European American Armory (EAA) has been garnering attention lately with the additions to its budget priced selection of 2011-style semi-automatic pistols. The Witness2311 series, made by Girsan in Turkey, challenges the industry status quo that double-stack 1911s should cost between $1,500 to $3,000 in order to provide the features folks are looking for. The Girsan models sport suggested retail prices from $679 to $1,069, making them some of the most affordable 2011 pistols available.
While looking through EAA's online catalog recently, it was evident that the Witness2311 pistols are available in configurations for general-purpose use, competition and concealed carry. What I had hoped to find was at least one or two that could be used for handgun hunting or trail defense. And with a bit more digging, I found it!
On their website is the listing for what could be called the 'Standard' model of the Witness2311. These pistols have an all-black finish without any porting, lightening cuts or compensators. However, this is not a single model but a series of pistols with various features that can be selected from a sidebar menu found on the right side of the page. First up were the caliber options, including 9 mm, .45 ACP and 10mm Auto. When a menu offers you a 10mm option, say yes! Next up was the choice of an optics-ready slide or an adjustable Super Sight rear sight. Optics ready, please.
Last, but certainly not least, were the slide and barrel lengths. Options include a Commander-size slide with a 4.25-inch barrel which would make for a more comfortable-to-carry trail gun. Next was the Government slide paired with a five-inch barrel, a solid multi-purpose size. The third one caught my attention, namely, the Hunter slide housing a six-inch barrel. So, here we have an optics-ready, long-slide, 10mm 1911 pistol with a double-stack ammunition capacity of 15+1 rounds? I had to give it a try! And according to the EAA representative I worked with to place the order, I was the first media member to request this configuration for a T&E review. That means if I get the timing right, you're seeing the Witness2311 Hunter for the first time here!
For those who are new to the 2011 pistol, the platform was developed by gunsmith Virgil Tripp and engineer Sandy Strayer, and patented in 1994. First produced by Staccato (formerly known as STI), the 2011 is—simply stated—a 1911 semi-automatic pistol with a frame consisting of a metallic 'upper' fitted with a polymer grip frame modified to accept double-stack magazines instead of the classic 1911 single-stack magazines. The 2011s were quickly adopted for professional target shooting competitions because they provided a best-of-both-worlds shooting solution—the crisp single-action trigger and familiar controls of the 1911 with the double-stack ammunition capacity of modern striker-fired pistols.
The Hunter's round-top slide and barrel are both made from 4140 steel and treated with a matte-black finish. It features canted front and rear cocking serrations along with a beveled ejection port. The white-dot front sight is dovetailed into the slide. The fully adjustable rear sight also serves as a filler plate for the slide's RMS/RMSc footprint optics cut out. Micro red-dot optics in this size range can be mounted directly to the slide without the need for adapters or optics mounting plates. In this case, the rear sight was removed so as to install a Swampfox Sentinel II with a 3-MOA green dot.
The inner workings of the slide assembly stick close to the original Browning 1911 design with some accommodations for the slide and barrel's extended length. The standard-profile six-inch linked barrel is supported by a typical M1911 A1 barrel bushing that also secures a 2.15-inch long recoil spring plug. The single round-wire recoil spring is supported by a stubby Mil-Spec spring guide.
The pistol's frame, per 2011 specifications, has been split into two major components: a metallic 'upper,' or frame, and a polymer grip module. In this case, the frame is made from an aluminum alloy. It provides a total of four short rails to support the slide and it houses the firing mechanism with the related external features. The dust cover is milled to form a four-slot Picatinny accessory rail for mounting lights and laser sights. The textured grip module is molded from black polymer with an integral, square-profile trigger guard.
The layout of the external controls is typical of competition-grade 1911 pistols. The left-side slide stop is checkered for improved purchase. The ambidextrous thumb safety lever's extensions are of the grooved and slightly wider competition variety. A commander-style serrated hammer is paired with an extended beaver tail grip safety that has a grooved memory bump. The checkered magazine release button is located just behind the skeletonized aluminum trigger on the left side of the frame.
