[shane45-1911]

A minor tune-up probably wouldn't hurt. I'd change the mag and recoil springs, maybe the firing pins spring as well.

 

[jwp]

change the mag plastic catch too

 

[TEX'N]

Brownell's has a good selection of parts. Why PO ever used a plastic mag catch I'll never understand.

 

[George]

Thanks for all the information. I appreciate it, and will make these changes. I had milled the plastic mag release button down so it would not depress when laid on a hard surface. Still works fine by hand. I'll look for a steel one that is already short enough. Thanks again. G

 

[Newton]

hmmmmm......replacement of plastic Magazine Catch/Release. Well...where to begin. I think it's the general assumtion that manufacturers who install plastic mag catches are cheap. Well, this isn't the case. Manufacturers will use a plastic catch for a couple of reasons. 1st and foremost, they use them to prevent wear of the magazine itself. As we've all read in here, magazines COST TOO MUCH MONEY. Well, if you're ISPC, or an avid target shooter, you're gonna have to replace them at 100% cost to yourself regularly. If you're using a plastic catch,, you'll only have to replace a 2 dollar part instead. The other reason, is of course the overall weight of the pistol. HOWEVER, if you use your pistol for personal safety on the job, or for personal carry, you may want to use the metal catch/release for one primary reason. When inserting the magazine using a metal catch release, there is the assuring audible "click" informing you that your magazine is locked in place. At this point, magazine wear isn't a priority, as you all understand.
To Sum things up, the plastic magazine catch IS NOT part of a plan to up the profits of any pistol manufacturer, but is actually part of a plan to allow pistol owners to get the most out of the life of pistol and accessories.
Hope this has answered the long asked question of "Why Plastic Mag Catches?"

------------------
Really interesting....Don't ya think??

[This message has been edited by Newton (edited 05-14-2001).]

 

[shane45-1911]

Well said Newton. Para mags are expensive enough! I'd much rather change out the plastic mag release once in a while, then replace the costly mags themselves.

 

[George]

Does the plastic magazine catch just fail without much warning, or does it just begin showing its wear in some way? --- On another subject, my 1994-vintage P-14 has been 100% reliable with the wide variety of hollowpoints I've tried in it. And in about 1996 I sent it to PO in Canada for some cosmetic work and they did it all free, in the most friendly way. From some of the complaints I've been reading lately it seems things may have changed a bit(?) Thanks. G

 

[Newton]

It shouldn't just up and fail. It is very easy to take out, and I would suggest an examination every 5,000 rounds or so just for peace of mind. When the catch starts to wear, or get damaged for any reason, you will feel it when you install a mag. It may feel gritty if damaged, and if wear is excessive, you will get a feeling that you don't have to depress the button very much for it to drop. You may also find that when it gets excessively worn that you may have to actually install the mag a couple of times before it actually locks.
As for the customer service at Para, I think it's pretty good. I have read in here a complaint or two, but it always seems to be coming from the same couple of people. As with any business, I'm sure there are a few unhappy customers who for 1 reason or another feel that they have been rubbed the wrong way. Unfortunate when it happens, but it does happen sometimes.
Hope I've been helpfull. What bothers me most about the complaints I read is that most times you can't really tell from the post whether or not the customer actually tried to contact the company about it. They say whats bad about the product, but that's it. On a rare occaision, any manufacturer could have some products that may not be 100% get shipped to the public. There's a lot to be said for companies who are fast to correct these problems. Would Para be fast to correct any problems that may have slipped past their Quality System? I personally like to think so.
------------------
Really interesting....Don't ya think??

[This message has been edited by Newton (edited 05-14-2001).]

 

[shane45-1911]

Originally posted by George:
Does the plastic magazine catch just fail without much warning, or does it just begin showing its wear in some way? --- And in about 1996 I sent it to PO in Canada for some cosmetic work and they did it all free, in the most friendly way. From some of the complaints I've been reading lately it seems things may have changed a bit(?) Thanks. G

The mag catch will NOT fail suddenly. You will notice that the area that rides on the magazine will slowly wear, and may start to "round off" a little bit. Don't worry though - I've got over 6000 rds. on one of my Paras with some pretty intense mag changes thrown in. My plastic catch still looks brand new.

As far as customer service goes, I have dealt with Para up here in Canada on a few issues, and my questions/concerns were answered promptly and courteously. They were certainly no worse to deal with than any other mfg, and definitely better than some. George, perhaps you can be more specific to the "complaints" in question?

 

[George]

Shane -- I saw the comments on FL and Shooters Talk. But PO has sold a lot of guns, so it can be a matter of just sheer numbers. My P-14 and its five magazines have never malfunctioned, and when I call PO I always get a helpful response. G

 

[jwp]

just had to change lda mag catch at 5600 rounds - mag dropping in the middle of a string spontaneously

 

[Newton]

JWP....did you replace it with metal or plastic? And was there any visible damage to the failed one?

------------------
Really interesting....Don't ya think??