Tanfoglio 9mm

[TimboKhan]

So, the pawnshop has a Tanfoglio pistol chambered in 9mm that also comes with a .41AE barrel and two mags that I can pick up for around $250.00. It looks similar to the one pictured below, particularly in regards to the slide mounted decocker. It is also considerably more plain-jane, being blued and having normal old walnut stocks.

My questions:

1. Any experience with the specifically branded Tanfoglio pistols?
2. $250 seems to be a decent price. Is it?
3. It isn't a direct CZ-75 clone, is it? If so, will CA 75 grips fit it?
4. Mag availability?

The pawnbroker is a pretty nice guy and tells me it is a shooter, and I like the way it felt in my paw, although I am not a big fan of the decocker, as it is a little awkward to use. I need to take a closer look at it, but my initial inspection revealed nothing to be overly concerned about.

 

[ashtxsniper]

I have a Tanfoglio EAA Witness in 10mm and it has performed flawlessly for me. I love mine.

 

[DougW]

Great pistol. A CZ75 with a different name.

 

[texjack]

I have had very good luck with my EAA Witness 9mm. I replaced grips with Hogue rubber with finger grooves made for the cz75. I would highly recommend these grips. The only issue I have had with my Witness was one bad magazine.

 

[PPGMD]

Not all CZ grips will fit the Witness series. But the Witness series has more overall support. But CZ is becoming more popular.

Anyways for $250 you can't really miss, it's much cheaper then either a new or a used CZ.

 

[dfariswheel]

The Tanfoglio company of Italy was the actual manufacturer of just about all the CZ-75 clones.
They made the complete guns or semi-finished parts for:
Springfield P9
FIE TZ-75
Excam.
The Swiss AT series.
The Israeli Baby Eagle and Jericho.
The Italian Gamba.

The current importer is EAA (European American Armory).
The guns are considered to be a "Best buy" due to the quality versus cost.

In order:
1. Any experience with the specifically branded Tanfoglio pistols?

I've owned a Springfield P9 and currently have an early, limited production EAA stainless steel. 45ACP.
I was totally satisfied with both. They were both accurate, totally reliable, and trouble free.

2. $250 seems to be a decent price. Is it?
Totally depends on the actual condition, but seems fair.

3. It isn't a direct CZ-75 clone, is it? If so, will CA 75 grips fit it?
The Tanfoglio is actually an improved CZ-75 but NOT an exact copy. Grips will "usually" interchange, but most parts will not.

4. Mag availability?
The Tanfoglio will NOT use CZ magazines. However, Tanfoglio uses magazines made by Mec-Gar. You can buy EAA/Mec-Gar magazines from many sources, including EAA, and many online sellers like CDNN, Cheaper Than Dirt, and many others.

 

[TimboKhan]

Cool. Like I said, I need to take it apart and do a detailed inspection, but my initial inspection was promising. The bluing is dull, but in good shape. The grips are wood and sort of old looking, but again in pretty good shape. The gun seems as if it was reasonably cared for. The pawnbroker said that the guy that sold it to him was his buddy and that he knew it was a good shooter and that his buddy took good care of it, which is probably pretty accurate. This pawnbroker is a pretty nice guy and I have built up a pretty good relationship with him.

It's not that I haven't bought a used auto before, but I am just not immediately familiar with this brand, so I was curious to see if any big issues cropped up, which is apparently not the case.

Also, I used the word "pretty" four times in my first paragraph. Thats way too much....