The Family Tree
I don’t know about you, but I often get confused by all the offerings of some gun companies. Especially with bigger companies like Smith & Wesson, it’s sometimes hard to understand where new offerings fit into their lineup.
That’s why today, I’m going to talk about how the Equalizer fits into the Smith & Wesson family.
In broad terms, the Equalizer is a cross between the Smith & Wesson EZ line and the Shield line. Overall, it’s a micro-compact, polymer-framed 9mm, but it takes the easy-rack slide, internal hammer, and grip safety of the EZ series and combines it with the double-stack capacity and smaller profile of the Shield series.
Now let’s dive into these the details of each of these pedigrees.
Related: Opening Shots – Smith & Wesson Equalizer
EZ Slide
The most significant trait the Equalizer inherits from the EZ series is the light-racking slide. This is a boon to anyone who has hand issues or just finds it difficult to pull back slides on average semi-autos.
Now I must warn you, the Equalizer’s easy-rack slide is similar to the EZ series feature, but it’s not exactly the same. I would say there is less spring press than your average pistol, but it’s not as light as in the EZ series, especially the 380 EZ pistols.
In my review of the EZ 380, I had my mother-in-law test out the features. Long story short, while she could still do it, she thought the Equalizer slide was a little more difficult to rack than the EZ 380.
Internal Hammer
The next EZ series feature the Equalizer steals is the internal hammer. The internal hammer is partly the reason why the Equalizer has an easy-rack slide. The internal hammer also produces a light trigger pull when used in conjunction with the reduced-power recoil spring of the easy-rack slide.
I would say the trigger pull was very similar to the EZ and, if anything, a bit better. The Equalizer trigger broke at just under 5 pounds. There is a short take-up, only a little creep after the wall, and then a snapping break. There is no overtravel because of a physical stop. The reset is medium in terms of distance, feel, and sound. All-in-all, not a competition trigger, but a very shootable CCW trigger.
Grip Safety
The model I tested didn’t have a manual safety, but it is an option. They all have a grip safety, though. This is always a controversial feature. I like grip safeties – they work for my hands, and they make the gun drop safe without the use of a two-part trigger.
I don’t like two-part triggers. I can feel them when I pull the trigger. But I know there are people who can feel a grip safety and don’t care about a two-part trigger, so it’s gambler’s choice.
Now, on to the Shield characteristics.
Capacity
In my opinion, there were two big downsides to the EZ line. One was the capacity. The Equalizer solves that by giving it the Shield’s double-stack magazines. The gun comes with three magazines: a flush-fit 10-rounder, an extended 13-rounder, and an extra-extended 15-rounder. All these magazines are compatible with Shield pistols.
This gives you the option of going super-low profile with the flush-fit mag or getting more pinky real-estate with more firepower.
S&W was able to accomplish this higher capacity while maintaining the slim profile of the EZ series. The slide is only slightly over an inch thick. This is still a thin gun, even though it’s a double stack – not as thin as the EZ line but thinner than the Shields.
Size
The Equalizer has a 3.675-inch barrel and grip that accommodates four fingers for the average male shooter. This is smaller than anything on the EZ line but not as small as the most compact Shield.
It also comes in at 22.9 ounces, which is also right in between the weights of the two lines.
Now, a few more upgrades that are in none of the other lines.
Optics-Ready
Earlier I mentioned that there were two things I didn’t like about the EZ series. First was the capacity. The second thing was the inability to mount red dot optics. Older eyes benefit greatly from red dots. Believe me, I know. As you can see, I mounted a Holosun EPS.
None of the EZ guns have this option, and only some of the Shields have an optics cut. All the Equalizer variants come optics-ready with an RMSc, also known as a Holosun ‘K’ footprint. This has basically become the de facto standard for subcompact guns.
Forward Slide Serrations
Of the two other lines, only the Equalizer has forward slide serrations. This is a welcome feature, since I almost exclusively use the front of the gun to do slide manipulations.
However, if you like to use the rear cuts, you will be happy to know there are also a pair of raised “ears” at the back of the gun that give you even better purchase.
Pros & Cons
The only negatives I can say about the gun are that the controls are not ambidextrous. Only the steel magazine release can be switched to the other side. All other controls are for right-handed shooters.
It also loses one of the nicest features on the EZ line for shooters with weaker hands: the magazines do not have a finger tab to make loading easier. If you need an easy-rack slide, then you probably also have difficulty loading magazines.
Smith made up for this by including a Maglula UpLula magazine speedloader. This does make loading easier, but you must make sure you bring it with you whenever you load mags. My mother-in-law and I don’t find the UpLula as simple to use as the magazine tabs.
Pros:
- Easy-rack slide
- Low recoil
- Micro-compact size
- Capacity – mag options for up to 15 rounds
- Optics-ready
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Forward slide serrations
Cons:
- Controls aren't ambidextrous – only the mag release is reversible
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No finger tab on the magazines
Shooting Observations
I very much enjoyed the Equalizer. Another benefit of the easy-rack slide is a lower recoil impulse. For a small, lightweight gun, it shoots well. Follow-up shots are easy.
Smith classifies the trigger as a single action, and I must agree that the pulling characteristics are different from a striker-fired gun. I would describe the average striker-fired trigger pull as a “chunk,” compared to a “snap” on this and other hammer-fired triggers.
I’m also a big fan of the 1911-style, 18-degree grip angle. It points naturally for me.
In addition, Smith & Wesson simplified the takedown on the Equalizer so it’s a breeze. Just remember not to hold down the grip safety while trying to disassemble.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Equalizer is a welcome addition to the Smith & Wesson family. It fills a nice gap in their products for someone who wants a higher capacity EZ. If this is you, I recommend you check out the Equalizer.
