Revisiting The Witness Pistol

It has been over seventeen years since this European American Armory import first appeared in these pages. For many readers that article included an introduction to Fabbrica d’armi Tanfoglio Giuseppe. That mouthful was shortened to Tanfoglio in 1980 when the company decided to enter the service pistol market. The deed was accomplished by copying the already successful Czech CZ design and improving it with the addition of a slide-mounted firing pin safety similar to Colt’s Series 80.

The result was marketed in the U. S. by two importers. One seller called it the TZ- 75, the other a TA-90. In 1990, EAA initiated its association with Tanfoglio by introducing changes to the TZ/TA pistols including a beavertail grip safety. Thus was born the Witness. Credited to the pistol’s success has been the plethora of ways its owners can personalize it.

Available for this are an assortment of comped or non-comped barrels, custom parts dedicated to improving function or purely cosmetic, scope mounts, a choice of DAO or SAO triggers, and caliber conversions. The large frame Witness still retains its caliber versatility of 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, and .22 LR. Introduced in recent years has been a small frame Witness available in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .22 LR.

I have been reliably informed the only reason the small frame model doesn’t chamber the .45 ACP is due to the fact it isn’t wide enough to accept a magazine with .45 caliber cartridges. All the options mentioned here, and more, are available from European American Armory (eaacorp. com, I have a hunch this particular CZ clone will be around a very long time. For one thing, compared to many of its competitors, servicing a Witness is pretty simple.

For example, doing atop notch trigger job only requires a readily available, single item of tool- Top An adaptation and improvement upon earlier TZ and TA imports, it is expected to remain a best seller among all CZ clones. Bottom " They must be placed and retained in alignment in order to field strip the pistol, let alone detail disassemble it. ing designed for and dedicated to the purpose. Some members with great memories and extensive files may have heard what’s to come previously. That was along time ago.

There are many who were not AGA members when the article first appeared. I revisit it here because I think a majority of those new members will agree with me and have no wish to be the one gunsmith in town who has to turn down work on a pistol that is destined to remain the best selling CZ clone ever. Basic Field Stripping To steer you into the habit of learning firearm components by proper names rather than number, all parts identified from here on in will be by proper name.

Before undertaking a take down, make sure the gun is unloaded, the magazine has been removed, the chamber checked, the safety and your eye protection is on, and the hammer at full cock position. I stated earlier the Witness is less complex than many of its competitors. True, but in these early stages of its disassembly you will be reminded frequently it hasn’t been put together to serve as a baby rattle now or at any time in its future.

It will resist your early efforts and will require some dexterity, a strong hand, strong fingers, firm fingernails, and a glance or two at one or more of the accompanying photos. The first time you go at a Witness you may be sorely tempted to apply an item or two chosen from

your handy-dandy store of small hand tools. In the interest of defending the finish of the pistol I place this manufacturer warning in bold face type: DON’T DO IT. There are two indented marks behind the safety lever on the left hand side of the slide and frame. Use the rear sight to gain any leverage needed to move the slide rearward and align the two indents. Wrap the fingers of one hand over the slide as the photos suggest to retain the alignment.

If your hand has been weakened or damaged as mine was at this writing, the use of a vise with well-padded jaws is the workable alternative. With a free finger and a hefty push, start the slide stop from the right side of the frame. Afterwards, withdraw the slide stop all the way out to the left. Note, don’t make the same error one Witness owner among my past The inserts are available from Brownells. Shop elsewhere for demons and/or dimples. Far All failed due to an injured hand.

My ultimate victory over the devilish indents appears below. customers made by attacking the right hand side of the grip safety lever. The lever will not budge until the spring retaining it, shown in the accompanying photo, is lifted from it’s slot in the lever shaft. Now you have to control the movement of the slide assembly forward and off the frame. Hold the slide upside down. Push the recoil spring guide forward to compress the spring. Lift both elements as a unit from the slide.

There may be a bushing hiding in the recoil assembly tunnel (dust cover) of the slide. If so, push it out to the rear. Remove the barrel by pushing it forward and out through the dust cover. A Witness Gold Team models will definitely carry a bushing and with these models the barrel/recoil spring assembly removal differs slightly. To wit, after the slide is inverted and the assembly removed, place your thumb on the barrel lug. Push the barrel and recoil spring forward.

A small hole in the recoil spring guide rod will be revealed. An almost same size slave pin gets inserted into that hole to capture the spring, guide rod, and bushing as a unit, leaving that little slave pin all that’s holding the pieces together. Take care as you withdraw the combined parts toward the frame. This leaves the barrel alone in the slide. Push it out through the dust tunnel. With the exception of a short section on the use of compensated barrels, that’s as far as the owner’s manual takes you.

