EAA Witness2311 CMXX Review: Budget 2011

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

The EAA Witness2311 CMXX comes out swinging with flat-shooting manners, a built-in comp, and a price that makes the 2011 crowd a lot less intimidating. It is not perfect, and the trigger started out rougher than advertised, but this compact double-stack definitely has enough going for it to make budget-minded shooters pay attention.

SHOT Show Reveal, First Impressions, And Why the CMXX Matters

In January at Shot Show, EAA announced the Witness2311 CMXX, which is a compact variant of earlier CMX models. The guns have started shipping, and after shooting it, the CMXX proved to be a nice package and an entry-level price point. It comes in 9, 45, and 10mm calibers, allowing the shooter to get the caliber that works best for them. EAA sent a 9mm for evaluation and range use.

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Match Performance: Where the CMXX Started Showing Off

When I get a new gun, I enjoy putting a few mags of ammo down range and then handing it off to another shooter to use or shoot it myself in a competition. In this setting, I can evaluate the firearm in a higher stress and generally higher use situation. For the CMXX, some friends and I shot it initially, but then I put it into the hands of my nephew to run in a 2-gun match. When he was shooting it, the factory ammo was perfect, but unfortunately for him, this is when we discovered the gun did not like my soft shooting reloads. As I watched him shoot with factory ammo, the gun cycled and tracked nicely. The single-port comp is really quite effective at mitigating recoil and muzzle rise.

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Ammo and Reliability: Factory Loads Good, Soft Reloads Not So Much

While shooting the CMXX, we used a few different types of factory and reloaded ammo with various bullet weights. For other experienced shooters and me, the gun ran perfectly on all types of factory ammo, including 115 and 124-grain target loads. Accuracy was good to very good as we ran it through some stages and drills. The reloads were a different story, as they did not want to run in this gun, and I am not blaming the gun.

Being somewhat softer shooting, or lower powered, the reloads did not want to run the gun 100% of the time. This ammo runs in other 2011s I put it through, but not this gun. I attribute this to the effectiveness of the single-port comp that is built into the barrel. The gun shoots flat, and the comp takes enough energy away that my reloads just didn’t have enough pop to make it work, my fault, not the gun’s.

The trigger on this gun out of the box was just a tad over 7 pounds, and for a 1911-style gun, that is not great; it’s not even good. On the EAA website, the trigger is advertised as a tuned 4.5-pound pull, which is acceptable for a factory gun. I will say that after a range session, the trigger significantly improved and was measured at a 5.1-pound average. I’ll mention the actual trigger bow and overtravel a little later in this article.

Compact 2011 Size, Full-Size Grip, And Some Interesting Tradeoffs

As I mentioned earlier, this is considered a compact 2011, so how is it different than a standard size 2011? In terms of other compacts, the CMXX is basically G19X in size, a compact slide with a full-size frame. A standard 2011 or 1911-sized handgun comes with a five-inch barrel and slide, also known as government length. The Witness2311 comes with a 4.25-inch or commander-length barrel, kind of. Since the barrel and compensator are machined from solid stock, the actual rifled portion of the barrel is closer to 3.75 inches. This also means the slide is somewhere between an Officer and a commander-length slide.

Even though it is considered a compact model, Girsan made the CMXX with a full-size grip. Compared to a C2 Staccato grip, which is ¼ inch shorter than any standard 2011 grip. The CMXX should swap with most aftermarket 2011 grips if one desired a change. Another difference to note between the CMXX and the C2 is the full-length dust cover on the CMXX with multiple slots for lights and lasers, while the C2 is not full-length and only has one slot.

Safeties: No Grip Safety, Series 80 Twist, And Better Access for Smaller Hands

The safeties on 1911 and 2011 handguns have often been a source of a love-hate type of relationship for many shooters over the years. 1911 and 2011 style guns have a grip safety, and if the shooter does not fully grip the pistol correctly, the gun will not fire as the trigger bow is mechanically blocked.

One way the EAA Girsan went another route with the CMXX is the grip safety, also known as the beavertail. EAA chose to preemptively deactivate this safety, which to some may seem dangerous. Why did they do this, or rather, how did EAA do this and keep the gun safe? Since they deactivated one safety, they added another, in the form of a series 80 safety or firing pin block. If the hammer somehow falls or releases without the trigger being pulled, the firing pin is blocked and not allowed to strike the firing pin.

Setting the safeties up this way makes it easier for those with smaller hands to shoot the pistol without having to deactivate the grip safety. One downside to the series 80 style safety is that it limits how much over-travel can be taken out. If you adjust the overtravel all the way out, then the firing pin block will not be fully deactivated, causing light primer strikes or complete ignition failure.

