One of the best recipes for a flat-shooting pistol is to scale the caliber down and bring the overall weight up. For these reasons, double-stack 1911s are sought out by competitors of any shooting discipline that involves rapid fire and movement. The problem is that the work that goes into an all-metal gun can significantly bump up the cost of entry, leaving many safes void of this recoil-shedding platform. The European American Armory, better known as EAA, has been importing the best firearms around the globe into the US since 1990 and, for 2025, simply did not rest on its laurels. A follow-up to the Girsan Witness 2311, the Witness 2311 Match X was introduced at the 2025 SHOT Show and offers more to the shooter looking to go fast and save cash.
A stainless-steel slide is meticulously fitted to an aluminum frame to keep costs down without overshooting the mark on the scale. After all, this pistol holds up to 21 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, so it is possible to go too far. As more and more shooters are moving toward electro-optics, the rear sight is removable, revealing an RMSc cut for red dots with the associated footprint. Best of all, the barrel is integrally compensated to push your muzzle back down every time you press the trigger.
At the NSSF Media Day, I was able to run a few mags through the Match X and found it interesting enough to include in this series of stories. The fitment of parts was certainly there for reliable, accurate function, and the grip texture felt to be more than enough to control the pistol without being so overtly aggressive that it becomes uncomfortable to shoot all day. The slide operation was fluid, and the tuned trigger broke like a glass rod while portraying an exceptionally snappy reset. Overall, it was one of the flattest-shooting pistols at the event. It’s hard to believe that the MSRP on this gun is only $1,069, meaning that you shouldn’t have much trouble finding it for less than $1,000 in the real world. For more information, visit eaacorp.com.
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