EAA Witness

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DawgsFan_07

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So I'm thinking about adding a gun to collection, shot a CZ P-06 at the range and really liked it.

Did some reading and have pretty much decided to get an EAA. I don't like spending 2x on a gun just for the big name. I'd rather get more guns/ammo :D

I was thinking about getting a witness in 10mm or .40 SW, leaning towards 10mm, seems like a hell of a round.

Couple questions I was hoping y'all could help me with:

What's the recoil like from a compact? (For the 10mm, I have SW MP 40C and the recoil isn't bad at all.) I recall firing 357 magnum from a lightweight snubnose revolver and don't much care for recoil that intense.

Polymer vs. Steel? I like the look of the steel, the rail on the polymer is a plus, and I've heard that polymer 'soaks up recoil.' Anybody's who's got experience with both I'd welcome their comments.
 
First, Google "EAA" and "Customer service". Then see if you want anything to do with EAA.
 
All of my Witnesses are steel. The ergonomics are really good with the Witness line of handguns, and that is what helps to alleviate most of the recoil sensation.

I've got Witnesses in the following calibers:

.22 LR
9x19
9x21
9x23
9x25 Dillon
357 Sig
.38 Super
.40 S&W
10mm
.41 AE
.45 acp

I have Compacts in .38 Super and 10mm. The recoil is more pronounced with the 10mm Compact compared to the full size 10mm, but it's not unmanageable at all. The guns are solid and well built.

The only polymer handguns I own are Springfield XD's, and I have 6 of those in 9x19, 357 Sig and .45 acp.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
The CZ P-06 and P-01 are brilliant guns ... I have one of each. I also have a EAA Elite Match in 45, a Witness compact steel in 10mm, and a Poly Witness in 9mm. While the EAA's are good values, they're NOT equal to the CZ's. They may be loose copies of the CZ design, but they're not clones. The main thing is they just can't duplicate how perfectly the CZ's fit in your hand.

The EAA's are good values, I have no problem recommending one. But don't buy one thinking you're getting a CZ for 40% less.
 
Reloader Fred and I seem to be the Witness guys here. I have two frames, both originally 10mm, and I have a 9X25 barrel fit to the Match Frame/Slide.

Both of my guns are full size or bigger (Elite Match is 1/4" longer). Both of my guns have the old style 'square' slide.

There have been reports of cracking issues with the new 'rounded' slides in 10mm. The recent comments have painted a different picture of EAA customer service (1 week turn arounds), although a forum member with an early cracked slide had nightmare (saturno_v I think?).

Not sure what I can really advise you, since I don't have a compact, or a poly. I have been very happy with my two guns, and will offer a qualified endorsement of the Tanfoglio products.
 
I've owned two early (steel) Witnesses--a full size .45ACP, an 'intermediate' .40S&W with a compensator, and a new (01-08) 10mm Elite Match.

All of them have had no issues. The Elite Match also has a .22LR conversion kit for it, and that too has been fine (given, I haven't sorted out its preferred ammo yet). The link below is a comparison to the 10mm. mini-review, c/w comparison to a Kimber 10mm, that I did shortly after getting them both.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=331213

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another (steel) one--but I generally no longer buy plastic guns, and my compact / carry guns are a Kel-Tec P3At and various S&W j frame revolvers.

In sum, then, I would give a "buy" recommendation.

Added on edit: There are 'rounded slides' and then there are the newer rounded slides, IIRC. IOW, the latest version are beefier. (This was discussed somewhere, c/w pictures showing the difference--but I don't have a link.
 
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I wouldn't buy a new 10mm with the re-designed slide.
Probably plenty of older ones out there for sale.

The .40s might hold up under fire, you never know.
 
After doing some more reading about EAA I've decided not to get one. Also looking at some stuff for the 10mm, I have some doubts about it's practicality. I'd have to do some shooting with one first. Maybe later.
 
I have the Tanfoglio pistols in 10mm (.40 Barrel also), 9mm, and .45. Mine are the older models, full size all steel with the wonder finish. I have numerous other pistols in the same calibers (Except 10mm), including Sigs, Glocks, 1911s and CZs (9mm & .40). I find the Tanfoglio pistols a hell of a deal for the money. I'm considering making the .40 Tanfoglio my Limited 10 major pistol. Guess you could say I'm fond of mine. Speaking from experience: you can spend more and get less gun.
str1
 
The Witness 10mm Compact is quite pleasant to shoot and accurate. But I've had lot of issues with the mags, especially when using hotter loads. Mine was the "new" rounded profile slide which cracked in the first couple hundred rounds. EAA replaced the slide with the older square profile and its been fine for the 500+ rounds I've run through it. Use the search, I posted a thread with all the gory details when in happened.

Seems to be most reliable with the 200gr CCI Blazer or my reloads that are at about equal levels. The mags can't hold the rounds in place with hotter loads (Double Tap) so a nose up jam becomes common in the last third of the magazine. I tried stronger magazine springs and recoil springs, helped, but not a 100% cure.

