Opinions on Para 1911's?

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Northslope Nimrod

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I just found this model on Para's web site:
Model # PCX99R
It is a 4.25 inch barrel 1911 in 9mm. Capacity is 9 +1. It is just what I have been looking for. (It doesn't have the LDA trigger)

Any opinions on this model in particular? Can someone show me a retail price? I did a search that came up with nothing.

Opinions on Para 1911's in general? What others do they compare to?
 
Last time Buds had them in stock they were $715

As much as I hate to be the guy to offer advice about something you are not even asking about, are you at all familiar with the Browing High Power?
 
i wil report that the para's that i have shot/ used have been fantastic they are reliable, accurate and the triggers are awesome, my favorite being the lda, but that model dosent have it but anyway they are all around great guns. the para company are very inovative and offer alot of features. the ptx extractor, match grade barrel and in some models the hi cap design, and the lda trigger.

my dads para could and would reliably cycle empty brass, i couldn't believe it either until i did it myself.

even the ssp which is one of the cheaper models is good to go out of the box.
 
para carry 9

I owned the carry 9 a lda model but oh my what a shooter, the finest lda trigger system in the world-- period. match grade barrel. I sure like mine. If I had any complaints it was the allow frame sure didn't hold its original finish well. Mine started to chip away right fromt he git go, looked likea 100 year old gun, other than that they make good stuff and the best variety of any 1911 style mdg-er..
 
Just one comment (and I'm a Para fan - often carry my Covert Carry LDA) - aside from their stainless finishes, they show holster wear fairly quickly. I've owned mine for just a few years, carried it off and on in a quality leather holster, and I'm about to send the slide to Robar - all the edges are worn down to steel. Pity I have to do that with an otherwise great gun.
 
Original Poster; In answer to a question above. Browning HP you say? Got one. Love it. But always wanted a 1911...mainly because of the trigger and history (even if I get on in 9mm).

Maybe my HP needs a better trigger job. I had an old timer gun smith give it a $25 trigger job....but he wasnt' a big fan of light triggers so he didn't do much to it. Also, my HP doesn't reset nearly as quickly as the 1911. Double Taps are difficult. I have to release the trigger too far. Any advice on that?

Anyway, so Para's have notoriously bad finishes?
 
Not sure if they still are but at one time Para was using a cast extractor.
 
I've got a 1911 SSP. It's a SA, 7/8 capacity, 5" barrel in the "Regal" coat finish. This is probably Para's closest gun to a traditional 1911 style. I do carry the gun quite a bit.

The gun runs great, is very accurate, and has a great trigger pull. Mine has also shown a little more wear that I would like, but it does see a lot of use.

I still think it's a great gun for the money. Low $700's. You can probably get a new one in the $600 range.

Mine is a model PX745.
 
I saw a Para 1911 .45 at my local gun shop. It was stainless with checkered wood grips and a checkered backstrap with smooth front strap. This was a beauty. 5 inch barrel. They were asking $900 for it.

I can't remember the exact model:banghead: Does anyone know what model this could be? Anyone think a used Para 1911 for $900 is a bit much?
 
My Para was nothing but trouble, I got rid of it and will never buy another, If you want a 1911 then get a Colt, Dan Wesson , Kimber or Springfield .
 
I have a Para SSP. Out of the box it shot low and I replaced the sights with some Novaks after getting no satisfaction from Para. After 100 rounds I noticed peening at the slide stop. The photo is how it looks now after a little over 3000 rounds through the gun. When I contacted Para I was told that I didn't know how to sight a pistol properly and the slide peening is considered 'normal'. I got nothing but 'Wedgies' when I called their customer service. I know there are a lot of Para fans out there but this is my first and last Para.

IMG_0612.gif
 
I've got 7 1911s, including an early P14-45. In summary, my ParaOrdnance P14-45 is a complete POS.

I've put several thousand rounds through my P14. In that time, it has has numerous failures to feed, typically near the ends of the magazine. The mags are factory new mags. I've tried replacing the mag followers and springs, but still get failures to feed.

After a couple thousand rounds, the hammer started following the slide down. I had to have a gunsmith replace the hammer, sear, and disconnector. His comment was that he'd never seen parts that soft.

The slide stop notch on my P14 is peened far, far worse than Jacho's -- you can easily cut yourself on mine.