Relax, I’ve only begun. Detailed Disassembly In the interest of avoiding damage to the slide or frame of the pistol, it would be best if you worked with a bench block when driving pins. Either nylon or wood provides adequate protection. When you get to the frame I recommend removing both grip panels. This allows the frame to rest flatter on the bench block. The first item to come out of the slide is the extractor pin. It’s located immediately to the rear of the ejection port. Drive the pin downward.

This allows removal of the extractor from the slide’s right hand side. The firing pin assembly is accessed exactly as the same components in a M1911. There-in and here-in, depress the firing pin through the firing pin stop

The fixture and stone are both available from Brownells. I have placed magnetic tape on the base to retain any Allen wrenches required in the adjusting. at the rear of the slide with a punch, start the stop moving downward with the same punch, then push it the rest of the way out with your thumb or finger. The part you have come to know as a firing pin stop in a M1911 is called a firing pin retainer in the Witness. They both accomplish the same thing.

With the extractor and firing pin assembly gone from the slide you can turn your attention to the frame. Take along look at the frame from the top. It has to look the same after completing reassembly. I’ll give you my version of a talking tour while you study them. The trigger bar plunger assembly fits in through a hole in the magazine release. To allow the trigger bar to ride over it, the front of the plunger is beveled. It must be reinstalled with that bevel facing forward.

The ejector extends from the sear spring housing with the safety lever on the left. The lever pivot extends through each component of the sear assembly housing. There’s a notch in the lever pivot. In the accompanying photo you can see one end of the sear spring in the notch, thereby retaining the lever. You will want to use a slave pin in reassembling the housing from left to right as follows: ejector, sear spring, sear. Note, for replacement purposes, the sear assembly housing is sold as a unit.

Leave this intact and set aside. The only reason I’ve only gone as far as I have with this disassembly is to allow room to include prepping for Witness trigger work. Therefore, regardless of that tidbit of information and feeling you’d likely be quite interested to first know more about take down for detailed cleaning purposes, the "more" will precede the trigger job. Lift up the end of the sear spring from the safety pivot with a small tool. Move the end of the spring end to the left of the notch.

Push out the safety lever to the left with a punch and lift out the sear housing assembly. While you have it in hand, make a close examination of how the sear is engaged with the hammer and positioned in the assembly. If a Witness ever comes your way as a plastic bag of parts due to errant owner intentions, being well aware on the sear spring locations will prove invaluable in reassembly of the pistol. Drift the hammer pin out from right to left.

The hammer, interrupter, and hammer strut come out as a unit while the hammer spring is lifted free separately. The trigger pin drifts in either direction but cover the top of the frame with your fingers. Otherwise, the trigger spring can fly away. The slide stop spring and pin are visible on the schematic above the right hand side of the frame. If replacement due to a rare breakage is not absolutely necessary I recommend both be left alone.

One, you have to partially drift out the pin from inside the barrel channel. Two, you need three hands, or a reliable assistant, to solidly steady the frame as you insert the spring into its slot before pushing it down with a small tool and then finally seating it with the flat of a blade screwdriver prior and another small tool. This one a very light tack hammer. I’m getting real close to that promised trigger job. All that’s holding things back now is that set aside sear assembly.

Except for the hammer, the assembly still remains unified. Retrieve the hammer and the assembly. Position the latter in your hand with the ejector facing away from you and a finger firmly placed over the sear spring. Maintain the finger pressure on the sear, drift out the sear pin, remove the sear and sear spring. That takes care of sear assembly disassembly. Now get the hammer, sear, and your Power Custom Series II Stoning Fixture ready to go to work.

Ron Power’s Series II Stoning Fixture is the son of the Series I invented by its creator, a founding member of

A A the American Pistolsmith’s Guild, to make precise trigger work quicker and more repeatable. I’ve owned and used a Series I from early in its appearance in a Brownells catalog. As long as its list of adapters for specific guns keeps growing I reckon I’ll keep right on using it, too. I’ll keep right on as long as the sear to be refined has no engagement surfaces with an inside angle. Then I reach for my Series II.

In one respect, that being a dedicated adapter for the specific hammer/ sear to be altered, the Series II and the Series I are identical fixtures. The Series I cannot be employed to work on sears with those inside angles I just mentioned. The Witness has one of those sears. To stone it and its hammer, an adapter stamped P-9 is put to work. The India stone used with a Series II is trapezoidal in shape. No other stone will perform properly and it is sold separately.

