Mrgunsngear EAA Witness 2311 CMXX Review

Is a budget island-comp 2011 actually worth buying, or are you just paying for a compensator cutout on a Series 80 polymer gun that will never shoot like a Staccato? Mrgunsngear put the EAA/Girsan Witness 2311 CMXX on the range to find out.

EAA Girsan Witness2311 CMXX Comped Budget 2011 - Is It Actually Good? Watch on YouTube — Mrgunsngear Channel

The short version of what he covers: commander-length slide, island-comp bull barrel, Series 80 (no grip safety, firing-pin block). Two 17-rd Checkmate mags in the box, and Staccato-pattern mags from Checkmate, Kimber, and Atlas ran. Polymer frame with what he calls a Goldilocks grip (less aggressive than the full-size Witness they reviewed last year), ambi thumb safety, extended beaver tail, and a small mag release he likes. The trigger is Series 80 take-up that breaks about 6-7 lb on his 10-lb gauge, heavy for a 2011, with an excellent reset. Dustcover rail is slightly off 1913, but universal-mount SureFire and Streamlight lights worked. RMSc optic cut; on his sample the factory rear screw head was already rounded so the included key could not mount an optic. Internal extractor held through 800-plus rounds with no tune yet. Ammo was mostly Blazer 115/124, plus 147 S&B HP and 147 Fiocchi HP, with one FTF on Blazer 124. He calls it slightly oversprung and says he would not use an island-comp gun for self-defense (range or competition). He prefers full grip plus commander slide, the 19X-vs-17 analogy. Also offered in 45 and 10mm; this review is the 9mm. MSRP about $1,149; street he quoted $900-1000 at record time.

Here’s our take. An island comp is a range gun argument, not a duty or carry one. A 6-7 lb Series 80 trigger is not a raced 2011. The rounded optic screw is a QC flag: check that fastener before you buy, because his sample could not take an optic with the key in the box. This is not a working Staccato. It might be a cheap way to try a commander-length 2011 if you want the island-comp look and accept what the trigger and QC actually are. Our list price is $1,149. Watch his range notes before you treat the street quotes as a done deal.

We stock the EAA Witness 2311 CMXX 9mm he reviewed.