Clearly, the design is a good one, or there wouldn't be so many clones on the market. Springfield Armory offered the P-9, EAA has the Witness, and there are several others whose names escape me. I saw a CZ 9mm fifteen years ago, and fell in love with the gun, but didn't want a 9. I told the salesman if he got one in a bigger caliber to call me. Six months later, I found a Witness in 40, and bought it on the spot. That was in late 1990, and I still have it, when a lot of lesser guns have been traded away. I have something over 30,000 round thru it, and it feeds everything I stuff in it. I think I need another one in 45ACP, or maybe even 45GAP. It's strong, reliable, and carries a cartridge worthy of the task I bought it for. And it's what some would call a cheap, Italian copy.
My next one will likely be the CZ, just to see if there's any real difference!
Papajohn