Para-Ord LDA (P-7?)

[Edward429451]

What can you all tell me about the LDA's?

Friend showed up with a new one. I think it was a P-7? It was full sized, 5", takes regular 1911 mags and is DAO.

I liked it as a first impression but it struck me as kinda weird. The safety is engaged with hammer down of course, it being a DAO. I found myself wanting to cock it first before engaging the safety, 1911 habit.

The trigger is the lightest smoothest DAO trigger I've ever felt. Impressive to say the least but struck me as possibly too light for a DAO? What niche would this fill? People buy DAO's for the safety factor of not being able to be comfortable with single action auto triggers, yet want the slimness, fast reloads etc., right?

The safety disengages the trigger from function but does not lock the hammer. AD/ND waiting to happen? Even if holstered. Or did I not spend enough time with it and have missed something here?

The 'Bic-pen' spring in the frame struck me as odd & kinda cheesy looking setup but wadda I know? I spent a whole ten minutes with it. I don't know, it seems like its got a somewhat reversed manual of arms from a 1911 (safety wise) and would not be a good choice for 1911 owners for that reason. Will this thing fire if safety on and hammer snagged and released? Seems like it would've.

Tell me about yours, any problems experianced with them, ND's, reliability and so forth. Correct me where I'm wrong in what I've said. My buddy said its super accurate also....

 

[Edward429451]

BTT

C'mon guys, I know some of you have this gun. I see it mentioned sometimes but usually skip over it having never seen one before. I did try a search for it but wasn't coming up with anything, said it wasn't enough search words or something.

Whats the collective scoop on these?

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

The safety disengages the trigger from function but does not lock the hammer. AD/ND waiting to happen?

Firing pin block, no ND possible.

People buy DAO's for the safety factor of not being able to be comfortable with single action auto triggers, yet want the slimness, fast reloads etc., right?

Yup, also some departments don't allow SA pistols, ta da! DAO 1911. I like the trigger, you can stage it easily or pull through without a problem, very smooth and easy.

I have a Para Carry, C6.45, small 3.0" barrel and shorter frame than the Gov't model. No problems with it through about 400-500 rounds. Doesn't like lead wad-cutters though, at least, it doesn't like it when it gets real dirty. It'lll run the first couple of mags fine and then start failing to feed. But when I shot 100+ rounds of hard ball and lead round nose, it was fine, even as dirty as it was. Quite accurate, more accurate than me.

Don't know what the "The 'Bic-pen' spring in the frame" is that you are talking about though.

The http://forum.m1911.org/ has a lot of information about all the Para models. As with any gun, there are dissenting remarks, but nothing that I have seen that is a major problem that would make me run.

 

[jercamp45]

It's a 7.45!

And they are pretty nice!
I have a C7.45 Companion that I got for a security gig that required DAO or DA w/decocker. It has proven to be very reliable and accurate. But prefering C&L carry, I switched back to Colt when the new gig allowed it. The Para is still in the family though, and is well liked by all who have shot it!! To me it is just a workgun that has carried it's weight.
Jercamp45

 

[Edward429451]

Oh yeah, I did see the FP lock in the slide. Brain fart there.

I liked the trigger but now wonder if there might be any lite strike problems with it.

The bic pen spring is visible if you pull the slide and look down into the frame from top.

 

[Billy Sparks]

I got one of the Para Tac 4's. I really liked it until the slide stop fractured in the first 50 rounds. Of course Para stood behind it but it has shaken my opinion of Para stuff.

 

[OEF_VET]

I have two Para LDA's, a C7-45 LDA (Para-Companion) that I've had for about 6 months and a Stealth 14-45LDA which I just picked up at the dealers' within the hour.

I love the LDA trigger. It feels absolutely wonderful. My C7-45 has been great through hundreds of rounds. The only feeding problems were with my first batch of handloads. I hadn't seated the bullet far enough, and I also started with the minimum powder load, which caused cycling problems. Neither of those problems were caused by the weapon. They were caused by a newbie reloader not doing it correctly.

I'm taking the 14-45 to the range tomorrow, but I expect she'll be just as great as her little sister.

Frank

 

[bountyhunter]

LDA Trigger

Unless yours has had a trigger job, it's not as light as you think. The factory spec on trigger break is 6.5# and most come in about there new. Mine has been lightened a good bit and still breaks at 5#. It does feel lighter because the take up is so light and the break point is so sharp. That sharp break is accomplished by using a sear with a rounded face against a flat hammer hook. Very little creep, sudden break.

What can you all tell me about the LDA's?

