1911's ~ Anyone Else? Love/Hate ParaOrdinance?...

[gizamo]

Or Para/USA....

I've got this ongoing battle going with these 1911's. They are absolutely the Worse of the 1911's...bar none.

They are also the Best of the 1911's...bar none. I own one double stack that you could get to feed rocks....

Anyrate...they misnamed one gun ~ the GI Expert. The reviews trashed the gun because it was not even close to being a Milspec.

So of course...given the bad gunwriter publicity !!! I just had to have one. It's tighter than any of my so called Customs. Amazingly tight and the fitment is Superb!!!

That said, the mags that came with it won't let the slide release work!

God, I Love/Hate these guns! $%@XXX@

 

[ladder13]

Had one of the original P12's back in the day, sold it, never got another. Prefer Colt, Springfield or Smith and now maybe a RIA. No particular reason. You asked.

 

[OKFC05]

My TAC Five is the slickest, most reliable "2011" I have.

There are a few things you don't do with a Para-Ord:
1. Use shock buffers. They aren't compatible with their recoil spring setup.
2. Use the slide catch to drop the slide on an empty gun. You can break a thumb trying. Also easier to load by slingshotting the slide than by dropping the slide with the release. RTFM
3. Use generic parts. Some parts are unique to Para.

 

[ACP230]

I have a custom Para with a Caspian Hybrid slide. It's finished in electroless nickel.
It was made for pin shoots but also works well on steel targets.
I also used it at a couple of NRA Bullseye 2700 matches.

Great gun.

 

[Bob R]

I have a box stock P14-45 that keeps on ticking no matter what. I haven't tried any of the newer offerings. I got this one new in 95 or so. It has had who knows how many rounds through it (tens of thousands easily). It is loose and rattles like a real old military 1911 but still keeps on shooting.

bob

 

[Krull]

I seem to have the worst luck with 1911's,my first large cal pistol was a Colt Commander that just wouldn't hit spit,fast forward almost twenty years later and I pick a GI Expert and....yep,the gawd forsaken thing will not work,I tried everything from lots of ball ammo,to polishing the slide rails and it wouldn't run for the life of me.

I traded it off for my M&P,that one just rolls right along

While I like the 1911 I think the 4506 is everything the 1911 should have been.

 

[oldman45]

I have a long, deep seated love for the 1911 and own several. Yet the worst in my collection of them is a Para Ordinance.

It rattles when empty and it rattles when fully loaded. The slide has slack in it from side to side. It is less accurate than I am and has the worst trigger of any type gun I own.

I will never get rid of it for three reasons.
1. I hate to have anyone feel as I do toward a purchase.
2. It is just barely good enough to not throw away.
3. When I buy a gun I feel is bad, I get the Para out and play with it a while so I can feel better about the latest gun.

 

[HoosierMike]

I have not had one of their 1911s but I have owned a LDA Carry Companion. Great DA trigger pull and accurate for a small frame gun.
It ate anything I fed it from hardball to SWC handloads.
I traded it off a couple years ago though.

 

[safearm]

I've had 3 Para-Ords, all LDAs, 2 in .45 ACP and one in 9mm. The double stack .45 was great to shoot, but it had absolutley the worst sights I've ever had on a 1911. No matter what I did, it always shot low. I thought the .45 Para Carry was too heavy for a CCW, but the 9mm was just about perfect. Too bad I realized that after I traded it off. While they're better than any Kimber I've ever owned, I think there are many better guns, especially for the price.

 

[JOliver]

I think this a great thread...I too have the same opinion.
I have had 2 first was wonderful,and I traded it for something more expensive.Then just when I regreted it I got another and it was a turd.
I have since held off...this is one of those that if I find one I want to shoot it before I buy.

Jason

 

[Engineer1911]

Para -- Upgradeable Junk

All mine are double stack standard single action.

#1 is P13 45 ACP stainless with target sights. Accurate, shoots anything, and is 13 rounds of fun. It was a real deal used LEO gun for $550 -- traded because it was too heavy for concealed carry.

#2 is P16 40 S&W stainless with target sights. Barrel goes from rifled to smooth bore in one magazine. Lands are mirror bright and smooth. Grooves were rough cut and never finished/polished/lapped or whatever PA does to finish a barrel. Had a bull barrel (no bushing) installed, frame machined for a magwell, new trigger, hammer, sear, leaf spring, and disabled Series 80 safety for about $500. Accurate, fast, and only works with full power loads. Minimum muzzle flip.

#3 is P18 9 mm stainless with target sights. Again had to replace hammer, sear, trigger to get anything like a useable trigger pull. Heavy gun, accurate, and will work with medium to full power loads. 19 rounds is a blast.

