Old EAA Witness in .45 - is there a conversion kit (barrel) to 10mm

[blaster]

while we are talking about Witness barrel swaps, will a 6' Witness hunter 10mm barrel work in a 10mm Witness Steel?

[TonyRumore]

You can install a 6" Witness Hunter barrel in a 4.75" or 4.50" slide, no problem provided you have a Large frame....polymer or steel.
You can even put the Hunter barrel in a Large Frame Compact as well.  Shown below is a 6" 10mm barrel in gun that was originally a 40SW Large frame steel compact.

Tony

[TonyRumore]

Taylor,

Chances are the slide you buy will fit right on your frame with no gunsmithing required.  I would say about 80% of the time, no work is needed.
If so, it will only be minor lapping of the rails to get it to work.

Tony

[TonyRumore]

While we're on the topic, it can be difficult to identify a small versus large frame Witness when viewing pics on GunBroker and such.  Obviously, if it's a 10mm, 38 Super, or 45 ACP, it's going to be a large frame gun, but if it's 40 S&W or 9mm it could be either.  The easiest way to quickly ID the frame size is to look at the barrel in the ejection port of the slide.  On a large frame gun, you will see the barrel's rear locking lug cut.  On a small frame, you will not.  First pic is a pair of Compact Steel frame guns in 9mm/40SW.  Second pic is pointing out the large frame barrel detail.

Tony

[DenStinett]

Taylor,

Chances are the slide you buy will fit right on your frame with no gunsmithing required.  I would say about 80% of the time, no work is needed.
If so, it will only be minor lapping of the rails to get it to work.

Tony

That is all I needed to do, to fit my Slides to my Frame
I stoned the Rails until the Slide would slip back and forth, over the Frame's Rails, under its own weight only
The Barrel should drop right into the Frame, just as it comes and it will already be fit to the Slide

REMEMBER:
Always work the Slide, never the Frame

[blaster]

You can install a 6" Witness Hunter barrel in a 4.75" or 4.50" slide, no problem provided you have a Large frame....polymer or steel.
You can even put the Hunter barrel in a Large Frame Compact as well.  Shown below is a 6" 10mm barrel in gun that was originally a 40SW Large frame steel compact.

Tony

thanks Tony!

[Taylor3]

Tony Rumore, Den Stenitt and Blaster,

thank you for your detailed info.

[blaster]

I couldn't stand it! I just ordered a 6' barrel for my Witness steel!

[Taylor3]

I want a commission from EAA for Blaster's purchase!

[blaster]

 

[blaster]

well the 6" barrel came today. I installed it in my Witness full size steel and it wouldn't work! :'( it seemed to fit but when the slide stop is installed, the slide stays out off battery. the slide overhangs the rear of the frame by about 1/4" and will not slide either direction. on closer inspection, the barrel link & feed ramp are shaped slightly different from the original barrel's. I don't know if something has changed in the design and the barrels are no longer interchangeable (my pistol is only 3-4 years old) but I now have a $200. paperweight. I will call EAA on Monday but I doubt they will do a refund on a barrel. anyone need a 6' Witness barrel? special deal today. 

[Taylor3]

Blaster,

Ouch. Sorry you had that experience and may have lost money. Any remote possibility a smith could make some modifications? 
Conversions are so easy with Glocks I have gotten spoiled.
In the meantime I will forgo my EAA commission.

[Intercooler]

Taylor3,

There are 8 basic Witness frames as follows:

Large Steel
Large Polymer
Small Steel
Small Polymer
And then Compact versions of those four above.  I own them all and frequently swap them all around.

But do you have the Super Cool 9x25 6" barrel

[TonyRumore]

But do you have the Super Cool 9x25 6" barrel

Of course I have one!  It's currently resting in my Hunter model.

Tony

[gnappi]

I have four witness pistols, all large frame steel and one hard chromed .40 "Stock" conversion kit...

Tanfoglio   Witness compact (wonder finish)   10MM
Tanfoglio   Witness Match   (chrome frame /blue upper) 9MM       
Tanfoglio   Witness Limited Pro (chrome/chrome)   .38 super 
Tanfoglio   Witness Limited Custom  (chrome/chrome)   40 S&W

The chromed 40 conversion kit dropped right on the compact, but required my fitting it to the Limited pro and after fitting it to the Lim Pro it's still too tight to fit the match.

The chromed 40 conversion kit dropped right on the compact, but required my fitting it to the Limited pro and after fitting it to
the Lim Pro it's still too tight to fit the match.

The 9mm blued match upper fits the Lim pro frame.
The Lim pro .38 chrome super upper does not fit the match frame.
The Lim pro .38 chrome super upper does fit the Limited Custom frame.
The Limited custom .40 upper does not fit the Match.
The Limited custom .40 upper does fit the Lim pro.


I haven't tried any further swapping anything onto the compact or Limited custom but I am looking for a .40 barrel or complete .40 slide for the compact and I have not tried fitting other barrels to frames that do not fit because at this point I have every combination i need working except for a compact .40 slide on my compact 10mm.


My experience and others who tried to help me with fitting advice (suggestions from diamond files, stones, J-B Non Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound to diamond lapping paste) I had not encountered anyone trying to fit chrome slide to chrome frame... it's pretty hard stuff!  I wound up using thinned diamond paste.  Whatever you get if you need info on fitting them feel free to PM me for help.

Hey Tony,

I have a line on a .40 large frame full size Witness P slide kit but have hesitated because EAA would / could not verify that it's possible to fit. I take it you have found that large frame polymer upper to steel large frame are compatible?

Thanks,

    Gary