The Truth About The Smith & Wesson Equalizer: 1000 Round Review (Vs. S&W Shield Plus)
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He does a good job of laying out all the grip safety reasons I do not recommend the EZ's. Same grip safety, same problems. So you get more capacity, which is fine IF you can keep your grip high and tight enough to use that capacity.
Most of what I do read about it (and I'm not seriously studying this one) admits that "this gun is not for everyone." Well, what gun is?
Yeah, people will buy them "just because."
Most of what I do read about it (and I'm not seriously studying this one) admits that "this gun is not for everyone." Well, what gun is?
Yeah, people will buy them "just because."
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You tell it Grannie!
Just because something’s a “new model” doesn’t mean that its better, or even as reliable, as an older model. 👍
Newest isn’t always best!
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My wife (I have also, but it's not my pistol) has had issues with the grip safety on her new Equalizer.
Just like the video, if you get the web of your shooting hand up against the bottom of the beavertail the bump on the grip safety sits in a "soft" pocket between that tight tendon/skin section and the palm of your hand. She's had to move her hand/grip down the back of the frame away from the beavertail to insure the grip safety is fully pushed in.
She's not carrying it yet. It's a different grip than her Shield or other carry pistols over the years and I need to get off my butt and try to modify that bump on the upper end of the grip safety so that it works with a standard grip and is still comfortable to shoot for her.
Just like the video, if you get the web of your shooting hand up against the bottom of the beavertail the bump on the grip safety sits in a "soft" pocket between that tight tendon/skin section and the palm of your hand. She's had to move her hand/grip down the back of the frame away from the beavertail to insure the grip safety is fully pushed in.
She's not carrying it yet. It's a different grip than her Shield or other carry pistols over the years and I need to get off my butt and try to modify that bump on the upper end of the grip safety so that it works with a standard grip and is still comfortable to shoot for her.
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39 Posts
Don’t worry, they’ll come out with a Performance Center version that makes the grip safety more comfortable and charge another $200. 
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1,422 Posts
The grip safety has killed it for me...
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There's a guy on the CZ Forum who does some unbelievable fine shooting with his plastic framed CZ pistols (like putting 4 of 5 shots on the paper of a regular 25 yd. paper target at 200 yds.) He uses some stuff called Sugru to modify his pistol grips for his hands. It looks ugly, but it goes on soft/pliable/moldable and then gets hard. It can be sanded/shaped as needed after it gets hard. I'm going to try that on the top portion of that grip safety. You can remove the grip safety from the rear of the frame by driving out that short pin without taking anything else off/out of the frame. Pics when I get it done.
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Yea, keep us updated.
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Being honest, I'm not watching the video. Partly because it's a this vs that thing I can't relate to, but mostly because I haven't even fired mine yet. I really prefer to experience it myself before taking in someone's bias.
The initial cleaning provided some surprises that I wasn't prepared for or happy about. But that's part of learning from your own experience. As long as it doesn't blow up in my hands, I'll be okay.
Granny has been railing against the EZ for a while now. I have not experienced any of the problems she's had with it on our 380EZ.
The initial cleaning provided some surprises that I wasn't prepared for or happy about. But that's part of learning from your own experience. As long as it doesn't blow up in my hands, I'll be okay.
Granny has been railing against the EZ for a while now. I have not experienced any of the problems she's had with it on our 380EZ.
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Count yourself lucky! 👍
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Well, let us know what you think about it soon.
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I live a blessed life.
Working on it. It's mostly for Wifey, or at least that's what I told her. I may have to kidnap her.
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291 Posts
My apologies for sounding like I hate the EZ.
I installed all new springs for my 6 magazines and hope they will solve that last round stovepipe issue. Other than the "upside down" grip safety, the gun is great fun to shoot. My other big concern is all the gun stores pushing the EZ for new shooters or anyone who is having trouble racking slides. The EZ really is a good gun if you can control the grip safety at all times. "All times" includes serious moving and shooting SD drills, which most people never get even close to doing.
That, however, is not anywhere near as bad as when every salesman seemed to push light weight snubbie revolvers for new shooters. That was seriously BAD! They are also great guns - for the right person!
My EZ is not going to have as much range time as previously, since I give each one a turn in rotation and now have 4 other .380's instead of "Just three." 😉 👵 I'm not going to get rid of it.
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You should speak your mind. The fact that it's spread across 2 or more sites shouldn't be an issue either.
I'm teasing...... but you really should tell it the way you see it. I really hate when people pipe up with "it works for me" when I'm having a problem with something.
I found this site looking up one of those problems, with the Equalizer no less, and there was a fix.
That did happen to us. I stayed out of it, wanting Wifey to feel it was her choice. To some degree the Equalizer is her choice too, if only an offshoot of the original purchase.
My wife's 380EZ had stovepipe issues. We tried different ammo. We changed magazine springs ... more than once. We scuffed the top of the followers to increase adhesion. We put a spent casing in the bottom of the magazine below the spring, which resolved the stovepipe but was otherwise unacceptable.
After three years, we sent a final rather bitter note to S&W. S&W asked for the gun to be returned for service. S&W replaced the barrel and the gun has not had any subsequent problems.
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WOW - I have not heard of a barrel replacement solving that issue, but it is fantastic that you finally have a properly working gun. They are a lot of fun to shoot when they work properly, aren't they?
A different barrel would not seem like an obvious solution to a stovepipe problem. Maybe the new barrel interacts with other parts to cause a slight difference in the gun's operating cycle. Whatever the case, my wife's 380EZ is working now and it was not before.
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I think S&W got the grip safety wrong on these. It's hinged at the bottom...should have been like a 1911. JMHO
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I agree. No idea why they did it differently unless it has to do with what the grip safety does and how it does it vs. the 1911.
I need to get after that mod to the grip safety and see if we can make it work so she feels confident to carry it.
John Browning's Colt 1903, FN 1903, Colt 1908 .380, and FN 1910 models all had grip safeties hinged at the bottom; that aspect of the safety is not the problem. The significant difference from Browning's safeties is that S&W's safety does not go all the way up into the beavertail, leaving a gap between the top of the safety and the beavertail.
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