Try seating a magazine before releasing the slide lock. I noticed the slide lock button moved a bit when you were doing the magazine drop test. Maybe the slide lock button will be lighter with a magazine in it. Also, does it have second strike capability? The EZ's don't, I was just wondering if these have added that feature. Certainly not a deal breaker, just a nice feature. Thank you.
The fact that the Shield Equalizer uses the same magazines as the Shield Plus is really quite brilliant. It means his CCW is the Shield plus and hers is the Equalizer so it will be easier overall to rack. A brilliant move by S&W as they don't have to engineer new mags for this gun...and a benefit for those who already have Shield plus magazines.
The magazines are indeed the Shield Plus magazines. This now means that there is a 15 round magazine for the Shield Plus. The optic cut is interesting too. It appears that the mounting lugs are milled to work with Holosun 507k/407k optics with no need for a Shield RMSc to Holosun adapter plate.
Wise move with respect to using Shield Plus mags. I've always appreciated the Ruger P Series largely using the same magazine throughout the entire 9mm. series. It's a big factor in my I continued buying of those guns both in production and out. Smith recognized (I believe) that if you've got one of their new Shield Plus guns, the compatibility makes it that much more easy to decide to purchase one of these. I can tell you Ruger wouldn't be doing this. New gun release, new proprietary magazine. "Booooo."
That means it’s got the same optics mount as the shield plus, mine perfectly direct mounted a 407k, while allowing a lower 1/3 co-witness with the stock sights
@@calebnation6155 Maybe S&W has made a change in the Shield Plus optic cut but my optic ready Shield Plus was milled to the standard RMSc footprint with both front and rear mounting lugs. That required me to buy an adapter plate to allow a 507k to sit flat. From the photos I have seen, the optic cut on the Equalizer has only one set of mounting lugs and the S&W description refers to it as being a new style of optic cut which will allow mounting of a wide variety of optics. Looks to me like it was designed with the 507k/407k/EPS Carry in mind which will also work with the RMSc and other optics. Perhaps Hammer Striker can confirm that.
@@charlesj.6563 I picked up a 30sc shield plus about 3 weeks ago and it only had 2 very short front lugs which went perfectly with a direct mount for my 407k.
@@calebnation6155 Very nice! I wish that all manufacturers would use that optic cut. That sounds exactly like the picture of the new style optic cut on the Equalizer. Unfortunately, my 9mm optic ready 3.1” Shield Plus and my 4” PC Shield Plus with optic both have the original 4-lug RMSc cut which requires the adapter plate to mount a Holosun. With luck, maybe S&W will begin using the new optic cut on the 9mm Shield Plus pistols going forward.
I am looking forward to the shooting video that you will share. JM seemed to be impressed by the eqaulizer when I watched his vlog. This might become part of your edc rotation. Nice presentation GB!
Excellent review as always 😁. We're not big fans of Smith and Wesson. Definitely got our attention and might purchase this pistol. Happy Thanksgiving too you and your family.
Thanks for the review and making me decide I don’t want one. I have a S&W EZ and, due to the grip safety, it is a pain for me to take down and reassemble. As this breaks down the same, I will pass.
GBG - thanks for the usual attention to detail. I am really looking forward to the shooting portion of this review. Your chuckle about what a Maglula Uplula being included might mean has me intrigued.
The Shield Plus magazines this pistol is equipped with are very hard to load to capacity w/o using the Uplula especially when the magazines are new. If you do load them to full capacity, the magazines are difficult to fully insert into the pistol with the slide closed. The extended magazines seem to suffer from both of these problems more than the 10 round magazine. In my experience, it is best to load the extended magazines to one round less than full capacity. Whether this issue will be present in the Equalizer is unknown.
Just shot the first 50 rounds today and noticed the difficulty loading the last round or two in the in the largest mag. Haven't tried the 2 smaller mags yet. Got this for my wife because she had troubles racking the slide on most other guns. She is having trouble with the safety? Or something not allowing the gun to be fired on some trigger pulls. Tried it myself and had the same issue. Don't believe it's from no squeezing the backstrap safety as I had a firm grip. Jiggled the slide and it seemed to momentarily correct the problem. Curious as to what is wrong us or the gun.
I was very un happy about this gun, it was great at range except for, my hand has to be up into the beaver tail for the grip safety and the field strip really turned me off, but it took about 50 rounds to get use to the safety and as far as field strip, after first hour to try to get slide back on, I realized the Two flat ends on recoil spring, once lined up the slide slides right on. It's a great gun and reliable, fired over 500 rounds the first time and didn't have one problem once I got use to the grip safety
I found if the two flat sides on the recoil spring, it hangs up on field strip. If it is lined up perfectly, the equalizer goes back as easier than any other s&w. And someone asked about one of the little lever on frame is for. The clip is the grip safety
Just figured that out myself. There are two flattened sides on the rear of the spring/rod. They apparently need to be vertical, not horizontal for it to reassemble easly.
