More pre-show research: EAA.

[Deus Machina]

Pistols and revolvers. They look nice online, but how's the quality for the money?

I'm aware that Witnesses are a sort of CZ clone. Are they a clone, and made with less expensive materials or processes, or are they made by CZ and rebranded?

Do CZ parts and mags work (and vice versa)?

And--this is a big selling point for the CZ's for me--will the Kadet kit work with them (and vice versa)?

The Zastava EZ--looks like a Sig clone, to me. Same general questions, swap out 'CZ'.

The revolvers--mostly the Windicator, but interested in the Bounty Hunter, too. How's the accuracy? The fit and finish? Can I pick one up and expect it to be just as good as the next (but still inspect, of course) or is it like the local crop of low-end Taurus revolvers, in that one will be smooth and tight, and you can see clearly through the cylinder/barrel gap on the next?

On both, what's EAA's reputation for reliability? Their warranty? How do they handle +P and such?

Gotta love having a place to ask these.

 

[wally]

I'd say the EAA are very good guns for the money with the Elite Match series providing the bang/buck.

EAA's warranty support is sub-par should you ever need it. They turned my pistol around quickly but I had to pay shipping to return it to them for an obvious factory defect (cracked slide).

I'd say if you want 9mm or .40S&W I'd go with the CZ, but if you want .45ACP the EAA Witness Elite Match 45 is the gun the CZ97 should have been. I you want 10mm or .38Super the Witness is your choice unless you'll like CZ's Dan Wesson line of 1911 clones (and can find one).

EAA sells a conversion kit for their guns in .22lr, as well as any other caliber -- .22lr, 9mm, .40S&W .38Super, .45ACP, & 10mm so you can buy one gun (frame) and get uppers in the five other calibers for ~$1600 if you go Witness "standard" model.

As to +P, EAA is looking for any excuse to void the warranty as far as I can tell.

--wally.

 

[sqlbullet]

Tanfoglio is a manufacturer, not a reseller of CZ guns under a different label. There are differences in the guns inside as well as dimensional differences outside.

EAA is the US importer of the Tanfoglio weapons. They have a poor reputation here and at other sites for customer service and warranty support.

I have two witness pistols. One is the regular wonder finish full-size, the other is the Elite Match. Both are 10mm. Both have been very good and fantastic guns respectively.

I owned a CZ-75B many years ago, and it was a fine weapon. I would give the quality of the weapons a tie, but CZ-USA has a better rep for support.

Clearly the EAA/Tanfoglio has the advantage in large (10mm, 45ACP, 38Super) weapons for which there is no CZ analogue. I have compared my guns to a friends CZ-97 and find the Witness superior (opinion, of course).

I personally think the EAA/Tanfoglio offeres a slightly better value, especially in the Elite Match. However, this is subjective, and many would disagree. (I am wierd anyway, I have not one, but two 10mm's).

 

[Lucky Strike]

I've got an Elite Match in .45 and can echo the others saying it is a great gun (especially for the price...$500 for mine at a gunshop). It's also a very striking looking gun and i always get compliments on it at the range.

My only complaint is that I get FTF's and I'm pretty sure it's due to the magazine. When i fully load it i'll get a FTF like 80% of the time on the first or second round outta the mag. If i only load like 7 rounds then it runs flawlessly.

I'm fairly certain if I got a new stiffer spring for the magazine it'd fix this problem but i only use it at the range and my lazy self has been ok with just not fully loading the mag rather then buy a spring

 

[sefus]

the beauty of the EAA witness line is all the calibers it supports - .45, 9mm, .40, 10mm, .38 super. I went with a metal frame .45 becuase it was a great deal with the .22lr conversion that came with it. Otherwise I would have went with either the poly frame or match .45. The polys dont have any common problems that Ive heard of yet but they arent exactly proven either (at least they werent when I bought mine) so that combined with the famous terrible customer service steered me away from poly. Then I just really wanted a utility gun and the .22 conversion sold me on the original metal frame. The Match line is fantastic though. I guess it is in your needs/wants on which to get but I sure love mine.

-Sefus

 

[mesinge2]

9mm Witness Match


I have a 9mm Witness Match and its a great gun for the Money. I got mine for $489 three years ago. I consistently get sub two inch groups at 25 yards
The following target was at 35 yards with a weaver stance.

 

[browningguy]

The Witness series are by and large based on the CZ, but as mentioned they are made by Tanfoglio in Italy. I believe Tanfoglio pistols have won several world championships over the years. My Witness Elite Match is by far the most accurate pistol I won, it even outshoots my BHP Competition model. I also have an older Witness PS with polymer frame and have had no problems with either, I've had the PS since 1996.

 

[Jiml3]

The witness line is a good product, but the importer (EAA) sucks!!!!
They have the worst customer service dept. I have dealt with them and
decided NEVER AGAIN. Switched to the original CZ (not clone Witness) and have been very happy. Their customer service has also been very good.

