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- Treat every gun as loaded
- Point the muzzle in a safe direction
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot
- Know your target and what’s beyond
Table of Contents
How we tested: Every pick here is ranked against our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun.
Review: S&W Equalizer – The Easiest 15-Round Micro to Rack and Shoot
Our Rating: 8.5/10
- RRP: $599 (Equalizer TS), $649 (Performance Center Carry Comp)
- Street Price: $459.99 (Use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Action: Internal hammer fired, single action trigger
- Barrel Length: 3.675 in., stainless steel
- Overall Length: 6.75 in.
- Height: 4.5 in.
- Width: 1.04 in.
- Weight (unloaded): 22.9 oz.
- Capacity: 10, 13 and 15 round magazines (all three in the box)
- Frame Material: Polymer, with a Picatinny-style accessory rail
- Sights: White dot (night sights on the Carry Comp)
- Optics: Optic ready
- Safety: Grip safety plus thumb safety (TS) or grip safety only (NTS)
- Magazines: Takes M&P Shield Plus magazines, which S&W lists as compatible
Pros
- Easiest slide to rack in class
- Three magazines: 10, 13 and 15
- Takes cheap Shield Plus magazines
Cons
- Grip safety you must press fully
- White dot sights on base model
- Optic cut footprint not widely published
Quick Take
The S&W Equalizer takes the easy-to-rack slide from the Shield EZ and puts it on a 15 round micro-compact 9mm. Smith & Wesson builds it around an internal hammer, a single action trigger and a grip safety, and it ships with 10, 13 and 15 round magazines and an optic cut. The list price is $599. Brownells had it at $459.99 when I checked, and most other trusted sellers sit at $499.99 to $509.99.
Five hundred rounds later it was the softest-shooting micro nine I’ve had on the bench, and the slide really is easy. Two shooters on my range day who can’t comfortably rack a P365 ran it without help. The catch is the grip safety. Hold the gun high and loose and it won’t fire, which is the point, but it takes a deliberate, firm grip every time.
The buying detail most reviews miss: the Equalizer takes M&P Shield Plus magazines. Smith & Wesson lists the 10, 13 and 15 round Shield Plus magazines as compatible accessories at $41 each, so spares are cheap and easy to find.
Best For: Anyone who struggles to rack a slide, new carriers, and anyone who wants 15 rounds in a gun that shoots soft. Not for shooters who dislike grip safeties.
Why Smith & Wesson Built the Equalizer This Way
The Shield EZ proved there was a big market for a pistol anyone can rack: new shooters, older shooters and people with weak hands. Its weakness was capacity, eight rounds of 9mm. The Equalizer is Smith & Wesson’s fix. It keeps the easy-to-rack slide and internal hammer and adds a double-stack magazine, an optic cut and a rail.
S&W calls it “next-gen EZ technology” with a low recoil impulse, a single action trigger with a short take-up, clean break and fast reset, and a 3.675 inch barrel for a longer sight radius than most micro nines. It’s 1.04 inches wide and 22.9 ounces, so it carries like a Shield Plus and shoots like something bigger.
The grip safety stays. That’s deliberate: with an internal hammer and a short single action trigger, the grip safety is the extra layer that keeps the gun from firing unless you’re holding it properly.
The Variants and the Real Prices
There are three ways to buy into this family, and the price gaps are bigger than the differences between the guns.
TS or NTS: the TS has a thumb safety and the NTS doesn’t. Both keep the grip safety, and retailers charge the same for both. Sportsman’s Warehouse had the NTS at $469.99 and the TS at $509.99 when I checked, so shop the safety you want, not the price.
Carry Comp: the Performance Center Carry Comp adds night sights, a tuned PC trigger and a ported barrel and slide, at a $649 list price. Brownells had it at $599 and Palmetto State Armory at $599.99.
CSX E-Series: Smith & Wesson’s other micro-compact is a different gun, not an Equalizer variant. The CSX E-Series has an aluminum frame, a single action trigger with a thumb safety and no grip safety, and 12, 15 and 17 round magazines, in 3.1 and 3.6 inch versions. It lists at $699 and sells for about $599. If you want 17 rounds and a metal frame, that’s the one. If you want the easiest rack and the softest recoil, it’s the Equalizer.
Who Should NOT Buy This Gun
- Shooters who hate grip safeties: The Equalizer will not fire unless the grip safety is fully pressed. The Canik TP9 Elite SC has no grip safety.
- Anyone who wants maximum capacity: Fifteen rounds is the most it takes. The S&W CSX E-Series takes 17.
- Buyers who want night sights on the base gun: The standard Equalizer has white dots. The Sig P365 XL ships with night sights.
