Review of my four 10's (S&W 1006, EAA Match, EAA Hunter, Dan Wesson Razorback)

[Intercooler]

    I have owned all four for a while now and put them all through the lightest weight to heaviest weight ammo, plus cream-puff to nuclear levels of ammo. I have always wanted to throw a review together and see where they settled out based on a 1-4 scale ranking for chamber support, feeding, trigger, ease of cleaning, sights, accuracy, felt recoil and grip. I think that's about it since capacity will always go to the EAA double-stack pistols.

Chamber Support
1- Dan Wesson Razorback 1911 confirmed from various pre/post fired brass at different levels
2- S&W 1006 confirmed the same way
3- EAA Hunter confirmed the same way. The Match is almost identical but Hunter splits the hair here.
4- EAA Match confirmed the same way.

Feeding
1- S&W 1006 because it just has never had any ammo issue even with a full mag of Hardcast 220's.
2- EAA Match has always been great but would have a little issue with a full mag of 220's.
3- EAA Hunter is really about a tie with Match but a full mag of 220's also same issue.
4- Dan Wesson Razorback is a little sensitive to the 220's and when I load a single round it can hang up.

Trigger
1- Dan Wesson Razorback 1911 trigger is just rock solid and so smooth.
2- EAA Match goes here probably from being used more than the Hunter but both are great.
3- EAA Hunter which if I shot it more would be tied with the Match.
4- S&W 1006 is okay in SA but not very fluid and DA is just crazy!

Ease Of Cleaning
1- EAA Match is just stupid simple and easy to take down with so few parts or tricks.
2- EAA Hunter should be tied with the Match really due to same basic strip.
3- Dan Wesson Razorback has more pieces and a little more to putting it all back together.
4- S&W 1006 with the almost dangerous recoil spring/guide rod and weird way of putting the slide back on make this very fitting!

Sights
1- S&W 1006 is pretty good with the factory but adding the Dawson fiber front and LPA adjustable rear make it a win/win.
2- Dan Wesson Razorback all black fixed sights have been just fine from day one and I never plan on changing them.
3- EAA Hunter has the Super Sight which if you do the work to clean for Loctite works very well and I like adjustable.
4- EAA Match has a nice low-profile adjustable that works very good but I am on my second one already!

Accuracy
1- Dan Wesson Razorback is just stupid accurate and my very first shot with it was a dead center hit. It's splitting hairs with the EAA pieces but for some reason just gives a tad better results usually.
2- EAA Match is right there with the Razorback to where you can't tell much of a difference and I think the grip is the main reason.
3- EAA Hunter is with the two above but not having the finger groove Hogues on it like the Match lessen the grip.
4- S&W 1006 fits here mainly because the trigger is so hard to work with. If you shoot it for a while every shot you get better and better and then you are done.

Felt Recoil
1- S&W 1006 with the Hogue grip makes even the hottest stuff seem kind of lame.
2- EAA Hunter with the long slide is about tied with the 1006 but no rubber there to help even more.
3- EAA Match with the Hogue finger groove grips and weight is not far behind 1 and 2.
4- Dan Wesson Razorback seems a little light in the front and I get much more muzzle rise upwards on shots.

Grip
1- EAA Match with Hogue finger groove is the best feel of ANY pistol or revolver I have ever shot or had my hands on period!
2- EAA Hunter has the same CZ type grip feel like the Match but the checkering gets to the hand more and no finger groove grips.
3- Dan Wesson Razorback with Pearce finger grooves is very nice but not a CZ feel.
4- S&W 1006 with Hogue grip is still kind of beefy especially front to back kind of like a Glock.

Total it all up:

EAA Match 19
Dan Wesson Razorback 19
S&W 1006 21
EAA Hunter 21

1st EAA Match letting capacity be the tie-breaker
2nd Dan Wesson Razorback
3rd S&W 1006
4th EAA Hunter which is hard to believe but...







   

[Patriot]

Question: Does Hogue make a finger groove grip for the Witness now or are you using the boil in water technique to make it fit?

