Para GI Expert...First Range Trip

[amd6547]

I was going to buy a Rock Island Tactical, when I stopped in a gun shop and saw they had the Para USA GI Expert on sale for $449. I wasn't aware of this model, so I went home and did some research, finding that most who owned them liked them.
Having just sold a pistol to finance this purchase, I went back to the shop and bought the Para.
I liked the combination of features...high, visible fixed sights, standard recoil spring and guide rod, no front slide grasping grooves. I also liked the tight fit of slide/barrel/bushing/frame, and the stainless barrel.
Yesterday was my first chance to get to the range. I shot about 150rds of ammo through it, using Federal and Aguila 230gn FMJ, and Winchester 230gn JHP and 185gn silvertip JHP.
I used the two Para mags, and several random mags I had.
The GI Expert shot great...only three jams, one each in the two Para mags (which have a bad rep), and one in an old Colt mag.
I wasn't able to shoot for paper accuracy, just spent my time shooting at the 10" steel plates my club has at 40yds...no problem hitting them when I did my part. Some strings of rapid fire were no problem either. The trigger was great.
Overall, I am very pleased with this pistol and it's performance on it's first range trip...a very good start. For a brand new pistol out of the box (I did clean and lube it) it did great. Now, to buy some mags. The Para did great with an 8rd Shooting Star mag, and a Novak 8rd mag I had...I am leaning toward the Checkmate hybrid lip mags.

 

[easyg]

I shot about 150rds of ammo through it,...

The GI Expert shot great...only three jams,...

Hmmm, I hope you get those magazine issues sorted out.

Three jams out of 150 rounds is very troubling.

 

[Ruger 1974]

Congrats!

Congrats on your new Para! I own four Para's, two 7.45's, a 12.45, and a 14.45. They have all been good guns for me, and although I don't own a GI-Xpert (yet) I have also read good things about. Have my eye on the new stainless 5". Like you said, Para mags aren't known to be great. Shoot the fire out of it, and again, congrats!

 

[rbernie]

I think well of mine, at least in comparison to the Rock Islands and other 1911 offerings in the same price range.

I very much recommend the Colt/Checkmate hybrid magazines - please report back if the reliability issues continue or are remedied by the Colt magazines.

 

[galena]

I'm a big fan of the Chip McCormick magazines. I've never had any trouble with any of them. Give 'em a try. Keep shootin'

 

[amd6547]

Im not troubled by three jams in the first 150rds, two of which were in para mags, one of which was in a old colt mag (maybe 30yrs old).
With the Shooting Star and Novak, feed was smooth and reliable...even with JHP. Two of the jams were nose dives (one para, one colt). The other was halfway in the chamber feedway, with a para.
The GI Expert is supposed to have a 500 round break in period...I will keep shooting and see what happens.
Just ordered a couple of the hybrid lip Checkmate 7rd mags with their CMF follower and extra power spring. A lot of guys seem to like that mag.

 

[thehootman]

I worked in the Para warranty repair facility here in Tennessee. The biggest problems are the feed ramp joining surfaces, where the barrel throat meets the receiver frame ramp, bullet ramp.

The barrel link pin creep causes misalignment in all 1911 designed guns along with the tongue and groove barrel lock up slack. Para magazines are very bad as well retaining lip tension.

Get a high quality mags like a Chip McCormick or Wilson Combat and have a gunsmith set a good quality link pin in the barrel for you and polish the receiver ramp with 800 grit wet&dry paper and the reliability will defiantly improve dramatically. I have done thousands of them. Good Luck!

 

[HKGuns]

I wouldn't be very happy with 3 jams in a range session of 150 rounds. I've only put 50 rounds through my Springer but haven't had any failures in those 50. I'd be even more concerned that it did this with three different magazines.

 

[amd6547]

Hmmm...not when you consider the mags that had problems...less than steller Para mags that have a soft plastic follower (yes, soft plastic...I took the Para mags apart today, and was surprised that the followers are a soft, tupperware kind of plastic you can squeeze and bend with your fingers), and a colt mag that is at least 30yrs old. The Colt mag was my fathers, and was bought at a gun show when I was maybe 20...I'm 53 now. I dont think it has ever been taken apart and cleaned. To me, a nosedive is a definate mag issue. The one feedway jam could either be mag or a too tight extractor. With the Shooting Star and Novak, functioning was perfect with both FMJ and JHP.
By the way, when I got to the range, I had 5 8rd mags and the one colt 7rd mag loaded...I ripped through those as fast as I could shoot accurately and reload...the jams happened during that string, the first rounds through this pistol.
The feed ramp and barrel ramp are both actually very nicely polished.
In any case, if I get near the 500rd mark and still have the occaisional jam using good mags (I really dont see this happening), I will either fix it or sell it.

 

[thehootman]

Polished fed ramps are one thing, the misalignment of the frame ramp and barrel throat are the major problem caused by link pin slop and lock up ring and groove play are the real problems and can only be detected with a micrometer and precision measuring tools such as compression gauge string type plastic feeler gauges. You measure how far they are widened when squashed in a fitting surface.

 

[dcarch]

So sell your para mags and buy some Wilsons, like I did. Problem solved.

 

[amd6547]

Wilsons are good mags, but some have had problems with them too.
I have been reading a lot of good things about the Checkmates...I have a couple on the way to try. I ordered the 7rd version.

 

[brandon_mcg]

i have a gi expert and i dont even consider using the mags that came with it. i suppose i change the springs in them and see if that helps but i would rather just buy 2 new mags.

overall i am pleased with mine. mine is stainless and i just got a stainless checkered mainspring housing to replace the black polymer one.

 

[Holo]

+1 for the wilson combat mags. love mine, havn't had a feed problem yet.

 

[bigfatdave]

Three jams out of 150 rounds is very troubling.

In the first session and with substandard mags?
I'll buy all your "broken" guns.

 

[easyg]

Three jams out of 150 rounds is very troubling.

In the first session and with substandard mags?
I'll buy all your "broken" guns.

If my Glocks and my XD's and my M&P's jammed three times per 150 rounds, I would send them back for repair.

Of course, I don't accept the lame excuse of a "break in period" for modern autoloaders.

 

[amd6547]

Well the Glock 23 I owned suffered random stovepipes as long as I owned it...must have missed the "perfection" stage of the manufacturing process.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I might take issue with three stoppages in 150 rounds "shooting great," but random stoppages in a new gun are forgivable if it straightens up with known good magazines.

 

[savage1911]

wilson mags

 

[bigfatdave]

If my Glocks and my XD's and my M&P's jammed three times per 150 rounds, I would send them back for repair.

With known junky magazines?
Again, I'll buy all your "broken" guns at half what you paid for them.

 

[amd6547]

A note on magazines...I ordered two of the Checkmate 7rd hybrid lip mags with extra power spring and CMF follower yesterday from Topgun supply. Turns out they are located on the other side of town from me, in Chesterland, Ohio.
Their response to my online order was rapid...they sent me three emails within an hour of my order, the last one stating that my mags had shipped priority mail.
The mags showed up today! Now, that is service!
The Checkmate mags appear very well made. I loaded one with 230gn jhp, and one with fmj. Hand cycling them, they both feed very smoothly. The hybrid lip seems like a great design.
I have high hopes for these mags.