- Carriers who want the widest holster and parts support: The Equalizer is newer and holster choice is thinner. The Glock 43X has the most.
How the Equalizer Compares
S&W M&P9 Shield Plus ($369-$486.99)
The Shield Plus is the gun the Equalizer borrows its magazines from: a 3.1 inch barrel and 13+1, striker fired, for less money. It’s the better pure carry gun. The Equalizer is the better gun to shoot and the much easier one to rack, and it takes the Shield Plus magazines Smith & Wesson lists as compatible.
Sig Sauer P365 XL ($599.97-$649.99)
The P365 XL has a 3.7 inch barrel, 12+1 capacity, night sights and the biggest aftermarket in carry pistols, for about $140 more than the Equalizer’s lowest price. It’s the stronger all-rounder. But its slide is stiffer to rack, and if that’s the reason you’re shopping, the Equalizer wins outright.
Canik TP9 Elite SC ($399.99-$413.99)
Our Canik TP9 Elite SC review put it at 6.7 inches long, 1.45 inches wide and 24.8 ounces, with 12 and 15 round magazines and a holster in the box for $399.99. It’s cheaper and has the better trigger. The Equalizer is noticeably thinner at 1.04 inches and much easier to rack.
Glock 43X ($448-$569.99)
The 43X is thin, simple and backed by the deepest holster and parts market there is. Standard capacity is 10+1 and the slide is a normal Glock slide to rack. For about the same money the Equalizer gives you five more rounds and a far easier rack. See our Glock 43X review.
Verdict: The Equalizer isn’t the thinnest or the cheapest gun here, but it’s the easiest to rack and shoot, and that’s exactly who it’s for.
How We Tested It
Phase 1: Break-In and Trigger
I ran the first 100 rounds of Blazer Brass 124 gr FMJ through it at an outdoor range on a cool, dry afternoon, about 55 degrees, after a wipe-down and a drop of oil on the slide rails. No stoppages. The trigger has a short take-up, a clean wall and a short reset, and it broke at an average of 5 lb 2 oz on my gauge over ten pulls. Racking the slide took noticeably less effort than the P365 XL I had on the same bench.
Phase 2: Reliability
Over three sessions I fired 500 rounds: 200 Blazer Brass 124 gr FMJ, 150 Federal American Eagle 115 gr FMJ, 50 Federal HST 124 gr JHP, 50 Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr FTX and 50 Speer Gold Dot 124 gr +P. I rotated all three factory magazines and added one S&W Shield Plus 15 round magazine, which ran perfectly.
Total stoppages: one stovepipe at round 288, during a strong-hand-only drill with a deliberately weak grip. That’s a limp-wrist malfunction, not a gun fault. Nothing with hollow points, nothing with +P.
Phase 3: Accuracy
From a rest at 15 yards, five shot groups ran 2.0 inches with Gold Dot, 2.1 with Federal HST, 2.3 with Critical Defense and 2.6 with Blazer. Offhand at 7 yards I kept everything inside 1.75 inches. The white dot sights are clear in daylight and hard to see indoors with the lights low.
Ammunition Log
- Blazer Brass 124 gr FMJ: 200 rounds
- American Eagle 115 gr FMJ: 150 rounds
- Federal HST 124 gr JHP: 50 rounds
- Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr FTX: 50 rounds
- Speer Gold Dot 124 gr GDHP +P: 50 rounds
- Total: 500 rounds, 1 shooter-induced stoppage
Tracking and Observations
After 500 rounds the slide showed light holster wear at the muzzle and the barrel hood had normal carbon. The frame rails and the grip safety moved freely with no grit. I cleaned it once, at round 250.
What This Means for You
- Upgrade Impact: A red dot and night sights are the upgrades that matter. Or buy the Carry Comp, which has night sights.
- Reliability: No break-in needed. Grip it firmly and it runs.
- Ammo Preference: Best groups with Speer Gold Dot and Federal HST.
- Maintenance: Clean every 300 to 500 rounds and oil the slide rails.
- Accuracy Expectation: About 2 to 2.5 inches at 15 yards from a rest.
Performance Results
Reliability (9/10)
One stoppage in 500 rounds, and it was my grip. Hollow points, +P and a Shield Plus magazine all ran clean.
Accuracy (8/10)
Two to two and a half inches at 15 yards is good for a micro-compact, and the 3.675 inch barrel helps. The single action trigger is clean enough that most of the group size is the sights and me.
Ergonomics and Recoil (9/10)
This is where it earns its keep. The slide racks easily, recoil is soft for a 23 ounce 9mm, and the 15 round magazine gives a full grip. The one learning curve is the grip safety, which needs a firm, high hold.
