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I was wondering if anyone out there would be In The Know about how likely it would be for Houston PD to adopt the 16.40 LDA? It seems like it would be an exceptional duty weapon.
LEO comments welcomed
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16.40 for LEO
I own a 1640 LDA LTD and I like mine. It's very accurate and shoots well. I have seen posts complaining about the quality of the internal parts and some trigger problems. I haven't seen it on mine (knock on wood). Seems like a good fit for LEO.
I own a 1640 LDA LTD and I like mine. It's very accurate and shoots well. I have seen posts complaining about the quality of the internal parts and some trigger problems. I haven't seen it on mine (knock on wood). Seems like a good fit for LEO.
Not many P.D.'s are likely to adopt a 1911 for duty, since most administrators are more concerned with vicarious liability than the quality of the weapons. Single actions frankly scare the s##t out of most bureucrats, stimulating visions of loose cannon cops having accidental discharges on a daily basis because the "hair" trigger. (their perception) A lot of agencies, like mine,however, allow officers to carry 1911's off-duty and on special assignments.
To be completely fair, though, I think there is something to the statement that the 1911 is a gun of the professional, and I think more training is neccessary to stay proficient and safe with a 1911 than with other types. Not for the novice, or someone with little or no interest in their weapons.
To be completely fair, though, I think there is something to the statement that the 1911 is a gun of the professional, and I think more training is neccessary to stay proficient and safe with a 1911 than with other types. Not for the novice, or someone with little or no interest in their weapons.
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BERGER: the "SA prejudice" is the reason Para-Ord designed the LDA 1911. LDA stands for "Light(ning) Double Action". It is a true DA gun carried with round chamber, safety ON, and hammer down (so nobody will get nervous). The trigger take-up sets the hammer back with very little pressure required and then you have a 5 pound break similar to a SA 1911. I like the LDA trigger, it shoots very easily with no learning curve. I think the LDA is a perfect choice for LEO, assuming it passes the reliabilty tests for such service.
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BOBO: technology to the rescue! You can make the "take down" process of a Para 1911 as easy as a Beretta (easier even) by drilling a 1/16" "take down" hole in the guide rod so you can insert a wire tool from the muzzle end and remove the rod/spring as a captive assembly. It's an old technique, I'm surprised more people don't use it or know about it. You never need a barrel bushing wrench again and you never have to fight the recoil spring.... life is too short to do things the hard way.
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BountyHunter,
Is the procedure you speak of (drilling a 1/16" hole in guiderod) a procedure for a specific model of the Para Ord P-series?
I have a P14-45 Limited and would like to know if my weapon can be customized in this manner. Would love not to have to use the barrel bushing wrench at all.
Thanks
Is the procedure you speak of (drilling a 1/16" hole in guiderod) a procedure for a specific model of the Para Ord P-series?
I have a P14-45 Limited and would like to know if my weapon can be customized in this manner. Would love not to have to use the barrel bushing wrench at all.
Thanks
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CONCEALEDCARRY: The guide rod hole trick is not specific to any 1911 gun. Any full-size 1911 with a ONE PIECE SOLID FULL LENGTH guide rod and standard barrel bushing can use this method. The fancy designs with two-piece guide rods and allen screws I don't know about. I took the rod out of my 1640 LDA LTD and drilled it myself. Since it's stainless steel, any regular drill bit will go right through it.
The trick is to put the take down hole in the rod in the right place: Move the slide all the way back to lockback position and the hole should be about 0.1" forward of where the edge of the ROD bushing is at that point. The hole is drilled vertical to the gun. Then you make a wire tool out of a paper clip with a right angle bend (about 0.15" wire length bent over) and the long side of the wire tool should be cut to be even with the front end of the guide rod when the short side is pushed in the hole in the rod and the wire tool is pointing forward.
It should work like this: to disassemble: rack the slide all the way back into lockback. Wrap your right hand around the slide so the first two fingers are in the ejector port (to control the slide position) and your hand is around the grip. The rod hole should be exposed. You release the slide stop and hold the slide in place while you reach in with the wire tool from the front (come up from under the guide rod) and put the short end in the hole and lay the long side against the rod. Allow the slide to move slowly forward until the rod bushing captures the wire tool locking the spring in place.
The slide is then romoved by taking out the lock pin and sliding it off the frame. There is no spring tension so the slide moves easily. The rod/rod bushing/spring come out as a single piece unit up and to the rear with the slide laid on it's back. Installation is the reverse.
Hint: adjust the length of the "short side" of the wire tool so it's easy to go in from the front and put into the rod hole. It has to fit between the rod and the frame. Exact length isn't important: size it to work easily. The "short side" doesn't have to go all the way through the rod to work.
The trick is to put the take down hole in the rod in the right place: Move the slide all the way back to lockback position and the hole should be about 0.1" forward of where the edge of the ROD bushing is at that point. The hole is drilled vertical to the gun. Then you make a wire tool out of a paper clip with a right angle bend (about 0.15" wire length bent over) and the long side of the wire tool should be cut to be even with the front end of the guide rod when the short side is pushed in the hole in the rod and the wire tool is pointing forward.
It should work like this: to disassemble: rack the slide all the way back into lockback. Wrap your right hand around the slide so the first two fingers are in the ejector port (to control the slide position) and your hand is around the grip. The rod hole should be exposed. You release the slide stop and hold the slide in place while you reach in with the wire tool from the front (come up from under the guide rod) and put the short end in the hole and lay the long side against the rod. Allow the slide to move slowly forward until the rod bushing captures the wire tool locking the spring in place.
