First Look: Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ

Long on upgrades, Smith & Wesson introduces a gem with the Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ.

What Are The Pistol’s Improvements:

• Choice of black, silver and gold accents
• Ported barrel
• Flat-faced, skeletonized trigger
• Aftermarket sights
• Tuned action

Smith & Wesson, among others, has struck a chord with those who’ve previously found semi-automatic pistols somewhat inaccessible. Focusing on ways to make manipulating the gun easier, in particular the slide, the company M&P Shield EZ variants have opened the style of handgun to a greater swath of the shooting world. Now established, the 9mm model is getting some out and out upgrades.

Recently introduced, the Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ has the look and performance you expect out of a gun from the company’s custom shop. In addition to some eye-catching finishes, the pistol has a number of other notable improvements, including ported barrel, flat-faced skeletonized trigger, aftermarket sights and a tuned action. As to its looks, you can choose from black, silver and gold accents, which certainly give the guns a unique appearance. And really the extras available in the Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ won’t run you much more over the standard models, with an MSRP of $588.

What hasn’t changed is what makes the pistol easy to manipulate. Like its predecessor, much of the magic of the pistol is thanks to Smith & Wesson breaking from market logic. Opting for an internal hammer, as opposed to the dominant striker-fired, the company was able to incorporate lighter springs into the gun. This, in turn, means less resistance from the slide and less force required to manipulate it in an effective and efficient manner.

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Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ features easy to rack slide, easy to load magazine and custom upgrades

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Smith & Wesson Inc. today launched the new Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ, chambered in 9mm and featuring a variety of Performance Center upgrades. Building on the popular M&P9 Shield EZ pistol, the new Performance Center models share the same easy-to-use features found across the entire M&P Shield EZ series, and are further enhanced with premium Performance Center features. The Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ pistols are available with striking black, silver, and gold accents, and include a ported barrel, flat face trigger, tuned action, and more.

Tony Miele, Sr. Director, New Products and Performance Center, said, “Performance Center has the ability to design and manufacture specialty upgrades normally found in aftermarket work, straight from the factory. With the popularity of the M&P9 Shield EZ, we set out to develop Performance Center versions with porting, a tuned action, aftermarket sights, and more. These new pistols deliver easy-to-use features with the custom upgrades that our customers expect the Performance Center to deliver.”

Built for personal and home protection, the new Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ pistols are the latest addition to the M&P Shield EZ family and feature an 8+1 round capacity and a 3.8” barrel. The Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ pistol ships with two 8 round magazines that feature a load assist tab for quick, easy loading, as well as a picatinny-style equipment rail to accommodate accessories. The pistol also features an optimal M&P pistol 18-degree grip angle for a natural point of aim, HI-VIZ® Litewave H3™ sights, and a light, crisp trigger.

For more information on the Performance Center M&P9 Shield EZ, please visit smith-wesson.com.

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