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. This model has three dot white sights, two 8 round magazines and no thumb safety. This would be a great pistol for self defense or carry, that is still fun to shoot at the range.