[bufford5]

I just keep reading and reading about Para does this and that. Why do a lot of people bash Para? The P-14-45 Limited SS my brother has shoots extremely well. Hasnt had any jams or any other problems and is very accurate. Fired Speer, S&B, Federal, Corbon, even Wolf with absolute authority. Just wondering why Para is supposed to be crap when the experience with this one is superb. I dont know about them but the Para is great.
Any comments good or bad would be appreciated.

 

[BillD]

People relate their own experiences. I owned a Para for a couple of years and shot it a lot. I had endless problems, jams, broken parts. That was just the one I owned. I won't own another. YMMV

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"What most of these people need is a good slap upside the head. What I don't need is any more lawsuits." John "The Tooz" Matusak

 

[nmchenry]

I have a P14-45 stainless that I have had about a year. Went through a problem after a couple of thousand rounds of the extractor not functioning properly. Got that fixed and have been happy ever since.

 

[Diamondback]

A lot of folks figure that what they have at the moment is the best and anything else is crap. To make themselves feel superior they crap on everything else. I've shot Para a lot for the past 4 years. Only problems I've had have been with my own reloads. They're reliable, accurate, will eat any ammo and will last for a lot of shooting. Just ordered a Limited LDA in 40 S&W.

 

[shane45-1911]

I've got two Para P13-45 LTD's. One is S/S, other is black. Both have more than 5000 rds. each. Nothing broken, no problems. Both are reliable. With over 10,000 rds. between the two, I have had exactly 3 jams.

 

[Dave Severns]

Couldn't agree more. I've got several, from P-10 through P-14 (.45ACP only), in both std. and "limited" models. Many thousands of rounds fired, and all have been utterly reliable! Currently carry a P-10 and P-12Ltd., and have complete faith in them. Love my Kimbers (for sure!), but sure do like having 13rds. on my hip (not condisering a spare mag) when out and about.

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Make It Hot!

 

[Shooter Ed]

I own four Para's. Two P-14's, one P-16 Signiture and a custom 38 super. All are very reliable. Only a few problems such as an extractor lost tension and rear sight worked loose. I do like to tinker and all have custom upgrades. Para Limited guns are a great value in hicap guns.

Ed.

 

[Bradl45]

I have 2 para's, one was a built up from a para gunsmith kit in 45 ACP. It has a bunch of high grade parts and haven't had much trouble with it. ( I did split a barrel, non-para part, so not para's fault). This pistol is my pin gun, I shoot a lot of rounds though it, heavy stuff, 235 gr SWC at 900 fps. So far so good. It has a Bull barrel and Tungsten guide rod that helps with the heavy loads.

Other Para wears a springfield slide w/ clark barrel, bottom end has all hi-grade parts. This one shoots very well, and is a back-up pin gun. It wears a bushing barrel and heavy guide rod and recoils a little more than the bull barrel.

I've been a happy camper with my 2 para's, you just can't beat a 17 shot .45ACP. I use fresh +10% springs and don't have feeding problems.

I really wasn't impressed with the stock gun, compared to other makes, but spend some dough and they are ready to race. I just hope to get a 100k rounds through both of them and I'll be a happy camper.

Brad

 

[TiroFijo]

I live in Paraguay, south america, and most IPSC shooters around here, and neighbours Brazil and Argentina, use Paras and are very happy with them. Of course the ones who have match grade STI/SVI or their clones are even happier, but that's only logical.
I have a very normal (cheap) aluminum frame P14-45, and it nevers jams, is extremely accurate, has a decent trigger, and has never broken a part in about 5000 rounds. Its frame and some parts are a little rough, but it works so well and fits my hand, I decided not to change/upgrade any part. I was concerned about the aluminum frame long term durability, but I've seen guys shooting 50000+ rounds with them, the 175 power factor is very kind in a 45 pistol. I'll probably end up changing the plastic mag catch, but I don't feel the least handicapped when shooting against a 1500-2000$, as a matter of fact I ussually beat most of them.

