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Witness Elite reliability


hunter88356

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I am in the market for a new handgun. I thought i had narrowed my search to the witness elite line but i read alot of feeding problems are they only with bad reloads or is it hit and miss or do they all have to be tweaked a little. I plan to eventually build it up with all the bells and whistles, but for the price of a limited($1000) i believe it should at least run with off th shelf ammo. Limited in 10mm and stock in 9mm are on my list but need more info. I was going to order both but don't need $1800 worth of paperweights. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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I am in the market for a new handgun. I thought i had narrowed my search to the witness elite line but i read alot of feeding problems are they only with bad reloads or is it hit and miss or do they all have to be tweaked a little. I plan to eventually build it up with all the bells and whistles, but for the price of a limited($1000) i believe it should at least run with off th shelf ammo. Limited in 10mm and stock in 9mm are on my list but need more info. I was going to order both but don't need $1800 worth of paperweights. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Great gun, but the mags are the weak link, unless they have been improved the last couple of years.

Edited by dirty whiteboy
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Actually frame related, There used to be a small frame for 9mm/40 oal and a large frame for 38 super/10mm, A marketing genius figured they could drop the small frame and make everything on the large frame. They never bothered to design a mag that actually works with 9mm. Supposedly they have one now, but EAA the exclusive importer is stuck with a bunch of old style non working mags and wants to send them out. If your willing to pay the premium for tuned mags that work you'll have a good gun. They do work well in 38 super/super comp, but if you are looking for a 9mm Para, youd be better served by a CZ, or looking for an small frame Witness.

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I need to be more specific. I would buy tuned mags from henning anyway so thats not a factor. I wouldn,t be against a 38 super but the stock isn't available in that caliber. So with henning mags the 10mm should run fine with appropriate off the shelf ammo? now im thinkin Two Limiteds maybe? 10mm and 38 super.

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I run Hennings mags with no problems. Now let's back up a second. You haven't said what you're planning on doing with the pistols. 10mm is a great hunting round. But will get you beat on the range. If hunting is your intent than you should be in great shape with an exceptionally accurate pistol. If you're going for competition, then you are going to want to do some more shopping with Henning. Don't let this scare you. $1800 STI's need tweaking before they run effortlessly. That's why there are so many companies make a living building custom STI's. As you look through the parts, prioritize what you can and want to do. Little things make a big difference. For competition I would recommend Starting with the firing pin, firing pin spring, hammer, sear, and hammer spring. Then when you are ready you can upgrade to the new trigger, roller plunger, guide rod and spring.

Also Henning has several "how to" videos on his site.

Keep in mind that you can build out a Witness Elite Match including the price of the gun cheaper than you can buy a no thrills, stock STI. And you'll be amazed how nice it'll shoot. I just sold an STI custom built so I could go back to the Witness.

Edited by Big Bear
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As a matter of fact i will be taking some deer and feral hogs with the 10mm, this is my main purpose for the purchase (i know better hunting rounds exist as i have 3 44 mags already). But i would likely shoot some matches down the road. The 10mm is what drew me in to the witness. I will be getting a second witness I am flexible on the caliber and configuration on that one, I will likely buy a 10mm limited very soon if my feedback continues to tell me they will run. Thanks for all the help i feel alot better about spending my money on something where i am welcomed into the community.

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I like the hunter model all but the finish and sights (as i understand they now have the match/stock sights), this wouldnt be a factor if i was scoping it but i want to use open sights. and yes i know the black is better for hunting but i hunt from a shooting house most of the time so this really isn't an issue as all my other hunting handguns are stainless. Would the staight barrel on the Hunter be as accurate as the cone lock? i know you gain a little sight radious but is the potential accuracy pretty equal?

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While I only have the Match (in 10mm), I would recommend any of the Elite series. I just purchased a barrel in .40 also, so now I won't be so limited and can shoot more. Great gun, and Henning has great service. My stock mag has been trouble free, but now I have two new mags to test. My only complaint (which is fixable) is the trigger side to side play.

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FYI...

You can run a 9mm/38super/40S&W on the same platform.

All you need is a barrel change, recoil spring of your choice and appropriate mags for caliber chosen.

It will all run on the SAME (large frame) slide/frame/extractor!

edited: add 38supercomp too!

edited2: use 38super extractor for all the caliber

Edited by jetofoz
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i wrote this a while back: witness limited review

I have only shimmed the trigger to reduce the lateral play, and cleaned it occasionally, and it runs like a champ. The biggest issue has been with the mags and RELOADED cases. because the Limited mags are a little narrow, if the ammo is not completely re-sized it can hang up in the mag and your capacity is reduced by 5 rounds. I am now running all my cases through a hack sawed sizing die (.40 S&W) and it cured all my problems.

I'm very happy with my Limited and have zero complaints, other than the cost of mag extentions.

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I have 2 of the Match Elites in 9mm that I run for IDPA and USPSA. I have a mix of the front spacer and rear spacer mags, and have not had a problem with any factory ammo so far. I have about 2000 rounds thru each gun, mixed between Federal, Blazer (aluminum and brass), WWB, Remington UMC, Wolf, Brown Bear, and probably a few others that I have forgotten. All my mags run reliably with up to 15-17 rounds. Best bang for the buck gun on the market.

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Great review and tech help photog. I believe that a good cleaning and some slight polishing are reasonable. I just can't help myself, and have to clean up the inard of all my guns. what can i say i like tinkering. With all the posts i have read i will most definately buy a limited 10mm in the near future. Thank for the help to all who have posted and by all means keep them coming.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Actually frame related, There used to be a small frame for 9mm/40 oal and a large frame for 38 super/10mm, A marketing genius figured they could drop the small frame and make everything on the large frame. They never bothered to design a mag that actually works with 9mm. Supposedly they have one now, but EAA the exclusive importer is stuck with a bunch of old style non working mags and wants to send them out. If your willing to pay the premium for tuned mags that work you'll have a good gun. They do work well in 38 super/super comp, but if you are looking for a 9mm Para, youd be better served by a CZ, or looking for an small frame Witness.

I went to the Henning page and looked under magazine but what I find are the super high capacity or factory. How can I get a tuned mag for my Elite match .40 that doesnt extend past the bottom of the gun?

Alex

Edited by Boriqua
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  • 2 months later...

FYI...

You can run a 9mm/38super/40S&W on the same platform.

All you need is a barrel change, recoil spring of your choice and appropriate mags for caliber chosen.

It will all run on the SAME (large frame) slide/frame/extractor!

edited: add 38supercomp too!

edited2: use 38super extractor for all the caliber

Does this hold true for the Match series as well as the Limited? Looking to go 9mm with my Match 40. Would be nice to save a few $$ and only buy the mag/barrel/spring as opposed to a whole new slide.

Thanks in advance.

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