My "new" small frame custom and some comparison pics

[djb25]

Hi everyone,

I recently picked up a used small frame Witness. It's a "competition" frame model. I'm not 100 percent sure when it was produced, as the date code stamp was very poorly done and is completely unreadable. I did call EAA about the pistol, but I forgot to ask them when it was produced.

The woman at EAA did say that it should be a 9x21 "Gold Team" model - which is interesting, because the pistol as received has a 9x19 barrel and no compensator.

Here's a "before" photo taken by the seller before I received the pistol:

The pistol is actually not a long slide model, which I frankly didn't realize until I received the pistol. Not a big deal, but I was surprised to find it was a 4.5" barrel pistol. Of course, it also did not have a removable front sight, but I knew that from the beginning.

The trigger is interesting - it is a flat trigger that uses the same reset spring setup as Henning's trigger. I have seen the same trigger in other early competition models, so I think it is a factory part.

The hammer is also a bit strange. It looks more or less identical to the current "heart shaped hammers" but it isn't quite the same. Basically, the hooks are in a slightly different position, so the hammer, when cocked, isn't as far back as it is on newer guns. This results in more drag on the slide than is present on the later model pistols. I don't like it. It is also a DA/SA hammer. Of course, I have no idea if it is the original hammer.

Also interesting is the ambi safety. The left-handed safety is not held on by a roll pin. Instead, it slides inside the right-handed safety. They're held together by the leg of the sear spring, which also hold the entire safety in place just like with the current design.

Finally, the pistol is drilled and tapped for an optic, just like the current Limited and Gold Custom models.

So here's the pistol after a few modifications and a few parts changes:

The pistol now has a set of Eric Grauffel "Xtreme" grips and a Dawson fiber optic front sight. It also sporting a newer SAO hammer at the moment, but that is temporary...

Ok, here it is next to its "bigger" (but younger) brother, my Limited Pro in 9mm:

Of course, the Limited Pro has been converted to SAO and now also has a nice silver SAO hammer, thanks to kneelingatlas.

Here's another comparison shot:

First, the older, small frame pistol has checkering on the rear of the slide. Not sure why it is there, but it is interesting.

Also, the rear sight is not the same as the one on the Limited Pro. The serrations do not run up the entire sight blade, and the blade is angled back much more than on the newer pistol. Also, the Pro sight has LPA stamped on it, while the older sight has no manufacturer name.

Another comparison:

The older pistol is also checkered on the underside of the trigger guard. The checkering is also much nicer on the small frame, although it is significantly sharper on the newer model.

I only had a chance to run a few rounds through the small frame, but it did seem to be similar, accuracy-wise, to the Limited Pro.

[kneelingatlas]

Did you machine a dovetail for the front sight?

[djb25]

Yes and no.

I milled off the original sight and milled out the recess for the sight.

Then I tried to machine the dovetail, but it is so tiny that I snapped my end mill on the second pass. I ended up filing the dovetail by hand. It wasn't terrible, but I'm not looking forward to doing it again.

[praetorian97]

Man you did a sweet job with that! Nice work Captain!

[Storz]

Wow that is awesome, wanna mill another slide for a site like that?

I just picked up a small frame yesterday.