I think the EZ is a very worthwhile concept for some users, and this brings the capacity up to current standards for this size of gun. Next, I'd like to see them upsize the CSX to a flush-fit 15 rd mag. Stir in something from Apex or Timney, and it'd be interesting.
@@GBGuns Ha, well those are always essential. I haven't followed the CSX story closely, but I did handle one the other day, and liked the ergos (it was a store which prohibits dry firing, though). Got me to musing about one with a 4" barrel, a bit longer grip, and RMSC cut..
Funny that you say that, because thats what we called them while we we made the slides. Seems like equalizer is something sales came up with pretty recently
What helps me in disassembling the slide is after you lock it back, rotate the level and disengage the slide lock, let the spring push the slide back to its normal state and with the inertia continue to slide it forward almost as one motion.
Very interested in you and Teya's shooting reactions. My wife owns and loves her 380EZ for size to manageability ratio. She can handle other bigger handguns and recoil at the range but for carry and possible use in a stressful situation the 380ez is a good fit. We'd been hoping that they would make a double stack in the EZ380. But now we're curious if this might were work for.
With $50 rebate on all calibers of EZ and near identical design I would expect 380 and 30 SC versions will be released in less than 6 months. They may be staggering releases to get more press coverage or to reduce stock levels first with rebates.
Of course, most of that stiffness/tightness corrects itself once you've put a handful of mags through it. I recommend Sig V-Crowns for sure, and Underwood 147gr +P JHPs. They're hard-hitting and add nice weight overall to manage recoil even more, and the case is always preferable to brass, in my humble opinion.
Thanks for the content; very useful for me as a newbie. I am curious about magazine safeties; could you maybe do a video update on pros/cons your take on this subject?
I wish S&W made it easier to change sights. The frustration of changing sights is why I HATE buying another S&W. Glocks are so much easier. I wish S&W could be more like that.
In another video, the slide when taking it down sticks because of the grip safety. THat little lever in the back on the left side goes up when the safety is depressed. So you must avoid pushing that grip safety in order to take the slide off. Was definitely something I'd have run into .
I can tell your EDC isn't an EZ. So when you were taking the slide off you were having issues taking it off. That little silver piece next to the ejector in the rear is the firing pin safety release. When you depress the grip safety that safety travels upward and depresses a spring on the slide releasing the safety. As for removing the slide; what I do on my 380 EZ is I lock back the slide, rotate the take down lever in the front, then I release the slide from being locked forward while holding onto it, you can have the grip safety depressed it doesn't matter then I push the rear of the slide with the thumb of the hand on the grip and the slide moves forward. I can do this blindfolded if I had to. Maybe this is different on the Equalizer, but I'm not sure what is different other than a double stack in it. I'd like to see extended magazines offered for the single stack from Smith & Wesson. The big differences between them are the loss of the tactile round in the chamber indicator lost for the optics area, and the double stack grip modification.
I remember a couple of other UA-camrs saying this is same/similar cut to the Shield sights. Also these mags aren't new. They simply used the Shield plus 9mm magazines so they are compatible.
@@GBGuns Gotcha. I wish they (companies) would simply throw it out there instead of just sending to influencers and their website. Most people I know search for reviews on UA-cam, talk at our local shop, or shop at online retailers. Anyways. Thanks for your great content!
Good Video sir. I was actually watching because our new equalizer has the same issue with the slide lock. We also have a very tough to operate thumb safety. We brought back to gunsmith. They might polish the parts or send back to smith. I went to a big box gun store and tried another new equalizer and had no issues with the slide lock or safety. I hope it's just a break in issue.
It's been a while since I've handled this gun, but I believe that during our Shooting Impressions video it broke in some. In the future my advice is to always send a gun back to the manufacturer while under warranty. That lets them know there's a potential problem, and once you have a gunsmith touch it most companies consider the warranty voided.
Ergonomically, I still don’t see anyone beating Walter. I feel grip and ability to point and align sights are the most import sequence you have to be concerned with.
This is the first S&W polymer gun I've been interested in. The Shield plus looked good but I would like some type of usable safety. I think I would be happy with even just the grip safety on this.
One reviewer claimed Equilizer uses the same mags as the Shield Plus. Compatibility is great but I read some complaints about lack of availability of mags.
@@anthonyperez1698 Just personal preference. I have no trouble using one, I just don't care for them on polymer pistols. On a model 1911, that's a different story.