 

[-v-]

I also recall that they do not recommend running full-power 10mm loads in their pistols, as the newer ones are not built to handle that much stress. I recall someone had emailed a CS-rep at EAA and the response was "if you run anything that's any hotter then .40S&W equivalent in your 10mm, it voids your warranty" Kinda defeats the purpose of a 10mm if you can only shoot it like a .40, doesn't it?

Otherwise, in the normal calibers they are fine guns, and yes, they will take CZ mags and springs.

 

[sqlbullet]

I can't speak to what EAA has said to someone on the phone. I own two in 10mm and can speak to the warranty as outlined in the manual. "high velocity, high pressure, reloaded or other nonstandard ammunition" will void the warranty. I guess it comes down to your definition of high-velocity or high-pressure ammo. I would think a sound definition would be any ammunition that exceeds SAAMI spec.

I run plenty of full power 10mm loads in my guns. No issues with battering, cracking, etc. There have been some reports of cracked slides on the new standard models which feature rounded slides. Recent reports indicate EAA is correcting these problems, albeit without paying shipping.

LuckyStrike - I have had no reliability issues with my elite match. I did have the issues you describe with my full size wonder finish, until I started leaving the mags completely loaded. I had adopted this practice when I purchased my Elite Match, and immediately loaded it's magazine completely full as well, several days before my first outing.

Try keeping the mags stored full. (I also have +15 mag springs in all my mags).

 

[floydster]

I have a Witness Elite Match in 38 Super and .45 ACP, they run flawless and very accurate, best guns out there for the money in my opinion.

 

[Lucky 7]

Great Guns!

I've had two over the years (both in .45, the Carry-Comp version). Great out-of-the-box shooters w/ superb ergos.

One of the great features is the caliber swap, with the cocked and locked option. 400-450 for the base gun, then 200-250 for caliber conversions make it one of the better values in the industry.

As far as customizing, EAA offers plenty of options to make the gun beter fit your needs.

Sry if I sound like one of their reps, it's just a great choice (granted you never have to deal w/ their customer service dept).

Regards and Semper Fi!
-Lucky 7

PS www.reedsammo.com for the best prices on mags and CU.

 

[Japle]

I agree with JimL3 on the customer service issue. EAA is horrible.

Their "gunsmith" is an arrogant jerk who treats everyone the same. Like crap.

I spoke to Mr. Tanfoglio about this problem at the S.H.O.T. Show 2 years ago. His response was to turn his back on me!
I got in his face and called him several things I'd picked up from SEALs. Then I got lost before security could toss me out.

As long as your EAA pistol works, you're golden. If it needs work, good luck!

 

[Bionicrooster]

I have a new EZ 40 (Zastava CZ 05) and it is a very well built gun. The thing to remember with EEA is that since they are an importer, one gun intheir line be manufactured by a different compayn in a different country then the next. My EZ was built in Serbia, so you really have to research each gun individually.

 

[rbernie]

Witnesses are good pistols; Windicator revolvers no so much.

EAA is the worst company in the entire industry for customer service, and that's saying something.

 

[Bavarian_Motorist]

I have the Witness Elite Match in .40 S&W, most accurate pistols Ive owned to date. I don't think i could be more pleased with it. And it comes with the best case too, im sure we can agree on that

 

[bang_bang]

Here is my wonder finish Witness chambered in 45 ACP. I am quite fond of EAA, and would like to get a upper end Witness sometime.

 

[mainmech48]

I bought my full sized 9x19 Witness because it was the only way I could satisfy my curiousity about the CZ 75 design at the time without having to do a lot of scrounging to find a 'real' one and paying an exhorbitant price for it.

Genuine CZ's weren't directly importable and the relatively few examples that had found their way in from Canada and Europe were being scalped for 2X the MSRP of the Tanfoglios and more. IMO, the Witness I bought is every bit as well made as the two or three "real" 75's I'd examined back then, and its "Wonderfinish" was (and is) a whole lot nicer than the black enamel military finish two of those wore. It was every bit as well-fitted and everything worked slicker to boot.

I've never had any contact with EAA's CS dept. as nothing's broken or worn out in 9K + rounds. I got my springs for routine replacements from Wolff and my spare mags from MecGar. It shoots to POA for me with 115 gr. loads and has been proven to be capable of delivering better groups than I can hold for. It functions about as reliably as gravity with any reasonable quality ammo I stuff in it.

There's a "sticky" on the CZ Forum for which brands of magazines will interchange, work most reliably, etc. It's also a good source for other info, including the Kadet .22 kits.

 

[C-grunt]

I had a standard Witness in 9mm that was a great and very accurate pistol.

But I also got my wife a Windicator revolver when I was in the Army because it was cheap. It had a problem with sticky casings no matter what I shot through it. We got rid of it pretty quickly.

 

[mesinge2]

My mother had a Windicator and the frame cracked under the forcing cone. She was not using reloads or +P's. She was shooting magtech 158gr. SJSP. I sold the gun for what ever I could get and helped her get a Smith & Wesson model 36. She has not had any problems with it.