Far more than you would want to know and far more than I wish I had been forced to learn. In the humble opinion of this old engineer, the LDA is a great shooting system, but too ambitious. Too many thin parts crammed into too small of a space, too many close tolerances, and too many things to go wrong. Mine developed light strike misfires and had to go back to Para (they replaced the entire insides of the gun) after only a few thousand rounds fired. It arrived back without the first problem but had a trigger that failed to reset at random times (like two or three times out of 60 rounds). I had to take out all the fire control components, polish all the black oxide off the trigger bar contact surfaces and associated parts. I believe it is fixed now, but since it was an intermittent problem... never sure? IMO, it is a comlicated system and not one I would ever bet my life on.

Tell me about yours, any problems experianced with them, ND's, reliability and so forth.

My 1640 LDA has been a terrible gun all along, but I assume all Para's can't be this bad or they would not be in business. Mine had severe feeding problems (I had to rework the feed ramp and throat). It shot 5" high when new (Had to grind the hell off the rear sight). Mine is "long linked" which means the barrel is set up too high in the slide and it strikes off center. The upside is it is pretty accurate and I like the trigger (when it is working). I shoot it every week in speed shooting league.

 

[bountyhunter]

The safety disengages the trigger from function but does not lock the hammer. AD/ND waiting to happen?

Not only is there a firing pin blocking safety, the hammer has a set of "cups" near the bottom which drop over the henispherically shaped sear nose when the hammer is forward and the sear is against the face of the cocking cam. The cam is what is actually released when you break the shot, and the rotating cam catches the hammer and drives it forward. When the hammer is forward, those two "cups" cover the sear nose keep it from coming forward and letting the cam go into the "uncocked" position.

 

[bountyhunter]

Don't know what the "The 'Bic-pen' spring in the frame" is that you are talking about though.

I do. It is a coil spring that applies upward thrust on a part called the "platform" that the trigger bar rides above. The trigger bar is forced down when the slid cycles, that platform has to force it back up to get into the position where it can catch the hammer hook and the sear.

 

[bountyhunter]

I liked the trigger but now wonder if there might be any lite strike problems with it.

That's why mine had to go back. Apparrently, the part that lifted the FP blocking plunger out of the way didn't raise it quite enough. Eventually, the light strikes got more frequent. The front edge of the firing pin cutout was all beat up from dinging into the safety plunger.

 

[Edward429451]

Now THAT sheds some light on the subject! Luckily, it's not mine, its my friends. I guess I had an accurate assessment of it from what you say...pretty nice pistol with a somewhat dubious setup. Time will tell with this one and I have a pretty good idea now on what to look out for with it.

I didn't measure the trigger or anything like that, just a subjective opinion from the feel of it. Nice & lite yet maybe not so nice & lite. My friends a newbie with pistols and I'm a little worried about him with that trigger, and no holster yet either.

 

[Smoke]

I had an LDA when the first came out. I put about 3000 rounds throught it with zero problems. Very accurate. Very nice DAO trigger. But I decided the LDA platform was not for me.

I was sold on Para guns from that first experience though. I now have 4 Paras, all single action and love them all.

I have become interested in the LDA again with the introduction of the CCW. I can't remember if I disliked the system enough to keep me from buying one. Sucks gettin' old.

Smoke

 

[Edward429451]

Uh Oh

Now I'm not very familier with LDA's but check me on this...

My buddy's LDA...when the safety is engaged, the trigger is disconnected and has free travel all the way to the rear...

Checked out another LDA in the gunstore yesterday for S&G's and noticed that when the safety is engaged...the trigger is disconnected from function but only has about 3/4 travel towards rear, where it meets a positive stop.

Which ones is broken?

 

[chevrofreak]

The single stack LDA is the only 1911 type gun I would consider buying. Love that gun.

 

[bountyhunter]

My buddy's LDA...when the safety is engaged, the trigger is disconnected and has free travel all the way to the rear...

Checked out another LDA in the gunstore yesterday for S&G's and noticed that when the safety is engaged...the trigger is disconnected from function but only has about 3/4 travel towards rear, where it meets a positive stop.

Which ones is broken?
...

I'm not sure either one is broken. Putting the safety on pushes the trigger bar down far enough that when you pull the trigger (making the trigger bar come forward), the hook on the end of the trigger bar misses the hook on the hammer bottom (which draws the hammer back). As long as the hammer is forward it places a set of round "cups" over the sear top edge which makes it impossible for the sear to move forward and release the cocking cam from it's cocked position.


My LDA trigger also has free travel pretty much all the way back with safety on, but the tolerance on the piece parts is so crappy I wouldn't assume they were all identical.

 

[Edward429451]

Hmmm, dunno if thats encouraging or not...