EAA Windicator

[SIGfiend]

Anyone own one or know of them? Let us hear it.

Also, does anyone know what these features mean exactly?

http://www.eaacorp.com/handguns-witness-revolvers-windicator-description.html

(1) "Floating firing pin" -What's that do differently from a fixed firing pin?

(2) "Heavy duty crane" -What's a crane???

(3) "Steel firing train" -Don't most guns on the market have this? If not what metal do they use?

 

[tbeb]

I've never owned one. I've heard double action trigger pull is heavy, and one shouldn't fire much .357 magnum ammo (if revolver is that caliber). You can do a "search" in the revolver forum and hear what owner's have to say. I'm sure some will reply here too.

A floating firing pin is in the frame. Hammer strikes firing pin and firing pin strikes cartridge primer. A fixed firing pin is attached to the hammer. The crane is the part between the frame and cylinder. I have never heard of a "firing train".

 

[Standing Wolf]

I just looked at the page. It's apparent some marketing individual who's not knowledgeable about revolvers was tasked with concocting bullet points. If I were to come up with:

• Latest curved trigger technology
• Round cylinder with fully machined flutes
• Integral grip frame for extra strength
• Adjustable rear sight
• Easy thumb-operated cylinder release

you'd have to figure me for being awfully clueless.

 

[SIGfiend]

This gun isn't considered a Saturday Night Special is it? At the low price point I question it, but on the other hand it is German made and them churning out junk doesn't sound like the German work ethic/pride in quality the world knows.

 

[Ash]

Oh, but the Germans have indeed put out unmitigated crap in the past. Almost any .22 SAA out of Germany in the 1950's and 60's is crap. Also, keep in mind that RG is Rhome, out of Germany, and none of their revolvers were worth much more than use as fishing weights. Indeed, most of the zinc-framed revolvers, most of the Saturday Night Specials, were German made. The Windicators are made by the same company that used to make Arminius revolvers (Weirarch, post war). They are certainly not of the same quality as Sauers or Walthers. I would rate them as the same quality as a Rossi or Charter Arms revolver, not a Ruger or S&W.

Ash

 

[unspellable]

quality?

I'll say that Rossi beats out the Windicator for overall design and quality of manufacture.

The Windicator looks functional, but also looks clunky and the finish is not as good as Rossi's.

BTW: The name "Windicator" is a bit of PC. It was originally called the "Vindicator" and then the name was changed to "Windicator". I forget the details, but it was for reasons of political correctness.

Years ago we had an RG in 22 LR. It went bang on cue. It never blew up. Given the price, I don't know that you are entitled to ask much more than that. On the other hand, I've heard stories about RG's that didn't go bang on cue, or even went KB, so maybe we were lucky.

Guess I'd have to the say the Windicator is a better piece than the old RG.

We are doing comparetive road tests on junk! The Rossi is the only one here that barely makes it out of the junk category.

 

[SIGfiend]

I always knew there was a hidden connotation behind the windicator's name. The fact it sounds too similar to a real word is evidence enough.

The gun is really made by Weihrauch--which we should be calling it instead.

Weihrauch also manufactures pellet rifles that are world-class, so it'd seem atypical of them to make junk real guns and excellent pellet guns.

 

[Standing Wolf]

...on the other hand it is German made and them churning out junk doesn't sound like the German work ethic/pride in quality the world knows.

Trabant.

 

[mountaindrew]

I just bought a windicator in .357 and it seems to be perfectly functional to me. I shot several cylenders of .357s and about 50 rd of .38 special, and it was very acurate. The gun is clunky and heavy, however the grip is very ergonomic, especialy for those with small hands. I t is really not any heavier than a comparable size k-frame 2 inch or a security six 2.5 inch at about 30oz. The trigger is a little heavy, but not unbearably so. I think I got a great deal for $130 (used)

 

[SIGfiend]

Okay so why are these things so low-priced...

 

[unspellable]

Windicator

I said the Windicator was better than the RG.

 

[Ash]

As I said, they are comparible to the Charter Arms offerings (in addition to Rossi, but I don't know Rossi's that much). Why they are so cheap...perhaps it is that SIG's and H&K's are so expensive. If the Germans can make a plain-jane basic but otherwise serviceable revolver...

Of course, why are Witnesses so cheap, comparibly, when they are such a good design? Perhaps it lies in the finishing of the Windicator, the over all tolerences of the revolver, or just that the mark-up is so low because there is not the slavish following other brands might have. There is almost no advertising for the Windicator, and it is under the EAA umbrella, not Weihrauch or Tanfoglio (or Baikal last year).