None of my guns have safeties. But I never understood the extreme hate that safeties and grip safeties get. Especially manual safeties. Don't use it? Don't activate it. Also, I think if my carry has a manual safety, it would feel a lot more comfortable too. Activate the safety, holster the gun, and finally take it off safety. Maintenance? Activate safety, take out the gun, unload, and do your maintenance. Defense? Pull out your gun and go to town.
I think grip safeties started to get their hate when Iso shooting became hip; suddenly the folks who like to pretend they're wearing armor realized how little support they're giving the back of the gun and concluded it was the gun's fault.
So it's a Shield 9 EZ that takes Shield Plus mags and has different slide serrations, but no other ergonomic improvements. Boy, S&W really putting in the bare minimum, huh?
This is for those who want more capacity than the EZ series but mostly everything else. Its their best selling series, why would they go changing things?
The gun is a great little gun and mine fires every time I pull the trigger. That said, it’s a real pain to take apart and put back together. I hope I don’t have to clean it often because I really like the gun!
The pinned breechblock is a great concept if true for being used with other calibers. It being internally hammerfired, probably means that the FCU can be entirely removed, but i cannot make out a serial number any where in this video... I clowned this gun at first. Its quickly become a big interest with the optics cut, 1913 rail, and aforementioned possibilities. Will the sights co-witness?
Yes. The iron sights are different also. Just before the release of this new version S&W started a $50 rebate promotion to move EZ's of all three calipers. It should not be long before they release the Equalizer in 380 and 30 SC to replace the EZ in these calibers too.
@@michaelbell75 The EZ will only continue to sell well as long as it priced much less than the Equalizer because the Equalizer is the EZ with greater capacity and optics mount. The only disadvantage of the Equalizer is it no longer has a very simple and easy loading magazine. A Maglulu helps but new gun owners still need help in learning how to use a loader.
I'd like to think that shooters are starting to realize that 4" is what most ammo needs from a barrel, and that gripping a pistol with your entire hand afford better control and a better shooting experience.
@@GBGuns I had to buy Pearce mag grip extensions for my EZ mags so that I could get my pinky finger fully on it. Getting all fingers on the grip really helps me even with less recoil of 380. I see that you could not get all your fingers fully onto the the 10-round mag of the Equalizer/Shield Plus magazine either. I see the Pearce also mags a pinky extension for this magazine. It may be a good option for those with larger hands who do not have a problem printing more with extra length.
Great review as always, what firearm do you and Tia carry as your EDC would like to know because I'm not sure if both of you ever mentioned that in your videos
Really Informative video, we just purchased one of these for the wife and I must say that I was a little hesitant to do the first take down because of all the cautions concerning NOT Touching the D>
Does the version with the manual safety act as a double safety? Meaning if you have the manual safety on and you grip the gun and press the grip safety will it not fire.
I don’t know, I’ve watched 8 or 9 people review this gun and it just looks cheap, particularly the trigger. I don’t like plastic guns (at least there’s a hammer), and I still think Sig makes a superior micro pistol. Is a Sig more expensive? Yes. That doesn’t bother me. In any event, thanks for sharing, but I’m carrying a Sig P229 Legion that I’m very happy with.
@@GBGuns yeah that would make sense too. I suppose these are targeted at new gun owners and they would never know the difference and S&W can save on production cost.
Barrel length was twice misstated; it is 6.75 inches, not 6.0 inches. Given the Equalizer’s likely completion with the Sig P365XL and the Springfield Hellcat Pro (both of which have 3.7 inch barrels), I suggest this is not an inconsequential error.
I was thinking it looked like the SD9VE and Shield 9 EZ had a love child. LOL I think the grip safety sticks out a bit further than the original 9 EZ. That is the main reason I disliked the Performance Center 9 EZ, the grip safety didn’t go in far enough for my liking.
No reviewers have explained WHY the EZ/Equalizer easy to rack. What are the physics and mechanical reasons? Is it just weaker recoil springs and more slide mass? This review doesn't explain it either.
Because it doesn't seem magically easier to rack. I don't propagate anything I can't back. The EZ line in 380 was easy to rack because it was a locked breech .380 so of course the spring was weaker.
Damn. 1 short of 666th like. I know, i know. We all hate it when ppl do the whole 'number like comment.' I couldn't help it. COOL VIDEO!! I'd love to get one, unfortunately Oregon is now one of the lamest places to live in the world now. Thanks alot measure 114.🖕🖕🖕🖕
Never understand why someone would want a thumb safety on a striker fired or DAO hammer fired handgun? If you want to knock off a safety before firing get a single action or DA/SA handgun, at least you’d get an excellent trigger pull.
Stop comparing it to the "Sig 365" that you're showing. That's not a real Sig. It's a Wilson Combat 365. It's Wilson Combat's variation of the Sig Sauer 365.
