Witness Poly Compact 45ACP conversion

[blacksmith]

Any owners of an EAA Witness 45ACP compact poly willing to let me know if you have a single or double recoil spring? My frame has a SN EA70xxx. so if yours is near this the information should be relevant.

I found a used slide and barrel, but it does not come with a recoil spring.

Wolff set me up with a standard spring and a few more, but I keep finding references to 'dual' recoil springs.

I have a 9mm Compact poly, and it has a single recoil spring. It also has had failure to feed problems that are due to magazine design, that's why the caliber change.

I can't use the spring selector on EAA's web site 'cause my serial number comes up a 9MM. The procedure to order the correct spring that The nice lady at EAA suggested did no good. It looked like I was going to spend $10 to ship the wrong spring... I'll wait till I order some magazines and combine the order.

Aside from the FTF problems, I like the Witness SA/DA configuration and the safety design. I have a Witness 22LR/45ACP rig and like it a lot, so that’s why I chose to fix the problem by purchasing a 45ACP conversion kit... but new they are tough to get and priced about $20 lower than the discounted price of a new pistol...

paul

 

[railroader]

I think they are dual springs if I remember right. Here's a pic of one.

http://cdn.gun-tests.com/media/newspics/288/GT-7-98-7c.jpg

 

[blacksmith]

Thanks railroader

If there is a difference that is single spring versus dual spring I believe the break point in time would likely be 2005.

I almost purchased a slide that was marked Witness P, but was marked on the side of the slide instead of the top as is mine. They look similar, but on closer examination the differences were apparent. It was for sale on EBAY and had a dual spring like the one in your pic. I still find the references to the two springs, and it is mentioned on the Wolff website.

My past conversations with EAA have not been entirely helpful. I will try to call and speak to the gunsmith next week. Any more information is always useful.

paul

 

[MAKster]

Since your post didn't mention it, is your 9mm a large frame model? The conversion to 45 acp can only be done with the large frame guns.

 

[blacksmith]

Hi MAKster

Sorry about that. Yes it is the large frame. Mine is the 9MM 999106 found here:
http://eaacorp.com/index.php/guns/witness-polymer-compact-tanfoglio-69

Its going to be the 999154 when I figure out the spring stuff.

I received the barrel, slide and the magazine today. Everything fits. In 45ACP it holds 8 rounds in the mag. I have loaded the mag and see none of the feed problems the 9MM exhibits.

There is a back story to the 9MM failure to feed. It occurs primarily when you drop the slide on a full magazine, and less often after the first few rounds and never when there are only 4 left in the mag. The problem is, it seems, inherent in all the large frame *9MM mags. I tried 6 new magazines from EAA and I am sick of trying to fix that. My full size steel 45ACP Witness has never had a problem. I really like the Polymer Compact model... carrying the standard Witness is a pain, but at least I don't assume it will jam. If I get the magazine problem fixed I can go back to that slide and barrel any time I want.

Unless I am satisfied that the FTF problem is fixed I will not sell it. If I don't carry it because it might fail to operate. I will not pass it off on someone else and risk their life due to a malfunction that I was aware of.


paul

 

[MAKster]

Just checking. It very confusing since EAA website makes no mention of the small frame polymer models - like the 999244, 999044, 999066 - despite them being for sale in stores. To make it even weirder while the EAA website lists the large frame polymer SKU numbers the photo is actually the small frame version. You can tell them apart because the small frame version has a rhombus shaped piece of polymer in front of the slide release lever while on the larger frame version there are horizontal extensions coming off the bottom of that piece.

 

[TonyRumore]

You can also see the locking lug cut on the barrel of the large frame gun, at the front of the ejection port. It's not visible on the small frame. If you're comparing steel frame guns, you can't use your method to ID them.

Tony