Springfield Ultra Compact or Para Warthog for my first CCW?

[Jick42]

Hey guys, getting my CCW next friday and i am trying to decide between these 2 pistols. Both feel good in my hands, The para is a little wider in the grip but thats ok. Both are right around the same in weight. The only signifigant difference is that the Warthog holds 10+1. Where as the Springfield holds 6+1. To me 4 rounds is a big difference. But thats why i am asking you guys, I am wanting to get some opinions from you guys on this? Thanks.

Nick

 

[wally]

I really like "Wide Body" 1911s but I'm not sure I'd recommend any of them for CCW due to reliability concerns that are mostly magazine related. Doesn't take much dirt or grit in a mag to bind the rounds or follower enough to cause a feed problem. Spring life tends to be much shorter than normal because of the radical compression and high load on the springs (mag and recoil).

I'd suggest going with the single stack gun, it'll conceal better too because of thinner grips. I really like my Kimber Ultra Carry and have found it to be very reliable one I swapped extractors. There are plenty of folks here who'll claim no sub 4" 1911 style gun is reliable enough, I'm not one of them as IMHO, as long as your carry piece will always empty the mags you are carrying, its good enough. I clean my UC after every outing, I did shoot ~300 rounds thru it in a single session; had a few failures to go fully into battery on the last few mags which on my full size guns means its time to clean them when I get home -- this is usually well past 1000 rounds though for these. I shoot "dirty" ammo for practice -- Wolf and my hard cast Lead SWC reloads using Unique.

The best thing about the Warthog is the short length of the grips helps concealment, (but the extra thickness more than negates it IMHO) but this can also be its biggest liability as for most folks it means a "two fingered" hold -- the extra thickness does help here.

--wally.

 

[1911Ron]

I would go for the Ultra-compact myself as i feel better with Springfield products as opposed to Para Ordinance, i've heard of issues with Para things but don't know first hand. If you can try both pistols with how you are going to carry if possible that way you can see if one feels better than the other.

 

[Zundfolge]

The Warthog is nothing more then Para Ordnances old P10-45 with their new extractor ... the P10s had spotty quality issues (I've known guys who never had a hickup with one and guys who had nothing but trouble).

I think you'll find the Springfield is the better choice ... its thinner (which until I started carrying every day I never realised how important the thickness of a gun is), and the Springfield has a better history of reliablity.

Thats not to say you won't find a Warthog that's perfectly reliablie ... but that you'll have an easier time finding a Springfield that is.

Big problem with the Warthog is the magazines ... there are tons of excellent aftermarket mags for the Springfield but not for the Warthog.

 

[George Hill]

Does Para have a lifetime deal like Springfield?
If you call Para and tell them that this gun is just not as accurate as it should be... will they have you send it back and pay the shipping and fix it up for you and have it delivered to your door at no cost?


Springfield.

 

[nemesis]

I carry a Springfield Ultra Compact and that's 7+1 rounds and not 6. A concealment gun must conceal and the single stacks excel where the fat gun becomes a big, visible lump on your hip.

I did carry a Para C7.45 LDA single stack for a few years and have no real complaints. My biggest concerns with the Warthog are that the butt is cut off too short to really get more than a two fingered grip on it but you have to accept the drawback of the fat grips. I don't see any advantage at all there. Why didn't they just make enough butt handle to get three fingers around and just settle on whatever number of rounds that was?

Styling and hyper-coolness is not the best decision making factor in selecting a concealment gun. Skinny guns make superb concealment weapons. I carry everywhere I go, including work, and my skinny Springfield stays hidden, totally. Avoid fat guns with no place to get a good grip.

 

[Marshall]

If I were looking for a small double stack carry .45, I would seriously, seriously consider this dude!

 

[22/22mag]

I have both,the Warthog + the Springfield Micro.Both are good little guns,on the Warthog I added a mag extender so the hold is better.

These 3" guns will target well with mild for me recoil.With these small 1911's a good hold is important, the guns jump a bit but you will get use to
it after shooting 50-100 rounds.

The Warthog has the edge with the 10+1 rounds but the Springfield is right there with 6+1 rounds. I have hit the center of a paper plate from 100 feet with these guns and was I surprised!( guns resting on a sandbag)

Now the down side...

Springfield,Para,and Kimber sell guns with the crappyest mags they can find and they never find anything wrong with them when you send them in for repair,they return in same condition.

On my Sigs, Glock ,BHP, Kahr, even .25 Ravens all the mags have worked out of the box.look for the less expencive aftermarket mags.