Don't Sleep on the S&W Equalizer

[DuncanLempRIP]

Holy cow is this gun easy to shoot. It's ugly and marketed to old folks and women, but I don't give a crap. Gonna start carrying this bad boy. I shoot twice as well with it as I do with any other handgun I own (including my PPQ). Compact enough to be concealable and shoots 9mm.

 

[mostly22lately]

It certainly does check a lot of boxes.

 

[Button Pusher]

You won't be disappointed.

 

[cubrock]

You won't be disappointed.
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Fantastic show.

 

[Timfoilhat]

Clicked to see if this was like the don't sleep on your P320 which is an entirely different story.
Good to hear the S&W is working well.

 

[Stogies]

Holy cow is this gun easy to shoot. It's ugly and marketed to old folks and women, but I don't give a crap. Gonna start carrying this bad boy. I shoot twice as well with it as I do with any other handgun I own (including my PPQ). Compact enough to be concealable and shoots 9mm.

What's the claim to fame on that one again?

 

[Geezer]

It looks like an XD and a Dagger had a child.

 

[DuncanLempRIP]

It looks like an XD and a Dagger had a child.

In other words, sexy.

 

[MacEntyre]

Ugly to me... wouldn't sleep on it!

 

[mostly22lately]

In other words, sexy.

The Mrs has the EZ, which I view as the precursor. That one looks like a Shield 2.0 but it really isn't.

The Equalizer does have a ... visual presence that is going to evoke comment, certainly.
But the OP has definitely keyed on the 'shootability' aspect and until you try one, don't knock it for the looks.
I don't have one because I have too many redundant-role pistols already.

If we are talking about new-ish S&W carry options in general, the CSX is also a sleeper.

 

[DuncanLempRIP]

I'm thinking part of why I like this gun so much is that it's hammer-fired. The only other handgun I have that's hammer-fired (rather than striker-fired) is my LCP II.

The CSX does look like it could be good.

 

[wrhinnc]

An underappreciated bonus is the EQ comes with 10, 13 and 15 round mags. I carry concealed with the 10, then switch to the 15 for home defense.

 

[S&Wtinkerer]

I'm thinking part of why I like this gun so much is that it's hammer-fired. The only other handgun I have that's hammer-fired (rather than striker-fired) is my LCP II.

The CSX does look like it could be good.

I have owned and carried the CSX. Great little package and it has 12 rounds of 9 on hand!

 

[georgel]

All this talk about how it looks and not one picture.

 

[Slimer]

I'm going to grab one in the inevitable S&W Rebate or Big Box Sale since I'm invested in the Shield+

 

[Stogies]

The grip angle just looks wrong to me, it may be perfect and maybe that's just me?

 

[wrhinnc]

The grip angle just looks wrong to me, it may be perfect and maybe that's just me?

The grip safety makes the grip angle look steeper. In my hand, it has the same natural aim point of my M&P9 Full Size and my Shield Plus. Bonus points for a really nice trigger.

Yeah, I'm a S&W guy.

 

[NCLivingBrit]

All this talk about how it looks and not one picture.


View attachment 770032

OK that's Kel Tec grade ugly.

But if it works it works I guess

 

[Radar]

Don’t like the grip safety personally. But then again perfection doesn’t need a grip safety.

 

[DuncanLempRIP]

The grip safety is the tradeoff for having a nice single-action trigger, as opposed to mushy striker-fired "perfection", as they say.

 

[georgel]

Can't really comment till I shoot one.

 

[DuncanLempRIP]

Can't really comment till I shoot one.

I really think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I certainly was.

 

[wrhinnc]

I really think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I certainly was.

I sure enjoyed firing mine earlier today.

 

[gc70]

The grip angle just looks wrong to me, it may be perfect and maybe that's just me?

The Equalizer has a slightly more upright front grip angle than the Shield Plus (#1) or M&P 2.0 Compact (#2), both of which are nearly identical.
I align the photos on the relief cuts behind the trigger guards because that is where guns actually align in the hand.

 

[DuncanLempRIP]

The Equalizer has a slightly more upright front grip angle than the Shield Plus (#1) or M&P 2.0 Compact (#2), both of which are nearly identical.
I align the photos on the relief cuts behind the trigger guards because that is where guns actually align in the hand.

View attachment 770762

Nice comparison. I've used handgunhero before but never taken advantage of the color selection option like that.

 

[gc70]

Every time I nearly convince myself to buy an Equalizer, I look at the comparison to my M&P2.0 Compact on HandgunHero and end up asking myself why?

 

[DuncanLempRIP]

Every time I nearly convince myself to buy an Equalizer, I look at the comparison to my M&P2.0 Compact on HandgunHero and end up asking myself why?

Well, the trigger on the Equalizer feels better than the trigger on my PPQ, which is supposed to have a better trigger than the M&P (which I have never actually shot). That would be one reason.

The Equalizer is also at the very edge of what I'm able to conceal effectively in a T-shirt. That little bit of extra grip length on the 2.0 would be a deal-killer for me for EDC.

Does anyone know of any full-size guns with a grip shape/angle similar to that of the Equalizer, besides the Sig P320 (which I don't want to purchase due to safety record)?

 

[gc70]

Well, the trigger on the Equalizer feels better than the trigger on my PPQ, which is supposed to have a better trigger than the M&P (which I have never actually shot). That would be one reason.

A dingus in the middle of the face of a trigger drives me to distraction, but I don't notice a hinged trigger versus a solid one.

Does anyone know of any full-size guns with a grip shape/angle similar to that of the Equalizer, besides the Sig P320 (which I don't want to purchase due to safety record)?

A Beretta 92X has a front and back grip profile very similar to the Equalizer. However, the sides of a 92X grip seem much rounder than the sides of the Equalizer.