Does everyone TRUST the Para?

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Topgun

member
Joined
Dec 26, 2002
Messages
1,011
Location
Anywhere necessary
For some reason, I just can NOT get enthused over that cut-out right side guide rail. It just looks like it weakens the gun.

On the other hand, I can accept the lil bitty Glock retainer clips.

The Glock just looks made of REPLACEABLE springy steel while the Para is part of the frame and non-replaceable.

Am I alone? Nuts? Too cautious? Pistol whipped?

:confused:
 
Well, I would imagine that if the frame breaks Para would fix it for you. I don't see the cut out rails as a problem.

For some reason I'm just not down with the LDA system as a whole. I have had fun shooting a couple of them, but it's not something I would put my own coin on to bring home.
 
Actually, the cut out slide rail makes the frame stronger. It is done to prevent stress cracks by removing an area prone to cracking.

Oh, and the Para I owned was the most unreliable firearm I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with.
 
Like Sean said, I've been told that sometimes cut-outs are incorporated in a design to prevent stress risers from occuring. Don't personally know if that's why Para designed theirs that way ...

I've only seen one LDA come through our CCW course ... a .45 ACP ... and the owner couldn't hardly get the pistol to function throughout the course. Since he was using some mixed magazines, a couple of which appeared to be non-labeled "gunshow surplus", perhaps that was the cause of his repeated feeding malfunctions.

I have a friend that was using a 9mm LDA for weekend competition for a while, but even after a trip back to have it tweaked by the service folks, it didn't give him the level of reliability he desired, and it was replaced by another gun.

Personally, the design doesn't interest me, so I can't get too bothered one way or the other ...
 
I haven't been exactly enthused about the Para ever since '95 whe I was in '94 AWB panic mode, and hunting for a high-cap .45. The local gunshop handed me one out of the case to look at, and even after dropping the mag, and adding some oil, you couldn't retract the slide. This was a brand new, out of box, P-14 or whatever. They worked on it for a half hour, and I hung around out of sheer curiosity. They never got it to cycle.

I told them no thanks. And they thanked me for being the easygoing customer I am, instead of some hothead who would have made a stink about them showing customers bad guns.

Got myself a Glock 21, (and now just inherited a NIB Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec), and didn't look back. Nary a hiccup from Mr. Gaston's handywork. I wouldn't be completely opposed to another Para in the future, but I'd demand to be able to test it throughly first.
 
I can't comment on the Strength of the frame. I have 5 Para's currently.

2-P14's
1 P13
1 P16 (.40)

I am approaching 12K between them all. Highest count is on teh first P14 Limited; about 7000. No sign of a problem with the frame on any of them.

P13 gave me some intiial problems with reliability. 1911Tuner got me straightened out with it.

None of the others have ever hinted at wanting to give a problem of any kind.

I love my Para's
 
Owner Of a Para C7.45 Companion Here!

Mine is two years old, having about 2500 rounds through it. Once I got rid of the Para mag and replaced it with a Wilson...it ran great. Had a challenge at 1000 rds, needed to replace the recoil spring. Once done, it has been a great, smooth, accurate performer. I carried it on duty for two years and trusted my life to it!
Now I have no DOA mandate, so pack my Gov't Model C&L on duty and a LW Officer's off duty, but the Para with its ultra sweet trigger will remain in the collection as a house or car gun! Getting my sweetie in tune with the Para, loading it with 185 grain silvertips for a light kicking load to suppliment her Kahr Nine(looking for a PM9 to replace my Chief's Special as a BUG now).
I have heard of challenges with the double stack .45 by Para and other's, but I really have no experience with them. Though I have large hands that can easily wrap around them, I'll stick with the single stack for reliability and hey I have mags and pouches out the wazoo.
Jercamp45
 
There is the opinion, that I share, that Para builds good guns for 4.5 days and then on Friday afternoon they assemble guns from all the parts in the reject bin. Don't judge any gun by the name on the slide, but a Para is best bought by a person that understands they have a 95% chance of getting an excellent weapon and a 5% chance of a real problem child.

