singleshotcajun

I could no longer resist messing with the S/A trigger, installed today. Years ago I carried both 1911 and Tokarev pistols and the habits attained in doing so are still there and I know that in a ‘Tight” I would thumb back the hammer anyway so what the heck, install that match trigger. The trigger bar pin got a little mangled while removing it but the interrupter pin is the same pin and since it would not be used in the swap that worked out well. Going back with the match trigger in particular installing the trigger return spring proved challenging. I got my Bullseye pistol out and eyeballed the trigger, trigger return spring and trigger bar configuration and it is very different from a stock D/A. You have to create clearance for the spring leg inside the trigger by grinding the link of the trigger bar at an angle and grinding a slot for the spring leg inside the channel of the trigger. There was a groove in the trigger for the spring leg but it needed enlarging for my set up. “Match” pistol trigger bars are already done this way. After some grinding and rubbing the spring would go but fit much tighter so instead of a piece of aerosol can straw I used a piece wooden stem from a medical cotton swap for a slave pin and that is what I will use from now on, it works great. After fitting the slave pin I installed the over travel screw and that lined up the tail of the spring in the slot and straitened the whole setup. I don’t regret the time spent altering the factory trigger, just my normal learning exercise with an unfamiliar firearm and worth the time it took. I like this trigger much better as we all knew I would. Without more modifications this trigger will never be the Bullseye trigger but it is much improved and I would not want it any lighter or have a shorter pull for “social” work. Thanks much to everyone who helped with parts and advice.

It would be nice if the slide would hold open when it runs dry while shooting .22.I dug up the box the set came in just to see if it came with the weaker slide stop spring as many have told me the combo should have come with it. Alas my combo did not come with a weaker slide stop spring,I did look under the foam, not there.Fortunately I can count to ten and since I will sometimes use it with the 45 upper as a "Car/Truck" gun I don't think I want any weak springs in it. I may eventually try to find a frame and install a weaker hammer spring and slide stop spring,install the .22 upper in an attempt to have a dedicated and reliable .22 LR Witness Large frame pistol.

Just got back from shooting. 45 upper=flawless ,230 grain ball Bitterroot Valley reloads and .230 grain Federal Hydro shock. Shoots real nice POA=POI @ 10 yards.I may have had too much lube on the frame for the .22 upper to act right. CCI MM no issues as usual,Aguila HV Copper plated 1 in 10 jammed,Aguila standard velocity 3 in 10 jammed as expected. The big surprise was Centurion by Aguila 40 gr lead nose(I found a couple of hundred of this junk in my stash) did on average as good as the Aguila 40 HV copper plated.Back in the ammo scare of 2009 I bought a bunch of the Centurion priced way too high and it shot like crap in my Smallbore Match rifles. The Centurion is very inconsistent but loaded fairly hot.I think the Witness will make a fine car/truck gun starting now. I've been thinking about using this one for a commute carry gun and that is why I leaned toward leaving the double action option.

Thanks.It came from EAA with both uppers. My factory .22 magazine has a red follower as does my spare purchased separately. Both mags run well.Of course only high velocity .22LR will cycle reliably, mostly CCI MIni Mag which is scarce as hen's teeth these days.I may eventually install the match SA trigger but I tell after doing some rubbing on this trigger I am very happy with the trigger. It will never be as nice as the trigger in my Bullseye pistol but for what it is it is nice,especially firing SA.

Really happy with the trigger now. I bought this one along with a few others at the same time and did not pay this one much attention until recently.It was a combo .22LR and 45 ACP. I cannot believe I did not notice all the sharp edges right away.I only shot it once last fall with the 45 upper and a few more times with the .22 upper. Got it mostly de horned last night,even the leading edges of the slide were very sharp. I wonder if the factory just missed this one and blued it before buffing out the edges.I'm going to try to go and shoot this evening. http://s84.photobucket.com/user/cajuncj/library/EAA%20Witness%2045#/user/cajuncj/library/EAA%20Witness%2045?sort=3&page=1&_suid=13812426204370369459076317258

Since I am buying a EAA match trigger from John and need not fear screwing up my trigger this gave me the confidence I needed to try some more work to the factory trigger . I took out the trigger and heated it and beat it to a 1.125" piece of round stock clamped in a vise,this opened the radius quite a bit . Reassembled and the trigger limited out on the frame before releasing the sear, strike one. Heated it again and pulled the curve back in a little and upon reassembly it worked in single action but not double. At this point I decided to Dremel out frame a little as not much was needed, very minimal. I did polish all the mating surfaces of the trigger mechanism and all over the trigger bar.On a side note G96 cream cold bluing sure is some magical stuff and it closely blends with the black finish on the Witness. I am fairly tickled with the trigger now. Since I've already started down the road of voiding the warranty when I get home today I will de horn the pistol in particular the front of the frame and those sharp points on the rail. I’ll have the trigger from John in case I ever want to install it on this gun or another. Will post some photos when I'm "done".

I removed the trigger and re profiled it.Ground off the notch on the top and made the radius a little bigger.Now, it is not bad at all in single action,double still sucks. I priced triggers yesterday and wow EAA sure is proud of theirs. I have a Tanfoglio Bullseye and love that trigger,thought I might put one in my plain Jane Witness but it is almost as much as a Henning flat trigger. I wish the CZ sport trigger could be made to work in the Witness. Removing and re installing the trigger was a good learning experience.Took advice from a Friend and made a slave pin for the trigger return spring out of a penetrating oil straw,that worked. Oddly enough I had more trouble with what I thought would be the easy part, installing the sear block is what gave me fits. So options CZ trigger and drill out holes Learn to live with the trigger Install a EAA match or Henning flat trigger If I install either the match or Henning trigger to my Large frame standard Witness 45 is that all I need to do to make in single action only ?

Link to all the pictures http://s84.photobucket.com/user/cajuncj/library/Armalite%20AR%2024%20TC#/user/cajuncj/library/Armalite%20AR%2024%20TC?sort=3&page=1&_suid=1378216441264024491161911368864

My big fingers were a little too crowded by upper most finger groove and the trigger guard so I got brave and modified the Hogue grips by cutting off the finger groove sections and feathering the edges on my belt grinder. I like this set up with these grips,should carry much better and I really like the feel.

Thanks much,that is a good option.

FYI Y'all, Hogue wrap around CZ 75 grips fit well installed one on mine it is nice. Makes it thinner and easier to carry concealed.Mec-Gar CZ 75 mag only took changing the angle of the mag catch slot slightly on the top edge,works well,nice mag and 17 rds to boot.

I love my Witness pistols but I have huge fingers. The radius on the Witness triggers are way too small for me to shoot double action comfortably. In single action I do not notice the small baby size infinitesimal radius as much;). Short of replacing the trigger with a Tanfo match trigger or a Henning and having only single action are there any options. Might make a shoe or even try to re contour the factory trigger. Thoughts ? The radius of the trigger on my Armalite AR 24 CZ clone is just a little bigger it seems, big enough to make it feel much better.

Nice group.Tanfoglios are kind of like tater chips, I know I will buy more when I can.

Shot again today. I like it better each time I take it out. One hundred shots today,fifty with some old Wolf steel case I found in the back of the closet,one jamb with the wolf.Fifty Winchester 124 gr FMJ were flawless and snappy.The slide to frame fit certainly is no match for my Tanfoglios but this is a true combat pistol.I may have try it in IDPA.Trimmed the "hump" on the right grip panel to suit my hold and big ole hands,not worried about hurting the value as this one is a keeper. I farted around too long about getting some spare mags and at the moment no one has any.I may have to try modifying CZ 75 mags. 9mm on the shelf in my area is non existent so range time may be limited to .22's for a while.Glad I've got my Ruger MK series pistols and the Tanfo .22 upper.

I have never used Jim for any work however I have talked to Him on the phone.Jim knows Witness and Tanfo pistols.Jim shared a fountain of information about the breed with me and for that I am grateful.If I ever run across something I cannot handle He will definitely get the work.