Hi-Power Jack Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Thinking of buying one for CCW. Not going to put lots of ammo thru it - just practice a bit with +P+ loads, and carry it a lot. Any input? Anybody have one - or used one? What do you like about it? What do you hate about it? Any better SA/DA metal guns on the market for CCW? Thanks Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 If you're looking into alloy frames you might look at TriStar (Canik) which is a Turkish made CZ variant; I really like my full size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkmccoy Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) Jack, Are you asking about the CZ75 Compact L? That's an alloy frame compact gun. I may have missed something, but I've never seen an alloy frame Witness. I don't have any experience with the CZ's, but I can comment on the EAA Witness compact. As far as carry goes... I carry a steel frame compact Witness (.45ACP) everywhere it's legal. It's a little heavy, but I wear good holster belts and don't have any trouble. I use a Safariland holster with a custom kydex paddle and it's quite comfortable and easily concealable (even under a Hawaiian shirt in the summer). I really like being able to carry it with a round in the chamber, hammer down, safety on. The pistol shoots well and is reasonably comfortable. Same ammunition capacity as my 1911 in a smaller and lighter gun. Overall I think it's a great carry gun. It's what I chose. Cheers, Kelly Edited March 10, 2014 by jkmccoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hammer down and safety on??? Most CZ pattern pistols will fire in DA with the safety on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkmccoy Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 John, I certainly wouldn't question your expertise, and it may be that we are discussing different pistols. I have almost no experience with CZ's and really can't comment on them. The original question asked about an "EAA Compact L". As far as I know there isn't an alloy frame compact pistol imported by EAA. EAA does import compact Witnesses and I commented on carrying a steel frame compact Witness. I'm quite certain that on my compact Witness (and my TZ75 and every other Witness Will or I have owned while they were still DA/SA) with the hammer down and safety on the trigger and hammer are locked and it can NOT be fired. You had me so worried I went upstairs, got my compact out of my briefcase, unloaded it and tested. I also got the TZ out of the safe and checked it. Cheers, Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Very interesting... I'll have to check mine when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerburgess Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Very interesting... I'll have to check mine when I get home. It will depend on how tall your hammer hooks are and how tight you safety is fit. The safety holds the sear down and as the hammer comes back the hammer hooks lift the sear. If the hammer is close to stock and the safety is tight that will prevent the sear from moving enough to let the hammer move fare enough to be able to be released and fire. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I'll be damned! None of them will. My first DA Witness had a loose safety and would, I guess I just assumed they all would. There's that saying about assumptions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronicTwitch Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I've picked up a couple eaa's in the lgs and was surprised to get the safety engaged while the hammer was down. I was expecting a true copy of cz but that was a noticeable delta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Are you asking about the CZ75 Compact L? That's an alloy frame compact gun. Kelly, that's the one. I got a nice price on one, customized, and it looks good (photo), but I've never seen actual gun or hefted it. Anyone have any experience with these CZ75 Compact L's? Thanks, Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkmccoy Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Jack, Sorry I can't help you. I have almost zero experience with CZ's and I've never even held the model you're referring to. John had some comments in your other thread. I do have substantial experience (competition and carry) with the Italian made Witnesses (sort of CZ clones). But, as noted above there is a basic design difference in the safeties so my comments on those guns don't apply to the CZ. John, Biker and Ironic, The safety has always been a feature that I really like on the Witnesses. Because you can engage the safety with the hammer down you don't have to rely only on the long DA trigger pull. Because the safety locks the sear (and thus the hammer and the trigger) engaging the safety pretty much locks up the gun. We had a CZ Shadow in the house briefly a couple of months ago and the difference in the safety was one of the first things we noticed. On the CZ you couldn't engage the safety with the hammer down. Cheers, Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmbaccolyte Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Thinking of buying one for CCW. Not going to put lots of ammo thru it - just practice a bit with +P+ loads, and carry it a lot. Any input? Anybody have one - or used one? What do you like about it? What do you hate about it? Any better SA/DA metal guns on the market for CCW? Thanks Jack Jack- Why +P+ loads? Momma always told me that regular velocity jacketed factory hollowpoints in 9mm and up were sufficient as long as I got good training, practiced religiously and placed my shots. She said that very powerful ammo would slow down any follow-up shots that might be necessary. For CCW- Its not all metal, but I like the Tanfo full sized polymer frame. Its DA/SA, and pretty light, but a bit large and uses the same mags as my Tanfo Match (which I usually shoot for fun). I do shoot the poly enough to keep the "muscle memory" from rusting, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Not going to put lots of ammo thru it - just practice a bit with +P+ loads, Jack- Why +P+ loads? Momma always told me that regular velocity jacketed factory hollowpoints in 9mm and up were sufficient as long as I got good training, practiced religiously and placed my shots. She said that very powerful ammo would slow down any follow-up shots that might be necessary. Well, we know that Momma is always right, BUT I don't have good training, I don't train religiously, and can't place my shots. Seriously, I've heard that the Illinois State Police have had hundreds of shootings with +p+ 9mm ammo, and have NEVER hit anyone who returned effective fire. So, I have a few boxes of +P+ ammo, and I'm planning on carrying them - just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmbaccolyte Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Like in real estate, its location, location, location. A .44 Mag and a .357 Mag are essentially equal for one shot stops, according to the FBI officer-involved shooting stats. That means to me that power is not the deciding factor. And didn't W.D.M. Bell harvest 1,100 elephants with a deer rifle in the late 1800s/early 1900s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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