I’m not very impressed, it looks very cheap and with a big equalizer name on it on one side it looks very cheesy and then you got a the warning stuff engraved in the steel slide on the other side, which is also destroying the looks of the gun only so they feel like they’re safe from lawsuits, the gun belongs to us we don’t want that shit written all over our gun.
My comment would be that the viewer has no reference points. If you had a “better than” or “worse than” or “equal to” your subject do you have a favourite gun/S. Example, feels better in my hand than a Canik but not as good as a Grand power, It would give the viewer reference points. Or, this one works well for Erica but doesn’t work for me with my oversized bear paws.
@@GBGuns Thanks for the insightful vids so far. However Mr Baates, I doubt you would be just another channel. There’s a difference between being opinionated and being sophisticated.
Well you cared enough to reply.. And let’s not forget, this is the comment section where people… take a guess… what do people do here? They comment!!! Lol..
@@johnsonwilliam1023 ah, you should be more clear in your comments. We have four Glocks, a Glock 19 was my first real carry gun, I used it and then a 34 in competition and have taken both of those models through four-day courses.
Press release information including pricing: www.gbgunsdepot.com/post/s-w-equalizer
Is the grip the same length as the EZ 380 with the 13 round magazine or 15 round magazine or neither?
Try seating a magazine before releasing the slide lock. I noticed the slide lock button moved a bit when you were doing the magazine drop test. Maybe the slide lock button will be lighter with a magazine in it. Also, does it have second strike capability? The EZ's don't, I was just wondering if these have added that feature. Certainly not a deal breaker, just a nice feature. Thank you.
The fact that the Shield Equalizer uses the same magazines as the Shield Plus is really quite brilliant. It means his CCW is the Shield plus and hers is the Equalizer so it will be easier overall to rack. A brilliant move by S&W as they don't have to engineer new mags for this gun...and a benefit for those who already have Shield plus magazines.
The magazines are indeed the Shield Plus magazines. This now means that there is a 15 round magazine for the Shield Plus. The optic cut is interesting too. It appears that the mounting lugs are milled to work with Holosun 507k/407k optics with no need for a Shield RMSc to Holosun adapter plate.
Wise move with respect to using Shield Plus mags. I've always appreciated the Ruger P Series largely using the same magazine throughout the entire 9mm. series. It's a big factor in my I continued buying of those guns both in production and out. Smith recognized (I believe) that if you've got one of their new Shield Plus guns, the compatibility makes it that much more easy to decide to purchase one of these. I can tell you Ruger wouldn't be doing this. New gun release, new proprietary magazine. "Booooo."
That means it’s got the same optics mount as the shield plus, mine perfectly direct mounted a 407k, while allowing a lower 1/3 co-witness with the stock sights
@@calebnation6155 Maybe S&W has made a change in the Shield Plus optic cut but my optic ready Shield Plus was milled to the standard RMSc footprint with both front and rear mounting lugs. That required me to buy an adapter plate to allow a 507k to sit flat. From the photos I have seen, the optic cut on the Equalizer has only one set of mounting lugs and the S&W description refers to it as being a new style of optic cut which will allow mounting of a wide variety of optics. Looks to me like it was designed with the 507k/407k/EPS Carry in mind which will also work with the RMSc and other optics. Perhaps Hammer Striker can confirm that.
@@charlesj.6563 I picked up a 30sc shield plus about 3 weeks ago and it only had 2 very short front lugs which went perfectly with a direct mount for my 407k.
@@calebnation6155 Very nice! I wish that all manufacturers would use that optic cut. That sounds exactly like the picture of the new style optic cut on the Equalizer. Unfortunately, my 9mm optic ready 3.1” Shield Plus and my 4” PC Shield Plus with optic both have the original 4-lug RMSc cut which requires the adapter plate to mount a Holosun. With luck, maybe S&W will begin using the new optic cut on the 9mm Shield Plus pistols going forward.
That silver thing is the grip safety that locks the slide
I have it, and I'm extremely happy with it.
3 mags and a real loaded is nice. Thanks for the video.
I am looking forward to the shooting video that you will share. JM seemed to be impressed by the eqaulizer when I watched his vlog.
This might become part of your edc rotation. Nice presentation GB!
Thank you guys for your service, and this share!!
Very nice firearm, S&W always delivers!
Excellent review as always 😁. We're not big fans of Smith and Wesson. Definitely got our attention and might purchase this pistol.
Happy Thanksgiving too you and your family.
Hammer fired makes working the slide easier than a striker fired would. Details make this a grand EZ Shield upgrade model.
Just got my Equalizer. Cant wait to go to the shooting range.
Congrats! Let us know what you think after you've shot it.
@@GBGuns It went well. I never shot a firearm I need more and a lot of practice. I have medical issues.Need to practice a lot. Thank you again.