Ash

 

[unspellable]

costs

Contributing factors in low cost:

The Rossi has a better design and better finish than the other three, but has the advantage of low cost labor in Brazil. I'd nominate it as the best of the four. In fact it's good enough to just make it up out of the junk category.

The Charter Arms has a rather simple design for a revolver with fewer manufacturing operations than most, the finish is Plain Jane. Servicable. I'd nominate it as second best of the four.

The Windicator is also a rather simple design for a revolver with fewer manufacturing operations than most, the finish, if it can be said to have one, is a quick and dirty job. Servicable. I'd nominate it as third best of the four.

The RG's are just plain junk, using pot metal castings for some of the parts and minimal fitting. Not really servicable. I'd nominate it for fifth place out of the four.

 

[SIGfiend]

why are other people mentioning other brands??? im only talking about the windicator here!

by looking at weihrauch's other offerings, it makes me wonder how it can be poorly made:

http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/englisch/e_startseite/e_index.htm

i mean look at the quality of the airguns they sell, theyre rather top of the line. ill be darned if their airguns are better than their real guns

 

[coltrane679]

Perhaps it's just me, but this REALLY turns me off:

"Note: (*) Alloy model cannot be sold in SC, WI, Il or other states or cities with frame melt point laws."

http://www.eaacorp.com/handguns-witness-revolvers-windicator-TP.html

I'll take a used Ruger, please.

 

[Ash]

If Rhome came out with a modern revolver, one that was good quality, one would still suspect because of the crap they used to make. Arminius wasn't as bad as some, but they were not high quality (talking about post war Arminius). Weihrauch made some real low-brow products in the past. Just because Daewoo makes good rifles, does that mean their cars are good? Or, with Yugo's history, would you buy a new one?

Yet, that said, the Windicator is not a bad revolver. It is not in the class of RG, the earlier Arminius products, Clerkes, or akin to Jennings/Lorcin/Davis/etc. The Windicator is a plane-jane basic revolver without any frills and with at best, moderate fit and finish. Guntests trashed it pretty bad (but Guntests is not scientific at all and their conclusions are nothing more than anecdotal). The alloy frame revolvers are zinc with a low melting point (just like the old Saturday Night Specials, which is why the laws ban them). Any company that makes a zinc revolver is already dancing with the devil. In any case, the steel-framed ones are not bad. They're just not great. They are not to the revolver world that Walther or Sauer is to the auto world. If it were an auto, the Windicator would be a Llama (which is a darn sight better than Lorcin).

Ash

 

[mfree]

"Just because Daewoo makes good rifles, does that mean their cars are good?"

Mine was excellent, till I tried to knock over the center divider on I-40 with it

 

[unspellable]

llamas

I have owned two or three Llamas, still have one. They all worked well, no problems. Finish better than a Windicator.

I had an AMT, it was a jammomatic.

I had another supposedly quality pocket piece like the AMT, it was not as bad as the AMT, but still jammed pretty regular.

I would rate Llamas as clearly of better quality than a Windicator.

The AMT and the whazzit had better finish than a Windicator but they wouldn't go bang when they were supposed to. From what I've heard the Windicator will at least go bang.

(Reminds me of an old story about a Purdey that wouldn't go bang.)

 

[Ash]

My Llama IX-III was reliable but not accurate at all. Finish wasn't too good (some kind of black phosphate) and machinging was crude. Based on my experience, I would indeed rate the Windicator alongside the Llama. Others have different experiences but this is mine.

Ash

 

[SIGfiend]

"Any company that makes a zinc revolver is already dancing with the devil."

Why?

 

[Ash]

My point there is that the once racist-termed-but-not-in-this-case Saturday Night Specials, the cheap, poor quality revolvers made in the 1950's, 60's and 70's were zinc-framed. Just like Lorcin, Jennings, Raven, Davis, and now Cobra autos, which are crap (and perhaps the ultimate evolution of the SNS, considering they are the pistols most used in urban crime), the earlier revolvers were, well, crap and any company that produced a revolver with a zinc frame, even if the revolver weren't terribly bad (no zinc revolver is good), is keeping one foot in the dark side of the force.

Put it another way, the aforementioned Lorcins et al. are crap, which we all know (for this discussion, anything made by Haskel, Hi-Point, Beemiller, etc are ignored), are all single action, striker-fired, blow-back operated, zinc framed automatics. Now, if SIG or H&K, or Glock came out with a zinc-framed, single action, striker-fired blowback, they would be producing something in the same class as a Lorcin or Bryco. Now, arguably, a SIG made pistol of Lorcin design would be better made. Conversely, a 220 design made by Lorcin would be poorly made. Yet, if SIG were to make said zinc auto, they would be "Dancing with the devil" in that they would be making an auto of the same overall construction as the modern day SNS.

