If you’ve been shooting for a number of years (or if you’re someone who was late coming to the party, getting into shooting when you were no longer quite so young, we’ll say), then you know that as folks get older, there tend to be some differences in what they are looking for in a firearm.
Of course, some folks decide to go a bit more “traditional,” if you will, as they get older and decide to focus more on shotguns for home defense and hunting. Still others decide to change up the calibers that they prefer to shoot because they find that the felt recoil bothers them more the older that they get.
A common complaint among older shooters (and some younger ones with less grip strength) is that with many pistols it is too hard to rack the slide. For some folks, this is caused by muscle loss, but for many folks with this challenge, arthritis in their hands is the culprit, preventing them from being able to get a good grip on the slide to rack it.
One writer, though, says that there is one pistol in particular that is the best pistol for those with arthritis. Jack Billings writes,
If you suffer from arthritis or other issues that impact your hand strength, you don’t have to sacrifice self-defense. Smith & Wesson’s Shield EZ is designed for people who need a little extra help.
The EZ series builds on the original Shield line-up, which is already a solid performer. (I carried a Shield for years!)
Smith & Wesson takes it a step further, though, with an easy-to-rack slide. Like seriously easy to use. It also comes with load-assist magazines, making this a super user-friendly firearm.
If you’ve ever struggled to rack a gun, grab an EZ and see just how easy Smith makes it. My mom suffers with arthritis and nerve damage to her right hand, making traditional pistols extremely difficult to manipulate. I had her test the EZ Shield and she was able to easily rack the slide.
There are a lot of choices, and we like when a company brings some options to its lineup — not to mention there’s even a .380 ACP version!
I agree with Billings on this. I have a good friend who struggles with arthritis in his hands (from years of playing guitar) that swears by his Shield EZ. This pistol has allowed him to carry again because he is able to do what he needs to do with it.
And if you want a detailed look at this pistol, see the video below.
So, if you or someone that you love deals with arthritis in their hands, it may be worth considering a Smith & Wesson Shield EZ for their next pistol purchase. It may be just what they’re looking for.
