Springfield Armory 9mm question

[growr]

Years ago, SA was importing a single stack 9mm that was the same as the Astra A-70.....my question is....what was the model name or number?

Randy

 

[growr]

FOUND IT!
I called Springfield today and it was an imported Astra A-70 called the Firecat. Apparently SA imported and sold about 500 of them....

Great little gun indeed!

Randy

 

[josywales]

Interesting. SA also made the P9C, which was a smaller P9, using the Tanfoglio part. SA polished, fitted, and assembled the P9 series under the supervision of Les Baer. The P9C guns are all steel. In 9mm, the P9C is a heavy gun. Still, I would have kept mine, the grip is fat for me. I have the P9C in 40 and it's one of the few guns I'll shoot in a 40. Grip is smaller and gun is lighter than the 9mm version. Great gun, very accurate and beautiful bluing to boot.

 

[growr]

Ah yes, the P9....essentially a CZ75 clone and a darn fine one at that!!

Randy

PS. Seems to me that if the Firecat (Astra A-70) were re-introduced today in both 9mm and .40 would do quite well.

I have two A-70's, one in 9mm and the other in .40 S&W and enjoy them greatly. They are well made, well thought out, are quite reliable, and very accurate.

I would buy more of them..........

 

[S&WIowegan]

I remember the P9 very well. Springfield promoted the P9 heavily in the early 90s and had Doug Koenig lined up as a sponsored shooter using the P9. I don't know why this happened but it seemed soon thereafter Tanfoglio switched to EAA as its' big distributor of these CZ clones called "Witness" . They were popular for a few years with USPSA shooters running 9x21mm Major power factor loads. EAA had a bonus program for shooters placing high at major matches. These Witness guns gradually faded from the USPSA scene. A gunsmith I know said the slides were difficult to machine due to very hardened surface. I still own an EAA Witness chambered for 40S&W with a single action trigger that sits in my safe. The adjustable rear sights on these guns often broke the elevation screw during a match. Also, I saw a squad mate's Witness barrel separate in two pieces during the 1995 Nationals.

A famous European shooter named Eric Grauffel still competes with Tanfoglio guns.