Para Ordnance 1911, Anygood?

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sigbear

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I was looking at some new Para ordnance 1911's the other day and they are really nice looking guns, however, I don't know anyone that owns one.

Anyone have one?
Do you like it?
How reliable?

Sigbear
 
They are all good. I had one a p14 limited loved it. As reliable as any one elses 1911. Which one were you looking at?
 
IMO - Para Ordnance with the double stack magazine is based on the John M Browning design but they are not a 1911. Many of the parts due to
the wider frame etc. are unique to Para Ordnance.

I have a friend with a Para P14. It's been stone reliable and
accurate. However, we compared his P14 and my S&W 1911 and
the P14 didn't have as nice an external finish as well as lacking some
detail features, example the S&W has a beveled maggzine well opening
and the Novak carry sights are superior etc. ALso, Paras don't
retain resale value as a brand it seems, I don't know why. Perhaps the
history it has when the company changed ownership/quality control for
a brief period some years back.

I didn't like the wide grip, and flat'ish front grip below the
trigger guard - fwiw.

Randall
 
If you have big hands, I can't see a problem. I had a P-12 that was fine, a friend of mine just got a special order full-size, SA, tan/black finish with night sights that is freakin gorgeous. We haven't had a chance to clean it up and break it in yet.
 
Out of 6 para's two have had plunger levers that always or sometimes failed to work. One was a brand new Limited full size, the other a limited P12 bought used.
I had the first one sent back for repair from the dealer I bought from. When it was returned repaired they enclosed a note about how the gun was in poor condition and in need of cleaning. This was BS since it hadn't even had a box on ammo fired (you were lucky if the plunger was pressed enough to fire 1 in five trigger pulls). Plus I personally field striped and cleaned prior to return.
The current one will not fire at all. Since it was bought used I have Emailed the company and asked for instructions, that was a week ago and no reply.
When they work they are very good guns and seem to be fit well and the limiteds are very tight IMO. Plus 4 out of 6 work fine, an average you want to stake your life on?
 
they are canadian which dosen't bother me one bit but ity does some i am sure. my dad had a para that would feed spent brass, i didn't believe it until he showed me, it was reliable as heck and accurate and i loved the lda trigger.

and todd jarrett recently put 1000rds through one of the ssp's. in 10 minutes and a few seconds. no issues, no stopages whatever. and he made a new world record in the process.
 
Mine was a POS and I took a beaing when I got rid of it. I had factory warrenty service and still was a jam a matic . Also terrible finish
 
This thread scared me:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=362606&highlight=para+ordnance+customer+service

It's my understanding that at one point they were mediocre, then became real good, and have recently returned to mediocrity. Between reading here and in the Para sub-forum over at http://forum.m1911.org/ , I get the idea that's there's a good chance you'll need customer service, and that customer service won't be so hot.

Too bad, their double stack fits my hands better than a regular 1911, has excellent capacity, and I think I could live with the LDA trigger (though I'd rather have the regular trigger, so if it ever broke, any 1911 'smith could work on it with whatever parts were handy). If I could get a good, reliable Carry 12, I think it'd be the bee's knees.
 
I owned one once, it was the LDA and I loved it. However if I were to get a tradtitonal 1911 it would not be a Para.
 
I have no personal experience. I know two people who own and have not had issues with them.

However I was at my local gunsmiths shop about a year ago when Para returned a phone call he had in to them. It was about a Para that had just been returned for the second time and was still experiencing feeding issues. He told them he was sure it had to do with the ramp angle and his customer was pissed and they needed to take it again and actually fix it this time. He demanded to speak with a supervisor in the repair shop.

While he was standing in front of me, he described the problem again, continued the conversation for a minute then yelled, "Well, hell yes I do!". They put him back on hold. He told me the answer he just yelled out was in response to the question, "You don't expect it to never have a misfeed, do you?"

Any company that has a in-house smith that asks that question won't get my business!
 
had a new Para carry 9, absolutely the finest lda trigger ever made. deadly accurate, piss poor finish, the worst ever. mine started to chip the finish off the frame immediately. had to send it back twice. As much as I loved that gun,it was not reliable for me and it looked a 100 years old when only about 6 months total. Have mixed emotions if I would ever own one again... A shame for they are so close to having a great gun. Never seen a bigger line of 1911 style guns that what Para offers..
 
If you get one of their doublestacks, you need to be religious about keeping track of rounds thru each magazine and change-out the springs every 1000 rounds or so. Biggest source of malfunctions is due to worn mag springs.
 
Oops... forgot I did have a couple malfunctions using a 15-rd (+1 mag extension) with worn out spring. Cured with a Wolff spring.
 
I second the good opinion on the warthog. My stainless version has had a ton of rounds through it with no problems.
I also have a P1445 with less rounds than the warthog that has been trouble free.
 
I own a Para warthog, I think the gun is great. It holds 10 rounds, it's amazingly accurate for its size, and it's very easy to carry. It has been inside my waistband most times I have gone out for over a year now.

But...

I don't think Para is so great. I recently had a problem with my gun which will require a gunsmith, or at least someone with more tools than a poor grad student like myself.

I e-mailed Para's service dept. three times, no answer. Finally I called them, and they gave me the run around before finally getting someone who recommended that I find a gunsmith. I live in the people's republic of Seattle, and I don't think we have gunsmith's, at least the only one I've found yet is an hour drive away.

Bottom line: Para does not stand behind its product.
I plan to sell the gun along with the problem just as soon as I finish researching a replacement.
 
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