Shadow12 fixed my Witness

[Guest mikedwood]

I got a Witness .45 off a member here a couple of weeks ago. Love the gun, love it. He said it had a FTF issue and he had taken it to Coal Creek to get it repaired but hadn't fired it since. If it still didn't work he'd give refund cause he assumed it worked but you know. Fair enough, very fair.

I took it to Coal Creek to try it out, I was excited. The gun shoots great, but still had a terrible ftf issue. I talked to one of the gunsmiths there and explained it had been fixed there but still ftf bad. Could he take a look at it and let me know if they could fix it for sure. He said he wasn't that knowledgeable about EAA pistols and didn't care to be. That I would have to check it in and pay $40 bucks just to have them look at it but it was probably junk and needed to be thrown away. If there repair failed the 1st time it was a lost cause, because they are the best or something and it certainly worked when it left. Well it didn't work for long if at all. No one was going to do anything more than stare at me unless I checked it in and gave them $40 bucks.

At the height of my aggrivation I remebered Shadow12 (Sam) from hanging out at Austin's Tennessee Firearms. Nice guy, loves to talk guns, says he's a gunsmith? Frig it I like Sam as for Coal Creek well I don't owe them anything nor do they I (Well they still owe me about 8 months on my range pass but that's it, I'll use that) I'll try Sam cause he's A) Here in Oak Ridge They are always real nice to me at Austin's Tennessee Firearms.

So I take it to Sam and expalin what it's doing and the back story.

He says "Well break it down and let's check it out." I break it down and The spring is a double spring and about broken in half. "Well there is your problem the spring is about broke in half and all mangled up, get a new spring for it yourself or I'll get one and put it in, polish the feed ramp and breech, clean the mags, that outta fix it.", "sounds good and all how much?", "$50", hummmm "Do it".

He examined the spring Coal Creek put in there that broke and is real adament that it's a 1911 spring. Having a 1911 I have to agree that he is right.

Anyway I got the gun back today, Sam had the polishing done the next day. (took longer cause the right spring had to be ordered. The Carry P takes a one of a kind spring) and fired it and sweet! 50 rounds and wish I had taken more. It ate them up. I'm really thinking of sneaking off to the range again tomorrow to shoot it some more.

Thanks Sam awesome work you Coal Creek

[Guest 70below]

I've never heard of Austin's and I work in O.R. Where's it at? You've been holding out on us Mike!

edit: I almost forgot, glad you got it working! I've never heard much bad about EAA at all, mostly the opposite, I wouldn't mind having one.

Edited June 4, 2008 by 70below

[Guest Abominable_Hillbilly]

I've got a couple of Witnesses, but no Carry P model. How "tough" does it seem to you? And glad it's working well now.

[Guest dotsun]

I've never heard of Austin's and I work in O.R. Where's it at? You've been holding out on us Mike!

edit: I almost forgot, glad you got it working! I've never heard much bad about EAA at all, mostly the opposite, I wouldn't mind having one.

He's on Talmeda Ave. across the turnpike from Mcd's one road back. Phantom6 from here owns the shop and also runs a lot of training classes. Really nice couple of guys, but don't tell them I told ya that.

Sam worked on a cranky 1911 I had and got it running for me, I would highly recommend him. Oh and don't tell him I told ya that, either.

[Guest dotsun]

They are always real nice to me at Austin's Tennessee Firearms.

They must have been kidnapped and replaced by aliens, this can't be the same guys I know

[Guest mikedwood]

I've never heard of Austin's and I work in O.R. Where's it at? You've been holding out on us Mike!

edit: I almost forgot, glad you got it working! I've never heard much bad about EAA at all, mostly the opposite, I wouldn't mind having one.

It's right behind Todd's Maytag. Nope tryuing not to.hold out. Their prime mission is firearms training and gunsmithing but they decided "what the heck might as well sell some guns too." They mostly are ordering right now but they can order about anything you want at a great price and really good service. TGO members get 10% off so be sure and mention TGO.

If you need a gun fixed that's the place as far as I'm concerned. Shadow12 made this EAA work like a charm. Plus he showed me why it wasn't working and what it took to fix it.

If I found another EAA at a decent price I'd get it, quick. As far as tough it seems like it.

Dotson you didn't hear about them being kidnapped by aliens and replaced? Ahhh shoot, forget I said that it's part of a DOD project.

[VERO1]

Sounds like the same Coal Creek "Expert" I got to speak with!

[Guest bkelm18]

There is one employee at Coal Creek that I enjoy speaking with and is actually a pretty nice guy. The rest of them are arrogant gas bags.

[Guest nj.piney]

would this be witness tampering?

[Guest mikedwood]

There is one employee at Coal Creek that I enjoy speaking with and is actually a pretty nice guy. The rest of them are arrogant gas bags.

