S&W Performance Center Equalizer Carry Comp

The Performance Center Equalizer Carry Comp is the easiest-shooting compensated 9mm carry pistol on the market. Smith & Wesson combined the Equalizer's EZ-rack slide system, which cuts racking force by roughly 35 percent, with a 3.675-inch ported barrel and a PowerPort slide cut that vents gas upward. The result is a carry pistol that recoil-sensitive shooters can actually run, with the flatter shooting impulse the comp delivers.

The Equalizer platform is an internal-hammer design rather than striker-fired, so the slide is lighter to rack than typical striker guns. Pair that with the comp and the gun shoots like a 22 trainer for new carriers or shooters with reduced grip strength. The optic-ready slide accepts Shield RMSc-footprint micro dots directly, and the three included magazines (10, 13, and 15 rounds) cover everything from flush-fit concealment to extended range work.

At $599 street ($649 MSRP), the Equalizer Carry Comp sits between the base Equalizer and the SIG P365 X-Macro Comp. It is the only factory-comped 9mm with an easy-rack slide, which makes it the obvious recommendation for new carriers, older shooters, and anyone with grip or wrist injuries who still wants the recoil reduction a comp provides.