Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Imported exclusively by the European American Armory (EAA) Corporation, the new Girsan Witness2311 Hunter 10 is a serious double-stack holding 15+1 rounds of 10MM AUTO. It also punches tight groups and will take down deer-sized and smaller game.
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No lightweight, not at 40 ounces unloaded, the Hunter 10 can serve as a backcountry bear gun and would be a formidable choice for home defense. Concealed carry? Not for me. I’m only six feet tall and would need to be an NBA center (or always wear a parka!) for this firearm to work for my daily carry. No doubt some carry a pistol of this size and weight, though.
The Witness2311 Hunter 10 is a solid choice for my handgun hunting of deer and hogs. I found a holster and many excellent 10MM ammo types to match up with the Hunter 10. All I need to make this a complete hunting rig is an optic., which EAA provides a great option for as well.
Hunter 10 Features
The pistol features an extended beavertail, a rear sight adjustable for both elevation and windage and an under-barrel accessory rail. The checkering cut into the polymer grips and the sharp texturing along the wide front strap kept my hands solidly on the pistol.
Girsan crowned the six-inch steel barrel; a barrel bushing added to the slide’s smooth and consistent action. Of note, the pistol’s slide spring was tight—very tight. No doubt it will loosen with use.
The Hunter 10 employs a double-stack, steel magazine that fits neatly into the pistol’s beveled magwell. The mag loaded easily by hand, too, right up to the 15th round. No mag loader required.
As with most 1911’s, the Witness2311 Hunter 10 employs both a manual safety—in this case, an ambidextrous one–and a grip safety.
The trigger is skeletonized, had the slightest bit of uptake, and then broke very cleanly at 2 pounds, 12 ounces of pull.
Redneck Gunsmithing
I began my shooting at 12 yards from a rest at my local outdoor pistol range and soon realized a problem: my eyes. Or one could credit the sights. Me, I’d blame both with emphasis on my eyes.
Both the rear sight blade and the front post sport a black finish, and I had real trouble aligning the sights. My groups sucked. Like three inches at this close distance and using a rest.
Time for some redneck gunsmithing.
First, I painted the front post white. I covered the rear blade with a strip of blue painter’s tape. With the tip of a very sharp knife, I cut away the excess tape from the sides and the notch.
My groups immediately got tighter. I knew the pistol and shooter were in sync when I punched in five rounds of Winchester Target ammo at .90 inches, the rounds loaded with 180-grain full-metal jacket bullets.
Offhand
I followed up with offhand shooting at ten yards.
Hornady Custom 10MM AUTO, packing a 180-grain XTP bullet, proved one powerful load. That aforementioned tight recoil spring rocked my hand and forearm unexpectedly hard. Still, I managed to place two four-shot groups at 1.4-inches.
Nosler recently introduced its Assured Stopping Power (ASP) line of self-defense ammunition, and the company sent me several boxes of its 10MM variety. The ASP 10MM is loaded with a 180-grain jacketed hollow point.
My two best 10-yard, offhand groups with the ASP came in at 1.4- and 1.7-inches, for five shots each.
A Hunter?
When I moved onto the 25-yard lane, my white front post wasn’t making it. More tinkering.
I removed the blue tape on the rear sight and affixed a tiny strip of blaze-orange sticky paper (cut from an adhesive target) over the front post. It worked.
I switched over to two 10MM AUTO hunting ammunitions and both did well shooting from a rest.
Hornady Handgun Hunter, featuring a 135-grain Monoflex copper-alloy bullet, placed three-shot groups in the 2.25- to 2.5-inch range. The best group overall was at 1.3-inches.
Barnes Bullets VOR-TX 10MM also featured a copper bullet, in this case, the ammo maker’s 155-grain TAC-XP hollow point. Those rounds shot low compared to the Handgun Hunter. I adjusted the rear sight accordingly.
With the Barnes, the Hunter 10 and I made a four-shot group at 1.2-inches. Knowing the pistol was now on, I proceeded to take six shots at a Birchwood Casey orange Target Spot. They clocked in at 1.6-inches.
I’ use the Hunter 10 and either of these ammo brands for deer and hog hunting anytime.
Holster Up
Launched in 1989, Falco Holsters is based in the Eastern European nation of Slovakia. The company makes a wide variety of holsters including one of the best hunting holsters I’ve used, their D109 Forester Leather Chest Holster.
When I told the company’s marketing person I was working with the Witness2311 Hunter 10 and hoped to hunt with the pistol, his company made and sent me their Forester holster produced specifically for the dimensions of the Hunter 10. While the company makes many standard-sized holsters, Falco also produces all manner of holsters specific to a customer’s handgun.
Crafted from Italian leather, the Forester placed the pistol to the front left of my torso, and the pistol’s butt faced to my right for an easy draw. A security strap is wrapped over the grip safety, while a spare magazine holder is attached to the main strap above the pistol.
The Forester was very comfortable and distributed the weight of the Hunter 10 nicely. It will be a perfect addition to my time in the field.
Red Dot Option
EAA also imports Girsan’s optics-ready version of the Hunter 10. For this model, you remove the one-piece rear sight and plate to expose a slide cut that fits the RMS/RMSc optic footprints.
The optics-ready version of the Hunter 10 carries a suggested retail of $1,184, while my open sight-only version comes in at $1,028 retail. In-store, I’d expect to pay roughly $150 less for either model.
READ MORE: A Precise Red Dot: Shield’s Mini Sight Compact (RMSc)
The optics-ready version wasn’t available when I requested a pistol to test. It certainly would’ve been my first choice, my eyes being what they are and red dots giving me a much better chance to shoot well.
SPECS: EAA Girsan Witness2311 Hunter 10
Action: Single, Semi-Auto
Caliber: 10MM AUTO
Capacity: 15+1
Barrel: Steel, 6”, 1:16 Twist
Frame: Steel
Grips: Poly, Checkered and Textured
Safety: Manual Ambi and Grip
Sights: Adj. Rear, Metal Front Post (as tested)
OA Length: 9.75”
Height: 5.6”
Weight: 40.5 Oz. (w/unloaded magazine)
Magazine: One (1) 15-Round, steel
MSRP: $1,028.00