The Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield EZ is a compact 9mm built for concealed carry by shooters with limited hand strength, and it has an MSRP of $539. An internal hammer drives a single-action trigger, and S&W builds both the slide and the magazines to be easy to work, with load assist tabs on the magazine followers to pull the spring down.

Two 8-round magazines ship with it. The rear sight is a white dot that adjusts for windage, a Picatinny-style rail under the dust cover takes a standard light, and the magazine release reverses for left-handed use. The safeties are a thumb lever and a grip safety. The pistol strips down without pulling the trigger. The slide has no optic cut, so a red dot means a machine shop or a different pistol.

If you're cross-shopping, the Smith & Wesson Equalizer has an MSRP of $599 and the same 3.68-inch barrel in a shorter 6.75-inch pistol at 22.9 oz, 0.91 oz lighter, and it holds 10 rounds and carries an optic cut. The Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield Plus has an MSRP of $499, matches that count on a shorter 3.1-inch barrel at 20.2 oz, 3.61 oz lighter, but it is striker fired, so the easy-racking slide goes away.