Texasgunlover
Member
whats the general feeling about para.I just bought a G.I. EXPERT ESP.It seems to be a fine pistol,tight as hell and very accurate.any others out there that enjoy theirs as much as me
para-ordinance
- Thread starter Texasgunlover
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Gunfighter123
Member
They are like a Chevy vs. Ford thing -- you either love or hate them.
All the ParaOrds I have owned { 6 total } have been accurate , tight , and reliable { two needed a bit of work } ---- I will say MOST {95%} of the problems with the HiCap guns are in the mags and it is usually with the mag springs being underpowered.
My Paras;
All the ParaOrds I have owned { 6 total } have been accurate , tight , and reliable { two needed a bit of work } ---- I will say MOST {95%} of the problems with the HiCap guns are in the mags and it is usually with the mag springs being underpowered.
My Paras;
Texasgunlover
Member
Is their anybody ''out there''
maybe I'm the first to own one
maybe I'm the first to own one
Gunfighter123
Member
Hey Texas ---- beat ya to the draw 
Gunfighter123
Member
BTW ---- WELCOME to THR !!!!!
rattletrap1970
Member
I wish I still had my double stack .45 What a mistake getting rid of that.
Texasgunlover
Member
Great looking weapons.
Usually several posters respond before I finish a reply.My typing is deplorable.I'm still waiting for voice activated type.haha
Usually several posters respond before I finish a reply.My typing is deplorable.I'm still waiting for voice activated type.haha
ichiban
Member
The biggest gripes I have heard about Para is how poorly the "para coat" finish holds up and their poor customer service. I can attest that both issues are true, at least in my case. I think they make decent pistols but I would stay with the stainless or parkerized finish if you go that route. They wont be on the list for my next 1911 even though I do truly like my LTC.
Full Metal Jacket
member
my gi expert has been great, except for a bad extractor. this lead me to experience para's cust service, unfortunately. they are worthless and don't back their products at all. also, they are very unknowledgeable about their products over the phone. they actually told me to buy another para extractor from brownell's 
"Gold Medallion the best warranty in the industry".......yeah right!
i bought the wilson bulletproof one, which is far better. i love my gi expert, but will not buy another para due to lack of aftermarket support.
"Gold Medallion the best warranty in the industry".......yeah right!
i bought the wilson bulletproof one, which is far better. i love my gi expert, but will not buy another para due to lack of aftermarket support.
The Lone Haranguer
Member
I had a P12/45 in 1999 that was a dreadful lemon. It rarely fired more that two consecutive shots and chewed my hand.
06
Member
The finish on my Warthog is badly scrubbed. I usually removed it twice daily under normal conditions. After about a year it started failing to feed properly. and I have a service # already so they can repair it. Like the shooter but will not purchase another. I carry a Makarov 63 now and am well pleased with it's ruggedness, lightness, and accuracy. Just a bit too light for lots of shooting because it hurts my palm after a couple of mags. A wrap around grip hopefully will solve that problem.
I had much the same problem [ejection failure] as Full Metal Jacket, except mine was a P18 9mm. Also complained about overly heavy trigger, for a top line 1911 style pistol, when I sent it in. Got pistol back with note that they would not do trigger work [but trigger was several pounds lighter] and no note on what was done to cure extraction problem. Since then, I've had no problems what so ever and accuracy has never been a problem. Even tho everything came out alright, I think S&W, Springfield, and Kimber have better service departments.
rd2007
Member
For the OP, are you still enjoying it? I was debating on what to get for my birthday and the ESP was on the short list. Bud's dropping the price to $539 on Wednesday got my wallet out, though. http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/53/products_id/62575
Seems to be quite a few stories about people having issues with Para, but I also read a lot of horror stories on the WASR and I absolutely love mine. I'll reserve judgement for mine until I get it and shoot it next week.
BTW, never buy a gun on a Wednesday evening because they ship it out on Thursday and you don't get it until Monday. Too bad they didn't drop the price on Tuesday.
Seems to be quite a few stories about people having issues with Para, but I also read a lot of horror stories on the WASR and I absolutely love mine. I'll reserve judgement for mine until I get it and shoot it next week.
BTW, never buy a gun on a Wednesday evening because they ship it out on Thursday and you don't get it until Monday. Too bad they didn't drop the price on Tuesday.
I have been researching this pistol.
2 points come up frequently.
1: Finish does not seem to be durable. Para will replace, but they don't seem to be quick with CS
2: A few owners have reported that the thumb safety has broken and fell right off the side of the frame. Para fixes as well.
Still they seem to be great pistols for the dough.
2 points come up frequently.
1: Finish does not seem to be durable. Para will replace, but they don't seem to be quick with CS
2: A few owners have reported that the thumb safety has broken and fell right off the side of the frame. Para fixes as well.
Still they seem to be great pistols for the dough.
mljdeckard
Member
My experience is mixed. About ten years ago I bought a used P-12. I liked it fine, but it was during a timeframe when I didn't have a lot of money to shoot very much.
The other experience, within the last 18 months, a friend of mine went in on a group buy for specialized hi-cap Paras with custom logos for a particular unit. He couldn't field strip it, he couldn't get the guide rod and plug out. I thought he was just being a dumb rookie, so I went over to look at it, and I couldn't get it out either. We went to a shop and let their guys play with it, and after much prying and tapping with mallets, it came out. They were trying to see wht was wrong, and my friend examines the slide, it was malformed. There was a flat edge inside the slide where the guide rod is captured. We guessed that when they put it in a vise to install the night sights, they squeezed it too hard. We called and explained exactly what was going on, they fixed it quickly with shipping both ways, but my friends was seriously bummed, it was his first handgun purchase.
The other experience, within the last 18 months, a friend of mine went in on a group buy for specialized hi-cap Paras with custom logos for a particular unit. He couldn't field strip it, he couldn't get the guide rod and plug out. I thought he was just being a dumb rookie, so I went over to look at it, and I couldn't get it out either. We went to a shop and let their guys play with it, and after much prying and tapping with mallets, it came out. They were trying to see wht was wrong, and my friend examines the slide, it was malformed. There was a flat edge inside the slide where the guide rod is captured. We guessed that when they put it in a vise to install the night sights, they squeezed it too hard. We called and explained exactly what was going on, they fixed it quickly with shipping both ways, but my friends was seriously bummed, it was his first handgun purchase.
BridgeTooFar
Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2010
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Love my GI Expert SS. Trying to find a guy locally (that has a good reputation and won't charge an arm and a leg) that can install an ambi safety as I'm left-handed.
2000+ rounds with no failures yet that I'm aware of.
2000+ rounds with no failures yet that I'm aware of.
rkammer
Member
I have the TAC-FOUR in 45 ACP with the LDA trigger and love it. It's my primary house gun and I've practiced a lot with it and also competed with it in IDPA for a couple of years. I've owned this gun for about 5 years now and would buy another Para in a second.
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