Lately, there has been a tidal wave of new double-stacked 1911s hitting the market. Some people refer to this design as a “2011.” From here on out, that’s what I’ll call it. Today, I’ll give you my in-depth review of the Girsan Witness2311 Match X that is imported by EAA. With all these new, similar guns, which do you spend your hard-earned cash on? The full custom $5,000 BBQ gun? Or the $1,000 piece that is “just as good?” Save some money on the gun and spend more on ammo? Or pay a bit more for the name, and… eat Ramen for 6 months?
I won’t make you read to the end of the article to get the answer to this question. After running the Girsan Witness2311 Match X for months in competition, I can advise you to… do what is financially responsible. Yes, this means different things to different people. If you want bragging rights, spend thousands extra. If you want to humiliate these types of people at the range and save a ton of cash, choose this budget for 2011.
The Witness2311 Match X served me well and was reliable. I even outshot people with their full-custom builds in USPSA matches. You could say, “It’s not the arrow, it’s the indian.” But you’re here for the full review, so I’ll get into the details about this gun.
About The Girsan Witness2311 Match X
Girsan makes the Witness2311 Match X in Giresun, Turkey. They’ve been making firearms there since 1993, refining their product to the level of what it is today. EAA Corp. (European American Armory) imports Girsan products to the United States, so we have access to them.
The Match X is one of four models in Girsan’s Witness2311 product line, which comprises double-stacked 1911s. All Witness2311 models currently have polymer grips, ambidextrous thumb safeties, and accessory rails. The Match X is differentiated by its integral compensator, aluminum frame, Cerakote coating, and much more. Basically, the Match X is designed to shoot fast, flat, and accurately. It’s a fantastic competition weapon right out of the box with an MSRP of only $1,179.00!
Unique Features
Integrated Compensator and Bull Barrel
The integrated compensator of the Witness 2311 Match X is the most obvious, non-standard feature. By definition, the big chunk-port style compensator is part of the bull barrel. Both the barrel and compensator are forged steel, providing weight and strength where needed for fast, reliable follow-up shots. That’s all good in theory, but in practice, it’s even better. This compensator vented huge amounts of gas straight up into the sky, and the reduction in muzzle rise was obvious.
Lightweight Frame
The frame of the Match X is aluminum that’s been Cerakoted. This lighter frame makes the Match X swing quickly between targets. This weight reduction toward the end of the gun is very noticeable, considering steel is three times heavier than aluminum by volume; therefore, this design is three times lighter than the alternative. Weight reduction can be counterproductive when it comes to recoil mitigation, but the integrated compensator more than makes up for this.
Enhanced Trigger
Girsan boasts an enhanced trigger in the Witness2311 Match X. It’s tuned from the factory to be a maximum of 4.5 lbs. The gun I tested has a trigger pull that is almost exactly 4.5 lbs. It’s also very crisp, and the reset is short and positive. As far as 2011 standards go, the pull weight is probably sub-par for a competition-focused platform. If this were a duty gun, this is a trigger weight that you might seek out. Regardless, I think this feature is worthy of this highlight because it is noticeably better than the trigger in some other Witness2311 models I’ve used. Also, I think it’s a good value when you take the price of the Match X into account.
Optic Ready
The Witness2311 Match X comes optic-ready and is compatible with RMSc footprint optics. To mount an optic, you must remove the rear iron sight, which is a fully adjustable, serrated sight. There are no adapter plates required to mount an RMSc footprint optic, but there are also no adapter plates available from Girsan for other optic footprints. I chose to mount a C&H Precision Max on my Match X because it has the largest window size (that I’m aware of) with the RMSc footprint, and it worked great!
Magwell
The magwell on the Witness2311 Match X is further evidence of its intentional design. The flared magwell on this gun is large enough to be very functional, but still small enough to be out of the way of your grip. People with large hands will appreciate this delicate balance, especially. It’s a polymer in construction and is removable with a pin. There are also cutouts on the sides that allow access to a flush-fitting magazine if manual stripping of the mag is required.
Accuracy Testing And Results
To test a wide variety of ammunition, I worked with Ammo to Go, Remington, Norma, Winchester, Federal, Blazer, and Hornady. Each sent some ammo for the Witness2311 Match X accuracy test, and I am glad to have it. More results are better because this means more information for you.
I tested ten different ammunition. Of these, five are range-use marketed, and five were defensive ammunition. Now to list them all… buckle in. These consisted of Norma Range & Training 65gr Frangible, Blazer Aluminum Case 115gr FMJ, Magtech Steel Case 115gr FMJ, Federal American Eagle 115gr FMJ, Blazer 147gr FMJ, Winchester USA Ready 124gr +P, Remington Ultimate Defense 124gr Golden Saber BJHP, Federal Punch 124gr JHP, Hornady Critical Duty 124gr FlexLock +P, and Hornady Custom 147gr XTP. Groups were shot at a distance of 17 yards, and all were 5-round groups.
