EAA Compact 10mm

[gerritm]

With the Tanfoglio guns, this is very simple to do since the ramp is integrated into the barrel. Just take out the barrel and polish the ramp.

I used a Dremel on low speed with some polishing compound and buffing wheels. If you don't have one you can use very fine sand paper or progressively coarse to fine steel wool with a polishing compound. Just be gentle and don't get carried away. And again try different ammo. Compact guns are known to be ammo finnicky. I am guessing with the power of a 10mm there is a lot of movement going on. I have found that different types of HP ammo makes a difference in these smaller guns. Don't give up on it just, yet. They are great guns. Make sure you check the top or area above the feed ramp for any type of ding or protrusion. Look at the path the bullet goes on when it loads and eliminate any problems. My one gun went back to the manufacturer twice for this problem under warranty before I spotted the ding and fixed it with a small very fine file.

[CAMPMEAT]

With the Tanfoglio guns, this is very simple to do since the ramp is integrated into the barrel. Just take out the barrel and polish the ramp.

I used a Dremel on low speed with some polishing compound and buffing wheels. If you don't have one you can use very fine sand paper or progressively coarse to fine steel wool with a polishing compound. Just be gentle and don't get carried away. And again try different ammo. Compact guns are known to be ammo finnicky. I am guessing with the power of a 10mm there is a lot of movement going on. I have found that different types of HP ammo makes a difference in these smaller guns. Don't give up on it just, yet. They are great guns. Make sure you check the top or area above the feed ramp for any type of ding or protrusion. Look at the path the bullet goes on when it loads and eliminate any problems. My one gun went back to the manufacturer twice for this problem under warranty before I spotted the ding and fixed it with a small very fine file.

Thanks for the reply. Ok, I won't use ball ammo just to be able to shoot this gun. I want it for bear hunting as a backup gun. What ammo would you suggest. It jammed with Hornady 200 grn XTPs. That's the only ammo I've tried shooting through it. It's a nice, good looking gun, fits nicely in my big paws. I want it to work as I can't get my money back for it. I just won't spend another $200 on it when I could of gotten a Glock instead. Oh, I'm still interested in making it work. I like the gun.

Edited October 19, 2011 by CAMPMEAT

[gerritm]

Try going to 180 gr Hornady HP or Federal Hydra Shock 180's. Winchester makes a 175 gr silver tip. They all make a 155gr HP but that might be a little light for what you want to do. Every bullet and tip has a different characteristic and you just might have to find the right one. Even in the 200gr sizes a different brand might work well. I went thru several brands with my Kimber Ultra carry compact for my carry weapon. It would shoot 200 and 220gr ball fmj ammo with no problem but liked the Hornady 180's in HP's.

Have you tried feeding FMJ's thru it. Will it run those?

[CAMPMEAT]

Try going to 180 gr Hornady HP or Federal Hydra Shock 180's. Winchester makes a 175 gr silver tip. They all make a 155gr HP but that might be a little light for what you want to do. Every bullet and tip has a different characteristic and you just might have to find the right one. Even in the 200gr sizes a different brand might work well. I went thru several brands with my Kimber Ultra carry compact for my carry weapon. It would shoot 200 and 220gr ball fmj ammo with no problem but liked the Hornady 180's in HP's.

Have you tried feeding FMJ's thru it. Will it run those?

I have not tried FMJ's. EAA did and they said it shot fine. I told them I don't shoot FMJ's for protection. You know where that went with EAA !!

Maybe if I tried a box or 2 of FMJ's, it might smooth out the feed ramp. Your thoughts ?

[gerritm]

Try going to 180 gr Hornady HP or Federal Hydra Shock 180's. Winchester makes a 175 gr silver tip. They all make a 155gr HP but that might be a little light for what you want to do. Every bullet and tip has a different characteristic and you just might have to find the right one. Even in the 200gr sizes a different brand might work well. I went thru several brands with my Kimber Ultra carry compact for my carry weapon. It would shoot 200 and 220gr ball fmj ammo with no problem but liked the Hornady 180's in HP's.

Have you tried feeding FMJ's thru it. Will it run those?

I have not tried FMJ's. EAA did and they said it shot fine. I told them I don't shoot FMJ's for protection. You know where that went with EAA !!

