[bobby68]

I do not know alot about guns, but i've recently looked at .45 autos online and in store. I have seen some slightly used Paras 12 and 13 for sale at $500 (-/+ $50). The listing for new ones is $800 to $1000. Is this normal pricing?

If so, why the large drop?

[Chipperman]

Supply and Demand.

They are good guns, but are not much sought after. If you like them, and see a good price for a used one, I would not hesitate.

[cratz2]

The owner of the shop I used to frequent all the time said he had more problems having to send Paras back than Colts or Springfields but a worker there swore by them and used them exclusively in competition.

If buying a gun that might be questionable in reliability, I'd really like to be able to put a few rounds through it before buying it. Based on my experience, I'd consider the smaller Paras and any Para in 40 questionable. I've personally never had a problem with either of my Paras.

[Alan Fud]

... They are good guns ... :rolleyes: depends on the luck of the draw ... I own a C6 and a C7 that I would not want to stake my life on and they are seeing safe duty.

[HighVelocity]

I remember when Para first introduced their hi cap 1911. The first one I tested was absolute junk. I thought the company would never survive. Looking at the popularity of their wares now I can see that my first impression of the company was not accurate. even though the one I shot was worthless imho.

[Chipperman]

hmmm....
Seems that some are not so great. I know several people who carry Paras as primary CCW. They are happy with them, and they have been reliable when I have tried them out.

[SouthpawShootr]

I picked up what appeared to be a LN Para P13.45 for $450 a few months ago. I jumped right on it, but was disappointed at the range by multiple jams. The gun only came with one 10 round mag of questionable decent. The first thing I did was order 2 factory 13 round mags and a second 10 round mag. Then I replaced the recoil spring in the gun with a fresh one and magazine spring in the mag that came with the gun. It hasn't given me a problem since. These guns tend to be expensive and I guess the previous owner got disgusted and didn't bother with basic troubleshooting. I read over at www.1911forum.com that even brand new factory fresh guns have had problems that were solved by a new recoil spring. Some of these may have to be chalked up to break-in, since many of these folk run a few hundred rounds through the gun before replacing the recoil spring.

I've got a Para-CCW that sits, brand new, in my safe at home b/c it's been too damn cold to go to the range for about the last 2 weeks. I'm really itching to try it out.

[halvey]

I do not know alot about guns, but i've recently looked at .45 autos online and in store. I have seen some slightly used Paras 12 and 13 for sale at $500 (-/+ $50). The listing for new ones is $800 to $1000. Is this normal pricing? This is typical in my neck of the woods for Para's. Imagine the guy actually trading one in how much of a hit he took on it from the new price. :cuss: I knew of a guy who got a used P14 for $439 from Gander Mountain - not exactly the cheapest place to buy guns.

I've owned several over the years and some were nice shooters and some were not. The P16 .40 and the P13 .45 were the best of the bunch along with the 9mm I had. Heck, I even had a half dozen of them I only test fired and then let sit in the safe.

I eventually sold them all after taking a training course one day. I just wasn't hitting anything and the instructor gave me his Springfield to work with. Just like that, I could shoot! I figured the Springer was that much more accurate, but the instructor told me the Para's just don't fit my hand right. So I moved to the single stack 1911's and now, am a pretty good shot ;)

[ktd]

Paras were first sold as kits, and back then I saw some people try to pass of kit guns as actual Paras. Some were pretty crappy. I seem to remember one company that sold a "Para Completion Kit" that was basically all their cheap generic parts in one package.

I too have been surprised at some of the good Para deals I have seen lately on actual Para guns. I think what kills them is the lack of cheap magazines. I have generally found them to be decent guns, but like many 1911s, they need some tinkering.

k

[tech]

Over the summer I bought a gently used P13 with 2 non neutered mags for $360 otd. I felt like I got a screamin deal on that one.

Mike

[bigmike45]

2 months ago I bought my first Para...a Carry 12. I wasn't really looking for a Para but I was looking at the sub-compact Springfield GI to match my WWII Champion. The price for the Springer in the simplest form was $450.00. I was a little shocked since I bought my Champion for $100.00 less. The clerk asked me if I had ever bought used guns before.....I said that I had not and he led me to the showcase where I found a ever so slightly used Para Carry 12 for $75.00 more than the Springer......and the Para is stainless, with really crappy night sights. It is also an LDA and I love the DA/SA of my SIG P220ST. I took a big chance, not knowing anything about the quality of the Para.

WOW what a gun. If I could force a stone into the mag I believe the little gun would feed it. Accuracy for such a short barrel is more than adequate and dont even get me started on the LDA trigger. The only gun I have that will outshoot it, and not by much is my SIG. I love the wide grip that seems to spread percieved recoil over a larger portion of my hand making it feel like i am shooting a 9mm.....and that is with full house 230gr loads.

I am now looking at the new full size Stealth Nite-Tac. It too is an LDA. I might just have to give up the SA style 1911's.........just joking!!!

[P95Carry]

I'm one of the less lucky - my P12-45 is not reliable. Joy to shoot and accuracy is excellent but - feed probs bug me. I have yet to uprate mag springs and hope this will help. Sadly it spends way too much time in the safe.

[albanian]

When I was in a Bullseye league, the guy that won the 10 week long tournament was shooting a basically box stock 4" bbl Para. It was one of the SA guns with the 12 round mag. I think it is called the P-12 or something. The only thing he had done was a trigger job and sights. He out shot 15-20 other shooters who ranged from newbi to very experienced. He also had a Glock 30 that he could shoot almost well. I remembered the old saying, "its not the gun but the shooter".

Some of the other guys were shooting long bbl Ruger Blackhawks, Contenders, custom 1911s, SIGs, Desert Eagles, S&W K-38s, Ruger GP-100s, S&W 686s and various other 1911s and S&W revolvers. The most common gun was the Contender. This was the iron sights only match, not the red-dot.

I shot next to him for several of the weeks and he taught me more about shooting than I would have learned on my own in a few years. I was a decent shot when I started but this guy was a master. He was not even one of the old timers. He was in his late 30s I think. He won the match easily.

What I learned from shooting Bullseye was, trigger and sights are the most important factors in letting you shoot a gun accuratly. Some guns just are not as accurate as other. A good used S&W revolver can often outshoot any semi-auto at any price. I was amazed that a $300 used S&W K-38 or 19 could put a $1000 1911 to shame! :)