What about Para Ordnance pistols... ?

[M29since14]

I grew up when there really was nothing in the way of 1911s except Colts and military surplus. My grandfather started me down the 1911 trail shooting his $35 surplus Remington-Rand (his "pride & joy," so to speak) and I remember when I bought my first Colt with my own money, he bought an identical one at the same time. I think this was just to reinforce the idea that I was a good lad and was "doing the right thing."

Coming from that background, I am always reluctant to get too far afield with other-brand 1911s, but over the years poor CS at Colt has embittered me to the point that I do sometimes look at the others. Most recently, a local shop had a barely-used LTC model Para Ordnance pistol in 9mm. Since I have always wanted a Commander-size pistol in 9mm, and since the pistol seemed to be nicely made, I bought it. (I have never liked Colt's Commander in 9mm because I think a ramped barrel is preferable and Colt doesn't use them.)

I did a quick shakedown of the pistol the day it was purchased using the only ammunition I had in my shooting bag. It was made for another gun and a bit too long for the chamber of the LTC so I really didn't get a good indication of what the pistol will do, but I have high hopes for it. I was just wondering what you all think/know about Para Ordnance pistols, particularly those made in NC, and if you have any tales you want to tell?

 

[Duke426]

I had a ParaOrdnance LDA 14-45 when they first came out. No problems whatsoever. I only sold it because it was a double stack .45 and I found the single stack 1911 to be more comfortable in my medium sized hands. I'll be interested to hear your impressions of the LTC 9mm as you shoot it some more - I have been looking at them for a year or so and wanting to get one.

 

[Engineer1911]

Stupid persistance

My first Para was the P-13 compact 45 acp with 13 round double stack mag. It shot anything that fit the mag, very accurate, and a joy to shoot.

Bought a P-16 40 S&W because there was so much brass laying on the ground. Absolute junk!!! The barrel had a mirror polish on the bore, but the grooves looked like the first pass was made with a roughing cutter and it was good to go. Fired 15 rounds of cast lead bullets and it was a .39 caliber smooth bore. The same bullet alloy and lube left a clean barrel in the P-13. Had a bushingless bull barrel installed, action job, mag well and $300 cash to make it a tack driver.

Bought a P-18 9 mm boat anchor for $1,100. 600 rounds later it will shoot reliabley but not real accurately. My wife's 9 mm Kimber is more accurate. I've changed springs, powder, bullets and it is just a "junker" for accuracy.

Bought P-14 Super Hawg Long Slide that is boring and average. Image is fantastic, trigger is marginal, sites are excellent, and one mag has a bad follower. It handles hot loads without a wimper or muzzle flip although the brass ejection is erratic: straight up, straight out, straight back in random pattern. Accuracy is good with the 1" longer barrel.

Got a great deal on parkerized P-10 40 S&W compact. Accurate, reliable, but muzzle flip is significant. Extra mags were $$expensive$$ -- only one source because the gun is no longer made. I wonder why??

I believe mine all predate the move to NC.

 

[kamloops67]

shop real hard before you buy, read every forum and review you can find.
my gi expert is the only gun i truly regret buying. it will feed every other round with para mags. S&W mags work much better only 1 failure to feed per mag. ive only fired 300 rnds through it ,ive read reports where the guns will become more reliable after 500+ rnds the gun seems accurate but i was shooting steel not paper so its more of a perception thing.
the gun is on the back burner for now, ill get it running properly by spring. i just think a new gun should at least function properly.

 

[mc5aw]

I had an original LDA ... absolute junk. Arrived with a cracked hammer, and customer service was a nightmare to deal with. The LDA trigger felt like rubber, and the .45 was immediately sold at a loss. Para is now owned by Cerberus (Remington, Bushmaster, Dakota, etc.) but I would never spend 1c on a Para product again. Too many other quality offerings in the 1911 market that are far better values.

 

[H Richard]

Take a good look at S&W 1911. They make several models and top quality.

 

[keith44spl]

Had a Para LDA 7.45 Limited with adj. sights...Nary a bobble the whole time I carried it.


Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[Maximumbob54]

Had a Para LDA 7.45 Limited with adj. sights...Nary a bobble the whole time I carried it.


Su Amigo,
Dave

Same here. I bought a well used one and and I have no idea how much WWB it's now eaten. It's finally giving me some trouble and the CS rep I contacted has been nothing but positive so far. I asked them if I could pay them direct for a shipping label and they said they would just pay this one on them. It's giving me light strikes after the first shot and I have not a clue how that LDA business works when I look at a regular 1911 by its side. It's going out tomorrow.

 

[zonker5]

My first Para was the P-13 compact 45 acp with 13 round double stack mag. It shot anything that fit the mag, very accurate, and a joy to shoot.

My Canadian built P-13 is also a joy to shoot. Haven't tried any of their other offerings.

-Z-

 

[wbraswell]

A friend recently bought a stainless Para single stack .45. He has been breaking it in like the directions say, using only 230 gr. ball ammo. After several hundred rounds, not one failure to feed or fire. Goes bang every time.

