EAA Witness .45, best deal out there?

H

Highspeed

Inactive
Greetings my fellow shooters! Based on previous experiences I had some five years ago, I was under the impression that EAA only imported cheap, low quality CZ-75 clones. This all changed. Let me tell you about it. It all began while visiting my local gun shop here in Olympia Wa. I was inspecting (yes, I take my sweet time while looking at a pistol) several pistols. I looked at CZs, SIGs, H&Ks and then, while going to the register to pay for some ammo I saw a nice looking pistol with a well executed finish that looked like stainless steel. Well, the pistol was a Witness .45. Exterior finish was flawless. No sloppy machining, no sharp edges, first class job. Inside, very nice, in few words a continuation of the good job done outside. Machining was impressive. Barrel/slide/frame fit was tight with barrel/slide showing no play at all (just like my USP 45). The barrel was very nice and resembled the look and finish of a Kimber barrel. Feeding ramp was polished and the chamber did not have any sharp edges or irregularities. Trigger was good in D/A although a little gritty. S/A trigger was nice and crisp. With a trigger job, this would become one of the sweetest pistols. The pistol felt extremely good in the hand and pointed naturally. The safety was smooth and positive. This pistol felt better and was smaller than the CZ-97. Price: $340.00 about $299.00 for regular blue. Following is a review I received from an actual owner. "Hi Sarge, Yep, I bought it and it's the best $300 bucks I ever spent. I didn't have to do anything to the one I bought. Shoots right to point of aim, has a great single action trigger, and feeds and ejects perfectly. The double action trigger is a bit gritty, but I can sure live with that, especially since it can be carried cocked and locked. I got the wonder finish which is some kind of hard chrome from what I read. There are magazines available everywhere at the shows around here. If you do get one, I would recommend the 452 HKS mag loader. It is a real experience trying to get 10 rounds into those mags without it. I still love my Ruger P90, but I don't think I will be banging plates much with it this season. I hope you can score one for yourself. I think it is the best 45 deal I have seen in along time. Good shootin to ya" This will be my next pistol
 
Purchased one in blue and have been fully satisfied. It is indeed a very accurate pistol although there are 2 things that bother me. First, it has occasional feeding problems which are due to excessively tight feed lips on the mag. Second, it is a real chore trying to put that last round in the mag. Oh, and the finish is not quite as durable as my sigs but thats no big deal. As you can deduce, the problems I've had with my Witness have been because of the magazines and not the gun itself. I personally think its a gem and $299 for a .45...very sweet indeed. I'd go for it! Plus, I think EAA has a lifetime warranty which is another bonus.
 
if you can shoot the witness well and it is reliable, by all means go for it. personally, if you were to go for a .45 semi-auto, i'd look at the 1911 and glock first (even used ones). if your shooting regimen includes overhand slide manipulation, and malfunction clearance drills, the 1911 (some better than others) and glock platforms are superior imho. the inverted rail system on the witness series is a nice gimmick, but it leaves very little of the slide exposed making it difficult to grasp under stress- these issues are important to some.

although i have yet to see a .45 witness consistantly out-perform (reliability or accuracy-wise) a glock 21/30 or a good 1911, if yours does, keep it. i don't care what make and model it is, if the gun can reliably throw rounds at it's target without stoppage, i respect it.
merry christmas,
joe

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www.skdtac.com
tactical accessories for self-defense and le


[This message has been edited by skdtac (edited December 25, 1999).]
 
At Natchez Shooters Supply http://hitman.webprovider.com/cguns.htm
European American Armory

Witness Pistol .45 ACP Blue Steel 10rnd 4 1\2" $234.60
Witness Pistol .45 ACP Polymer Frame/Blue Steel 10rnd 4 1\2" $228.48
Witness Pistol .9MM Blue Steel Compact 10rnd 3 5\8" $234.60
Witness Pistol .9MM Polymer Frame/Blue Steel 10rnd 3 5\8" $228.48
Ask for Chris at Natchez Shooters 1-800-251-7839

Also have a GOOD look in http://www.gunsamerica.com


(EAA)Witness 10-Shot, 4.5" Barrel, Wonder finish, stainless look, (New in Box) .45 auto $279.99 http://www.kyimports.com/

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"The Gun from Down Under !"
http://www.para1911fanclub.w3.to/
E-mail hotshot_2000@hotmail.com
Alternate E-mail
HS2000@ausi.com



[This message has been edited by HS (edited December 25, 1999).]
 
Hi Skdtac.
I have a Witness 45 that I shoot paper and plates with, just friendly competetion games at several of the clubs around where I live. I can't say that it would consistantly outperform a good 1911, or a glock, but it pretty much keeps up with any thing I shoot against. I agree with you on the point that the slide is pretty difficult to get a grasp of, and if I were a LEO, or we had CCW in Ohio, I would not buy that gun as a carry gun. Way too big and too heavy. Especially with a full 10 round mag. It's best advantage in my opinion is that a person can get an accurate, reliable, 10 round 45 acp pistol for around $300.00. That would allow shooters without a fat wallet a competetive handgun for the target games, and a good gun for home defense. For those out there who desire a gun for these purposes, I have to agree with the subject line. I too think its the best deal out there.

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Good shootin to ya
Plateshooter
 
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