Just like virtually every 2011 currently sold, the CMXX comes with ambidextrous thumb safeties that work exactly like they should. I did appreciate the shape and style of the thumb paddles, as they have nice edge breaks and no sharp corners to dig into the shooter’s hands. Each side is equally easy to activate and deactivate, depending on what hand the pistol is in.

Buildout and Breakdown: Smart Features, Odd Rail, Easy Takedown

As previously mentioned, the slide is shorter, between officer length and commander length. EAA also machined some ports that are cut clear through the slide, which look good but also lighten the slide, which can help with slide weight. Front sight is a fiber optic in a Novak dovetail, but the rear sight is actually a red dot cover plate. The sight and plate are machined as one unit that covers up an RMSc-style footprint so that the shooter can add the red dot of choice. During our shooting sessions, the plate was used, but it did come loose twice, so add some thread locker if you intend to use it with iron sights only.

The barrel is a ramped barrel with a Wilson/Nowlin style ramp, the same style many 2011 builders use. The barrel and comp are machined from solid stock, so changing the comp is not possible without changing the barrel. The recoil system is somewhat different than what is found in other 2011 guns. It features a small reverse plug, a small-diameter guide rod, and a flat wire spring. All of these things make the gun a little lighter, but not by a huge amount. I was able to field strip the gun with no tools needed, which is a plus, as many 2011s require take-down tools.

The bottom half of the gun is very similar to most 2011s, with a few minor tweaks here and there. One difference I already mentioned is the Series 80 style safety. The frame and grip are two pieces just like other 2011s. A steel frame nested inside a polymer grip that is held together with bushings and screws. The polymer grip can easily be stippled by a gunsmith or hobbyist alike, but the grip does have the finger grooves under the trigger guard already in place, eliminating the need for that modification. The pinned beavertail is somewhat different as well.

Possibly the biggest issue, or maybe most annoying, might be the accessory rail on the dust cover. It looks like a Picatinny rail, but it is not. The slots in the rail are actually milled too narrow for Picatinny accessories to fit onto the gun, so be aware of that. The dimensions of spec picatinny slots are .206 +- .008, and I measured the CMXX slots at .176, which is closer to a Weaver slot spec. Something you’ll want to know, as this feature is just listed as an accessory rail.

EAA Witness2311 CMXX Specifications

Model	Girsan Witness2311 CMXX
Caliber	9mm, 45, and 10mm
Barrel Length	4.25-inch
Rifled Barrel Portion	closer to 3.75 inches
Capacity	17-rounders
5.1 pounds average	just a tad over 7 pounds
Trigger Pull, After Range Session	5.1 pound average
Optic Cut	RMSc style footprint
Sights	Fiber optic front sight, steel rear sights with white dots mounted to the optic plate
Safety	Series 80 safety or firing pin block, ambidextrous thumb safeties, no functional grip safety
MSRP	$1,149

Fit and Finish: Better Than Rough, Not Quite Fancy, And Honest About It

The gun has a good feel in the hand, and most of the gun has been dehorned with nice chamfers and rounded edges. The barrel, slide, and frame fit are acceptable for a production gun. As one would expect, there is some slop between those parts, but nothing that is a deal breaker. The finish is a black Cerakote, which has already started to wear off the barrel. The machining is nicely done, and I did not find any machine marks or other issues on the gun.

What’s Included: Good Magazines, Useful Extras, No Drama

The CMXX does come in a small plastic case with two magazines and some other knick-knacks. As I mentioned, the magazines are standard 17-rounders, and I was impressed by them. They seem to be of good quality and performed perfectly in all the shooting that we did. They did drop free with no problem and come with witness holes at 5, 10, and 17 rounds. They are made by Checkmate and are made in the USA.

Final Verdict: A Budget 2011 That Actually Brings Something to the Range

MSRP on the Girsan Witness2311 CMXX is $1,149, with the street price being about $100 less than that. As more manufacturers jump on the 2011 train, the features and prices keep getting better. The CMXX seems to fall into a good price for someone who may want to test the 2011 waters without going full custom. Shoot it as is, customize it, upgrade it, add an optic, the CMXX seems to be a good candidate for however the shooter wants to use it.

For more information, check out the EAA website here.

Pros & Cons: The Honest Stuff That Sells the Story

• Pros: Flat-shooting compensated barrel, reliable with factory 115 and 124 grain ammo, full-size grip on a compact upper, easy field strip with no tools, RMSc optic-ready slide, good magazines, strong value for shooters curious about the 2011 platform.
• Cons: Trigger started out much heavier than advertised, soft reloads would not run reliably, optic plate came loose twice during testing, accessory rail slots are narrower than the true Picatinny spec, and barrel finish was already showing wear.

Related Reads from GunsAmerica Digest

• Girsan Witness2311 Match X – Budget 2011 Reviewed
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