[Intercooler]

   I just pulled it into place and had my Wife start the last screw as I held it. It was a PITA but the grip with it on is second to none!

[Patriot]

   I just pulled it into place and had my Wife start the last screw as I held it. It was a PITA but the grip with it on is second to none!

You have a pic? I bought one about 7 years ago but I never could get it right. Perhaps I will order a new one if it looks OK.

Although I really like he way the new 2012 and newer Witness grip looks.

[Intercooler]

All four


Match

[Intercooler]

http://www.amazon.com/Monogrip-Wraparound-Grooves-Witness-Springf/dp/B002A6IVOY/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1339293955&sr=8-3-spell

[Patriot]

I really like it. I see a few suppliers have them on Amazon, and Hogue sells them for only a few bucks more at $24.95.

[The_Shadow]

Intercooler, Nice consensus on those 4 guns...I'm partial to the S&W 1006 with the factory adjustable sights probably because I haven't shot the others! I  bet the Bren Ten will shoot very nice and similar to the EAA's, I am putting some rounds together so I can do a little shooting with it next time out...

One of the real nice S&W is the DOA, 1086 & 1046, they have a totally different feel with a smooth pull all the way through to cock and release the hammer that is in a partially cocked state.

[Patriot]

I like the way the match looks. About 8 years ago, I was camping with my daughter who was 6 years old at the time. I slept with the Witness (my first one I ever owned) at my side in my sleeping bag. My daughter had an accident while sleeping and the pee soaked my sleeping bag.  Not sure if it was the dye in the holster or if something in human urine turns wonder finish black, but it was stained black all over 

I sent it back to EAA and they couldn't do anything for it. So, I used a dremel tool with a polishing wheel and compound, and over a couple weeks I slowly removed the Wonderfinish and shined that sucker up into a mirror stainless finish. It looked NICE. I even did the slide. I bought the walnut grips for it and it looked like a whole new gun. In fact it looked like the Witness Stock years before the Stock even came out. Now, I'm not saying they stole my idea, but I sold the gun to someone I regret selling it to.  A few years later, the Stock came out.  Probably just a coincidence.

[pacapcop]

I fell in love with the 1006 when I got her a few months ago. If I only knew.

[REDLINE]

That's a great review!

Regarding feeding, if someone never intended to shoot any bullet weight over 180 grains does the order change?

[Intercooler]

I think about another EAA piece all the time. The Pro would be the next obviuos choice except the straight cut barrel. Also can't locate the trigger pull numbers.

[Intercooler]

Lighter weights the 1006 is still tops. The other three I would term them all a tie for second.

[REDLINE]

Good to hear.  I was afraid the RZ-10 would stay at the bottom, but it sounds like as long as someone isn't running super-heavy-weights through it it pretty much holds its own.

[sqlbullet]

Camping is what did in the wonder finish on my Witness too Grim Reaper.

I was at a scout camp, and of course brought my "Bear Repellant" along.  Normally, at home, the gun rode in the holster about 15 hours a day, then lived in the safe from bedtime until I was up, showered and ready to walk out the door the next day.  I didn't realize it at the time, but this 8-9 hours a day of breathing time was badly needed.

At the camp, the gun never left the holster, for four days.  I would take it off my belt at night, but since I didn't have a gun vault there it would go in the corner of the tent by my head still in the holster.  And it was hot so I was sweating buckets.

I get home and start stripping down for a shower.  When the gun came out of the holster, it had rusted through the wonder finish on the side that was against my body.  There was even some surface pitting.

Like Reaper, my first step was to buff the rust out.  I didn't polish the hole gun, just the areas that had rusted.  But that left some interesting wear marks on the gun, plus the pits.  About a year later I had the Para up and running, so I gave the witness a sandblasting, park, and cerakote.

Looks like new now:



Good review IC.  I would love to see out here in the west sometime and let you shoot my Para.  See how you think a double stack 1911 measures up against the Match.  FTW, my para holds 17+1, so assuming the same tie, the double stack 1911 would have the edge