Witness Match observations/questions

[kevinspage]

Hi! I’ve owned a Match full size steel frame 45ACP for two years now. It’s been a great pistol but it took some work to get it there.

The first issue I had was light strikes. I tried a variety of ammo but continued to have fail to fire issues.

The problem turned out to be the firing pin and the auto safety built into the slide. The safety pin that contacts the body and blocks the firing pin had caused a metal fleck to be sheared off of the pin. Clearing this helped but after a few hundred more rounds the light strikes returned.

The ultimate cure was the Henning firing pin. It’s longer, lighter and harder.

I was not able to fit it and continue to use the auto slide safety so the stock safety pin, spring and firing pin creating the metal flecks were removed.

I have not had a failure to fire since, so I feel very confident in the pistol now.

The new Henning firing pin always slides free and easy when I test it with a punch.

I also replaced the sear with a Henning sear which using a tip I found on the web was relatively easy. Cutting the shaft of a q-tip the same width as the sear to hold the spring while reinserting the sear was the key. I had to file the arm of the sear that intersects the safety lever to fit it properly.

The trigger is crisp and the harder alloy should help keep that crispness longer.

One issue I am still dealing with is sighting.

I purchased a laser built into a 45ACP round. It projects a spot near were the bullet hits to the far right of the center straight line of the pistol frame. The pistol shoots far right. I clamped it and fired 27 rounds all to the right.

I have had to adjust the rear sight all the way to the left to compensate.

I can hit leaves floating in the stream 25 yards up and down from my position quickly turning from up to downstream so I feel confident in the pistol is acting as a natural extension of my arm. It hits what you point at.

I would like the trajectory of the bullet to be parallel to the frame of the pistol.

Would a barrel swap affect this?

I have read that slight changes to the exit point at the muzzle and the rifling at that point can have a big impact on the direction the bullet leaves the barrel.

Is there a guide to tweaking the barrel end/rifling to adjust the bullets trajectory as it leaves the barrel?

With the rear sight adjusted to its extreme left the pistol is sighted but in darkness during quick fire I fall back to using the frame of the pistol to aim. I would like to have the trajectory parallel. There is also the aesthetics to consider. The rear sight looks pretty stupid cranked all the way to the left.

I have purchased 7, 10 round magazines. None of them hold ten rounds. After breaking in they still will not fit 10 rounds. If you try the gun will jam as the 10^th round is too tight in the magazine.

I cut one coil from the magazine spring and shaved the base plate with the Dremel to achieve 10 rounds.

The other issue is with laser/light options attached under the frame. All that I have purchased have failed by 50 rounds due to the shock of firing. The accessory rail pealed right through the plastic on one of the cheaper ones.

Please recommend a red laser and a red laser/light combo you know will endure the shock of this pistol.

Green lasers are ok for daylight but give away your position at night.

Thanks!

~Kevin.

[Nealio]

I don't know how a pistol could be that far off with its sights. Are you sure it's not how you are shooting it?

[spara]

I've had problems with the adjustable factory rear sight on my Tanfoglios, including a Witness Match. I replaced the front and rear sights with Hennings sights and problem solved. Point of aim is consistent with a six o'clock hold.

[jmbaccolyte]

Worst I ever saw was having to push the rear sight a little less than half way off center. That was a mil spec 1911 made by Springfield in the late 1980s, but it was very accurate for the money. When I did my part, it would keep three rounds in 1.25" at 50 feet- two hands standing. Unfortunately, I sold it to a friend after my employer decided I could no longer carry a single action pistol. Sorry for the thread drift- I was about to go into the cars I regret selling, lol!

[dwildemn]

Not directly related to above but fits the forum title - My Witness Match has recently started doubling and went full auto on my first mag last time out. I have Henning's trigger and firing pin/spring. The problem I see is that the firing pin safety is catching the sear when it passes over it. With the safety in place, I cannot cycle the pistol manually and have the hammer stay cocked - when I remove it it seems fine. When I see the pic on EAA's site, mine looks taller but very poor detail on the pic. Not an expensive part (shipping costs more) so am thinking about grinding it down to be flush with the rail it fits into. Only about 3000 rounds thru it so wear on parts shouldn't be an issue. Somewhat mechanically challenged so any thoughts would be appreciated.

[himurax13]

Holy large font Batman.

I picked up a new Witness Match Elite in .45 ACP a few months ago and it had been excellent out of the box. I have done zero modifications to it and it has functioned flawlessly and the trigger is nice right out of the box. I have not had any of the firing pin issues or mag issues that you have described. It helps to keep the mags loaded overnight to get the springs to set.

As far as your sighting issue is concerned, make sure that the rear sight itself is centered with all of the sight adjustments centered.

[MrPostman]

Not directly related to above but fits the forum title - My Witness Match has recently started doubling and went full auto on my first mag last time out. I have Henning's trigger and firing pin/spring. The problem I see is that the firing pin safety is catching the sear when it passes over it. With the safety in place, I cannot cycle the pistol manually and have the hammer stay cocked - when I remove it it seems fine. When I see the pic on EAA's site, mine looks taller but very poor detail on the pic. Not an expensive part (shipping costs more) so am thinking about grinding it down to be flush with the rail it fits into. Only about 3000 rounds thru it so wear on parts shouldn't be an issue. Somewhat mechanically challenged so any thoughts would be appreciated.

If you have the older version of the Henning xl firing pin, it is just round with no firing pin safety cut out so it will not work with the firing pin safety. The new style does have the cut for it. Which one do you have?

[dwildemn]

i have the newer one with the safety cut out. Thanks.

Edited May 10, 2015 by dwildemn

[MrPostman]

Sounds like either the part is out of spec or installed incorrectly.. Personally I would just leave the firing pin block out since it does add weight to the trigger pull which you don't want.

[BeerBaron]

Sounds like either the part is out of spec or installed incorrectly.. Personally I would just leave the firing pin block out since it does add weight to the trigger pull which you don't want.

CZ one does, tanfoglio one is the opposite. spring is pushing down on the sear (less weight on the trigger). i do agree to chuck it though as it's one more part that can (and does) go wrong and it's safety benefit is highly dubious given the way it operates.

as for your shooting right problem it's true getting the barrel re-crowned 'might' and I stress the word 'might' fix it. should not be expensive to have a local gunsmith cut you a new crown.

[MrPostman]

Yep Beer Baron is right about the block and trigger pull. After doing some reading on the subject it seems to be a poor design. The spring pushing down on the firing pin block and conversely the sear leg is what disengages the firing pin block when the trigger is pulled. It is the complete opposite as the firing pin block on a CZ is pushed up to disengage the block. So what you have is one little spring that you have to depend on to release the block on the Tanfo.......