The Smith and Wesson Shield EZ was designed for people who struggle to rack the slide of a semi automatic pistol. Being a compact sized pistol and not a subcompact, they have less felt recoil. The single stack polymer frame helps cut down on overall weight of the pistol without sacrificing reliability. Being the Performance Center model, this Shield EZ has the following upgrades, skeletonized flat face trigger, fiber optic & tritium night sights, slide cuts and a ported barrel. This would be a great pistol for self defense or carry, that is still fun to shoot at the range.