The instructions arriving with the fixture are extensive, complete, readily understood, and require no additional explanation here. You will be needing indicator fluid or a black magic marker to affirm you have the correct alignment for stoning. The hammer is processed first. The fixture is adjusted and the sear is enhanced next. I will emphasize one thing. In the stoning you perform on the hammer and sear, all form of power tools are to be avoided.

Light passes with the trapezoidal India stone are all that is required. Going too far will result in trigger pulls that are too light. Lowering the elevator of the tool for an extra pass can heavy It further refines the relationship between the sear and other assembly components. This will prevent the trigger spring (A) from fleeing the area. The slide stop spring can be seen hugging the upper right edge of the frame. Unless the spring is hopelessly damaged it’s best to leave it alone. it up.

Pulls heavier than wanted can be lightened by raising the elevator for another stone pass or two. It never takes more than a few clicks up or down to correct pull weight but reassembly and rechecking pull has to take place after each adjustment. Reassembly Tips I hope you were paying attention earlier when I cautioned to this effect: Before disassembling the sear housing assembly, make a close study of how the sear engages the hammer and fits into the assembly.

You’ll need a slave pin of a slightly smaller diameter than the sear assembly housing pin. The sear spring gets positioned with its coiled end down. The slave captures it temporarily. One leg of the spring has to rest on the safety lever pivot with the other leg on the sear and the sear is inserted from the bottom of the assembly. But you already knew that because you took that close look I’ve mentioned twice, right? Marry the sear and its spring to the hammer, then hold everything in place with the slave.

Make another positioning check before pushing the slave out with the housing pin. Now make a triple check, set the completed assembly aside and keep what follows next in mind when you tackle the trigger bar and hammer assemblies. After they’re been taken care of the sear housing assembly, eventually to be held in the frame by the safety lever, will be reinstalled after the trigger/trigger bar assemblies. For the latter you’ll need another slave pin just a tad smaller in diameter than the trigger pin hole.

Employing a vise with padded jaws, secure the frame by its trigger guard. The upper end of the trigger has "ears." There’s one on each side. Hold the trigger upward facing away from you. See the ears? Locate the ear on the right. Start the slave into the frame’s trigger pin hole. Capture the right ear of the trigger on the slave. Capture the trigger spring on the slave. The long leg of the spring must be fitted into its slot just forward of the trigger slot in the frame. The short leg must be facing downward.

Needle note pliers are the chosen tool for performing the positioning. When installing the trigger bar make sure the spring is to its left, the front end of the bar is under the slave pin and its rear is making contact with the sear housing assembly. Push out the slave pin with the trigger pin and lay in the three-part hammer assembly in over the trigger bar. So much for the frame this time around. AG

EAA/ Tanfoglio Witness (Specifications may change without notice) 1.1 BARREL 2.2 RIGHT GRIP 2.3 LEFT GRIP 2.4 GRIP SCREWS 3.1 TRIGGER 3.2 TRIGGER PIN 3.3 TRIGGER SPRING 3.5 TRIGGER BAR 3.6 TRIGGER BAR PIN 3.7 TRIGGER BAR SPRING 3.8 TRIGGER BAR GUIDE 3.9 TRIGGER BAR PLUNGER 3.10 TRIGGER BAR PLUNGER PIN 4.1 HAMMER 4.2 HAMMER PIN 4.3 HAMMER SPRING 4.4 HAMMER STRUT 4.5 HAMMER STRUT PIN 4.8 INTERRUPTOR 4.9 INTERRUPTOR PIN 5.1 FIRING PIN 5.3 FIRING PIN SPRING 5.4 FIRING PIN RETAINER 5.5 FIRING PIN SAFETY 11.2 EXTRACTOR PIN 11.3 EXTRACTOR SPRING 13.1 SEAR ASSEMBLY HOUSING WITH EJECTOR 14.1 SAFETY 18.1 SLIDE STOP PIN 18.3 SLIDE STOP PIN SPRING 18.4 SLIDE STOP PIN SPRING PIN A FRAME B SLIDE 5.6 FIRING PIN SAFETY SPRING 6.1 MAGAZINE 6.6 MAGAZINE CATCH 6.7 MAGAZINE CATCH PLUNGER 6.8 MAGAZINE CATCH SPRING 8.1 RECOIL SPRING GUIDE 8.3 RECOIL SPRING 9.1 SEAR 9.2 SEAR PIN 9.3 SEAR SPRING 10.2 REAR SIGHT 11.1 EXTRACTOR