The EAA Witness pistols have been around for several years now, and have gained a lot of respect from knowledgeable shooters. Built by Tanfoglio in Italy, the Witness is a close copy of the excellent CZ 75 design, modernized a bit and chambered for some pretty powerful cartridges, such as the 45 ACP and the 10mm Auto. The Witness uses a wide body magazine, and in the 45 ACP version shown here, holds ten cartridges, for a total loaded capacity of eleven rounds. Still, with the higher capacity than many 45 ACP steel pistols, the Witness is comfortable in most hands, and I find it to be extremely comfortable in mine. Witness pistols are available with either lightweight polymer or steel frames, with the latter version shown here. The all-steel Witness has plenty of heft, but still weighs in at just over 41 ounces, unloaded with an empty magazine in place. As mentioned above, the feel in my hand is perfection. The design of the grip locks the hand in place, and the pistol points naturally.

The Witness uses the slide-in-frame design that makes for a very smooth-running and accurate pistol. The Witness shown here, chambered in 45 ACP, was amazingly accurate for a production pistol. EAA also has some match-grade versions of the Witness, but I do not see how they could be any more accurate than this fighting pistol. Holding eleven rounds of 45 ACP, the Witness, loaded up with high-performance Plus P ammunition, is ready for a fight, should the need arise. The Witness has an integral accessory rail, for those who like to attach a light or laser sight to the pistol. The Witness can be carried with the hammer down on a loaded round, and fired double-action for the first shot, or carried cocked-and-locked, with the thumb safety applied. The Witness shown here has the ambidextrous thumb safety, but many versions of the Witness do not, so if you are a left-handed shooter, be sure to get the ambidextrous safety lever. The safety can also be “ON SAFE” when carried with the hammer down, if desired. There is no need for an ambidextrous magazine release, as it is easily reached by the trigger finger of a left-handed shooter. The Witness shown here is made primarily of steel, and wears semi-hard synthetic rubber grips. This Witness has EAA’s Wonder Finish, which is both good-looking and corrosion resistant. Contrasted with the black grips, trigger, hammer, sights, and levers, it makes for an attractive two-tone finish. I know that looks is not the main characteristic of a defensive handgun, but it never hurts to have a fine-looking pistol! The shape of the trigger is very comfortable while shooting, and the double-action pull was very smooth. The single-action pull is also very smooth. It does not release crisply like a fine match trigger, but it still works very well, making hits reliably out at extended ranges.

Critical dimensions are listed in the chart below. Weight is listed in ounces. Linear measurements are listed in inches. Trigger pull is listed as pounds of pressure.