 

[banjobart]

ParaOrdnance was the original double stach high cap 1911, so maybe for that reason alone they get bashed. They were the origianl standard against which all others were judged.

I have five Paras that are great deals for the money and always work. Well, until they break.

I goes to hose.

 

[viesczy]

I currently own 3 Paras (12, 13 and 16) and I have had no breakage/wear problems with the 3. The only real problem I had with the 12/13 happened to be a few (less then 8 if memory serves me correctly) feed problems with the Federal target 185gr semi-wadcutter (or is that a 230 gr? which ever it was a target load). The slide did not completely go into battery.

The 12 was converted to 400 CB, and the BarSto barrel was tight, and that needed broken in, but the pistol itself handles the 400 CB fine.

My P16 is a newer pistol and I have just converted it to 10mm (no I didn't get a chance to fire it in 10mm yet) and in 40S&W the pistol has been both reliable and surprisingly accurate.

The only problematic Para I owned was a first generation P10. That thing JAMMED and JAMMED and JAMMED. It was operator error, I just was limp wristing the pistol because of its diminutive grip. My girlfriend at the time had no problems with the P10. ONce I install the Pearce grip, the limp wristing jambs were cut to a minimum, but I traded that lil jam-a-matic in for my .375H&H.

For all the bashing of Paras, they stack up against any of the other standard production 1911s out there. In fact my stock P13 shoots as well as my buddy's Kimber Gold Match.

Derek

 

[Hunter Customs]

As I've stated before Para's are as good as any other factory produced gun. I've been building raceguns using the Para P-16 as the base gun and my customers that have bought them and myself are very pleased with the end results. I'm shooting a pin load through my All-Sport Forty that is making a power factor of 210 this is not a light load and if the Para can hold up to this which it has very well than that says a lot. By the way this gun has the original Para barrel in it and is still shooting very tight groups after 30,000 rounds. By the end of this season I should be past the 80,000 round mark and I will try and make a post to let everyone know how the gun is doing.
Regards,Bob Hunter. www.huntercustoms.com

[This message has been edited by Hunter Customs (edited 02-27-2001).]

 

[SlackO]

I have a 14.45 LDA which I love. I don't have many rounds through it yet (<1000) but haven't had any problems with it yet. The only thing I didn't like is that occasionally if the feed ramp is dry (not lubed) it won't load the first hydrashok. It hasn't misfed after the initial round is chambered with them though.

 

[PG]

I do like my para's. All of mine started life as just a frame and were built from there. One has at least 50,000 rounds fired. It is true that their casting is below par. One of my para's has a hole in the feed ramp due to bad casting, but it runs fine. All of mine are in .45 since my 40's are SV. It is nice to have 18 in the mag and one in the chamber.

Take care, PG

 

[shotwell]

I've got 2 p13 one is ltd ss, I haven't seen any problems with either one. I'm thinking of converting the non-ltd to an open class gun

 

[cwm1150]

Hey Tirofijo, Nice to someone from another part of the world. WELCOME!

[This message has been edited by cwm1150 (edited 02-28-2001).]

 

[Paranator]

Ive got a P16-40 and during the last year I have had a few breakages.

When I first got the gun it jammed several times in the first 400 rounds. After that it never jammed once for a long time. At about 6000 rounds mixed with endless dry firing I noticed the firing pin stop was cracked so I replaced it with an Ed Brown unit.

I just got Dawson base pads and had a few nose dives so I took the mags apart and bent the top of the spring slightly. Problem cured.

Then practicing for an IPSC match I broke the ejector. Luckily a local gunsmith fixed it in time for the match. He replaced it with a Colt part.

All this in about 8000 rounds. I think thats acceptable out of a production 1911.

PARANATOR...

 

[Dave Severns]

Just asked my wife, and she responded "pair of WHAT!?"... Damn, this black eye's never gonna heal!

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Make It Hot!