Tanfoglio Witness Match

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I've been shooting my full size, steel frame Witness (circa 2005) in my local shooting league's Combat matches. I originally bought my pistol in .38 Super, but then I purchased conversion kits in .40, .22, and finally 9mm (since 9mm ammo is the least expensive for me to shoot in the matches). My Witness wore a set of gorgeous birdseye maple handles from Sam at www.czgrips.us and the gun has been flawless in every caliber, except for needing quality high velocity .22 ammo to function well in rimfire.

I saw a new Witness Match on GunBroker and I didn't know Tanfoglio was making them with a tactical rail. I really like the idea of a home defense gun with a quality light attached. I never use the double action aspect of my Witness so this Match looked really neat.

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Match021.jpg

Two guys at work both want to buy my Witness, so I figured it was time to upgrade to the Match. This Match is in .40 S&W caliber and I'd consider using it as a duty gun as well...if I can ever find a duty holster that will hold it and a light.

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I picked up my new Match on Christmas Eve and it's really great! The trigger pull is amazing. Zero overtravel. The pull measures just a hair over 5 pounds right now. I think it will lighten up when I shoot it. I tried my 9mm conversion kit and it seems to work just fine, but I'm excited to shoot it. The case the Match comes in is very well made. It comes with a plastic cleaning rod handle that has free spinning brass threaded sections along with a patch holder tip, swab, nylon brush and a brass brush.

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The Match's barrel is 4 3/4", a 1/2" longer than the standard Witness barrel/slide combo. There is definitely some extra weight out on the muzzle that can be felt.

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I really like the two tone look and my birdseye maple handles look and feel perfect too!

My Witness cost me $269 brand new in 2005 from CDNN. This Match was $530. I think these Tanfoglio pistols are of absolutely the best quality. My Witness has never failed to feed, fire, or eject with any of the three centerfire calibers. Despite changing calibers, each slide/barrel combo shoots to center of aim every time.

I really think the Tanfoglio Witness (imported by EAA) is one of the best values on the handgun market.

I can't wait to shoot my new, single action Match pistol!

-Steve
 
Congratulations, I have always thought those looked cool. Never seen one with wood grips before.
 
Wow, nice pictures and write up too. I've been shooting my new Elite Match 10mm lately and loving it!! You did good, nice score. Kevin.


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Nice!:)
I have a Elite Match in 10mm. I like it, I like it a lot. It fits well, runs flawlessly and is down right scary accurate. I have only been shooting handguns since Jan 09 so I'm still in the learning stage and trying to perfect my shooting skills. I'm sure if this pistol was in the hands of a more experienced shooter the groups would be much smaller. Anyhow, here's what I can do with my Elite Match at 25 yards.
10mm.jpg
 
Wow! Some great Tanfoglios and terrific pictures and great grouping!

Billnogo: The Match has a single action trigger only instead of a double action. The trigger also has two set screws to adjust overtravel down to zero and to adjust reset. It also comes with an oversize magazine release button, a "hart" or skeletonized/lightened hammer, and an extended thumb safety. The front sight is removable and the rear sight is fully adjustable for elevation and windage. The Match (or Elite Match as they are sometimes called) pistols are hand assembled at Tanfoglio's custom shop in Italy.

The Tanfoglio Witness line is based on the CZ75. I like it because I'm very used to the 1911 platform. I like to carry my pistol cocked and locked and the CZ/Tanfoglio pistol design allows this.

I like that the slide can be worked with the safety on. With the 1911, unloading a round from the chamber requires the safety to be snicked down and off before the slide can be retracted to eject a live round. With the Witness, the safety can stay on while this is performed.

I never had a problem with my 1911s, but I do like the Witness platform.

Plus, the ergonomics of the frame design fit my hands perfectly. I really like the .40 S&W cartridge and having a magazine that holds 15 of them is pretty slick.

Here is Henning Wallgren's website dedicated to the Witness and competition:

http://www.henningshootsguns.com/

Here are two message forums dedicated to the Witness as well:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showforum=159

http://www.czforumsite.info/index.php?board=27.0
 
I have a Witness Elite Match in 45 ACP and 38 Super, they are excellent guns,
I will run them against any high end 1911 anyday.

