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In December, 2023 we reviewed the EAA Girsan Witness 2311 base model. That gun disurpted the market for double stack 1911s by offering a model priced well below the then going rate. This was accomplished in part through overseas manufacturing, and in part by being a simpler build than what some of the premium makers offered. The sample reviewed wasn't flawless, requiring a little break in, but easy enough to tolerate given the savings. In late 2024 EAA announced the Match model.
What Is It? The EAA Girsan Witness 2311 Match is a double stack 1911 in 9mm with a full-length dust cover and guide rod, and 5" bull barrel. Optics ready, and the trigger is said to be "tuned", but once again the surprise is that this build has an MSRP of under $1,000.
Who's It For? Guns like this used to fall into the "target" category as extra barrel length makes for a longer sight radius and slower slide. The steel frame and full-length dust cover also make for less snap felt under recoil. For some this would be a great range gun, for others a good competition model. The choice to run a 5" 9mm in competition comes with a set of advantages and disadvantages that some might like or want to avoid.
Take a Look at the EAA Girsan Witness 2311 Match in the tabletop video below. The kit and setup is rather nicely done, especially for the affordable price.
Specifications & Features:
Caliber: 9mm
Overall Length: 8.75″
WT: 1.9 lbs / 30.4oz
UPC: 741669907227
Magazines included: 1x20 and 1x17 Round
Safety: Ambidextrous Thumb, Grip
Bull Barrel Lock Up
Barrel Length: 5"
Tuned Trigger: (Max. 4.5lbs)
Full Length Accessory Rail
Cerakote® Finish: Tungsten & Black
Forged Steel Frame, Slide & Barrel
Optic Ready RMSc Footprint
Rear Sight: Black Fully Adjustable Cap
Magazine Well
Hard Travel Case
Accuracy Target
Skeletonized Hammer
MSRP: $989
Prices online as of date article was written
click links for current pricing
The original 2311 Witness reviewed in 2023 had som hiccups in the action that required some hotter ammo (see guide for ammo energy) to work through, but this match model seem much much smoother to cycle in hand. Eager to get to the range I would of course apply the fair and even GBGuns range protocol consisting of:
Cold Shots: Truly the first rounds through the gun. No warm up, no practice.
Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger.
Multi-Mag: In this case, simply trying some other-brand doublestack 1911 magazines for compatability.
What's For Dinnerâ„¢: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun the following ammunition was used:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
50gr +p Liberty Ammunition Civil Defense $28.99 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop
65gr +p Novx Cross Trainer $12.23 / 20 (non +p) at Firearms Depot
115gr Specialty Cartridge Elite Defense From Atlanta Arms (unavailable)
115gr Hornady American Gunner $22.99 / 25 at Palmetto State Armory
124gr Sig Elite Defense $44.99 / 50 direct from Sig
124gr Federal HST $25.99 / 20 from KYGunCo
130gr Federal Syntech PCC $22.99 / 50 at Palmetto State Armory
135gr Hornady Critical Duty $30.49 / 25 at Optics Planet
147gr Fiocchi Defense Dynamics $20.36 / 50 at Global Ordnance
165gr AMMO, Inc. /stelTH/ $30.69 / 50 at Ammunition Depot
Standard range ammunition was Magtech 115gr FMJ $12.99 / 50 at True Shot
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12 yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of the shooting experience and time for to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
Watch the entire process in the EAA Girsan Witness 2311 Match Shooting Impressions video below:
Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.
On the Range the nose weight of the EAA Girsan Witness 2311 made it fun to shoot. The trigger, and action smoothness are a marked improvement over the standard Witness 2311 model reviewed previously. Impacts turned out to be a bit low, but not a concern as the sight is adjustable. I run guns out of the box to ensure the experience and reactions are real. Unfortunately that also means I can't confirm sights until the end of the video.
Is it worth it? I don't know of another option in this price range that delivers a refined double stack 1911 experience like this. Could it be nicer? Yes, of course, but for less than a grand there's room to either spend money on ammo getting good with this gun as it is, or drop in some aftermarket parts to make it how you want it.
There was one possible imperfection that 1911-knowing viewers have commented is likely an extractor that needs tuning: For some reason, more often that not, the last round of a magazine extracts but does not eject. This is an imprefection, but as it does not happen when there are more rounds in the magazine it doesn't bother me. Even when the case hung out in the open action, that would fall away as soon as the magazine is changed.
The inclusion of a test target is a nice touch. This was once a feature of premium guns, sadly few manufacturers include them anymore.
Overall I think EAA and Girsan did a great job with the Witness 2311 Match. This is one of those guns that will force a shift in the market, or at least allow more people to get into the double stack 1911 world who otherwise couldn't or wouldn't afford one.
