Witness 9mm

[firmie54]

So I was at the local shop today and I came across one of these and I was just curious as to how good they are. I have never seen these before or heard anything about them, so I am kinda flying blind. I know there has been some good reviews and some bad ones in some searching on the internet. Is it true that you can get caliber changing kits for these? Any and all information on the firearm would be greatly appreciated.

[bassochist]

had one of these in my hands today (tanfoglio 1911) and if it was available in 9mm i had purshased one.

Edited February 11, 2012 by bassochist

[J-Ho]

A witness can be a great gun. The stock witness you pick up for $300-400 is an ok place to start. The higher end guns like the Limited will cost a lot more but you are able to do more to, as far as custom parts and stuff. Henning here in the dealer forum is the best place to go for parts. Prices start around $1000 for a limited. I'm not sure what country you're in but here in the US all the Tanfoglios that imported are the large frame. That's where the caliber change is easy. I just ordered a 9mm top end for my Limited. That's really all you do is buy a new barrel, slide and springs and trade it out with what you have on the gun now. EAA is the US importer and if you call them to get a caliber conversion, be wary. They don't have a very good reputation for customer service. To be honest though, Last 2 times I called, they were great. The girls on the phone were knowledgable. So hopefully things are changing there. The regular witnesses and the 'elite' series are on different frames and that is the biggest difference. same magazines and most parts but there are some differences. I still think that for the money, a Witness Match, specially one with the older sights, is one of the best guns out there for around $500.

[bassochist]

i had a limited custom 9mm myself, and that thing always worked like a charm, and they have imho the best grip there is.

[firmie54]

This would be my first hand gun purchase, is this "newbie" friendly or is it something I should wait till I have some more experience?

[59Bassman]

This would be my first hand gun purchase, is this "newbie" friendly or is it something I should wait till I have some more experience?

The Witness is a great pistol. The question is what do you intend to do with it? Most of the folks on this board are competition shooters - USPSA, IDPA, 3 gun. Are you looking at a pistol for competition? Are you looking for a pistol just take to the range and punch holes in paper? Or are you looking for a carry piece?

Depending on your answer to the question, the EAA might (or might not) be the right gun. Particularly in 9mm pistols, the world is your oyster. Before you buy, I'd suggest that if you have not yet done so, you find a range that rents handguns, and try out as many of them as you can. It'll probably cost you a pretty good chunk of change to rent a number of guns, but you'll be much better off by getting a feel for what you like and don't like.

Understand that I've come to like EAA Witness guns after some bad experiences with them in the 80's. Like the other CZ derivative guns, they can have great triggers and be very accurate. The metal frames make them easier to shoot because they are heavier (normally) than a plastic-framed gun. The real downside is parts availability.

The Glock is probably the polar opposite of the EAA. Polymer frame, mushy triggers, but it is almost a law that a gun store has to have Glocks and Glock parts to call themselves a gun store. Glock-labeled magazines are cheap, readily available, and will pretty much work regardless. EAA mags have come in different generations, with large frame and small frame variants, and it's a rare gun store that have even one EAA mag in stock. Other EAA parts are even harder to find in a gun store.

If you don't mind having to do a bit more research to find parts, and having your gun purchases be almost exclusively online rather than in a local shop, the EAA is a fantastic gun. However, for your first purchase, I'd suggest you also look at guns like the Glock 17, Smith & Wesson M&P, Springfield XD, CZ-75, Sig 226, or Beretta 92. They're all dependable, accurate pistols.