The EZ in the name means easy. The Smith & Wesson M&P380 Shield EZ M2.0 is built to be easy to rack, easy to load and easy to shoot, and it is chambered in .380 ACP with a thumb safety and a black Armornite finish.

The slide is designed for hands that struggle with a stiff spring, and the magazine is easy to load by hand. That makes it a favorite for older shooters, people with arthritis and anyone who finds smaller pistols hard to run. The .380 ACP is a mild cartridge with little recoil, which adds to the comfortable feel. Test your chosen ammunition before you trust it in the field or for carry, and stick with what runs well.

Armornite is a corrosion-resistant finish that holds up to sweat and humid weather, which is a plus in a North Carolina summer. The manual thumb safety gives some owners extra peace of mind. Others will skip it, and that is fine.

Practice with the safety until it is natural. It ships to a North Carolina FFL dealer, where you complete the background check at pickup.