I Don’t Know Why…. Comparison of three S&Ws
By MARJ LAW
Last Wednesday, Joe and I brought three handguns to the range, and they are all Smith & Wessons. They are the S&W M&P 380 Shield EZ, the S&W Shield EZ 30 Super Carry and the S&W 9mm Equalizer.
“Okay, Joe. I’ve been shooting the .380 and the 9mm S&Ws for a while. Don’t they have the same diameter casing? Why do they call one a .380 and the other a 9mm?”
“The 9 mm is a metric measurement used in Europe. The .380 is an Imperial measurement. That’s what Americans use. We measure in inches and pounds. So, the .380 is the diameter of the casing in America. That’s why we call it a .380.
“However, just to confuse the issue, the 9mm was first made in Europe. They decided to name the round after the size of the bullet: not the size of the casing. So, the 9mm is named for the bullet (in Europe), and the .380 is named for the casing (in America). The 2 rounds have casings that are the same width, but the 9mm casing is longer.”
“Why don’t we both call our rounds by the same thing: either by casing or by bullet?”
“Different strokes for different folks,” he replies. “That’s the way it’s done. Like Dr. Seuss says: “Not one of them is like another. Don’t ask us why, go ask your mother!”
“Besides, Marj,” he continues, “it’s more important for newbies to know to 1) purchase the correct ammunition for their gun, and 2) choose the grain weight for the bullet. Grain weight refers to the mass of the bullet. More grains = a heavier bullet.”
“Why don’t you buy a 9mm round for your 9mm gun and a .380 round for your .380? Why bother knowing this grain stuff?”
“You have a choice of the weight of the bullet. The most common weights for the .380 bullets are usually 95 and 100 grains.
“The most common weights for the 9mm Luger or Parabellum bullets are 115, 124 and 147. The heavier bullets require more powder in the casing. That’s why the casing of the 9mm is visually longer than the casing of the .380.”
“I’m starting to get this. What about the S&W Shield EZ 30 Super Carry? How many grains in its bullet?”
“The Super Carry’s bullets are 100 or 115 grains. The Super Carry, then, has more powder in its casing than the .380.
In addition, an advantage of the Super Carry is that it can hold up to 20% more rounds in its magazine than in the 9mm’s handguns. This is because the Super Carry round is more narrow in diameter. A lot of people want more rounds in their magazines. Notice that your .380 holds 8 rounds and the Super Carry holds 10 rounds.”
“What’s the difference in shooting them?”
“That’s what we’re here at the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range for,” he replies. “First, you’ll want to write down the comparative sizes in length, width, overall length, barrel length and weight of the guns.”
I look up information on the internet.
The .380 and the Super Carry have very similar dimensions. Both have a 3.68 inch barrel. Both are 1.04 inches wide, and both are 5.05 inches high. The Super is a bit longer overall at 6.8 inches, while the .380 is 6.7 inches long. A major difference is in the weight. The Super is heavier at 23.6 ounces and the .380 is 18.3 ounces. They look about the same. Will they shoot the same?
The Equalizer is my favorite handgun and it sports a green “red dot.” The green dot is really crisp, and I like it a lot better than lining up the two rear white dot sights and the one white front sight of the .380 and the Super.
Dimensions of the 9mm Equalizer are somewhat similar to the .380 and Super. It is also 1.04 inches wide, has a barrel of 3.675 inches, and an overall length of 6.75 inches. At 4.5 inches high, it is somewhat shorter in height than the other handguns. That’s because it has a double stacked magazine.
It is close to the weight of the Super at 22.9 ounces.
So, two friends agree to shoot the three guns. The four of us shoot three rounds from each gun.
Although only 7 rounds hit the Super, they are all in the range of the bullseye. The Equalizer has five rounds hit within the bullseye. Dang. Really, I thought that the red dot would have made a hands-down winner of the Equalizer, but not so.
People usually ask me about recoil. We rate the guns on a 1-5 scale with 1 as easiest or best, and 5 is hardest or worst. Surprisingly, we rated the .380 as having the most kick. I wouldn’t have guessed that. The Equalizer had the next highest recoil, and the Super had the lightest recoil. Huh.
All these 3 S&W handguns rated a very easy trigger pull, a short trigger travel, an easy slide to rack, and comfortable grips. (We were two large-handed men and two small-handed women.)
In conclusion? That S&W 30 Super Carry is such a great gun to shoot. I truly expected the 9mm Equalizer to rate the highest accuracy because of its red dot sight, but that didn’t happen. Joe and I were surprised by the Super’s accuracy, balance and overall shootability. We purchased it together recently, so that means we own it together, right?
Too bad he doesn’t have the combination to my little safe.
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Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.