I know of whom you speak. I wish he worked at Austin's or Frontier. He's very nice and helpful.

[Guest c.a.s.]

I still haven't gotten to stop by Austin's, since the new Walmart in Clinton was finished. We don't go to Oak Ridge all that much. Mike got any stock in yet?

Or job opportunities for a 16-year-old male TGO member who is in dire need of a job other than Walmart or Taco Bell?

[towerclimber37]

would this be witness tampering?

Oh the PUNishment!!!

I need to get up there and talk to mike..really I do!! Julie wants that taurus and I odn't know which model it was!! I know it was a .32 or a .380 and it had nice grips on it.

+1 on the gunsmith stuff Sam! Nothing like actual knowledge to help fix a problem. you'd think an idiot gunsmith at CCA would know to order the right spring to match the pistol.

[Guest Boomhower]

Now guys, this is a positive comment thread for Shadow12 and his skills. Let's not turn it into a CCA bashing thread. We all know they are worth their weight in gold.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Well I wouldn't go to Austin's TN Firearms for noth....oh, wait, Hey Mike, did you find that holster yet?

[Guest mikedwood]

Now guys, this is a positive comment thread for Shadow12 and his skills. Let's not turn it into a CCA bashing thread. We all know they are worth their weight in gold.

Or think they are

[Guest shadow12]

Thank you Mike and Dotson for your kind words, or at least I think they are. I was glad to help ya'll out, I will help out anyone that I can. Except Phantom6, just don't tell him.

[Guest jwp]

I had this issue recently brought to my attention so I took the liberty of pulling the original repair ticket from 2/17/08 when the prior owner brought us the pistol for repair.

The pistol was brought to us for repair having a 'failure to feed' issue. The issue was caused by the magazine's follower having a slight deformation which would cause the follower to not fully extend allowing the round to reach the chamber so that it could be loaded into the chamber.

We addressed the issue with the follower, hand cycled the pistol with ammunition to insure that the magazine did in fact function and then test fired the pistol to insure that it was repaired. Another issue was the slide stop spring had lost tension and was re-tensioned to prevent it from sliding up under recoil. We again hand cycled the pistol to insure function and test fired to further insure function. The pistol functioned 100% and was released to the customer. The charge was $40.00 labor and no parts were changed as they were not required.

You purchased the pistol some time later and had an unknown to us malfunction. You brought the pistol in for service, were informed that we would inspect the pistol and if it was an issue which we had previously addressed there would be no charge, but if it was a new issue there is a minimum bench fee of $40.00. You did not check the gun in, nor did you allow our gunsmiths to inspect the pistol.

For the record, there are no 1911 parts which interchange with the Witness. Your source is either misinformed or just pulling your leg.

I hope that this post will shed some light and dispel some misinformation.

[Guest shadow12]

Well, We tried to hand cycle the pistol, but since the spring was the wrong one, the slide would not come back far enough for the round to go into the chamber. I didn't put the spring in it, it came to me that way, and you can cut down about any spring and make it fit for a few rounds. When I ordered the springs from the manufacturer, they looked nothing like the ones that were in it. Just because a pistol will feed by hand doesn't mean it will feed when fired.

[Mike.357]

shadow I need for you to take a look at my RIA sometimes. Intermittent failures to feed, the slide locks back on occassion and sometimes the hammer does not go to full cock while correctly loading the next round.

Will 6.50 be enough for this repair?

[Guest shadow12]

Mike you can't be cheap your whole life, then you would be Phantom.

[Mike.357]

OK Sam, I will go to ten bucks or so but you have to buy lunch.

[Guest Phantom6]

Mike you can't be cheap your whole life, then you would be Phantom.

Think you're funny there big guy? Ha! I'll show you. I'll just eat a big ol' Subway sandwich (with extra onions) and drink a big ol' beer, you know-- the two food groups you have had to give up, and then we'll see how funny you think that is.

Thanks for all the kind words fellas. Y'all are welcome in the shop any time you are in the area. We've got our own gun forum. It takes place around the counter and even spills over into the classroom when we really have a lot of visitors.

Edited August 16, 2008 by Phantom6

[Guest grimel]

Mike you can't be cheap your whole life, then you would be Phantom.

Says the man who keeps a look out for newly widowed little old ladies.

[Guest Phantom6]

Says the man who keeps a look out for newly widowed little old ladies.

Actually George,... ah, that would be me. That way I get guns even cheaper than you.

Hey but don't hate a player. I simply ask how much they want for the guns and let them set the price.

[Guest grimel]

Actually George,... ah, that would be me. That way I get guns even cheaper than you.

Yeah, Sam just waits for old timers to sell their Garands.