The slide is then romoved by taking out the lock pin and sliding it off the frame. There is no spring tension so the slide moves easily. The rod/rod bushing/spring come out as a single piece unit up and to the rear with the slide laid on it's back. Installation is the reverse.
Hint: adjust the length of the "short side" of the wire tool so it's easy to go in from the front and put into the rod hole. It has to fit between the rod and the frame. Exact length isn't important: size it to work easily. The "short side" doesn't have to go all the way through the rod to work.
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Concealed Carry: I found a post I wrote a while back about modifying the guide rod: (verify the hole location is correct for your gun):
Takedown Hole
I can only speak to the full-sized guns with a single-piece guide rod (full length) as to where the hole goes. Multi-piece/allen screwed contraptions are news to me. My Para and STI use the standard one-piece full length rod.
I used a 1/16" drill (.062") and drilled about 1.65" back from the muzzle end of the rod vertically (as viewed with the rod in the gun). To check the best place to drill your rod, just move the slide all the way back and mark the underside of the rod with a black pin about 0.1" forward of where the bushing is. The point is to be able to take some paper clip wire (straightened out) and bend a rt angle with about 0.2" of wire up from the long side. Cut the longer side of this "tool" to match the rod end when it is inserted in the hole. To use it you move the slide all the way back and grab it with the right hand. With the left hand, insert the "tool" from the front underside of the rod and insert it up into the hole. Slowly ease the slide forward and the tool will capture the spring/bushing/rod as a captive assembly. Take the slide stop pin out, remove the slide and turn the slide over. Flip the link to the rear and pull the rod assy out to the rear. It goes back in reverse order.
BTW- If you want a standard FL rod for full size 1911, STI sells them for about $15. Comes with hole. I think the bushing is about $3.
Takedown Hole
I can only speak to the full-sized guns with a single-piece guide rod (full length) as to where the hole goes. Multi-piece/allen screwed contraptions are news to me. My Para and STI use the standard one-piece full length rod.
I used a 1/16" drill (.062") and drilled about 1.65" back from the muzzle end of the rod vertically (as viewed with the rod in the gun). To check the best place to drill your rod, just move the slide all the way back and mark the underside of the rod with a black pin about 0.1" forward of where the bushing is. The point is to be able to take some paper clip wire (straightened out) and bend a rt angle with about 0.2" of wire up from the long side. Cut the longer side of this "tool" to match the rod end when it is inserted in the hole. To use it you move the slide all the way back and grab it with the right hand. With the left hand, insert the "tool" from the front underside of the rod and insert it up into the hole. Slowly ease the slide forward and the tool will capture the spring/bushing/rod as a captive assembly. Take the slide stop pin out, remove the slide and turn the slide over. Flip the link to the rear and pull the rod assy out to the rear. It goes back in reverse order.
BTW- If you want a standard FL rod for full size 1911, STI sells them for about $15. Comes with hole. I think the bushing is about $3.
Bobo, EASY on the coppers!bobo35 said:
I know it is true that most cops are not devoted to weapon maintainence and proficency, but a good percentage of us are squared away. In fact, in my small department (about 25 officers) twelve of us favor the 1911 for off-duty carry. Mostly Kimbers, a couple of Springfields, and a couple of Paras, and one or two colts.
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BountyHunter,
Does STI have a website? I'd like to see if they have a pic or diagram of the guiderod so I can verify my understanding of your procedures for drilling the guide rod.
Does STI have a website? I'd like to see if they have a pic or diagram of the guiderod so I can verify my understanding of your procedures for drilling the guide rod.
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3,163 Posts
ConcealedCarry: the STI web page is:
http://www.rushusa.com/html/products/sti/sti.html
It doesn't show pictures. The rod in question is exactly like yours except there is a 1/16" hole drilled (vertically) about 1.65" up from the end of the rod.
BTW: the STI manual for the Trojan recommends a dis-assembly slightly different: they say take out the slide stop and ease the slide off allowing the sring to stretch out. When you turn the slide over, the rod head is backed into the barrel link. Then, you use your thumb to re-compress the rod into the spring until the hole in the rod is uncovered and then you drop a pin into it and remove the rod and spring as an assembly. To put back on, you have to remove the pin and allow the spring to expand until the rod end rests against the barrel link and try to put it back on the gun... which is a real bitch because it keeps flipping the barrel link to the rear and jamming into the frame.
So, I came up with the idea of using the slide on the gun to compress the spring and sticking a wire tool in from the front to capture the sping onto the rod. The assembly goes back together captive and the wire tool is removed last (after the slide is back on, slide stop in place).
http://www.rushusa.com/html/products/sti/sti.html
It doesn't show pictures. The rod in question is exactly like yours except there is a 1/16" hole drilled (vertically) about 1.65" up from the end of the rod.
BTW: the STI manual for the Trojan recommends a dis-assembly slightly different: they say take out the slide stop and ease the slide off allowing the sring to stretch out. When you turn the slide over, the rod head is backed into the barrel link. Then, you use your thumb to re-compress the rod into the spring until the hole in the rod is uncovered and then you drop a pin into it and remove the rod and spring as an assembly. To put back on, you have to remove the pin and allow the spring to expand until the rod end rests against the barrel link and try to put it back on the gun... which is a real bitch because it keeps flipping the barrel link to the rear and jamming into the frame.
So, I came up with the idea of using the slide on the gun to compress the spring and sticking a wire tool in from the front to capture the sping onto the rod. The assembly goes back together captive and the wire tool is removed last (after the slide is back on, slide stop in place).
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