Maybe if I tried a box or 2 of FMJ's, it might smooth out the feed ramp. Your thoughts ?

Still polish it before. Makes a world of difference. If the FMJ's work try the smaller weight HP defense ammo or another brand of heavy hp's. EAA has not been very helpful in the past with me either. Henning Wallgren is the Tanfoglio guru here in the states. He is very helpful and may be able to guide you in the right direction. Sometimes he is hard to get a hold of due to his competetion schedule, but keep trying.

http://henningshootsguns.com/

gerritm

[CAMPMEAT]

Try going to 180 gr Hornady HP or Federal Hydra Shock 180's. Winchester makes a 175 gr silver tip. They all make a 155gr HP but that might be a little light for what you want to do. Every bullet and tip has a different characteristic and you just might have to find the right one. Even in the 200gr sizes a different brand might work well. I went thru several brands with my Kimber Ultra carry compact for my carry weapon. It would shoot 200 and 220gr ball fmj ammo with no problem but liked the Hornady 180's in HP's.

Have you tried feeding FMJ's thru it. Will it run those?

I have not tried FMJ's. EAA did and they said it shot fine. I told them I don't shoot FMJ's for protection. You know where that went with EAA !!

Maybe if I tried a box or 2 of FMJ's, it might smooth out the feed ramp. Your thoughts ?

Still polish it before. Makes a world of difference. If the FMJ's work try the smaller weight HP defense ammo or another brand of heavy hp's. EAA has not been very helpful in the past with me either. Henning Wallgren is the Tanfoglio guru here in the states. He is very helpful and may be able to guide you in the right direction. Sometimes he is hard to get a hold of due to his competetion schedule, but keep trying.

http://henningshootsguns.com/

gerritm

Thanks. I have emailed Henning. He wanted to know all the specifics with pictures. I have not done that as I figured EAA would take care of the problem. It's gonna be awhile before I do anything. I'm saving $$ to go wolf hunting in Idaho.

[gerritm]

Try going to 180 gr Hornady HP or Federal Hydra Shock 180's. Winchester makes a 175 gr silver tip. They all make a 155gr HP but that might be a little light for what you want to do. Every bullet and tip has a different characteristic and you just might have to find the right one. Even in the 200gr sizes a different brand might work well. I went thru several brands with my Kimber Ultra carry compact for my carry weapon. It would shoot 200 and 220gr ball fmj ammo with no problem but liked the Hornady 180's in HP's.

Have you tried feeding FMJ's thru it. Will it run those?

I have not tried FMJ's. EAA did and they said it shot fine. I told them I don't shoot FMJ's for protection. You know where that went with EAA !!

Maybe if I tried a box or 2 of FMJ's, it might smooth out the feed ramp. Your thoughts ?

Still polish it before. Makes a world of difference. If the FMJ's work try the smaller weight HP defense ammo or another brand of heavy hp's. EAA has not been very helpful in the past with me either. Henning Wallgren is the Tanfoglio guru here in the states. He is very helpful and may be able to guide you in the right direction. Sometimes he is hard to get a hold of due to his competetion schedule, but keep trying.

http://henningshootsguns.com/

gerritm

Thanks. I have emailed Henning. He wanted to know all the specifics with pictures. I have not done that as I figured EAA would take care of the problem. It's gonna be awhile before I do anything. I'm saving $$ to go wolf hunting in Idaho.

Need a gun bearer? Wish I could go, sounds like fun.

gerritm

[CAMPMEAT]

Try going to 180 gr Hornady HP or Federal Hydra Shock 180's. Winchester makes a 175 gr silver tip. They all make a 155gr HP but that might be a little light for what you want to do. Every bullet and tip has a different characteristic and you just might have to find the right one. Even in the 200gr sizes a different brand might work well. I went thru several brands with my Kimber Ultra carry compact for my carry weapon. It would shoot 200 and 220gr ball fmj ammo with no problem but liked the Hornady 180's in HP's.

Have you tried feeding FMJ's thru it. Will it run those?

I have not tried FMJ's. EAA did and they said it shot fine. I told them I don't shoot FMJ's for protection. You know where that went with EAA !!

Maybe if I tried a box or 2 of FMJ's, it might smooth out the feed ramp. Your thoughts ?