 

[StatesRightist]

I've owned an LTC, P-12 and A GI. Zero issues with any of them.

 

[bpeddicord]

1911's

I've owned several dozen Colt 1911s, Kimber 1911s, Auto Ordnance 1911s, Springfield Armory 1911s, Para Ordnance 1911s, and finally a Ruger SR1911. All gave me problems except 2 shiny nickle series 70 Colts; they would feed anything I put in them with good accuracy. I now own a Ruger SR1911 and it has fed everything I've put in it including some terrible looking reloads that I was planning on pulling the bullets and re-reloading. The Ruger seems to be the best 1911 I've owned so far. The Ruger is at the top of the picture of my current 1911s.

 

[JcMack]

It's been 10 years but I used to have a P13 and 2 P12's, one steel, one LW. The P12's being Colt Officers size with a double stack had some issues in common with an Officers plus a couple magazine issues. All three Paras eventually ran fine. When the LDA hit the market I felt it addressed a problem that didn't exist. Namely why build a double action 1911 style pistol that needs a whole bunch of extra parts to facilitate it's function, when the standard 1911 is a masterpiece of simplicity?

 

[M29since14]

shop real hard before you buy, read every forum and review you can find.

Too late, as I said in my initial post, but thanks for your comments. I don't wander around the internet too much looking for opinions. My experience is that if you don't know a little something about the folks doing the writing it can be hard telling whether what you are reading amounts to much.

I can pretty easily spot things I like in a 1911-type pistol and things that look like trouble. The only thing I have noticed about the LTC 9 is that the mags are a bit tight-fitting and I think my pistol needs a new recoil spring.

The finish looks like a typical modern powder-coat type. I was looking for comments on that. I really don't know what it is and the manual doesn't say.

From the view of machining, fit, etc., the pistol is very nice. It seems to have a pretty good barrel, and a very decent trigger action for a box stock pistol. Sights are bit funky looking in profile but do their job nicely.

If the metallurgy is good, I think the pistol will last. The spring problem is easy and no fault of the pistol. The magazine fit issue, I am not so sure about. We'll see.

 

[Kanewpadle]

My experience has been limited. But from that experience, I won't buy one when there are other well made brands to choose from.

Ten years ago when a friend opened his gun shop, he had several Para's in his rental case. Four broke within a month. He sent them back for repair. When they came back three broke immediately.

Don't be afraid to try other brands such as;

S&W
Ruger
Dan Wesson
Springfield
And the only Kimber I recommend is the Base model Classic.

 

[Old Corp]

IF it is a later model made in NC, it's not a 'Para Ordnance'. It's a 'Para USA'.
My experiences with them have been that it you toss their magazine away, and use good mags such as Wilson's, you are much better off.
They were recently purchased by 'The Freedom Group', and it will be interesting to note the new direction the company will take.

 

[tom turner]

I decided to purchase a 14.45 LDA Limited because I've always done my best match shooting with double action S&W revolvers. The gun is nice, it runs well, and is highly accurate at the range.

My opinion changed when I finally took it to a steel match. It turns out that my hands are too small with that double stack grip, so the gun keeps torquing out of my optimum grip during fast, competitive steel shooting! Just plinking at the range I'd have never discovered this problem.

Thus . . . a got my butt kicked in that division in the match . . . but won the revolver divisions . . . so I took the gun back home, cleaned it and put it in the safe. Haven't shot it since. Maybe I ought to eventually sell it to someone with a normal or large sized hand. Nothing wrong with the Para . . . its just my hand is too small for a double stack!

 

[perrazi]

have an earlier p-14 ss gun. after replacing everything inside of it and putting a bar sto bbl in it in 400 cor bon,it is now a 100% everytime reliable gun that i have carried in the past.

 

[A10]

I used to shoot Paras, Colts, and STIs in competition, and there wasn't one of them at the time that didn't need serious tuning and a lot of shooting to be reliable. Times have changed, and there are a lot of 1911's out there now that are good to go straight out of the box. I'd buy Dan Wesson, S&W, or Springfield in a new york second, and never look back.

 

[galena]

I have six of them. Bought my first in 2003 or 4, a Single stack, T7.45 Limited LDA, carried on duty. Subsequently I picked up another Single Stack 7.45 LDA, a Double Stack TX1445SE Limited LDA, a Double Stack 1640EN LDA, a Single Stack TAC-S LDA in .45ACP, and a PDA LDA in 9mm. Had after market Ambi-thumb safeties added to all that came without them. I never had a problem one with any except one of the aftermarket ambi-safeties broke off the right side thumb piece. Sent it back to Para and they repaired it posthaste. My favorite is the TAC-S, it is a commander sized single stack and normally my EDC. The two full sized single stack .45ACPs and the TAC-S have all gone over 2500 to 3000 rounds without any problems. A lot of those rounds where Wolf brand. I like 'em.