First Impression of my new EAA Witness not good

[SteveinKC]

Just bought a new Witness P 9mm/22LR combo from Buds and my first impression of EAA is not good at all.  I got home from my local dealer, broke it down and put the 22 slide on the pistol.  Everything seemed OK until I loaded the mags and tried to hand cycle the slide.  The round pulls back out of the breech but does not eject, just stays tight against the bolt, causing immediate jamming when it tries to feed the next round.  Even when I take the mag out of the gun, the last round hangs right there on the bolt and slides right back into the breech when the slide is released, leaving a hot weapon with one in the pipe.  To get it out, I have to pull the slide back, turn the gun ejection port down and then bang it on the table

After calling EAA, she told me that the 22 slide should have been fitted at the factory or else things just like I describe happen.   I have to send the 22 slide and the frame in for service at my expense and I have to include $20 for return shipping too. I asked for and was denied a prepaid shipping label even though it was a brand new gun and the issue seems to be related directly to their mistake at the factory.  So that adds $40/over 10% to the price I paid for the gun and cant use the 9mm slide if the frame is at the factory for fitting.  I am not a happy camper.

[jwc007]

Get back with Buds and your dealer, as Buds may help you further.  Also, your Dealer may be able to ship it in for less or free. 
Beyond that, I don't know what else to do.

[win308]

Mine did that till I shot it.  I had to use some high speed .22 to get it to function but after a couple mags down range it ran fine.  Rarely locks the slide open on the last shot with the .22 kit but overall runs better the more rounds I put through it.

[shakyshoot]

That's the thing--hand cycling it is not at all the same thing as shooting it, especially with a .22. Try shooting it with some quality high velocity ammo like Mini Mags before jumping to any conclusions.

[badjuijui]

I talked to EAA before I bought my 22 conversion kit for the small frame Witness.  They told me it would likely have to be fitted by a gunsmith, and that I could hire my own to do it.  I also had the option of sending it in to let them do it.  Turns out I didn't need to have any work done on it, but supposedly that is the exception, not the rule.  Mine eats anything but off brand cheap subsonic.

[SteveinKC]

UPDATE:  Once EAA refused to cover shipping, I took JWC007's advice and I contacted my local FFL who offered to send it US Mail it for me (given that a non FFL cant use the USPS for guns and UPS and FedEx are much more expensive), for less than $20.  I also let Buds know that EAA wasn't going to cover the shipping either way and Leila at Buds is sending me a UPS tag and said Buds would cover the return shipment too if EAA calls them for a tag. 

So, Buds gets kudos for standing behind a brand new product that was received needing service, as nothing required them to pay for the shipping.  Especially given that I bought it using their Make an Offer system and bought it for less than their normal price.  Their CC fee or 5 day wait on EFT policy still irritates me versus other online dealers where my orders ship within 24 hours, but they definitely gained some credibility with me on this one.

Its still going to be awhile before I get it back but at least I didn't have to sink another 15% of the cost of the gun.  To ensure that everything is functioning correctly, I can handle the wait given that a "combo" kit with two different slides is a little out of the norm. Don't get me wrong, Im not trashing EAA, just relating that my first impression was not a good one.  I am looking forward to finally getting to the range to compare the Witness to its heavier Turkish cousin that I already own, a Canik Stingray. 

To the guys who suggested "just shoot it", I appreciate your comments and even considered it, but I wont shoot something that doesn't pass a function check.  My Ruger SR22 and Uzi 22 Pistol hand cycle 22LR rounds just like my 9mms.  I'd rather be safe than sorry and am willing to delay gratification to have the factory do the fitting and test firing, even if it should have been done before it left the factory originally.

[Bret]

I agree that EAA's policy of requiring the consumer to pay for repair shipping both ways on a new gun is poor.  Interestingly, I don't ever recall actually hand cycling 22LR through a gun.  I just load them and shoot them.  Good luck and keep us updated.

[badjuijui]

UPDATE:  Once EAA refused to cover shipping, I took JWC007's advice and I contacted my local FFL who offered to send it US Mail it for me (given that a non FFL cant use the USPS for guns and UPS and FedEx are much more expensive), for less than $20.  I also let Buds know that EAA wasn't going to cover the shipping either way and Leila at Buds is sending me a UPS tag and said Buds would cover the return shipment too if EAA calls them for a tag. 

So, Buds gets kudos for standing behind a brand new product that was received needing service, as nothing required them to pay for the shipping.  Especially given that I bought it using their Make an Offer system and bought it for less than their normal price.  Their CC fee or 5 day wait on EFT policy still irritates me versus other online dealers where my orders ship within 24 hours, but they definitely gained some credibility with me on this one.

Its still going to be awhile before I get it back but at least I didn't have to sink another 15% of the cost of the gun.  To ensure that everything is functioning correctly, I can handle the wait given that a "combo" kit with two different slides is a little out of the norm. Don't get me wrong, Im not trashing EAA, just relating that my first impression was not a good one.  I am looking forward to finally getting to the range to compare the Witness to its heavier Turkish cousin that I already own, a Canik Stingray. 

To the guys who suggested "just shoot it", I appreciate your comments and even considered it, but I wont shoot something that doesn't pass a function check.  My Ruger SR22 and Uzi 22 Pistol hand cycle 22LR rounds just like my 9mms.  I'd rather be safe than sorry and am willing to delay gratification to have the factory do the fitting and test firing, even if it should have been done before it left the factory originally.

Thanks for this info as I have a few EAA guns bought from Buds recently.

[darink300zx]

Very glad to hear you got shipping covered for this, that has always been my gripe with EAA, when it comes to utilizing their lifetime warranty on a witness, but like others already said it would have been fine to just go ahead and shoot it. Like already pointed out firing the gun is way different than hand cycling it. it probably would have functioned fine. I have the 22 conversions for both the small and large frame witness. The large frame took a few mags to get it broken in nice, after that it was fine.

You know more than likely the first thing they'll do is function test it as well, by loading and shooting it. Just saying.

Darin.