Still polish it before. Makes a world of difference. If the FMJ's work try the smaller weight HP defense ammo or another brand of heavy hp's. EAA has not been very helpful in the past with me either. Henning Wallgren is the Tanfoglio guru here in the states. He is very helpful and may be able to guide you in the right direction. Sometimes he is hard to get a hold of due to his competetion schedule, but keep trying.

http://henningshootsguns.com/

gerritm

Thanks. I have emailed Henning. He wanted to know all the specifics with pictures. I have not done that as I figured EAA would take care of the problem. It's gonna be awhile before I do anything. I'm saving $$ to go wolf hunting in Idaho.

Need a gun bearer? Wish I could go, sounds like fun.

gerritm

I sure do. None of my friends want to wolf hunting. It will be fun I'm sure.

[kwesi]

Campmeat: I feel your frustration because I'm having FTF's with the nose hitting the side of the barrel/chamber in my Limited 10mm.

Did your gun come from Davidson's? They are a major wholesaler. If you don't know call 928-776-8055. IF it originated from Davidson's they will give you a brand new gun & pay the shipping both ways! I know because I just sent my 2nd Limited back for a 3rd.

This way you can sell a NIB gun and move on if you don't want to try it out. Maybe you just got a lemon. I love ny Limited which is why I'm sticking it out. BTW: my issue seemed to be with factory or handloads with a OAL LESS than 1.248. My feed lips appear to be in spec.

I hope yours came thru Davidson's. Their lifetime warranty is for real - no BS!

[CAMPMEAT]

Campmeat: I feel your frustration because I'm having FTF's with the nose hitting the side of the barrel/chamber in my Limited 10mm.

Did your gun come from Davidson's? They are a major wholesaler. If you don't know call 928-776-8055. IF it originated from Davidson's they will give you a brand new gun & pay the shipping both ways! I know because I just sent my 2nd Limited back for a 3rd.

This way you can sell a NIB gun and move on if you don't want to try it out. Maybe you just got a lemon. I love ny Limited which is why I'm sticking it out. BTW: my issue seemed to be with factory or handloads with a OAL LESS than 1.248. My feed lips appear to be in spec.

I hope yours came thru Davidson's. Their lifetime warranty is for real - no BS!

Thanx for the reply. I did not by mine through Davidsons. Sucks, but nodoby will stand behind this gun, not even Tanfoglio and EAA is worthless. Pretty sad because I know the alot of others have had the same problems with horrible customer service from all. Will NEVER, EVER buy another Tanfoglio. I don't reload, but the gun should shoot all ammo. If not, it should be put on some kind of warning label before you purchase it.

[Skydiver]

Thanx for the reply. I did not by mine through Davidsons. Sucks, but nodoby will stand behind this gun, not even Tanfoglio and EAA is worthless. Pretty sad because I know the alot of others have had the same problems with horrible customer service from all. Will NEVER, EVER buy another Tanfoglio. I don't reload, but the gun should shoot all ammo. If not, it should be put on some kind of warning label before you purchase it.

Although I sympathize with your plight, that is a really bad assumption that a gun of a given caliber should should all ammo of that caliber. I know that a lot of .22's are picky about the brand and type of ammo they use for them to shoot reliably. Pair a bad bullet weight or powder charge with a precision bench rest rifle, and all accuracy claimed is out the window. Ask 1911 owners and their experiences with using hollow points or truncated cone bullets with some of their guns. I hear that +P ammo in subcompact guns is not a good recipe for longevity if used everyday.

Yes, I would like to buy a gun and have the reasonable expectation that any ammo that I feed into it should work, but I'm a realist enough to know that I may have to narrow the choices of ammo that I feed the gun. I've been there. I gave up a sweet shooting second hand P226 because it wanted Federal primers to keep it fed. Alternately, I would have to undo all the trigger work done on it to make it so good. In the end, I sold the gun to somebody who could keep it fed.

Earlier in the thread, you said that EAA used a particular brand or type of ammo and the gun performed well in their tests. Is the brand or type of ammo not acceptable for your purposes? Or is it simply unavailable where you live?

[kwesi]

Campmeat: just to be sure you understood my reply. You don't have to personally have purchased it from Davidson's. Your dealer may have used Davidson's as their supplier. All you do is call the # I listed & give them the s/n & they will tell you if it is one of theirs. If so then happy days are ahead. I'm hoping for you!

