It's news to me that they have a bad rep. Sure, I hear Kimber and Colt and Springfield owners bashing them, but they bash each other, too. It's a brand loyalty thing.
I currently own four 1911's: one Kimber, one Colt and two Paras. The Kimber (a custom shop model) was the most expensive, followed by the Colt. The Paras, despite being less expensive, are the better guns.
One Para is an SSP (traditional full size, single stack, single action) that I bought new about a year ago for around $575. It's the best 1911 I've ever seen out of the box. Other than the mags, which aren't very good from any major pistol company, quality is first rate. With quality mags (Wilson, CMC and Tripp are what I use) I get 100% reliability with any ammo, including cheap 200 grain semi-wadcutter reloads. It is more accurate that the Kimber or the Colt. It's the only autopistol I have ever owned that had a trigger I loved right out of the box -- breaks cleanly and crisply at 4-1/2 pounds every time. POI was dead on with respect to windage, but about 3 inches below POA with my standard practice load (PMC 230 grain ball). Of course, you can't expect a mass production pistol to be sighted right in with any load out of the box, so I don't see that as a problem.
I liked the SSP so much that a few months later I bought another Para -- a CCW. The CCW is a single stack with the LDA trigger system. It is unique in that it has a commander barrel (4.25") and slide on an officer size frame. It also has a bobbed hammer and short grip safety, making it a very concealable package. I love it. Groups aren't quite as tight as the SSP, but it is just as reliable. I've tried and tried to make it fail to feed or eject, getting it hot and dirty and intentionally limp wristing it, but it just won't. With Winchester Ranger SXT 230 (RA45T) POI is dead on for windage and 1 inch below POA at 15 yards.
The LDA trigger is nice, but not as nice as the SSP's single action trigger. The take-up stage is smooth and VERY light -- about 1 pound on my digital scale. The second stage breaks at around 5-1/2 pounds, which is a bit more than I'd like, and also has a bit of creep in it. This is my CCW gun, however, not a target pistol, so it is certainly acceptable.
I also really like Para's proprietary Power Extractor design. It just works. Unlike traditional internal extractors, it won't ever need adjusting. Unlike external extractors, it is protected by the slide and not subject to malfunctions caused by dirt and grime getting into the works.
I carry my CCW daily now, and the SSP is my favorite pistol to take to the range. The Colt I'm going to hang onto just because it's so pretty (it's a WWI replica model). The Kimber is going to get sold.
Para doesn't have the market share or brand recognition that Kimber, Colt and Springfield Armory do, so the sheer number of people who own those brands will tend to overwhelm the Para owners. Don't me misled into thinking that means that Paras are somehow lower quality. They're not.
