide. Not necessary, just non a problem, establish.

As mentioned before, the trigger is darn good and contributed positively to authentic shooting. I did not measure its weight, but information technology seemed to break at around 5 – 5.5 pounds. I'm a fan and wish my Glocks had as practiced a trigger. The frame is nicely textured and plenty comfortable for my medium-sized hands.

The grip texture is rather mild, but still grippy. Most folks volition still want to stipple.

Interestingly, the magazines take side tabs very similar to those establish on .22 magazines then that you lot tin can if you wish pull down to allow for easier loading of rounds into the magazine. I didn't find the need to do and so, but they work just fine.

Conclusions

Pros
This is a relatively lightweight pistol that carries relatively lightweight ammo, which amounts to a mid-sized gun that would be very comfortable to carry around concealed all day. Virtually anyone could rack the slide to lock open or to load. The soft-shooting, highly controllable characteristics brand shooting the pistol a very highly-seasoned prospect. The trigger is excellent and the grip safety offers an unobtrusive layer of fault prevention. Too, the price is insufficiently very nice.

Cons
The .380 round is not optimal for defensive employ, but it is serviceable; particularly during warmer months when clothes are not thickly layered. Eight rounds in the magazine is a flake anemic for a conduct gun, particularly with such a pocket-size caliber and the overall bundle is a chip large for an 8+1 capacity (merely 1 more round than the smaller 9mm model???).

So for rating the M&P 380 Shield EZ…

Ergonomics (****)
At that place is nothing spectacular about this gun's ergonomics, but it works and feels only fine.

Shootability (*****)
Perhaps the near shootable pistol I've ever laid my hands on.

Accuracy (*****)
I found it to be very accurate and very easy to maintain that accuracy!

Concealability (****)
The 380 Shield EZ is sparse enough and pocket-size enough to conceal quite well, though not too as its smaller cousin, the One thousand&P Shield 9mm.

In Summary

Essentially what Smith & Wesson has done here is create an like shooting fish in a barrel to dispense, easy to shoot, lightweight gun that sacrifices some size and chapters for a soft shooting feel. In my mind, this is not a bad tradeoff equally it addresses some issues that plague some shooters and gives them a mildly compromised solution. Good for S&Due west.

In the end, my only complaint with this package is the .380 circular. Everything else is merely fine for my money. Eagle Gun Range has the 380 Shield EZ for rent, so take information technology out for yourself and see what you think.

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Source: https://www.eaglegunrangetx.com/shooting-review-the-mp-380-shield-ez/

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