With the upcoming Christmas season, it’s to be expected to see new firearms models from manufacturers coming out. After all, how else are you going to put the latest and greatest under the tree?

It may be that Christmas sales push which prompted Smith & Wesson to release a new micro compact model of pistol. Then, again, the company has had discounts available on some models recently, including the EZ, which is marketed for those with less grip strength for racking the slide (my wife is interested and I know an older male with arthritis who swears by his for that reason). And the new model does have some similarities to the EZ. What does that mean for that model?

To reach an answer for that question, though, you’ll need to know some of the details of the new model. Adam Borisenko writes,

While there’s no shortage of 9mm micro-compact pistols on the market, companies are still trying to innovate on the concept to create the perfect carry gun. The latest attempt is from Smith & Wesson in the form of the EQUALIZER pistol, an optics-ready micro-compact with a maximum capacity of 15+1 in 9mm.

An evolution of the company’s line of EZ pistols, the EQUALIZER utilizes much of the same technology to help make a more user-friendly concealed carry gun. This means that the slide is easy to rack, the recoil impulse has been dampened and the single-action trigger features a short take-up and a fast reset. Each EQUALIZER pistol comes with white dot sights as standard, but the slides are optics-ready too.

So, an easier to rack slide like an EZ but with a higher capacity more like a Shield Plus (nearly twice the capacity of the EZ). Also, being optics ready could make it more appealing to those of us who are getting older with eyesight which isn’t quite as good as it used to be as red dots become more and more common.

You may also notice in the picture above that the Equalizer has a grip safety like the EZ (but unlike the Shield Plus).

I can’t say for sure if Smith & Wesson is planning to retire the EZ, but with the similarities, it seems to be a definite possibility.

And if you’re in the market for an easy to rack slide carry pistol, the Smith & Wesson Equalizer may be one to consider.