And I am not just blowing smoke even tho my handle is Smokeyloads.:D

Comon, make my day.
 
I owned my Elite Match in 45acp for some time now. It is my opinion that the Match is one of the very best deals in handguns. It will shoot with pistols that cost three or four times as much.

Best regards.


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I just picked up my witness match in 9mm on the 22nd and went straight to the range. i bought it on kind of a whim with not much research. Shot just a little low, but once i fixed the sights it was a tack driver. Looooove it. So did my friends that went to the range with me. One of them even went straight to the gun counter and bought one of his own. Kinda off topic, but i couldn't be happier with this purchase.
 
I put my fingers on one of these today. I really wanted one back in July when I was looking for a full size but there were none to be found. I still think it is a great gun and considered purchasing it but I had just enough money to get a carry gun with me.
 
Are CZ's really any better than these?
Click to expand...

Tanfoglio isnt the problem, its EAA customer service.

Tanfoglio makes a nice gun, EAA ruins it with horrible customer service.

I dont think I have read a single postive thing about EAA customer service.

That is what keeps me away and going back to CZ.
 
I own about half a dozen Witness pistols, with extra top ends for calibers they don't offer. I've had some of these pistols for over 12 years, and I've only called EAA once, because I wanted a barrel and they were the only source at that time. Other than that, I've never needed to use their customer service, since I haven't had any problems with the guns that I couldn't fix myself in a couple of minutes.

I have had two run-ins with Paul Richter at the SHOT Shows. He probably didn't get along with his dog, cat, sister, brother mother, father, or any other human being while growing up, and has gotten worse with age. He was so bad, that other employees of EAA apologized to me for his behavior after he walked away.

With that said, I will buy a Witness Match in .38 Super this coming year, and I'll probably order it at the SHOT Show next month. I don't expect to have to use EAA's customer service, so that has no influence on me when it comes to purchasing something I desire.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
my experience with EAA Witness pistols is like ReloaderFred's...

...but I haven't been to the SHOT show nor met or spoken with Paul Richter.

I currently own just a 10mm Elite Match, c/w a .22LR switch top. In the past, I've had a SS 45ACP and a .40 S&W Carry Comp package. The Carry Comp was outfitted with a second barrel and strikes me as the perfect Commander-type.

FYI--another thread about an Elite Match is here.

Jim H.
 
Nice looking gun and good write-up.

I'm a CZ shooter and like it, but it sounds like you got a gun comparable to the CZ Shadow with custom work for half the price. I'd sure like a chance to pull the trigger on the 9mm version.

Is this on the "Production" list for USPSA/IPSC? ---- I can check
 
mm6mm6: Nice pictures. I have a picture request. Could you maybe get a nice close up shot of the slide to frame fit at the rear of the gun ?
Something like this one (not my pic, just using as an example)
http://media.photobucket.com/image/slide frame fit/PlayboyPenguin/SlideFit.jpg
If you get around to it, I'd surely appreciate it.


It's an area rarely photographed on the guns I'm interested in, but also often a good indicator area of a how clean the tooling is on a build.
 
I believe the Witness Match has only come with the picatiny rail for just under a year now. I'm not sure if they all come with it now or if they can be had without the rail.

The Witness has standard rifling, not polygonal. Shoot all the lead you wish!

Hexidismal: Your wish is my command. I believe that is a Dan Wesson Commander Bobtail in the pic you linked to. I have one of them. The slide to frame fit is amazing. But so is the Witness Match's! When racking the slide back and forth without the magazine in the gun, I can feel how handfitted the slide to frame is on my Match. It's an amazing sound as the steel on steel glides back and forth. Shaking the gun side to side is silent. Grasping the slide and trying to move it back and forth laterally on the frame is like trying to pry apart a slab of granite. There is zero movement!

I showed my Witness to a bunch of guys at work. Everyone smiled when pressing the trigger. Everyone was impressed with the quality. Then I told them the price was $530 and they were amazed!

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