EAA says the Witness2311 series pistols should exhibit a single-action trigger pull weight somewhere between 5- to 7-pounds. According to a Wheeler Engineering digital trigger gauge, this particular pistol's trigger is weighing in at 4-pounds 2-ounces. It exhibits just a hint of take-up before a clean break. Compared to the typical factory installed, striker-fired polymer-gun trigger, this one is much more pleasant to work with.
As one might expect, the polymer grip frame is wider than that of a single-stack 1911 grip. But because of the checkering on all sides, including the straight-profile polymer mainspring housing, the grip has plenty of purchase without being abrasive when shooting bare handed. The base of the grip is fitted with a removable polymer magazine well extension to aid quick reloads. The Hunter sent for this evaluation arrived with one 15-round Checkmate brand stainless steel magazine. Built to withstand the rigors of professional competition, these magazines feature thick, polished tubes, fitted with high-tensile steel springs and polymer base plates. An additional Checkmate and one Staccato brand magazine were included for the range evaluation.
At the shooting range the Hunter was put through its paces using a mix of 10mm Auto ammunition topped with defensive and hunting-grade bullets weighing between 155- to 230-grains. Although some factory-fresh 1911s with aluminum frames might need a bit of a break-in period, the Hunter fed, fired and ejected reliably from the first shot to the last. There were no pistol, ammunition or magazine-related malfunctions throughout the course of informal and formal testing. The slide exhibited a tight, smooth fit to the frame, the controls clicked cleanly and, overall, provided a positive and enjoyable shooting experience.
One quality well worth noting is how this pistol managed muzzle flip. Most polymer-framed 10mm pistols want to climb for the sky when fired. However, I've found that the heavier long-slide 1911s tend to have more of a straight-back movement with noticeably less muzzle rise. Since this semi-automatic is intended for handgun hunting, that's a positive quality to have.
Bench rested, three 3-shot group accuracy testing was conducted at 25-yards using the Swampfox optic to aim. A Garmin Xero C1 Pro was used to measure bullet velocities for 10-shot strings. DoubleTap Ammunition’s Hunter load somehow managed to be the fastest round of the test set while launching the heaviest of the bullets. Its 230-grain hard-cast flat-nose traveled at an average muzzle velocity of 1145-fps for a muzzle energy of 670-ft-lbs. It punched out a best individual group of 2.81-inches with a three-group average of 2.97-inches.
Fiocchi USA's Hyperformance 155-grain copper hollow point tripped along at 1120-fps for 432-ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy. This round’s best group was 2.65-inches with an average of 2.83-inches. Winchester offers a Big Bore load topped with a 200-grain semi-jacketed hollow point. It averaged 1093-fps for 531-ft.-lbs. of energy. This was the tightest shooter of the test set with a best group of 2.56-inches and an average of 2.74-inches.
I've been a long time fan of long-slide pistols. I'm particularly fond of six-inch barrel 1911s chambered in 10mm Auto, which is, in my opinion, among the most well-balanced options for enjoyable shooting and performance that one can find. EAA's Witness2311 Hunter brings all of that to the table but with nearly double the ammunition capacity and competition-style 1911 pistol features. With a listed price of $1,069, it's a whole lot of handgun for a price one would not expect to see in this class. For more information about the Witness2311 series, visit eaacorp.com.
Technical Specifications
- Type: single-action; semi-automatic; centerfire pistol
- Caliber: 10mm Auto
- Capacity: 15+1 rounds
- Barrel: 6-inch standard profile; 4140 steel; 1:16-inch RH twist
- Trigger: 4-pounds 2-ounces; single-action
- Sights: adjustable square notch rear; white dot front, optics-ready slide
- Grip: checkered black polymer grip module
- Metal Finish: matte black
- Overall Length: 9.63”
- Weight: 40.6 ozs. (with optic and empty magazine)
- MSRP: $1,069; eaacorp.com