Eventually, I'll have my P14 built into a race gun. I'll keep the mag bodies, floor plates, and the frame. Everything else gets tossed.

I've got 1911s from Colt, Kimber, Springfield Armory, Wilson Combat, and ParaOrdnance. The Wilson is the best, followed by Kimber and Colt. The Springer required a barrel replacement before it would group worth a darn. And as described above, my ParaOrdnance P14 is complete poop.

I won't buy another ParaOrdnance. Ever.
 
theotherwaldo said:
The idea of buying a gun from a company that's located in a gun-banning country like Canada seems counter-intuitive to me. I'd suspect that they feel pretty insulated from their customer base!
Click to expand...

That sure eliminates a lot of fine firearm manufacturers.
 
Veering off topic....theotherwaldo, Liebrals, er Liberals, are everywhere as are the sheep who fall for their lies and give them their votes. They even exist in your fine country. Be wary of them and ever vigilinte that they don't get the foothold that they have here in Canuckistan.....not all Canadians are Liberals or gun banning fanatics. See www.canadiangunnutz.com, we have many American members that post regularly.
 
Shot almost 1000 rounds through my SSP...no problems after using only Chip, Wilson, and Trip mags...

I had 2 para 8 rounders but one would almost always malf on the last round..weird....

DB
 
I have 3 of them, a C645, a P16.40, and an LTC - all stainless, and they are reliable and accurate guns. Two of them have the LDA trigger which is just so smooth. Like everything else, some folks like them and some don't...
 
my P14 works fine. iv got about 1k through it with no problems. i replaced the mag springs with Wolff springs. thats not to say there are not regrets

the p14 magazines are pricey..way too pricey and some what hard to find.
the para ramped barrel means non ramped barrels wont work

but as for the performance, it works fin, no peening, nothing.
 
It's disappointing to see these posts of dissatisfied Para owners. No doubt, had that been my experience I'd feel the same. However, and fortunately, that's NOT been my experience, so I'll keep shooting mine.

I have a P10 duo-tone (sharp!) bought new, and a P14 stainless, bought used. (P10 is now called Warthog; essentially the same gun.) Both are fine guns, both the original single action .45ACP. Not LDA. Don't recall exactly, but they must be about 10 years old, and the build and component quality have never been an issue. Never been a fan of DA pistols, favoring the simplicity of 1911 cocked-n-locked mechanisms.

Thought I had heard Para was purchased by a US company some time ago, and find that true: http://www.paraord.com/

If foreign-owned weapons manufacturers are a problem for some, consider the popularity of Communist-era guns, including the AK and variants as but one example.
 
I am quite surprised at the negative reports on the Para's .... I own several and have never had a single misfeed, etc. The only time I ever had a problem was with a reload that was out of spec... the Para extractor ripped the lip of the shell right off trying to extract it. Amazing indeed. So, having said all of this, my personal criteria in a handgun used for self defense is quite simple. It has got to work 100 percent. Would I carry a Para? You bet I would. They generally do have a weight issue when compared to, say, a Glock, but that is a double edged sword. The extra weight in the heftier calibres (I try to carry .40 or .45 SD rounds) tends to make for greater accuracy due to the better handling of the recoil/flip. No point shooting a .45 if you aren't hitting your target, right? Would I carry a Para. Absolutely. I have two P1640 Limiteds in stainless steel that I would love to try carrying OWB. And I will. I am getting used to the idea of carrying Glock though, despite the fact that I am not warm and fuzzy about their safety for IWB concealed. I will carry my Glocks OWB concealed no problem with one in the tube. (The only way to carry IMHO). Anyway, I have no idea why you need this particular handgun, but I would bet my life and that of my family on a Para any day. Anyone having an issue with misfeeds? You need to get to your Para authorized armourer/dealer asap rush as you have a problem. The gun is built to be ultra reliable and generally is. The power extractor is simply amazing. Yep. I love my Para's. And I love my Glocks. And my HK P7M8's (in my opinion the best carry pistol ever made). Truth is the only handguns that I really dislike are the ones that misfeed more than 1 percent. or are too heavy or unsafe to carry (and there are a few of those). That Para you are looking at is pretty reliable and you will not be sorry for the investment.
 
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