#4 is P14 45 ACP stainless Long Slide with target sights. Again had to replace hammer, sear, trigger to get anything like a useable trigger pull. It is reasonably accurate but really fussy about loads. Too light it won't cycle, too warm and it becomes a jam-a-matic. Diffinitely draws attention at the range.

Some of the best $1000 "target match" guns you can buy that need $200 worth of attention to function.

#5 is P10 40 S&W that is all steel, boat anchor heavy, and just shoots accurately and reliably. Bought it used for a good price, have done nothing to it, and it works with the P16 loads.

I could have bought six S&W revolvers for the cost of #2 to #4 but there is all the 9 mm and 40 S&W brass laying on the ground for free. The Long Slide was bought just after the introduction hoopla at the Shoot Show -- a combination of impulse shopping and stupidity. You can't become a 'Gun Baron' if you sell off the lemons.

 

[dmar]

I've come close to buying a Para 1911 on a couple of occasions, but have held off after hearing about too many issues with them. I wanted a Para Carry for concealed carry. I really liked the LDA trigger, but after researching them, it seemed that you either got a great one, or one that has feed problems.

So, I ended up getting a Colt Defender, and it's a great gun; accurate and 100% reliable. I've never had an issue with any Colt 1911, so I stick with them... IMO, you can't go wrong with a Colt 1911.

 

[Raspy]

I bought a Carry 9. Soon afterward I decided that was a big mistake. It would not run one mag full without a jam. I tried everything I could, short of sending it back, and got nowhere. Then the finish started to wear through everywhere it got touched by more than skin.

I traded it off and was glad to get rid of it. While doing so the gun store owner said he was trading against his better judgement because Para had the worst warrantee performance of any manufacturer and he had sworn off dealing with them before.

The gun was assembled poorly, the finish wanted to scratch off and it always jammed up. Self defense gun? I don't think so.

 

[tom turner]

What? A thread with NO PICTURES?

I'll fix that!

BTW, I bought this nice LDA 14.45 Limited because I love shooting my Smith revolvers double action in matches.

1. It is very accurate
2. It WAS very unreliable
3. It is now VERY reliable

When I read the dedicated forums at a 1911 forum it seems that no other maker's forum has a 10th the level of complaints as does Para's.

I attribute some of the Para's bad rep to new magazines that need a little attention. That's all that was wrong with mine. I disassembled 'em, smoothed 'em out and my FTF's went away.

Then again . . . I've read some horror stories that I have no doubt are true.

One thing's for sure, their used and resale prices are really low, which motivated me to take a chance on this one. In that regard, I think of used Chrysler cars such as a Sebring convertible vs. the same year Toyota Solara convertibles . . . the resale price falls to about half the Toyota . . . but if you can find a good one that works and is reliable . . . and hope to keep it forever . . .

If this one turns into an incredible "keeper," I'll probably get it refinished to resemble my old, 1st generation Colt Combat Elite. Replacing that shiny black Para's PAINT job with a Royal Blue job . . . and replacing that rusty-smelling cheap frame finish with Hard Chrome would make a great looking gun indeed!

Time will tell.

 

[ncy54]

Had a full size LDA in single stack. Tried some at the store and liked the LDA concept and feel.
Perhaps the one I ordered was a dog, but the LDA was very heavy, function was not reliable and it went back to Para twice with no significant improvement. I ended up trading it for a PPC revolver plus $200. and don't regret it.
Grips were a pretty cocobolo, though.

 

[jkc]

I really like my SS P12. It required a few hundred rounds of breaking-in, and as I recall, some tweaking of recoil and magazine spring weights to function flawlessly with my carry load. It's a bit much to CC under the lightweight clothing common in this climate, but when feasible, its my CC weapon of choice.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Don't like em. Not at all.

I used to work part time at a range. We had some Para's as part of a rental program. They all broke within 500 or so rounds. Sent them back to be repaired. They came back and two broke on the first rental.

I've shot several. Don't like the LDA. The were very accurate.

But there are many other 1911 guns that would be a better choice.

 

[ElToro]

i had a p14 back in the day. couldnt get my mitts around that fat grip. wasnt too accurate or relaible. sold it before they came out with the thin grip panels. made a mint on all the hi cap mags i had for it that i paid 25$ for and sold in the clintoon ban for over 100+

have only bought colts since.

finally got rid of a dog kimber that i traded for a 60 no dash in the box with tools and papers + 300 cash to me. i think i got teh better end of that deal as well

 

[srgvaz]

Never again P14

I'll take my Colt or Wilson any day.

 

[lobosolo]

I purchased a 9mm PDA for my daughters carry gun. Neither of the factory supplied mags. would feed. Not only would para do anything about it they wouldnt even answer my emails.This was my first and last time for para