I’ll start with the best performing and move toward the worst. First place goes to Norma Range and training 65gr Frangible. This ammo grouped 1.74″ with a flier, but 0.41″ if you ignore the flier. Second place goes to Remington Ultimate Defense 124-grain Golden Saber BJHP. This ammo also had a flier, and these two groups were the only ones with an obvious flier that I’ll take the blame for. With the flier, this Remington ammo grouped 2.39″, but without it measures 0.96″.
Federal American Eagle 115gr FMJ fell in at 1.30″ for third place. Fourth place goes to Blazer Aluminum Case 115gr FMJ and its 1.54″ group. Fifth place is Blazer 147gr FMJ at 1.91″. Sixth place is Hornady Critical Duty 124gr FlexLock +P with a 2.05″ group. Seventh place is Winchester USA Ready 124gr +P at 2.13″. Federal Punch 124gr +P JHP earned eighth place with a 2.52″ group. Ninth place goes to Magtech Steel Case 115gr FMJ with a 2.86″ group, and tenth and last place goes to Hornady Custom 147gr XTP and it’s 3.18″ group.
Overall, I’d consider the Match X performance slightly above average for all handguns and on par with other budget 2011s that I have tested. I found it very interesting that the Match X tended to shoot range ammo better than defensive ammo. I normally find some of this defensive ammunition to be incredibly accurate. Though interesting, this doesn’t really mean anything since it’s completely anecdotal.
Experience At The Range
Ammo To Go supplied me with a ton of Magtech Steel Case 115-grain ammunition to test this gun with. Consequently, I fed the Witness2311 Match X tons of steel case, cheap ammo, and it plugged away with incredible reliability. I never cleaned this gun during the 1000 rounds I have gone through. It was just liberally oiled on occasion. However, I did wipe the gun down at the end of my testing for the pictures you see in this article.
The large chunk port on this gun is very aggressive at fighting muzzle rise. The 65-grain Norma ammunition I tested was astonishingly flat-shooting. The Match X has similar ergonomics to any other 2011 that you may be familiar with, so it felt great in the hand and pointed intuitively. This gun swung quickly and easily for target transitions because of its lightweight frame. I shot this gun in USPSA matches in open class, and I performed well with it. This handgun would truly shine in SCSA (steel challenge), where shot strings are short and transitions between targets are rapid. In the future, I plan on putting this theory to the test.
Girsan sends the Witness2311 Match X with two different recoil springs. One is for 115-grain ammunition (comes installed), and one is for 124-grain or heavier projectiles. The spring for lighter bullets ran all bullet weights I shot through the gun just fine. However, when I paired the 124-grain ammunition with the 124-grain specific recoil spring, I could feel a difference in the recoil impulse. If you know you shoot a lot of 124-grain or heavier ammo, it could be a good idea to swap the recoil springs.
Specifications And Features
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 17+1 / 20+1 rounds
- Barrel
- 5″ Bull Barrel with Integral Compensator
- forged steel
- Slide
- front and rear slide serrations
- front lightening cuts
- forged steel
- Trigger: Tuned Trigger (4.5 lbs pull weight)
- Frame
- Lightweight aluminum construction
- Full-length frame rails
- Full-length accessory rail
- ambidextrous safety
- Sights
- Adjustable Rear Sight Cap
- Fiber optic front sight
- Grip module:
- Optics: Optic Ready for RMSc footprint
- Two included magazines
- Cerakote finish
- Overall Length (OAL): 8.75″
- Weight: 1.9 lbs
- Finish: Two-Tone Tungsten/Black
- Hard travel case included
- MSRP: $1,179
READ MORE HERE: CZ Shadow 2 Carry Review: Competition DNA Meets Daily Carry
Final Thoughts
Girsan’s Witness2311 Match X is a fantastic option for enthusiasts as a budget 2011. This gun proved itself to be reliable and accurate during my testing, and I think it looks great, too. It’s hard to find any 2011 for anywhere near the $1,000.00 price range, but the Match X packs a lot of features and value for an MSRP of $1,179.00. I mean, the gun comes with an optic cut, compensated barrel, Cerakote coatings, multiple magazines, a good trigger, a nice carry case, and more. You should also know that it is easy to upgrade individual parts on a 2011 as needed, or as you like.
When I received this gun, I basically unboxed it, added a red dot sight, and took it to a shooting competition. It performed well in this high-speed, high-stress environment! I went on to shoot this gun in multiple USPSA matches. I even lent it to a friend who was interested in getting into the sport, and he shot well with the Match X! For me to consider a budget firearm “S-tier,” it needs to be cheap, feature-packed, and reliable. The Witness 2311 Match X absolutely checks these boxes, gaining my approval and recommendation. If you are shopping for a 2011 on a budget, the Match X should be on the list for your consideration.
Learn more about Girsan’s Witness2311 Match X here!
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