Question about Para 1911 .45 ACP

CptnBlues63

CptnBlues63

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So I was at the gun shop the other day looking over some handguns. I'd like a 1911 .45 ACP and knowing it's hard to get your hands on an authentic Colt (not to mention expensive) I was looking over some other brands.

I asked the guy at the gunshop what he recommended and he showed me a Para 1911 .45 ACP (it's the Gl Expert 1911 Single-Action Single Stack) selling for around $750.00 (CDN) new. I looked it over and it felt good in my hand and seemed to be pretty solidly made. The price was right too so I'm giving it some very serious consideration.

However, having no familiarity with Paral I thought I'd ask in here if anyone's owned any Para 1911's and if you have, what you thought of them?

TIA
 
Para's are very good guns. Yes, you'll prolly find someone who has had an issue with one particular model or another. But in general, you ain't slummin' when you buy a Para.

Oh, and the biggest piece of poop I ever bought was my brand new Series 80 Colt .45. Never again. I own a Para LDA high cap in .40 and a Springfield in 45. Very happy with 'em both.
 
i'd own a para. currently i'm running a norc with a para bushing (hey its a start) lol.

occasionally you hear bad from someone about any manufacturer you can name, if you like it buy it. para makes good stuff.

now those glocks....













i kid :)
 
Some time ago, I bought a 1911 Para LTC in 9mm without knowing what to expect. At first, I must confess, I was very disapointed. I had lots of FTF and FTE. But things got a whole lot better after its break-in period was over (500 to 800 rounds). Now, it pretty much cycles with any type of ammo. I even bought a 1911 LTC in .45ACP after that. In my opinion, they work well for the price.
 
I have a Para SSP 45. Now that I have the bugs worked out of it, it seems to work ok. It will shoot a lot better than I can.
Don't expect any service out of Para though, it is worse than horrible!
 
I have a Para and love it. There was a small break in period, less than 400 rounds, but part of that was an ammo issue on my part and it has worked flawlessly ever since.

Words Twice
 
I have a Para SSP, and I love it. There have been reports on another forum about issues with the slide stop and the notch on the slide, so when you go to pick one up, take a close look at the angle of the mating surfaces of the stop and the slide.
 
personally if i was looking for a 45 single stack, i would get hold of Len at Phoenix and buy one of the STI single stacks. my next choice would be to get hold of RedLeg at TSE and buy a kimber.

We won't talk about new gun for Nationals will we Jay :nest:
 
I have a Para SSP. A couple of years ago, I visited every handgun shop in S. Ontario and checked out every low-mid priced 1911 available in stock.

The Para had the best trigger feel for the price and slide fit as good as the best of them.
 
The slide stop peening is an issue with Para single stacks. My SSP certainly suffer from that malady and it isn't the only SSP that does. Still trying to figure out what the problem is. Gun is extremely accurate and never fails to fire. The slide stop rides up and peens the slide stop notch and frankly it loks like hell. That said my son's Para P-14 Limited shows no sign of it and has well over 5,000 rds through it and is like new. Again, extremely accurate and reliable. Para makes good guns, like most manufacturers some are better than others.

For $700 bucks you won't get by any cheaper unless you go to the Norinco. The STI Trojan is another excellent gun but it sells for $400 more.

Take care

Bob
 
$700 is a great price for a Para, the closest STI would be the Spartan at just over $800 and while they are a good solid pistol, the Para is much ###ier.
 
v65magnafan said:
I have a Para SSP. A couple of years ago, I visited every handgun shop in S. Ontario and checked out every low-mid priced 1911 available in stock.

The Para had the best trigger feel for the price and slide fit as good as the best of them.
Click to expand...

I will agree with this because a few years ago I bought my Para SSP and felt that it offered what I considered good value. I was very happy with my purchase and on my first range visit I shot 200 rounds and noted that it shot low. Para has a great warranty so I didn't think it would be a problem to have it corrected. I called Para and was put through to George Wedge. Initially I was impressed that my call was put through to the head of customer service but that ended very quickly when he asserted that Para did not 'send out' pistols that shoot low and in a very condescending manner suggested that I did not know how to shoot a pistol. I explained to him that I also owned and regularly shot a Sig P220 with fixed sights and a Colt Series 80 and they did not shoot low. I also tried to tell him that I have been shooting for over 20 years and that I knew how to sight and hold a pistol but he wasn't hearing what I was trying to tell him. His final suggestion was to shoot a further 500 rounds through it and to contact him afterward. I shot another 200 rounds through it and had better shooters than myself shoot it. There was no question it shot low. Instead of being at Wedge's 'mercy' I fixed the problem myself by replacing the rear sights with a set of Novak Extreme Dutys. The slide was starting to peen at the slide stop. My other 1911 a 20 year old Colt Series 80 had many more rounds through it and had no peening whatsoever at the slide stop. I called Para and spoke George Wedge and he insisted that the peening was 'normal'. I asked why my Colt didn't exhibit such peening nor did some of the other 1911's that I had encountered at the range. He did not answer my question but he started to question why I had an issue with the peening when the pistol was reliable and accurate and finally agreed to take the slide back for 'dressing' and not replacement. He would only replace the slide if the pistol failed to operate correctly. I told him that I wasn't satisfied with losing the use of my pistol for a month or more just to have the burr removed. So he suggested that I 'live with it' until the pistol failed to operate properly which he doubt would ever happen. He was correct that the pistol never failed to operate reliably and accurately but the peening continued to worsen and started to settle down after 2000 rounds. I shot about another 1000 rounds through the SSP over the next few years. I didn't shoot it too much the past year and recently traded it for another handgun. Realistically, it had never failed me in any manner and it was extremely accurate but given the price that I paid for the SSP and the current pricing I don't consider them a low priced 1911. I'll repeat what I've stated in other threads that I've posted on regarding Para's and that is: There are better 1911's out there for the same or less money. Your cash, your decision. YMMV....
 
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