Thanks for the review and making me decide I don’t want one. I have a S&W EZ and, due to the grip safety, it is a pain for me to take down and reassemble. As this breaks down the same, I will pass.
GBG - thanks for the usual attention to detail. I am really looking forward to the shooting portion of this review. Your chuckle about what a Maglula Uplula being included might mean has me intrigued.
I think the Uplula is included means they don’t want people complaining about the double stack mags being harder to load than the original EZ mags.
The Shield Plus magazines this pistol is equipped with are very hard to load to capacity w/o using the Uplula especially when the magazines are new. If you do load them to full capacity, the magazines are difficult to fully insert into the pistol with the slide closed. The extended magazines seem to suffer from both of these problems more than the 10 round magazine. In my experience, it is best to load the extended magazines to one round less than full capacity. Whether this issue will be present in the Equalizer is unknown.
It is as you'll see in our range video
Just shot the first 50 rounds today and noticed the difficulty loading the last round or two in the in the largest mag. Haven't tried the 2 smaller mags yet. Got this for my wife because she had troubles racking the slide on most other guns. She is having trouble with the safety? Or something not allowing the gun to be fired on some trigger pulls. Tried it myself and had the same issue. Don't believe it's from no squeezing the backstrap safety as I had a firm grip. Jiggled the slide and it seemed to momentarily correct the problem. Curious as to what is wrong us or the gun.
I was very un happy about this gun, it was great at range except for, my hand has to be up into the beaver tail for the grip safety and the field strip really turned me off, but it took about 50 rounds to get use to the safety and as far as field strip, after first hour to try to get slide back on, I realized the Two flat ends on recoil spring, once lined up the slide slides right on. It's a great gun and reliable, fired over 500 rounds the first time and didn't have one problem once I got use to the grip safety
I found if the two flat sides on the recoil spring, it hangs up on field strip. If it is lined up perfectly, the equalizer goes back as easier than any other s&w. And someone asked about one of the little lever on frame is for. The clip is the grip safety
Just figured that out myself. There are two flattened sides on the rear of the spring/rod. They apparently need to be vertical, not horizontal for it to reassemble easly.
I think the EZ is a very worthwhile concept for some users, and this brings the capacity up to current standards for this size of gun.
Next, I'd like to see them upsize the CSX to a flush-fit 15 rd mag. Stir in something from Apex or Timney, and it'd be interesting.
Or the CSX with working magazines!
@@GBGuns Ha, well those are always essential.
I haven't followed the CSX story closely, but I did handle one the other day, and liked the ergos (it was a store which prohibits dry firing, though). Got me to musing about one with a 4" barrel, a bit longer grip, and RMSC cut..
from that performance , the word clumsy comes to mind
They should’ve name it EZ plus . So far i like that gun . Let see how it does on the shooting impression.
Funny that you say that, because thats what we called them while we we made the slides. Seems like equalizer is something sales came up with pretty recently
@Logan Rogers if you work for Smith & Wesson please contact us.
Equalizer is hammer fired.
Shield Plus is Striker fired
What helps me in disassembling the slide is after you lock it back, rotate the level and disengage the slide lock, let the spring push the slide back to its normal state and with the inertia continue to slide it forward almost as one motion.
I do not own a S&W but like what I am seeing from them. Maybe I will have to give them a better look.
Very interested in you and Teya's shooting reactions. My wife owns and loves her 380EZ for size to manageability ratio. She can handle other bigger handguns and recoil at the range but for carry and possible use in a stressful situation the 380ez is a good fit. We'd been hoping that they would make a double stack in the EZ380. But now we're curious if this might were work for.
With $50 rebate on all calibers of EZ and near identical design I would expect 380 and 30 SC versions will be released in less than 6 months. They may be staggering releases to get more press coverage or to reduce stock levels first with rebates.
Pretty sure Teya isn't his wife.
@@WaterZer0 my mistake
I'm glad they changed the name because the EZ wasn't really a shield, and it confused people.
Thank you for this instructional video.
Of course, most of that stiffness/tightness corrects itself once you've put a handful of mags through it. I recommend Sig V-Crowns for sure, and Underwood 147gr +P JHPs. They're hard-hitting and add nice weight overall to manage recoil even more, and the case is always preferable to brass, in my humble opinion.
Magazines are compatible with Shield Plus. Optic pattern is Holosun RMSC. Optic plate is not needed and the sights should co-witness with 507K.
Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the content; very useful for me as a newbie. I am curious about magazine safeties; could you maybe do a video update on pros/cons your take on this subject?
I wish S&W made it easier to change sights. The frustration of changing sights is why I HATE buying another S&W. Glocks are so much easier. I wish S&W could be more like that.
