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S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ
The Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ handgun was first introduced at the 2018 SHOT Show, and was marketed as a home defense/personal protection pistol designed with an “easy-to-rack slide”, “easy-to-load magazines”, and an “easy-to-clean-design”. If you caught the extended use of the word “easy”, then you got the message.
Click here to see all the S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ holster options that we carry
Normally, when you see another variant of the M&P Shield family of handguns enter the market, you kind of expect to see either it being chambered in a new or different caliber (such as a Shield chambered in .357 Sig), or it having a major new feature. In the case of the 380 Shield EZ, S&W went a completely different direction. They took the basic M&P Shield design, and did the following:
- Made the frame slightly longer and wider than the traditional Shield frame
- Went down in caliber, from the 9mm to the .380
- Redesigned the slide and recoil springs to make the slide much easier to rack, while reducing the recoil as much as possible
- Introduced a grip safety (which is not present on any of the prior Shield designs), along with the traditional and optional thumb safety design on the Shield
At face value, these changes seem a bit odd, until you see the market that S&W is catering to with the M&P 380 Shield EZ. This pistol is specifically designed for the following shooters:
- New shooters who struggle with recoil from calibers of 9mm and up
- Female shooters who lack the hand strength to comfortably operate the slide on a larger semi-auto handgun
- Older shooters with weaker hands or grip strength issues
- Shooters with physical impairments that interfere with their ability to manipulate the slide on a “standard” semi-auto handgun
So, the end result is a mid-sized pistol chambered in .380 with a number of safety features and built with an easy (EZ) slide system. Although the 380 Shield EZ looks like a striker fired gun (like the standard M&P Shield), S&W developed it as a hammer fired model, which is one of the reasons that the slide is easier to rack.
Range reports on the 380 Shield EZ have been excellent with shooters and reviewers saying that it easy very easy to rack the slide and operate, and the recoil is minimal.
The one “knock” on the 380 Shield EZ is being chambered in .380, which some consider too weak to be a valid self defense caliber. While the .380 is a step down from the 9mm, it’s still has enough power to be an effective self defense caliber, especially if loaded with high quality self defense rounds. I certainly wouldn’t want to take a hit from a .380.
So here are some of the more common questions that we’ve seen regarding S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ holster models:
I’m trying to find a holster for a 380 Shield EZ but am running into issues. Do you offer anything to fit this pistol?
Yes, we do. Any holster model listed below is available as a 380 Shield EZ holster.
My 380 Shield EZ is the model with the optional safety. I can’t seem to tell if you offer any holsters to fit the 380 Shield EZ pistols with the safety?
We also carry holster models made specific for the M&P Shield EZ with the optional thumb safety. Any holster model listed below would also be available for that specific model, but you would need to ensure that you selected the “S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ with Thumb Safety” option from the Weapons drop-down menu.
I’m trying to find a S&W 380 Shield EZ pocket holster? Do you have one, or know where I might be able to find one?
While we do offer a pocket holster for the M&P 380 Shield EZ, we sure it’s really a great option, and let us explain why. The 380 EZ is larger than the standard M&P Shield models and measures 6.7 inches tip to tip. That’s a large pistol to try to get into a pocket. We aren’t saying that it can’t be done, but none of our staff would be able to get a 380 Shield EZ into a front pocket on jeans or khaki’s much less draw the pistol from the pocket. It might be an optional for cargo style pants with very large pockets or maybe would fit into a pocket on overalls. But, for more common pants styles, it’s just too large to comfortably fit into a pocket. Your own mileage may vary.
I’m an older guy who absolutely loves the Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ pistol, and I’m carrying it with a Streamlight TLR-7 light mounted on it. Do you have an IWB holster that can fit that set-up?
Yes, we do. Any holster listed below is available in a version to fit the S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ pistol with a Streamlight TLR-7 mounted to it. We an also support the 380 EZ model with a number of other popular lights or lasers mounted as well. Those lights would include the more popular Surefire and Streamlight models. As far as laser options for the 380 Shield EZ, we can support holsters for the 380 Shield EZ with a Crimson Trace LG-459 and LG-459G model laser attached.
Will the new S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ in .380 fit into a holster made for the M&P Shield in 9mm?
Unfortunately, it will not as the frame on the 380 Shield EZ is longer and wider than the frame on the standard M&P Shield in 9/40 or even the larger model in .45 ACP. If you want a holster that fits well, then you’ll most likely want to locate one that is made specifically for the M&P 380 Shield EZ. If you're looking for a holster to fit the S&W M&P Shield series, then go here: S&W M&P Shield Holsters.
I bought a S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ that came equipped with a green factory laser. Do you offer a holster to fit this pistol with the laser mounted?
It sounds as though you purchased the S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ with a factory installed Crimson Trace LG-459G green laser, which is S&W sku number 12611. To answer your question, we do offer holsters to fit that specific model with the green laser mounted. Any gun holster model shown below is available in configuration to fit your M&P 380 Shield EZ with the green Crimson Trace laser mounted. To order one, you’d need to either do the one of the following:
(1) Under the “Weapons” drop-down menu for the specific holster model you wanted, select the “S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ with Crimson Trace LG-459G Laser”.
(2) Or, under the “Weapons” menu for the specific holster model you wanted, select the “S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ”, and then, under the “Lights & Lasers” drop-down menu, select the “Crimson Trace LG-459G” option.
If you have trouble with this, or need any help, feel free to either give us a call (919-388-1991, email us, or engage in an on-site chat.
I’m looking for a Level 2 retention holster for my M&P 380 Shield EZ. Do you have anything that might work?
So, for starters, it’s very important to clarify what you mean by Level 2 retention? Normal retention levels are normally considered the following:
(1) Level 1 – A holster with a Level 1 retention means that it has one active retention device on it. Those active retention devices are usually in the form of either a thumb break (retention strap) or internal lock.
(2) Level 2 – Level 2 holsters are typically more for law enforcement officers as they feature two active retention devices. Those are typically a combination of a thumb break or hood combined with an internal lock within the holster.
(3) Level 3 - Level 3 holsters are also typically law enforcement-based holsters that are built or manufactured with 3 active retention devices. Those 3 devices are usually a thumb break or thumb hood coupled with two internal style locks.
As there really aren’t many true Level 2 holsters for CCW, so when you say you want a Level 2 retention, we are assuming that you actually mean a Level 1 model. Any holster listed below is available in a configuration for the M&P 380 Shield EZ and can include an optional thumb break added the holster.
I’ve ordered one if the new S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ M2.0 models with a thumb safety, but I’m having real issues trying to find a holster for it. Do you have anything that would fit?
Yes, we do and you can see those models here.
I’m kind of confused here. You say the holsters listed on this mage are made for the M&P 380 Shield EZ, but, when I look at the holsters below, none of those models appear to be made for the Shield EZ pistol? Can you explain why?
So, the images of the holsters shown below are just example models of various pistols and revolvers so you can get an idea of what the holster looks like. It’s nearly impossible to show an exact picture of each holster model made for a specific gun model. That being said, any holster listed below is available in a version to fit the S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ.