Witness elite cracked slide

[rjoy]

Hi everyone:

I just came back from an IDPA match this evening. I can't believe how many compliments I keep getting on my Witness Elite Match in 9 mm. The guys on the squad keep commenting on how smooth the gun operates and how accurate it is and how it doesn't recoil very much because of its heft. All is well because I love this piece. Horror strikes while cleaning it after the match. I notice a crack in the slide about midway through the ejection port lower end where it meets the frame rail. It hasn't made its way all the way through the metal but it is definitely there and can only get worse. My questions are: 1. Is this a common problem with the Tanfos? and 2. Will Tanfo warrant the slide and replace it for me? 3. Does anyone have a favorite contact person at Tanfo that I can ping for help on this? I bought the gun used from Cabela's almost two years ago and it appeared to be pristine, as in not shot much, as it had virtually no visible wear on it anywhere. I would appreciate any suggestions as to how I should proceed with getting my most prized pistol back to perfection again. I have heard that Tanfo's service leaves a lot to be desired. I hope I heard wrong. Thanks.

[BritinUSA]

Contact Henning to see if he has any of the slides in stock, if not then contact EAA who distribute the guns in USA.

[eric nielsen]

I've had a Witness slide crack all the way thru the underside of the ejection port & then fired many thousands of rounds after that without incident.

Mechanically speaking, that area is a little too thin to hold up against the waves of vibration that pass thru an auto-pistol's slide on each firing. Once it cracks all the way across, the metal is happy again and probably won't crack anywhere else.

Some of that is also the hardness of Tanfoglio steel. A place to keep an eye on for cracks is the recoil shoulder of the frame, especially the right side where the slide-stop retaining spring runs along.

Edited May 12, 2010 by eric nielsen

[Al Capizzo]

I haven't heard a lot about this from others, but I've got 4 of the small frame slides and 3 of them are cracked, all in the lower ejection port area.

[CHA-LEE]

Nothing lasts forever right? Give EAA a call and see what they can do. Worst case would be to order a replacement slide which is about $200. Things break, that is the way of life.

[rjoy]

Thanks for the replies guys. Eric, it sounds like you didn't get too worried about your crack in your frame as it sounds like you kept on shooting. Mine certainly didn't seem to bother as it functioned flawlessly all during the shoot, assuming it happened some time during the shoot or the last shoot. It was the only time I didn't clean after the last match, so the crack in the slide could have happened last week and I didn't even notice it. Al, it sounds like maybe this is more than just an isolated incident, at least with 3 out of your 4 Tanfos. I certainly can understand it giving way there because there is the least amount of metal at that part of the slide. I am going to contact Tanfo and see what they have to say about it. I'm not feeling too comfy shooting it as it is now even though, as both of you say, it apparently hasn't hurt yours at all. Thanks again.

Bob

[Al Capizzo]

As to shooting it once the slide is cracked, that's a tricky issue. I've continued to shoot mine, but when I posted the pictures here one time I was very emphatically warned to stop shooting those slides until they were repaired or replaced. These are people who's experience I respect, but a local gunsmith that I trust looked at one slide and told me not to bother repairing it, just shoot it as is.

Thats what I'm doing, though I don't shoot those guns very often.

[eric nielsen]

The section under the port is contained by the frame rails. TZ metal will not bend and bind something up, it's too hard.

The tuning fork effect of shooting puts a lot of stress under the port prior to the first crack but minimal stress to cause a 2nd crack - the little sliver of slide under the port doesn't weigh much and again, is supported and made of very hard steel.

I hadn't thought about asking a real authority on these guns but I suppose if curious you could ask George Smith or Matt McLearn. If either of them vetoes shooting the gun, that would be the answer. My $.02

[Al Capizzo]

Great comments and suggestions Eric!