Para-Ord

[SharpKnife]

I have never owned a Para-Ord P14 but I am thinks of buying one....I've heard good and bad. Anyone here who has owned one want to venture an opinion?? Are the mags good or no, I've heard both.
I'm thinking either P14 or P16...sixteen rounds of .40SW in a 1911 style....hell yes!

 

[critter]

I have both the P-14 and the P-16. Both are 100% reliable, quite accurate and I enjoy them very much. They do have a 'fat' grip but if you have hands that can handle them, they are great as the wide grip helps spread the recoil out and makes it seem less. I have a pair of 10-round mags for each and quite a few 'real' mags and have never had a problem with any of them. I believe the ramped barrel they use helps with feeding. The P-16 is hard chromed and both have night sights. I think they are great guns. Go for it!

BTW, I have just ordered a barrel in .357 Sig for the P-16 .40 caliber to extend its variety of usefulness. Will give a report when it comes in and I get it installed.

 

[IRONFIST]

A thumb's up from me for my stainless ParaOrd P-14.45 "Limited". Its heavy, but I like that in a pistol. I have shot it a lot and have had very few malfunctions. Great gun for the price. I have customized the pistol to my preferances by melting and texturing it. Future mods include a different grip safety, trigger and night sights. I also plan to do a much more radical melt and possibly a master polish job. I love this gun and it is carried daily. Here is a pic of it...

 

[Flashpoint]

Here is a link that might help you out.
http://www.handgunreview.com/reviews/paraordnance.asp

 

[Bowlcut]

hmmmm i dont know for some reason the words "pimp gun" come into my mind right now....

intersting gun to say the least

 

[IRONFIST]

I am one of those folks who gets bored very easily, and I like my possesions to reflect my "unique" taste. I drive a black '71 Lincoln Continental Coupe lowrider and a '74 Lincoln "MadMax" vehicle. I guess my carry pistol is an extension of that need to be different from everyone else. An added benefit of texturing my pistol is that I really don't have to worry about scratches to the frame or slide. Its nice to not be nervous about putting my gun down anywhere I want. The melting makes the pistol feel more comfortable to me and now it doesn't ever snag when I draw it. I love the buttery feel of the rounded edges, and the whole pistol has a more "streamlined" feel. Thanks for the input guys, even if you hate my gun.

Michael in Sandy, OR

 

[Flashpoint]

IRONFIST,
I think your gun looks pretty sweet. I'm a bit like you. I don't want my stuff to scream, "look at me", but I don't want it to look like everyone else’s either. That's one of the reason I didn't buy a Glock, too many people have one.

 

[B_Scott]

How about a pic of the Lincolns (not to hi-jack the thread)?

 

[SharpKnife]

Thanks everyone.
One question, how thick are the grips? I have no difficulty shooting my Glock 21, just to give an example.
I was also considering a Kimber Ten II, but I know even less about those then the Para-Ord.

Oh yeah, lets see some car pics.....sounds sweet!

 

[Erik]

"I have no difficulty shooting my Glock 21, just to give an example."

Then you should have no problem with the relatively thick (to single stack 1911s) high capacity 1911s out there.

 

[IRONFIST]

B_Scott, here is a pic of my Lincoln Coupe...A.K.A "The FastBlack".

 

[IRONFIST]

.....and another.

 

[12-34hom]

Para

I have a P-14ltd, excellent weapon.

I made some minor changes, Novack nite sites, Houge grip, Wolff 24lb recoil spring.

12-34hom.

 

[Gordon]

I have an early 90's P-13, I stripped it and deburred it , a few strokes with hard arkansaw slip to sear ect. and shot it 1500 rds so far with just a replacement recoil spring and buffer pad. It is very accurate and feeds most everything. It is my defense gun for concealed carry! I bought 10 p-14 mags for it in 93 and they give me a little extra to hold on to. I don't see any MIM parts on this early para, and machine work seems smooth as a Colt.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

How did you get that finish, ironfist?

 

[IRONFIST]

Don't laugh, but when I had decided what texture I wanted...I broke out the trusty Dremel! First I disassembled the pistol and started slowly removing metal around the edges. Then I started to de-horn all the small parts. This took quite awhile in itself. When I was done removing all the metal I wanted(and I took quite abit) and got the contours just right, I hand-sanded the entire pistol with 500 and 1000 grit wet/dry sand paper. This took the dremel marks down and smoothed out the imperfections in the finish. When I was done I soldered a fine metal screw on to a Dremel drill shaft at an eccentric angle. Then I started working over every exposed surface very slowly. This covered the exterior with overlapped, swirled marks and makes it kind of look like Damascus steel. The gun has a softly glowing appearance and a mostly smooth, slightly textured finish. I am somewhat rough on my guns and this is the best finish I have come up with for ease of use and appearance. I routinely get compliments when folks see my pistol in person. To each his own, but this works very well for me.

Michael in Sandy, OR

 

[B_Scott]

Thanks - sweet cars.

How is the width of a p-12 or 13 or 14 compared to a double stack glock?

 

[M1911]

I've got a P14-45. It lives in the safe. I carry and shoot my Kimbers.

The P14 grip is fat and blocky. If you have large hands, it won't be a problem. If you have medium-sized hands like mine, it may be just a bit big. When fully loaded, the gun is heavy. I don't care for the sights (particularly the front sight). I don't like the rear grip safety (it bites the web of my hand) nor do I like the traditional, short, Colt-style manual safety -- I prefer a slightly extended safety like on the Kimbers.

My P14 has always been somewhat unreliable. The typical problem is a failure to feed on the last round in the magazine (yes, I've replaced the magazines springs). Before too long, the hammer started to follow the slide. The gunsmith that I spoke with said that the hammer and sear were very soft and had to be replaced.

My P14 is a relatively early one, so perhaps PO's quality has improved since then. But I'm not impressed with the gun.

 

[TheOtherOne]

B_Scott, here is a pic of my Lincoln Coupe...A.K.A "The FastBlack".

Love the Lincoln! All you are missing is some clean whitewalls!

 

[HSMITH]

I have an early alloy P14, 4 digit serial number starting with a "1" sort of early gun. It has a little over 30K rounds through it now without a bit of trouble. The ejector is loosening up over the last 10K rounds and should be replaced soon. The slide stop hole is about .0005" out of round too, but I do not know what it was like when I got the gun so I don't know if it is from frame battering. At any rate it is very little wear. I had a trigger job, beavertail, trigger, flat mainspring housing and hard chrome plating done on mine at about 5000 rounds. After that second break-in that I had to do it has been flawless, eats anything you feed it that will fit in the chamber besides 155gr semi wadcutters.

Out of the box it was dead reliable with anything you fed it, and sub 2" at 25 yards with most ammo. The sights as issued on the older ones sucked big time, that is the only reasonable complaint I have seen. If the grip feels big put a flat mainspring housing and a short trigger on it. I have pretty small hands and it is very comfortable to me, more so than a G17/22 size grip.

 

[Alan Fud]

I own a few Para's ...

... and over all they are pretty good guns but they do need a long break-in period to ensure accuracy and reliability.