Haha,have you ever tried on a Shield? Talk about a nightmare
@@GBGuns I think someone may be posing as you and offering prizes.
Are we just going to ignore that awesome slide on that 365xl? What company makes that slide and where can I get one?
See pur Sig playlistor article about it on GBGUNSDEPOT.COM
Thank you for the review. Looking forward to the range trip. Happy post Veterans Day.
Great in-depth analysis of the equalizer good job
The silver thing raises when the grip safety is squeezed and releases the firing pin block
I hated this table reviews but gotta admit Gb does such a pro job that I find myself draw to them. 👍
Thank you, as with all of our videos we try to keep it limited to just what people should know about a firearm.
@@GBGuns I think is part of my learning process …
In another video, the slide when taking it down sticks because of the grip safety. THat little lever in the back on the left side goes up when the safety is depressed. So you must avoid pushing that grip safety in order to take the slide off. Was definitely something I'd have run into .
Yes, the manual includes notes on that.
I can tell your EDC isn't an EZ. So when you were taking the slide off you were having issues taking it off. That little silver piece next to the ejector in the rear is the firing pin safety release. When you depress the grip safety that safety travels upward and depresses a spring on the slide releasing the safety. As for removing the slide; what I do on my 380 EZ is I lock back the slide, rotate the take down lever in the front, then I release the slide from being locked forward while holding onto it, you can have the grip safety depressed it doesn't matter then I push the rear of the slide with the thumb of the hand on the grip and the slide moves forward. I can do this blindfolded if I had to. Maybe this is different on the Equalizer, but I'm not sure what is different other than a double stack in it.
I'd like to see extended magazines offered for the single stack from Smith & Wesson. The big differences between them are the loss of the tactile round in the chamber indicator lost for the optics area, and the double stack grip modification.
I bought one today for $525. plus $10.00 background check. Check done in 35 minutes. Can't wait to shoot it but first I watched most of this video.
We have a range video too with a dozen or so loads tested
I remember a couple of other UA-camrs saying this is same/similar cut to the Shield sights. Also these mags aren't new. They simply used the Shield plus 9mm magazines so they are compatible.
I thought the Shield Plus used the "stack and a half" design. These have a steep taper to single feed at the top.
@@GBGuns I was just looking at Sootch's video and he confirmed it there. They are compatible. 🙂
@@barcelona2170 interesting, hewould know, I think he was part of the launch. We had no more information than the press release
@@GBGuns Image search shows same design for Shield Plus mags which mags sense since it is an updated Shield that was single stack like EZ
@@GBGuns Gotcha. I wish they (companies) would simply throw it out there instead of just sending to influencers and their website. Most people I know search for reviews on UA-cam, talk at our local shop, or shop at online retailers. Anyways. Thanks for your great content!
I would really like to see that new gun.
That piece was the grip safety bar.
Great Review as always Graham Baates !
Is this pistol single action only?
Good Video sir. I was actually watching because our new equalizer has the same issue with the slide lock. We also have a very tough to operate thumb safety. We brought back to gunsmith. They might polish the parts or send back to smith. I went to a big box gun store and tried another new equalizer and had no issues with the slide lock or safety. I hope it's just a break in issue.
It's been a while since I've handled this gun, but I believe that during our Shooting Impressions video it broke in some. In the future my advice is to always send a gun back to the manufacturer while under warranty. That lets them know there's a potential problem, and once you have a gunsmith touch it most companies consider the warranty voided.
I agree about the gunsmith. I brought back to store where I purchased. They will look at it and send to manufacturer for me if needed.
Got my equalizer it's a Great Weapon....!
Ergonomically, I still don’t see anyone beating Walter. I feel grip and ability to point and align sights are the most import sequence you have to be concerned with.
Denzel Washington would like this for the next sequel of..... You know the Movie!
I would love to see what Denzel's character would do in a sequel to Training Day!
This is the first S&W polymer gun I've been interested in. The Shield plus looked good but I would like some type of usable safety. I think I would be happy with even just the grip safety on this.
One reviewer claimed Equilizer uses the same mags as the Shield Plus. Compatibility is great but I read some complaints about lack of availability of mags.
Excellent review 👍🏻💯
Thank you
Someone may be posing as this guy in the comments section. Offering you a prize.
Someone's been spamming using our logo too.
If Smith makes a version without the grip safety I'm in.
I'm new to the gun scene. Why is grip safety a con???
Those with poor grip management may fail to defeat it. No one really complained about them until the isocoles shooting style became popular.
@@anthonyperez1698 Just personal preference. I have no trouble using one, I just don't care for them on polymer pistols. On a model 1911, that's a different story.
None of my guns have safeties.
But I never understood the extreme hate that safeties and grip safeties get. Especially manual safeties. Don't use it? Don't activate it.