SIG would not think of making a zinc auto. They use aluminum alloys, which are much, much better than zinc, but also much more expensive to machine. There is just about no machining in a zinc auto, their frames, slides, grip serations, indeed most features are not machined but cast in that configuration already (which is why zinc autos are so cheap). Any company that did resort to a zinc-framed auto would already be admitting that they are willing to produce something in the same class as the SNS.

By the way, zinc has such a low melting point, you can melt it with a common blow torch. If you doubt me, take any modern penny, put it on a hunk of steel such as a vice, and apply heat. They melt quickly because they are mostly zinc. You could take a Jennings and try the same experiment, but a penny is cheaper than $45.

That Weihrauch is willing to produce a zinc-framed revolver, which is exactly what the old SNS was, then they are "Dancing with the devil" of the Saturday Night Special. They might not be in bed with him, the way RG, Rhome, (and even Weirarch was with some of their Arminius revolvers, many of which were indeed zinc SNS's) were, or Lorcin, Jennings, Davis, Ravin, Corbra, and the like were and are still today. Yet, they have their foot in that cauldron of zinc that they pour to make some revolvers.



As such, they dance, man they dance.

Ash

 

[Onmilo]

Weihrauch is a pieces parts manufacturer.
They produce, among other things, very high quality small caliber hunting and sport shooting rifles marketed mainly in Germany and France.
They also continue to produce a low cost line of 'servicable' handguns.
These handguns tend to turn up, in one form or another, in all countries that still allow the private possession of handguns.
Perhaps there are some here old enough to remember the old 'Arminius' and 'Herters' lines of revolvers, same manufacturer.
The handguns they produce are 'servicable', some even good enough to be used in informal sport shooting events, but the quality is no where near the same league as the top American and Brazilian manufacturers.

They gun will serve you well enough until you can save up and buy something better.

 

[Ash]

Another way to look at it is that Weihrauch, in producing steel Windicators, is redeming themselves from their SNS past. For example, Robert Byrd of West Virginia was once a member of the KKK. Now, he gets re-elected over and over again, odd since he was indeed a Klansman, even odder being a Democrat (not really, as they are the epitome of hypocracy, but I digress), but he does because he claims it was all a youthful mistake, the results of peer pressure, and that he never was nor is today a racist. It is up to you to ponder whether or not he is a liar. Bob Byrd was once in bed with the devil as a Klansman. He got out and now claims to be reformed. Now, lets just pretend RG, Clerke, etc were the Klan (no, not really, I know, but just humor me). When Weihrauch abandoned the Arminius brand, many of which were indeed SNS's (some were not, to be true), they took off their hoods.

But, they still produce some zinc framed revolvers. That means that while they don't pay their Klan dues, don't show up for rallies, don't wear their white hoods, don't burn crosses, they still do some Klan-like things. Bob Byrd might still tell an off-color joke about ethnic minorities (only in private, of course). He might not be in the Klan, but in uttering such a joke, he would still be keepping one foot in his past. In truth, I cannot say if Democrat Byrd is anyway keeping his roots as a member of a violent racist organization(according to many, a leapard cannot change his spots, but who am I to say). He might be truly reformed. There are those who believe that George Wallace was repentent as well. In the same vein, the Windicator might be completely shed of its SNS past relatives. Yet, in having a zinc-framed brother, it still keeps that hood around somewhere.

Now, before anybody gets their panties in a wad, the above example is just that, an example with no basis in fact. I do not claim that Weihrauch is a supporter of the KKK, the Nazi party, or any racist group. I do not say that any of the SNS manufacturers were in any way racist or part of any such group. I only admit that Robert Byrd was once a member of the KKK, by his own admission. I do not even claim that SNS's were or are in any way as bad as such groups (even if gun banners want to associate all firearms with such groups). But, just as the KKK in modern guise is, well, crap, SNS's and most firearms made from zinc are crap, even if their smell is different.

And any member of the Klan can still be a bank president or senator. They can still do good things. Ford did make the Pinto, Chevy did make the Monza, VW did make the Rabbit Diseal.

Ash

 

[Ash]

Now, Arminius revolvers made prior to WWII were NOT made by Weihrauch and are of a different quality. It would be as if Walther failed as a company and Lorcin started producing their pistols under the Walther name.

Ash

 

[unspellable]

Herter's revolvers

All of the Herter's revolvers I've seen were made by Saur. Saur did not have the reputation of making the best revolvers around but they weren't all that bad either, sort of middle of the pack.