INITIAL THOUGHTS
This is a heavy, all-steel pistol. Although I wouldn’t want to carry it concealed, it is a great choice for competition. Where repeat shots and accuracy are needed, heavy is good.
The Witness is designed on the iconic CZ 75 pistol and has many of the same features. Holding it, I tend to forget about its heft but notice how good it feels when aimed.
The silver finish stands out against the darker controls and grip panels. The contrast is striking, and a little “bling” goes a long way. Practicing a few quick-draw drills reveals that this pistol fills my hand fast and allows good control from holster to point.
FEATURES
My favorite features of the EAA Witness Stock II are its low-bore-axis barrel and well-defined iron sights. The height of the slide on the Witness is half that of a standard 1911-style pistol. Combined with a heavy match-grade barrel, recoil impulse is directed straight back and low above the grips. These features combine to keep muzzle flip to a minimum, allowing rapid sight acquisition between shots – a big help when shooting a row of plates on the clock during a match.
Despite the run to optical red dot sights, I like iron sights because they are simple and require less practice to learn. The Witness has a great set of highly visible sights. The rear sight is a black square notch that is adjustable for windage and elevation, while the front red fiber-optic bead stands out to the eye as it settles into the rear notch.
Control surfaces are oversized. The ambidextrous safety, magazine release, and slide release are big and easy to reach. Front and rear serrations on the satin stainless slide help in chambering that first round. The grips feel good due to a natural grip angle, textured grip panels, and checkered front and rear surfaces. The extended beavertail protects from hammer bite.
The Witness is a double/single action pistol. The large, curved trigger is set into an even larger squared trigger guard. The double-action squeeze is a long, heavy 11 pounds. This can be a safety advantage when carrying the pistol loaded with hammer down and safety off. The single-action squeeze is a pleasant 5 pounds with a bit of take-up.
RANGE TIME
I set up my pistol range on Area 52 with scattered steel plates and a dueling tree along with a couple of 2-liter soda jugs for good measure. Ammunition for this test was PMC Bronze 124-grain FMJ and CCI Blazer 115-grain FMJ rounds. Prior to this range trip, I fired more than 100 hand-loaded polymer-coated and jacketed bullets without any malfunctions.
The Witness draws smoothly and presents the sights quickly. Firing pushes the pistol straight back. The oversized ejection port means keeps a steady stream of brass flowing with no jams. It is fast, smooth, and reliable.
The lack of muzzle flip is noticeable, and the sight picture is well defined by the front red fiber optic. These features combine to give good shot-to-shot follow-through and accuracy.
I hit most of the dueling tree plates accurately, but the plates sometimes took two hits to move. With only one magazine, I could not reload as I would have liked, and my CZ Shadow II magazines do not interchange with the EAA Witness. What a bummer!
Recoil and kick are light and easy to manage, and the grips help to absorb the push into a straight line. Rapid fire on my steel plate was easy to control and sent a stream of brass exiting the slide. Despite different brands of ammunition, no malfunctions of any kind were encountered in this test.
Ron Calderone
Ron Calderone is a national record holder and recognized NRA competitor with a legendary background in Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Silhouette. A certified match director and former board member of the Tucson Rifle Club, Ron now enjoys retirement quail hunting with his French Spaniel and sharing his decades of competitive expertise.
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