Also, I think if my carry has a manual safety, it would feel a lot more comfortable too.
Activate the safety, holster the gun, and finally take it off safety.
Maintenance? Activate safety, take out the gun, unload, and do your maintenance.
Defense? Pull out your gun and go to town.
I think grip safeties started to get their hate when Iso shooting became hip; suddenly the folks who like to pretend they're wearing armor realized how little support they're giving the back of the gun and concluded it was the gun's fault.
I might pick this up for my aunt, to replace her Glock 43, depending on some reviews.
I'll call it the Tactical Toblerone.
The silver piece has to do with the grip safety, you can see it move once you engage it.
those guide rails are kinda small. dunno if that matters.
Does anyone know when the 15 round magazines will be available to purchase? I can’t find them anywhere yet.
I know it's been a month, but I just received a few from Palmetto State Armory. $34.99 each.
So it's a Shield 9 EZ that takes Shield Plus mags and has different slide serrations, but no other ergonomic improvements. Boy, S&W really putting in the bare minimum, huh?
This is for those who want more capacity than the EZ series but mostly everything else. Its their best selling series, why would they go changing things?
The gun is a great little gun and mine fires every time I pull the trigger. That said, it’s a real pain to take apart and put back together. I hope I don’t have to clean it often because I really like the gun!
Shield plus 9 center🎉🎉🎉🎉
The magazines aren’t new. They are in fact Shield plus mags. They are compatible.
The pinned breechblock is a great concept if true for being used with other calibers.
It being internally hammerfired, probably means that the FCU can be entirely removed, but i cannot make out a serial number any where in this video...
I clowned this gun at first. Its quickly become a big interest with the optics cut, 1913 rail, and aforementioned possibilities.
Will the sights co-witness?
So we can consider this a higher capacity 9mm EZ that has an optics cut?
Yes. The iron sights are different also. Just before the release of this new version S&W started a $50 rebate promotion to move EZ's of all three calipers. It should not be long before they release the Equalizer in 380 and 30 SC to replace the EZ in these calibers too.
Yes but I think with a draw back. They removed the three finger grip frame for a two finger grip frame. I think that was a mistake.
@@raykettel1837 The EZ series is their best selling series, and by a mile. They arent getting rid of it.
@@michaelbell75 The EZ will only continue to sell well as long as it priced much less than the Equalizer because the Equalizer is the EZ with greater capacity and optics mount. The only disadvantage of the Equalizer is it no longer has a very simple and easy loading magazine. A Maglulu helps but new gun owners still need help in learning how to use a loader.
I like how we keep slowly moving back toward Glock 19 sized guns for carry lol. This does seem like a cool gun though.
I'd like to think that shooters are starting to realize that 4" is what most ammo needs from a barrel, and that gripping a pistol with your entire hand afford better control and a better shooting experience.
@@GBGuns I had to buy Pearce mag grip extensions for my EZ mags so that I could get my pinky finger fully on it. Getting all fingers on the grip really helps me even with less recoil of 380. I see that you could not get all your fingers fully onto the the 10-round mag of the Equalizer/Shield Plus magazine either. I see the Pearce also mags a pinky extension for this magazine. It may be a good option for those with larger hands who do not have a problem printing more with extra length.
Great review as always, what firearm do you and Tia carry as your EDC would like to know because I'm not sure if both of you ever mentioned that in your videos
I've got a video on mine (Grand Power K100D of Sig P365XL), Teya carries a S&W Shield or Walther PDP-F
Really Informative video, we just purchased one of these for the wife and I must say that I was a little hesitant to do the first take down because of all the cautions concerning NOT Touching the
D>
Mmm. I kinda like it, but not so much. I'll wait for your shooting impressions report.
Does the version with the manual safety act as a double safety? Meaning if you have the manual safety on and you grip the gun and press the grip safety will it not fire.
I don’t know, I’ve watched 8 or 9 people review this gun and it just looks cheap, particularly the trigger. I don’t like plastic guns (at least there’s a hammer), and I still think Sig makes a superior micro pistol. Is a Sig more expensive? Yes. That doesn’t bother me. In any event, thanks for sharing, but I’m carrying a Sig P229 Legion that I’m very happy with.
I really like the look, size and capacity of the gun. I think the name is dumb.
The difficulty removing the slide does seem to be a bit of a problem. Maybe it loosens up with use.
Very odd that they would use a pinned breech block. I assume to reduce cost but these aren't any cheaper than a Shield plus.
Yes, or maybe to permit the same slide to be used for other calibers (on the production side, not consumer side)?
@@GBGuns yeah that would make sense too. I suppose these are targeted at new gun owners and they would never know the difference and S&W can save on production cost.
Does it have a breach block?? Like the old p226’s??