As for the frame rail, there are early production LDAs being campaigned in IPSC that probably have hundreds of thousands of rounds through them. How much you plan on shooting it? Me personally with LDA, I expect a 1911 hammer to stay back where I put it and don't think much of this "improvement".
 
My problem with my Para P13 isn't with the gun, but with the :cuss: metric neutered mags. I have three factory mags and one is a real problem child. I would buy another Para, as long as it wasn't a LDA. The P10 looks good to me...
 
I've had no problems at all with my Para Carry, but I only have 600 rounds through it so far. And I must trust it, since I do carry it.

I don't think there is a problem with the rails cut out, it's not like they are cracking frames like a certain alloy frame used to...

The LDA trigger with the shortened hammer and beavertail is a nice change for carry usage, since there is no hammer sticking out to get caught on anything, or to jab my fat.

I wouldn't mind picking up a hi-cap 9mm 1911 after the ban expires.
 
No. I'll never purchase another one. Get a Charles Daly Bul M5 or an STI instead if you want a hicap 1911.

Glocks are good as well.

Ken
 
Paras are reputedly

"tight" when new. My Tac Four was that way, and would occasionally fail to feed a truncated-cone type round, but never, ever, a hardball round or a 230 gr JHP or Golden Saber. Now, after about 500-700 rds it feeds everything. I've only used the factory 13 rd mags. I find the trigger just dandy and the bobbed hammer and shortened beavertail are great for carry. So far I'm happy with mine. I guess I've never expected a new auto pistol to run without a hiccup when new, unless it's a super-premium gun.
 
I'm not a huge fan of Paras or any other high cap 1911-platform gun but I know many, many guys that have 30,000 to 50,000 rounds through their 14/45s and 16/40s with zero or very few breakages. Almost all of them have had reliability work done to them though...

When I think if Paras, I think that some basic work will need to be done to them to make them run 100%, but I think once they run right, they will be as long term reliable and durable as any other high cap 1911.

I had a well-used 14/45 and it was completely reliable with LSWCs and ball ammo. It was used in competition and had been tweaked but it left me with a generally favorable impression of the guns... but they just don't really interest me.
 
My alloy framed P-13 was completely problem free out of the box... quite accurate and a very nice gun IMO... I trusted it completely...


I must've gotten lucky and gotten a Monday-Thursday produced version...


Out of all the guns I've sold... I regret selling it the most.
 
My p-13 is as reliable as they come, certainly as good as any Commander I've had. The P-14 is not quite as good and needed some help. Both guns were early production.:cool:
 
I bought my first Para, before the hi cap ban. I think it was built on a Friday. Four years, and $600 later, I FINALLY got it to shoot to my satisfaction.
Did I learn my lesson? NO, I picked up two more in the last year, that must have also been built on Fridays.
It was suggested to me that I sell the ones I was having problems with, but, I refuse to sell a "problem" to somebody else, for them to deal with.
I wish everybody felt the same way, then, maybe I wouldn't have to keep sticking $$ in to Paras to get them to run properly.
I think I'm going to STI, or SVI, and just keep the Paras for 'backups"
 
I bought a P14 back in 92 or 93, I put 3500 rounds through it with zero problems and sent it off for plating, beavertail etc. I got it back in full hard chrome and it was silly tight, but it started behaving decently at about 30 rounds and has since. With good ammo it is flawless in function and more accurate than all but a few shooters. It has close to 25K rounds through it.
 
I've had my P14-45 for about 4 years and put at least 5000 rounds thru it. No problems at all. What I like most about my Para is the smoth trigger pull and the 14 rd mag. Plus it feeds anything you put in the mag, because the feeding ramp is excellent.
 
Only good news here ;) P14-45 limited (ss)

6 years, 1,000s of rounds (even Wolf :what: ), and no problems. I even dared to fire +P.

The plastic magazine catch was jettisoned in favor of a steel one. Thanks Smoke :D

Other than that, no complaints. If the SHTF, it will be riding on my hip.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top