Smith and Wesson Equalizer 9mm — More Than Just a Name

There is no shortage of small 9mm handguns on the market. This is a lucrative market, and Smith and Wesson has introduced a winner with many good features. The Equalizer is based on the Smith and Wesson EZ Rack handgun. I have commented favorably on the EZ Rack.

The equalizer was designed to offer shooters a pistol that is easily racked and made ready by virtue of intelligent recoil spring design. The Equalizer is a single-action, hammer-fired pistol with a slide that conceals the hammer.

A positive grip safety adds another measure of safety. While a version is available without a safety, I prefer the manual safety version. The Smith and Wesson EZ Rack is similar in layout to the timeless Colt 1903/1908 design. This handgun featured a hidden hammer, grip safety, and thumb safety. The Colt 1903 got into a lot of action. A good number are still on the front line almost 80 years after the last example left the factory.

Features

The Smith and Wesson EZ Rack is a modern, polymer-frame pistol made of durable material and designed for easy handling and reliability. The pistol is much more powerful than the .32 or .380 caliber Colts and offers good accuracy. Just the same, the similarity is striking. There is nothing else, besides these two really, that is laid out the same.

Smith and Wesson managed to upgrade the EZ Rack with a high-capacity magazine. The pistol builds on the EZ’s advantages. There really are few handguns of this size, with such good handling.

The Equalizer features good combat sights with a three-dot pattern. The pistol is optics-ready, an option I did not explore. Cocking serrations —front and rear — are deep and easily used. They offer good leverage. The safety lever on my pistol is ambidextrous and positive in operation.

The Equalizer is only an inch or so wide at the safety levers. The Equalizer is 6.75 inches long with a 3.675-inch barrel. The weight was exactly 23 ounces on the postal scale.

The slide is covered with an Armornite finish. The slide and barrel beneath this coating are stainless steel. As far as wear and corrosion, this isn’t a handgun you need to fret over much. The grip texture is well done, and the grip features an 18-degree angle that is ideal for fast, reactive shooting. The pistol may be loaded with the safety engaged.

Smith and Wesson managed to create a high-capacity pistol with a slim grip by designing a tapered magazine. This allows for good magazine capacity while the relatively thin upper body of the magazine allows a thin frame cross-section.

In a day when many handguns are supplied with a magazine or two, the Equalizer is delivered with three magazines. One is a flush-fit 10-round magazine. An extended 13-round magazine is supplied and a taller 15-round magazine.

The pistol is also supplied with the most rugged and capable magazine loader I have encountered. You will need the UpLULA, as it is difficult to load the last two rounds in either of the extended magazines.

The magazines are well made and feature strong springs. The single-action trigger is controllable. However, it is on the mushy side without a sharp reset.

At the Range

I fired the Equalizer with a selection of ammunition ranging in weight from 100­­–147 grains including FMJ practice loads, jacketed hollow point loads, and even 147-grain heavyweight hollow points. Most were Winchester FMJ loads with a magazine full of Winchester 115-grain Silvertip fired as well.

The Equalizer never failed to feed, chamber, fire, or eject. The Equalizer is fast on target from concealed carry. The pistol, like many modern Smith and Wesson handguns, features a good natural point. Get a good grip on the handgun during the draw, drive it toward the target, and you will get a hit.

During firing, the pistol proved controllable getting good hits at 7 yards. Recoil was more than some handguns. I think that this was due to the lighter recoil spring that allow easy racking. There is no free lunch, and this seems a fair trade-off.

The pistol isn’t uncomfortable to fire — at all. You must concentrate on controlling muzzle flip. Past 10 yards, concentrate on keeping a firm grip to control the pistol in rapid fire. At most common defensive engagement distances, the Equalizer is fast and effective.

As for absolute accuracy, firing from a solid, benchrest shooting position, I took every advantage. I fired several five-shot groups at 15 yards. The pistol cut a two-inch group, sometimes a little larger, but two inches on average, with most defense loads.

I also fired a few groups at a long 25 yards. Surprisingly enough, groups at 25 yards were practically as good as 15 yard groups. This pistol will shoot! The Smith and Wesson Equalizer offers an attractive platform for personal defense. Reliability was not a problem. With the new increased magazine capacity, the EZ Rack line has come a long way and makes for an even more effective handgun.

The Smith and Wesson Equalizer was designed to be easy to operate and effective at standard self-defense ranges and beyond. How does it stack up against your carry gun? Share your answer in the comment section.