Fit, Finish, and Quality Control (8/10)
Clean, tight and plain. The slide-to-frame fit is good, the markings are crisp, and the controls have no slop.
The Carry Comp and CSX E-Series cards above cover the rest of the family. Prices for the base gun are in the card at the top of the review.
Technical Deep Dive
Internal Hammer and Easy Rack
The Equalizer is internal hammer fired, like the Shield EZ. The trigger only releases a hammer the slide has already cocked, so it is single action with a short pull. Smith & Wesson credits its EZ design for the easy rack, and in hand the difference against a striker-fired micro is obvious.
Grip Safety and Thumb Safety
Every Equalizer has a grip safety. The TS model adds a thumb safety and the NTS doesn’t. With an internal hammer and a light single action trigger, the grip safety is the main reason you can carry it without a thumb safety at all.
Magazines
Three magazines come in the box: 10, 13 and 15 rounds. Smith & Wesson lists the M&P Shield Plus 10, 13 and 15 round magazines as compatible accessories at $41 each.
| Component | Specification | Benefit |
| Action | Internal hammer, single action trigger | Short, clean pull and an easy slide to rack |
| Barrel | 3.675 in. stainless steel | Longer sight radius than most micro nines |
| Capacity | 10, 13 and 15 rounds | Concealment or capacity from one gun |
| Safeties | Grip safety; thumb safety on TS | Will not fire without a proper grip |
| Size | 6.75 x 4.5 x 1.04 in., 22.9 oz. | Shield Plus width with a longer barrel |
Upgrades Worth Making
| Upgrade Category | Recommended Component | Why It Matters | Cost Estimate |
| Spare magazines | M&P Shield Plus 13 or 15 round | Compatible, cheap and everywhere | $41 each |
| Ported barrel | S&W Shield EZ and Equalizer ported barrel | Less muzzle flip | $139 |
| Carry Comp slide kit | S&W Equalizer Black Carry Comp slide kit | Ported slide and barrel without buying a new gun | $379 |
Prices are Smith & Wesson’s own list prices. For a dot and a holster, see our best red dots for concealed carry and best concealed carry holsters.
Common Problems and Fixes
- Gun won’t fire: Almost always the grip safety. Grip higher and firmer so your palm fully presses it.
- Stovepipes with a weak grip: Like any light-recoil gun, it needs a firm wrist. Ours only did it on a deliberate weak-grip drill.
- White dots fade indoors: Add night sights or a red dot, or buy the Carry Comp, which has night sights.
- Wrong spare magazines: Stick to Equalizer magazines or the M&P Shield Plus magazines Smith & Wesson lists as compatible.
Final Verdict
The S&W Equalizer is the micro-compact for people who have struggled with micro-compacts. The slide racks easily, recoil is soft, three magazines come in the box, and it takes cheap Shield Plus spares. Ours ran 500 rounds with the only stoppage down to my grip, and it shot 2 inch groups at 15 yards.
The grip safety asks for a firm hold, the base sights are white dots, and the CSX E-Series and P365 XL both do more for more money. But if racking a slide is the problem, or you just want the easiest-shooting 15 round micro nine, this is the one to buy, and Brownells had it at $459.99. For more options, see our best 9mm concealed carry guns. And if you came here for the movie, our guns of The Equalizer covers every weapon in the film.
Final Score: 8.5/10. The easiest 15 round micro nine to rack and shoot, as long as you grip it like you mean it.
Specs from Smith & Wesson. Prices from our live price check across 200+ retailers on October 25, 2026.
FAQ: S&W Equalizer
Is the S&W Equalizer easy to rack?
Yes. It uses the easy-to-rack design from the Shield EZ with an internal hammer, and it is one of the easiest micro-compact 9mm slides to rack.
What magazines does the S&W Equalizer use?
It ships with 10, 13 and 15 round magazines, and Smith & Wesson lists the M&P Shield Plus 10, 13 and 15 round magazines as compatible, at $41 each.
Does the S&W Equalizer have a grip safety?
Yes. Every Equalizer has a grip safety. The TS model adds a thumb safety and the NTS model does not.
Is the S&W Equalizer hammer fired or striker fired?
It is internal hammer fired with a single action trigger, like the Shield EZ.
S&W Equalizer vs CSX E-Series: which should I buy?
The Equalizer is polymer, easier to rack and holds 15. The CSX E-Series has an aluminum frame, a thumb safety and no grip safety, and holds 17. The Equalizer costs about $140 less on the street.
Is the S&W Equalizer optic ready?
Yes. The slide has an optic cut, and the frame has a Picatinny-style rail for a light or laser.
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