Any words on Para-Ordnance 1911?

to be honest, from everything i've read, if i was buying a 1911 Gov't length then the Spartan would have been first on my list, with other stuff like Taurus or SA in a relatively distant second place.

but since i wanted a Commander length, the choices went down VERY quickly so i own a Norinco. if the Spartan was available as a Commander length, that would have been a done deal for me!

mind you, i've never handled or even seen one in person, but by all accounts it's a GREAT piece for the price range it's in.

nothing technically wrong with castings either, btw. engine blocks are all cast, and they survive more punishment than a firearm. some castings can be brittle, others can actually absorb shock quite well - it depends on the metal that's used. besides, the frame doesn't see that much punishment in a firearm. as far as i can tell, the biggest impact area during normal operation is the recoil spring rest or barrel linkage. the slide gets beat to hell - the breach face, the hammer strike pad thingy, the barrel locking lugs, the slide lock, etc.
 
Had an "early" Canadian made SSP that had issues on the rear sights (shot low out of the box) and slide peening. I replaced the rear sight at my cost but never got satisfaction from Para about the peening issue. I got a lot of "Wedgies" from Para's customer service talking head. The SSP was first and last Para. YMMV....
 
For my two cents the nicest 1911 I own is my Kimber Pro Carry. It has the tightest fit slide to frame of all the 1911s I've tried and with the adjustable sights added it's definately my most accurate one.
 
OutL4w said:
Hell, my Norc 1911 could kill someone when it ejects the casings. They fly like rockets.

I think the Spartan is starting to interest me more and more.
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I had the same issue with my Norinco 1911. The recoil spring was too weak. Once replaced, the gun ejected as it should.
 
Para have quality problems

I purchased an alloy Commander from Para, and the finish was orange-peeling right out of the box. If their QA alowed that through, what about the mechanics??

I switched to the STI Ranger 2 and, after swapping out the extractor, have been quite happy.
 
My 2 cents go for the Spartan from Armco. Have one and it shoots smooth and accurate. Great trigger. No problems yet.

cheers
 
Para vs. STI vs. Everything Out There

OutL4w said:
Good day everyone,

I'm looking for some CGN'ers words on the line of 1911 Pistols from Para-Ordnance.

I bought about a year ago a Norinco .45 (basic model) to try out if I'd like shooting the .45, which I do now. The fact is that although my Norinco shoots "ok", I really don't like the sights and I'm starting to think about replacing it for something with a bit more overall quality and better sights. I'm not much interested into tweaking the Norc so I'm looking for a replacement.

I started looking at the Para-Ordnance line of 1911 pistols. Especially the GI Express Stainless.

Anyone own one of those and can give me some words on it. How are the sights and the overall quality of the firearm. Will I see a difference (probably)
with the Norc?

I don't want to break my piggy bank for a 1911 over 1000$ since it's not my main shooter, but I'm open to other brands of 1911 models that you could recommend under that price.

Thanks!
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I own a Para Limited Edition .45 ACP and it's a great gun. I had minor problems with it when it was brand new (e.g, a few FTFs and FTEs) but after 100 rounds or so everything worked like a charm. I now have around 5000 rounds through the gun and it's smooth as butter. On the other hand, Para's after sales warranty service is, in a word, lousy. They never returned any of my phone calls or e-mails. Being Canadian I want to support a "Canadian" company such as Para but they make it difficult with their terrible warranty service.

Paras, IMHO, are a bit overpriced and if I had your money I would invest it in an STI Trojan in the calibre of your choice. The STI Spartan is not a "purebred" Georgetown, Texas-made pistol (slide and frame are made by Armscor in the Philippines) and some folks have had problems with cracked slides, etc. on their Spartans.

I have a 9mm Trojan 5" and its the most accurate pistol in my collection. I have or have owned pistols made by Para, H&K, Kimber, Sig, STI, Beretta, CZ, Colt, Norinco and Glock.

STI's warranty service is the best in class as far as I'm concerned. I phoned about a minor problem with the slide stop pin on my Trojan and the service guy had one in the mail to me before I finished talking with him. I'm so impressed with my Trojan I just ordered a STI Ranger II .40 S&W.

Canuckistanman
 
The advanatge of the Norc is that it Clt spec and you can upgrade any part you want.

Out of the box, it should be reliable. Like many low end pistols, a trigger job is a good investment, as are adjustable sights. I put LPA on mine.

Sights and trigger job cost me $200. This pistol puts 10 shots in the black bullseye target.

I have a Para Ord that is as accurate, but it cost more than twice as much.

Your original post said you don't like the sights. Solution is better sights, no?
 
I bought a Para 16-40 Limited and a handle screw fell out of the bushing (stripped) almost immediately. So, I was told two weeks, and they would fix it. Two weeks turned into 54 weeks. They sent it back unrepaired once. They lost it for a couple months. After it was all said and done, they replaced it with a new gun, which was good, but fuuuuck.. A year??? The whole time I was lied to by Para brass. I was in constant contact with them as I was a little pissed to say the least.
Got my new one, and the ejector was broken. 4 Weeks for a new one.
Then the power extractor didnt extract. 2 weeks for a USED one. The used one works not bad.
Also, the ambidextrous safety didnt stay in fire position, so I had to machine it myself.
I have now put 5000ish rounds through it, and it seems to be doing well, however the mags fit like s**t and all five require tuning.
The trigger is rough and a trigger job is a MUST HAVE

In my opinion, Para Ordnance is junk, and my 1400 dollar 16-40 limited should cost 500ish.

STI is tuned and perfect out of the box. Drop a couple grand and you will have a handgun for life running like a top.

Trust me on this. Para is not worth the hassle.
 
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