[CAMPMEAT]

Thanx for the reply. I did not by mine through Davidsons. Sucks, but nodoby will stand behind this gun, not even Tanfoglio and EAA is worthless. Pretty sad because I know the alot of others have had the same problems with horrible customer service from all. Will NEVER, EVER buy another Tanfoglio. I don't reload, but the gun should shoot all ammo. If not, it should be put on some kind of warning label before you purchase it.

Although I sympathize with your plight, that is a really bad assumption that a gun of a given caliber should should all ammo of that caliber. I know that a lot of .22's are picky about the brand and type of ammo they use for them to shoot reliably. Pair a bad bullet weight or powder charge with a precision bench rest rifle, and all accuracy claimed is out the window. Ask 1911 owners and their experiences with using hollow points or truncated cone bullets with some of their guns. I hear that +P ammo in subcompact guns is not a good recipe for longevity if used everyday.

Yes, I would like to buy a gun and have the reasonable expectation that any ammo that I feed into it should work, but I'm a realist enough to know that I may have to narrow the choices of ammo that I feed the gun. I've been there. I gave up a sweet shooting second hand P226 because it wanted Federal primers to keep it fed. Alternately, I would have to undo all the trigger work done on it to make it so good. In the end, I sold the gun to somebody who could keep it fed.

Earlier in the thread, you said that EAA used a particular brand or type of ammo and the gun performed well in their tests. Is the brand or type of ammo not acceptable for your purposes? Or is it simply unavailable where you live?

EAA said they used RN ammo if I remember right.I don't want to shoot RN ammo. And also, I live in Curlew Washington and 10mm ammo is not available. I have to order it online and have it shipped to me.

[CAMPMEAT]

Campmeat: just to be sure you understood my reply. You don't have to personally have purchased it from Davidson's. Your dealer may have used Davidson's as their supplier. All you do is call the # I listed & give them the s/n & they will tell you if it is one of theirs. If so then happy days are ahead. I'm hoping for you!

Oh, Ok. Now I get it. I'll call on Monday to see then. I did not know this. I did tell the shop I bought it from, that I wanted my money back. They said it was over 30 days since I purchased it. It was, but it was at EAA for that month for warrenty work.... go figure huh !

[david s]

Back in the dark days (pre Mec-Gar mags) Henning was able to at least get a mag spring combo together that ran ammo in my Hunter. He is a wealth of knowledge and it seems like you don't want him to try and help. The gun has to run to be able to fix.

You haven't gotten any K10 mags, again the gun has to run, has to break in before anyone can help you. Last year no 10mm guns worked worth a damn with red follower mags. 20lb spring will not solve your promlem

You haven't tried shooting any other ammo just to get it to run and break in. The gunsmith at EAA tested your gun with ammo you don't want to shoot but you have not tried to duplicate his finding. As far as EAA is concerned you have a ammo problem. It's a fact, all gun will not shoot all ammo. It seems like if your gun doesn't shoot the ammo you bought---- it's broken. EAA is not going to help until you help yourself.

The guys at Double Tap ammo are big time into 10mm and hunting, get their recomendation for bear ammo. I'm betting the say FMJ.

[CAMPMEAT]

Campmeat: I feel your frustration because I'm having FTF's with the nose hitting the side of the barrel/chamber in my Limited 10mm.

Did your gun come from Davidson's? They are a major wholesaler. If you don't know call 928-776-8055. IF it originated from Davidson's they will give you a brand new gun & pay the shipping both ways! I know because I just sent my 2nd Limited back for a 3rd.

This way you can sell a NIB gun and move on if you don't want to try it out. Maybe you just got a lemon. I love ny Limited which is why I'm sticking it out. BTW: my issue seemed to be with factory or handloads with a OAL LESS than 1.248. My feed lips appear to be in spec.

I hope yours came thru Davidson's. Their lifetime warranty is for real - no BS!

Just called. Didn't come from them.

