eaa witness ambi safety

bearsum · 12-23-2012, 09:52 AM

I'm a site newbie and pistol newbie as well. I purchased an EAA Witness full frame 9mm/22LR combi pistol. I am left handed, so I reversed the mag button and installed an ambi safety. I am interested in adding an ambi slide stop lever. From what I have gleaned from various sites, I think I could have a gunsmith bore out the RH hole for the stock slide stop to fit the diameter of the CZ-85 ambi RH slide stop lever, and then install a CZ-85 ambi slide stop lever assembly. Whether it's necessary or not may be the question for another thread. Is it possible? Thanks.

dfariswheel · 12-24-2012, 03:51 PM

I'm sure the conversion is do-able.
The only issue will be finding a qualified pistolsmith who can do the conversion without risk of botching the job and ruining the frame.
The Witness and CZ are still close enough that a CZ type conversion should work.

A possibly better option is to just do what most of us left hand shooters do with an automatic. Operate the slide stop AND magazine catch with the left trigger finger.

To do this, instead of having to shift your grip to operate the slide stop or mag catch like right handed shooters do, just take your finger off the trigger and reach up for the slide stop and down for the mag catch.
Doing this is usually faster than a right handed person can operate a right hand stop and catch.
In this case, being left handed is actually an advantage. All you need is an ambi safety.

Years ago, Jeff Cooper had a custom gun built in Germany with all the controls left handed, just so he could operate the stop and catch with his trigger finger.

As an added advantage, when operating the controls, you have your trigger finger off the trigger, and as I said, you don't have to shift the gun in your hand at all so you maintain a shooting grip and everything is faster.

bearsum · 12-29-2012, 07:45 PM

Well I'm disappointed. I purchased an CZ-85 ambi slide stop for this conversion. It turns out the CZ slide stop shaft is a hair smaller in diameter than the Witness slide stop shaft, and in my judgement would be too loose on the LH side bore of the frame. The concept would work, if the Witness and CZ-75/85 components were more similar in dimension. I guess clone does not imply copy. Live and learn.

retDAC · 12-30-2012, 01:19 AM

Any way to sleeve the CZ-85 ambi slide stop or R&R the pin and replace w/bigger one?

12-23-2012, 09:52 AM	#1
bearsum Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 4	Ambi Slide Stop on a Witness Full Frame I'm a site newbie and pistol newbie as well. I purchased an EAA Witness full frame 9mm/22LR combi pistol. I am left handed, so I reversed the mag button and installed an ambi safety. I am interested in adding an ambi slide stop lever. From what I have gleaned from various sites, I think I could have a gunsmith bore out the RH hole for the stock slide stop to fit the diameter of the CZ-85 ambi RH slide stop lever, and then install a CZ-85 ambi slide stop lever assembly. Whether it's necessary or not may be the question for another thread. Is it possible? Thanks.

12-24-2012, 03:51 PM	#2
dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 1,793	I'm sure the conversion is do-able. The only issue will be finding a qualified pistolsmith who can do the conversion without risk of botching the job and ruining the frame. The Witness and CZ are still close enough that a CZ type conversion should work. A possibly better option is to just do what most of us left hand shooters do with an automatic. Operate the slide stop AND magazine catch with the left trigger finger. To do this, instead of having to shift your grip to operate the slide stop or mag catch like right handed shooters do, just take your finger off the trigger and reach up for the slide stop and down for the mag catch. Doing this is usually faster than a right handed person can operate a right hand stop and catch. In this case, being left handed is actually an advantage. All you need is an ambi safety. Years ago, Jeff Cooper had a custom gun built in Germany with all the controls left handed, just so he could operate the stop and catch with his trigger finger. As an added advantage, when operating the controls, you have your trigger finger off the trigger, and as I said, you don't have to shift the gun in your hand at all so you maintain a shooting grip and everything is faster. Last edited by dfariswheel; 12-24-2012 at 03:56 PM.

12-29-2012, 07:45 PM	#3
bearsum Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 4	Well I'm disappointed. I purchased an CZ-85 ambi slide stop for this conversion. It turns out the CZ slide stop shaft is a hair smaller in diameter than the Witness slide stop shaft, and in my judgement would be too loose on the LH side bore of the frame. The concept would work, if the Witness and CZ-75/85 components were more similar in dimension. I guess clone does not imply copy. Live and learn. Last edited by bearsum; 12-29-2012 at 07:48 PM.

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12-30-2012, 01:19 AM	#4
retDAC Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: near Huntsville, Ala. Posts: 707	Any way to sleeve the CZ-85 ambi slide stop or R&R the pin and replace w/bigger one?