I'm sure about the time you read this you have already found out that an optics cover is not needed to add an optic site.
Same difference as the other Smith & Wessons
I mean like it's the same thing but it's different
I agree they could have pushed it further, likely a cost-saving method covered as "preserving the brand"
When taking this gun apart pay attention how the guide rod is sitting before u remove it
Where is your Manuel safety? I have one on mine
They are available with or without a manual safety.
Barrel length was twice misstated; it is 6.75 inches, not 6.0 inches. Given the Equalizer’s likely completion with the Sig P365XL and the Springfield Hellcat Pro (both of which have 3.7 inch barrels), I suggest this is not an inconsequential error.
I said "3.6". Yes it is longer than that and closer in length to the 3.7 of the 365XL as demonstrated in the video
I was thinking it looked like the SD9VE and Shield 9 EZ had a love child. LOL I think the grip safety sticks out a bit further than the original 9 EZ. That is the main reason I disliked the Performance Center 9 EZ, the grip safety didn’t go in far enough for my liking.
Kitty :))
I love the grip safety on my xd-s mod 2. Don’t care much for the design of S&W grip safety.
Price?
Not for sale
No reviewers have explained WHY the EZ/Equalizer easy to rack. What are the physics and mechanical reasons? Is it just weaker recoil springs and more slide mass? This review doesn't explain it either.
Because it doesn't seem magically easier to rack. I don't propagate anything I can't back. The EZ line in 380 was easy to rack because it was a locked breech .380 so of course the spring was weaker.
@@GBGuns "It is quite easy to rack for a 9mm." 6:48
@drmitofit2673 yes, but not magically light like the 380 EZ.
Damn. 1 short of 666th like. I know, i know. We all hate it when ppl do the whole 'number like comment.' I couldn't help it. COOL VIDEO!! I'd love to get one, unfortunately Oregon is now one of the lamest places to live in the world now. Thanks alot measure 114.🖕🖕🖕🖕
As of right now (4:41pm 13NOV22) Measure 114 isn't passed yet!
@@GBGuns Lol. Very true. Forgive my pessimistic assumptions.
Why didn’t you buy the model with the manual thumb safety???
Because it already has a grip safety
@@GBGuns what if a child picks it up and fires it in his grip though?
That's not a concern for us.
@@videogazer801 Probably shouldn’t leave a handgun where a child can pick it up and play with it.
Never understand why someone would want a thumb safety on a striker fired or DAO hammer fired handgun? If you want to knock off a safety before firing get a single action or DA/SA handgun, at least you’d get an excellent trigger pull.
Nothing field strips like a Bersa...
I can't find this gun no where
Check our link in the pinned comment. We found it a few places below MSRP
Stop comparing it to the "Sig 365" that you're showing. That's not a real Sig. It's a Wilson Combat 365. It's Wilson Combat's variation of the Sig Sauer 365.
You are very confused sir, there's not a single Wilson product in this video.
I’m not very impressed, it looks very cheap and with a big equalizer name on it on one side it looks very cheesy and then you got a the warning stuff engraved in the steel slide on the other side, which is also destroying the looks of the gun only so they feel like they’re safe from lawsuits, the gun belongs to us we don’t want that shit written all over our gun.
Aesthetically it looks like dogshit. I like the idea of upgrading the EZ to accept more common and larger capacity magazines.
My comment would be that the viewer has no reference points. If you had a “better than” or “worse than” or “equal to” your subject do you have a favourite gun/S. Example, feels better in my hand than a Canik but not as good as a Grand power, It would give the viewer reference points. Or, this one works well for Erica but doesn’t work for me with my oversized bear paws.
And then we'd just be another basic channel spouting opinions that may or may not apply to the viewer.
@@GBGuns Thanks for the insightful vids so far. However Mr Baates, I doubt you would be just another channel. There’s a difference between being opinionated and being sophisticated.
S&w has to be paying for their reviews. That thing is complete trash!
What's wrong with it ?
You must be assuming that anyone cares what you think...............................elsullo
Did you miss the intro or just not watch the video?
Well you cared enough to reply.. And let’s not forget, this is the comment section where people… take a guess… what do people do here? They comment!!! Lol..
Where should I start? The looks.. the name.. the overall execution. Just one mans opinion. We all have them.
How much is that 🔫
It's not for sale
Glock hater alert
Why do you hate Glock?
@@GBGuns not me you! I’ve got a 45/9mm
@@johnsonwilliam1023 ah, you should be more clear in your comments. We have four Glocks, a Glock 19 was my first real carry gun, I used it and then a 34 in competition and have taken both of those models through four-day courses.
This gun is hideous looking , every time see it I think it looks like something kel tec makes
I’m a smith fan but I don’t see nothing special about this gun, it’s uglier then home made sin