Witness Elite Limited vs. 1911 comparison

[SandW745]

Greetings, all! EAA possible here.

I was directed to this forum by a trusted friend who is a self-proclaimed "CZ nut".

So, I'm in the process of weeding-out low- and mid-tier pistols and reinvesting in upper-tier models. I have a number of 1911s, and they fit me well, but I have a 10mm-sized hole in the collection so I'm considering an Elite Limited, mostly due to the poor availability of choices among 1911s in 10mm.

One primary concern is that all my 1911s include flat mainspring housings, which fit my hand best, but I notice that the Witness pistols seem to have more of an arch to the backstrap. I've held my buddy's CZ, and it feels great and points properly, but I haven't fired one yet.

I generally don't like to tinker with my pistols, so I'm not overly interested in the "just buy it and fix it later" perspective.

Other concerns are mostly along the lines of long-term durability with the "heavy" 10mm round, and availability of spare mags, etc. on the open marketplace.

Any insights from your experiences?

Thanks in advance!

[kneelingatlas]

I'm never really sure what to say to 1911 fans because I am decidedly not. I have shot a few, but my strong hand thumb always drags on the slide, I find the sights to feel high in the hand and the grip leaves much to be desired. The Limited on the other hand has a slide in frame design which allows you to take a high grip without interfering with the slide, I higher beaver tail and excellent ergonomics.

That being said, I know 1911 guys pride themselves on their crisp triggers; if you like light triggers (read less than 2.5#) the Limited may be a disappointment out of the box. I'm a real trigger snob, so the CZ Tactical Sport has been the only trigger I was overly impressed with straight out of the box (tuned up it's really awesome ).

[Dugiv]

I consider myself a fan of the 1911 and have almost bought one but each time i get a witness instead. I love the 10mm but 1911 options (non custom) are limited in that regard. I think an elite limited would suite you nicely and would hold up to heavy 10mm loads without issue as long as you use the correct weight recoil spring, 18-22lb. As for the grip angle I feel in love with the CZ design and admittedly my favorite 1911 wan an SVI with it's CZ esque design. The availability of mags is great and affordable not to mention much higher capacity than a 1911.

Hope this helps.

[Kingman]

I can't speak on the 10mm part other than I have always drooled over the delta elite.

Fusion Firearms makes a 2011 in 10mm, pretty cool high cap

I have both guns listed, both are great, both are accurate. I like high cap 1911 read 2011 frames better.

For production I choose a cz or eaa, for limited I shoot an sti, I like the cycle better on the sti. Everyone claims barrel height is greater on the 1911, but I would venture if you measured it's not much.

[kneelingatlas]

Everyone claims barrel height is greater on the 1911, but I would venture if you measured it's not much.

It's not the barrel that's high, but your hand that's low. Here's a picture of a Limited superimposed on a 1911:

As you can see, the pistol is essentially the same size and shape, the biggest difference is the beaver tail. The beaver tail of the Limited is cut higher so you can get a higher grip, sinking the pistol lower in your hand.

[Intercooler2]

The RIA has a bull barrel and some neat features. I had a Dan Wesson Razorback and sold it to buy a Limited. It's heavier in the front which I hated in the Razorback being light. It also didn't digest 220's well but not my EAA pieces. You can also look at a Match because it has a lot of front end heft. You may also want to look at a Kimber, Nighthawk or Wilson Combat as well. Me personally I like the Witness pieces and the capacity. I will never own a 1911 again.

[Kingman]

Did some measuring.

[Kingman]