Posted: 12/23/2011 9:00:22 PM EDT
| So i was looking at the the Witness on EAA's website. What can you guys tell me about them. Ive liked cz but at least with the frame you can get in a .45 and in 10mm all info would be great. |
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Tons of threads on them here and online. I've been a big fan of them for a while(the Tanfoglio's, not necessary the importer EAA). They're all pretty stout and shoot much more accurately then their price point. ONLY issue I've seen come up with repeatedly is with 10mm standard model slides, although the nicer Elite Match 10mm seems to have no problems. There are a lot of talk about mag issues from years prior except for .45(MecGar always made those), but MecGar makes all their mags now. The standard line is pretty much CZ platform clones, although no longer direct copies, with great SA triggers and lousy DA triggers, but that's atypical of all DA/SA European guns. All Witness imported by EAA are of the 'large frame' variety, and for the most part full-size versions have interchangeable slides and magwells. The Euro Tanfoglios offer the narrow frame models for 9mm/.40, but can only be had here in the Baby Eagle pistols and Armscor Philippine-made licensed Tanfoglios. They are pretty huge in Europe. Generally most are very good buys although the price is slowly but surely creeping up. An awesome pistol is the Elite Match SA only series, you can get either the 10 or 45(any of them) and get additional slides/barrels from EAA(about $300) for any of the calibers and use the same frame. They use the standard frame layout but the excellent SA trigger from the Gold Cup. The Limited/Stock/Stock II that hover around $800-$900 use the Gold Cup type frame and more advanced barrel setups, but revert to the more pedestrian non adjustable DA/SA trigger from the standard pistols, which really take away from the additional upgrades. They are big heavy pistols in the all-steel versions, mainly for the range or competition. As much as I like them, for a go-to CCW compact type pistol, I would look at the other regular players. The Poly versions are OK but nothing spectacular, and the compacts in steel are heavy, may as well go Glock/Ruger/M&P/SA XD, etc for a plain-jane self defense firearm. But generally, the $550-ish Elite will give ANY 1911 a run for it's money, if you just want a full size range pistol. They've been out of stock of Elite Matches for MONTHS, Budsgunshop just got them in yesterday, I ordered a 9mm myself, not waiting for summer for them to make more of them.  I already have .45/.40 standard slides/mags that will fit it, and I can get that great trigger now in any caliber.I would say their best overall deal is the Elite Match, which has not risen much in price over the past few years and is kind of a magic little gem of a deal. Not to mention you can have a competition caliber trigger group to then add calibers to. The standard models have gone up nearly $100 in 5 years, pricing them withing a few extra fast food meals of a much larger pool of choices, and ones that are much easier to find holsters, grips, mags, etc for. However, you can always get a Glock and just change barrels and mags on a few of them to change calibers, and finding accessories is a breeze. I would say the Elite Match is truly unique, the rest would only be if you REALLY like the particular pistol over others that are much more common and proven. |
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Quoted:
You can get a CZ 97 they are 45acp. I have three CZs a 40 poly a 9 mil stainless my favorite and a kadet 22lr. They are all accurate out of the box. My Kadet is so accurate I sold my ruger 22/45 I did not shoot it after the Kadet arrived! Not to knock CZ for there 45 but for that pricing i could get a 1911 from springfield or a used colt. I primarly like the SP-01 just wish it was in 10mm |
Actually, one of the things Tanfoglio does REALLY well is the CZ platform in .45, one of the better choices of the bunch in any style they make. Seems like they focused on that the most of any of the calibers they make, that was the only one with MecGar mags from the get-go. Any of the 'issues' over the years with any Tanfoglio was on everything but the .45s. Even this cheaper poly has been incredibly accurate and 100% reliable for over 2000 rounds, always treated me well.  |
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My 10mm shoots great. The "Wonder finish" base model guns had slide problems, a funky spot in the machining that would lead to the slide cracking. Took about 100 rounds for mine to do it. The company (Eaa) threw an older match slide and barrel combo on it for free. VERY VERY accurate. The big trick EAA's do vs. CZ is you can buy any large frame witness, and shoot .22, 9mm, .38 super, .40, .357 sig, 10mm, and .45 with nothing more than a slide swap, and they where designed around being multi caliber. The EAA Witness Match pistols are the best bang for the buck, little harder and pricier to find than wonder finish guns, but have a better slide, and better single action only trigger. The DA triggers SUCK for shooting double action, but are fine for single. Here's myself shooting with the 10mm.  |
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Quoted:
My 10mm shoots great. The "Wonder finish" base model guns had slide problems, a funky spot in the machining that would lead to the slide cracking. Took about 100 rounds for mine to do it. The company (Eaa) threw an older match slide and barrel combo on it for free. VERY VERY accurate. The big trick EAA's do vs. CZ is you can buy any large frame witness, and shoot .22, 9mm, .38 super, .40, .357 sig, 10mm, and .45 with nothing more than a slide swap, and they where designed around being multi caliber. The EAA Witness Match pistols are the best bang for the buck, little harder and pricier to find than wonder finish guns, but have a better slide, and better single action only trigger. The DA triggers SUCK for shooting double action, but are fine for single. Here's myself shooting with the 10mm.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3GYBTZuoVg&feature=related
what kind of holster do you have and how well machined is the is the rail on it in the pictures just seem not there |
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Quoted: snip what kind of holster do you have and how well machined is the is the rail on it in the pictures just seem not there No rail, so that would explain why it does not seem to be there!  The holster is made by a gentleman I shoot with named Aaron. He owns a small outfit and kicks out custom made kydex holsters. http://secondlineholster.com/ His holsters are especially popular with locals (Seattle Wa area), since he'll form them for gun/ light/ laser combos, and bends over backwards to get people thier stuff fast. I went with him because A. He's a shooting buddy, 2. No one makes witness specific holsters, and 3. He's a cool dude. FWIW the rails I have seen on witnesses look good but I have never put anything on them, so I can't say that they are good. |