Anyone here loading for the S & W Shield 380EZ?

[bedbugbilly]

Please excuse the posting of this in this section but I have read posts on this forum before about .380 with cast and various questions in regards to the variety of pistols and their "quirks". If the mods need to move it, please do so but I got no responses in the handgun section.

I have one of the new S & W Shield 380 EZ on hold at the LGS and will pick it up in a week or so when I'm down that way. It's been a while since I loaded any 380 ACP and wondered if anyone is loading cast for theirs and what their experiences have been?

I have mixed head stamp brass 1 X fired - not having time to cast for it I bought 1K of the hi tech coated 95 gr RN from one of our vendors on this site. Sized to .356".

I have been using Red Dot for many of my cartridges - 9mm, 38s, 45 Colt and several rifle cartridges and have a 8lb jug ov it so want to use that in the EZ as well.

I guess I'm looking for any advice or issues anyone has run in to on the EZ, if any. From what I'm reading, they pretty much eat anythning - just like my 9mm Shield.

My main questions probably revolves around the light recoil spring and the ease of racking the EZ. On my 9mm Shield, i had to up my charge by .2 grains over the load I was using in my Ruger SR9 due to the stiffer recoil spring of the Shield in order to get it to cycle good.

I'm not looking at using max nor even near max loads in the EZ - it is strictly going to be a "Plinker" and "Fun Gun" - not a "carry".

An old Lyman manual (I think #44) shows a starting load of 2.6 gr of RD and a maximum load of 3.0 grains of RD under a 92 grain cast RN. Overall length of .984"

I've read where many are using 2.7 gr of Red Dot under a 95 grain boolit with good luck in a number of different 380s. But, I'll still load up ten or so with different grain weights of powder to see which will function the best and give the best accuracy to of the pistol.

If anyone is loading for the EZ - any issues with OAL and feeding or which works better for you - a RN or something else? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. I had a Bersa CC at one time and it could be finicky with boolits - I was using pretty much the same boolit that I had cast our of the Lyman 358-242 mold in the lighter weight mold - 92 grainish. I had to shorten the OAL to get it to feed right.

Just wondering what any of you have found with the Shield 380 EZ as far as any quirks, etc. Or maybe, since it is fairly new on the market, not that many are reloading cast for it?

Thanks.

[The Dar]

Great gun, I recently bought one for the wife. I'm using the Lee TL356-95-RF which I powder coat and size to 0.356". The gun is new so I started my load light with 231. She's limp wristing and having ejection problems with the light load. I have a Bersa 380 and a Ruger LCP in 380 which have no problems with lighter loads. We tried two different factory loads in the Shield Sunday morning and had no problems with feeding or ejecting. I can tell you that the recoil was non existent with factory loads.

I am going to go to a slower powder and a stronger load to overcome the ejection issues. I wish I had more information for you, but I've only had the gun out to the range twice. I'll post further results as they come.

Have fun and be safe.

[pjames32]

Following! I just picked up a set of dies for .380 to load for an LCP. I have a 95gr TC cast bullet sized to .356 that I've load with 4.1gr AA#5. I'm shorter than recommended to get them to function/feed in the loading room and hope to go to the range in the next day or so. This is a lite load from the Accurate book.

[Milltown353]

How do you compare the .380 Shield EZ to the .380 Bodyguard? My wife carries one, but I'm not a huge fan especially after having to send it back for a broken firing pin.

[bedbugbilly]

Milltown - I am still waiting to pick up my 380 EZ Shield as I ordered another handgun and will pick up both when that one comes in. But . . . from what I'm seeing on threads . . . .

The .380 EZ Shield seems to function very well and eats just about anything. It is larger than the Bodyguard for sure - in fact, a bit longer than the 9mm Shield from the comparisons I've seen on the videos I've watched.

I'm not getting mine for a "carry" gun - it will be a "plinker" and "fun gun". Unlike the other Shields, the EZ is a "hammer fired" not a "striker fired" handgun. It is available with or without the thumb safety, buyer's option - but it does have a grip safety. Some like it, some don't . . . but again, it's not a biggie for me due to the purpose I'm buying the pistol for. I'm set up to reload .380 and it will be a fairly cheap gun to shoot as I cast - to get started though, I purchased 1K of hi-tek coated boolits as I've been too busy to cast any.

In regards to the Bodyguard - I considered one quite a while ago and took a pass. I have a friend from Lodge, he's about 84 or so and he has one. I've watched him shoot it and for him, it's a struggle to rack the small pistol, etc. I'm older so I can relate to arthritis in the hands, etc. and how it can affect things like that. I'm hoping that once I get the 380 EZ Shield, and he sees how easy it is to rack, load the magazines, etc. - he'll want one as I think it would be a lot more fun for him for range shooting - plus it' bigger in size.

I guess it's like anything else in life - some like the 380 EZ and some don't. I have been wanting a larger size .380 for a fun gun for a long time - I had a Bersa Thunder CC quite a while ago and I sold it as I had purchased it used and the previous owner had "tuned it up" - to the point of it being unsafe - so I took it back to the LGS where I purchased it, explained what it was doing and they took it back with no questions asked. I considered the Walther .380 thats about the same size as the 380 Shield but I don't like the "European safety" - i.e. down is on and up is off. Yea . . . a lot of folks don't like safeties and again that's fine, but I do on a pistol that's going to be a "fun gun" and where others may want to shoot it as well.

Mine will receive a steady diet of lead boolits so that's what prompted my original post.

I'm not badmouthing the 380 Bodyguard - it just seems like everyone I've know who has one has had issues at some point or another with them. I thought about getting one at one point for a "sometime carry" but I just wasn't confident that it would function well from what I was seeing in others who had them. So, I went a different route. I'm basically a "revolver guy" but I do have a 9mm Shield that I really like for conceal carry when I'm not carrying my Smith 36 J frame.

When you can, take a look at the 380 EZ Shield - it might not be a "carry piece" in your eyes but you and your wife may find it a fun gun for plinking and range shooting. Being fairly new on the market, I don't think that a lot of cast boolit shooting has been done with them or at least written about. A lot of what I've seen is how S & W has made this pistol for the "ladies" who need an easy racking, easy magazine loading and dependable pistol. It may not be nacho enough for some, but for me, I think it's going to be what I have been looking for in regards to just a fun plinker that's big enough to hang on to and an easy carry for woods walking, etc.

I'm hoping that I can pick mine up next week as the LGS has it on hold for me - I'm waiting for a Uberti to come in and will pick them both up at the same time. As I play with the EZ, I'll make a post in the pistol section.