[notjustanothermini]

the the original poster.

i was in the same boat as you, i bought my full size wonder finish EAA witness last december.

untill the other week ago, (ordered a K10 mag from Hennings) i was unable to shoot my gun more than 2 times in a row with a fully loaded 15 round mag. and if i only loaded 8 id be able to shoot 3 or 4o in a row until jamming the nose of the bullet on the feed ramp.

there is nothng wrong with you gun, nothing at all, quite the opposite, tight tolerances need good everything to work, including mags, which, with the red followers just flat out suck.

you will need to heavily modify the follower and leading edge of the magazine to get it to work some of the time. you need to trim the follower legs, bevel the from and rear edges of the follower, install a extra power wolf mag spring and drastically bend an upward angle into the top front of the new mags spring, also you could bend the factory one like wise

even with all this, the red follower mags are hit and miss at best. even with all that done to my mags, they still wouldnt get through a full mag with out at least one jam.

then the other weed ago i got a package from hennings, with 2 new K10 mags.

guess what, not one jam in 200 rounds of .40 sw and 150 rounds of 10mm underwood ammo 165g jhp, and 100 rounds of underwood ammo 165g JHP.

so 400 rounds and the magazine functioned fine with both 10mm and .40 ( i have a .40 barrel for it). i know it stinks to have to get a mag that sticks out the bottom to make the gun work, but those are the breaks at the moment.

but, rest assured that the gun is not the issue. a sig will not work with a sub par mag either, nor a HK, Glock, para, etc. all guns need at least a half way decent mag to function 100%

your gunsmith sound like a bit of a drama queen if you ask me. dont let him get your feathers all ruffled up.

buy the new mags, they will work.

[notjustanothermini]

what is happening with the red follower mags is this, Number one they suck, let me explain why.

during recoil, there is a heck of alot of crazy force being applied in every which way to everything on the gun. one of these forces is the muzzle flip (i know witness/cz= slide in frame design, not much, but it is there) and the muzzle flip, forces the rounds in the magazine to nose dive really quick and come back up and all should be well (in a well designed mag, at least) but in the case of the "red follower" the poor design of it, it tilts, and hangs up and does not get the rounds back up against the feed lips with proper tension quick enough before the slide strips one out (or tries to) and then the round being rather leval instead of pointing up at the ramp, causes the classic nose dive jam.

couple this with a heavier recoil spring, and the slide is going shut a lot quicker than normal, and gives the rounds less time to "line back up" in the mag and be angled how they should. also the stronger recoil springs put more recoil force to the mag as well, and two fold make the situation so bad you (as well as I) will want to take a band saw to the darn gun. ( i told eaa this, exactly like that, "i will take a band saw to this gun!!") but know that it is a mag. not the gun.

and B.S. to eaa for telling you to use Round Nose. who the hell buys a 10mm to use round nose, and then were the hell can you fing "round nose" 10mm's at. all the FMJ's i ever seen have a JHP bullet profile, flat nose FMJ's.

with my new mags, the k10's, i have shot honady 155g JHP's , double tap variety pack (4 different wieght JHP's), winchester silver tips, PMC gold 170g JHP's, and underwood ammo 165g and 180g JHP's and a myriad of .40sw through it. as well as blazer 200g FN FMJ's. not a single issue, other than a somewhat dirty gun.

also finding a "JHP bullet that fits" is also a bunch of crap. at least for the 10mm, who wants to shoot weak .40sw leval factory loads out of it. not i, i bought a 10mm for nuclear bomb type of rounds, the kind that go off, it feels like someone shot you in the face with a potato gun filled with paper towels.

new mags and you will love it.

[NeilH]

the OP is not the only one with this issue. I am an experienced shooter and gun 'tinkerer'. As others have said, no amount of polishing, mag adjustment will solve this issue; it will improve, but until you use the K10 mags you will not solve the issues. The K10s do not stick out too much and in fact any decent machinist will be able to cut the K10s and re-bend to compact specs.

As for advice on round nose, JHP and FMJ, this gun (as per OPs description) is for bear defense, it therefore needs to be able to swallow a healthy diet of heavy lead.

With a lot of polishing, K10 mags and filing of the slide stop I have got my poly compact running a healthy diet of 220Gr Lead (freedom Bullet Co) atop 6.2Gr Autocomp.

Once the Op gets his Poly C working well he will need holsters - Berreta PX4 Storm (full size or compact) holsters are a perfect fit for the poly witness. Even the Blackhawk Serpa for the PX4 fits the poly perfectly with not rattle and perfect retention/release.