Ejects the brass with such vigor its tough to find for reloading.

Buy the 10mm and then buy a 40 S&W barrel for it
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Definitely get the Elite Match over the Standard, as they are way better than the ~$150 extra might indicate.

I can't use my 10mm mags with the .40S&W as the short rounds bounce around too much causing feed failures. EAA is now supplying .40S&W magazines with a spacer in front to keep the shorter (9mm & .40S&W) rounds back where they belong. Only rarely have trouble with the 9mm rounds in the .38Super mags though.

--wally.
 
EAA witness Elite Match in 10mm, 40S&W, 9X19mm etc at gun show (Dallas, TX) and R&R Arms when available for $492.
Don't bother with the EAA Witness Steel models which have been redesigned. Some of the quality control on the EAA witness Elite Match has been a little iffy. But it is still a great value for a gun from the custom side of the house.
 
I had a witness match in 9x19 and i had a love/hate relationship with it. it was unrealistically accurate and felt great, little recoil(again 9mm) but it jammed when in every IPSC match i used it in, generally multiple times, now i hear they fixxed that problem with the new mags. oh yea EAA has awful customer service
 
I dont know if this means anything to you or not, but I will lay it out there. An uncle of mine bought a witness P in .40 about a year ago. He went shooting with me a few times and when i policed brass he didnt want his, so I kept it. Just the other day I was going through some stuff and I found the brass of his I picked up. It had glock like guppies and also in the middle of the round, smack in the middle of the case was a bulge going all the way around the round. It seems the chamber is swelled bigger in the middle than at the ends and has horrible support. I am sure it was his brass as it was the only .40 in my stuff, I dont own one. For all the complaining i have heard about glock chambers, this was way worse.
 
If it was in fact brass from your uncle's pistol, then he needs to send it back to EAA for warranty work and never mention the word "reloads" when he talks to them.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
If it was in fact brass from your uncle's pistol, then he needs to send it back to EAA for warranty work and never mention the word "reloads" when he talks to them.

Hope this helps.

Fred
Click to expand...

It is definately his brass, I dont own a .40 and never picked up any besides his. His gun has also never saw a reload. Thats why I picked up his brass, he doesnt do it. The brass was two different brands one was remington RNFP FMJ and the other was WWB FMJ.
 
Certainly not a common thing with Tanfoglio pistols! The chambers are close to minimum tolerances on the 4 I own. Either send it back to EAA for replacement, OR------spend about a $100 bucks and get a great barrel from Reed's.
http://shop.reedsammo.com/main.sc;jsessionid=E04F7CA874FB7A74D8E32D538DF20D44.qscstrfrnt02

Good luck,
str1
Edit: Just checked the site and didn't see barrels. Contact them with your specific needs, they still may have them. Good people to deal with.
 
Then he definately needs to contact EAA and have it repaired. Barrels are easy to take care of.

And like shooter1, I've never seen a bad chamber in a Witness barrel, and I've got about 15 of them in various calibers.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
The 40 cal will expand around the rear third of the case and it ain't just the witness that does it glock and most all will . There is even a die made that will let you load your brass and push it all the way thru and out the top to get the case straight again. Most cases will bulge some out of semi autos.,hold any two two gether and see. It just happens than 40 in general do it more. Atleast with a witness you have fully suported cases unlike glock. The fact that the ammo was a reload to begin with means that the bulge was never taken out to begin with and was not truly straight when loaded. Do some research on some reloader forums and you will find it is common. Or go to brian enos forums and do a search.
 
The 40 cal will expand around the rear third of the case and it ain't just the witness that does it glock and most all will . There is even a die made that will let you load your brass and push it all the way thru and out the top to get the case straight again. Most cases will bulge some out of semi autos.,hold any two two gether and see. It just happens than 40 in general do it more. Atleast with a witness you have fully suported cases unlike glock. The fact that the ammo was a reload to begin with means that the bulge was never taken out to begin with and was not truly straight when loaded. Do some research on some reloader forums and you will find it is common. Or go to brian enos forums and do a search.
Click to expand...

I know all about the brass bulging in .40s. I reload myself and read plenty. Please read my posts again though as you will notice that I said these were FACTORY rounds NOT RELOADS. I have seen glocked .40 cal many times that wasnt bulged in the middle of the case like this. Sorry, but this isnt normal. Its a moot point as when I talked to him this morning about it he told me he sold the pistol to a friend.
 
Go to the witbess forum and ask there were guys that shoot these things for a live'n hang. It is under Brain Enos...maku mozo!-EAA-Tanfoglio There have been treads there about it. My 40s&w witness does it and a buddies springfeild ,, can't remember the name ,the gun made in croatia. It does it to. Like i said dillion makes a push through die for that.
 
Ejects the brass with such vigor its tough to find for reloading.
Click to expand...
Easily fixable. Just cut the ejector down. CZforum.com has a sticky in the clones section about that.
Click to expand...

I did it, helps, they land only 10 ft away now instead of 30, but that still puts them in the jungle where I generally shoot.

--wally.
 
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