Buying A 1911: Which One?

Nice, I love the classic look... how much $? :)

How come in that pic its all black but at Para's website the safeties and mag release are silver? I like it all black muuuuch better.

edit: nevermind, thats the SSP-SE1 in your pic
 
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It was the closest photo I could find at the time.

Now, I wait for Orillia to do its thing.

Anyway, I looked at 1911's all day. Went to three shops. As it turned out, this Para is sold as used but seems new. Doesn't look as if it's ever been fired, but the barrel does smell a bit of burned powder, I think. It was probably fired at the factory.

OK, Para fans, tell me more.
 
Here's the photo I should have posted, courtesty of m1911.org.

It was the most handsome gun I saw all day, so I bought it.


Picture133.jpg
 
Not a bad choice. I like my Paras, but my next purchase has to be a Detonics Servicemaster Compact. One of the best production Commander sized pistols on the market today, but with a Combatmaster length grip! Great for CCW, yet more than functional enough for IDPA.
 
Nice choice, very sweet handling pistol and really good looking too. Pretty much everything you could want right out of the box. The commander length will grow on you to the point that handling a government will feel awkward.
 
OK Here We Go.

OK. This was taken during a visit to the local 1911 store where this 1911 said that she wanted to follow me home.:bigHug:
While we're on the subject of 1911's, I've been reading both 1911-dedicated forums, the "com" and the "org". Does anyone here have any comments about these sites? Just wondering.

(Maybe I should update my avatar to a more inclusive one.)

IMG_0868_edited-1.jpg
 
1911

My Buddy bought the Para SSP in Regal finish like the one in the pics, found it didn't shoot too well, sold it to another friend of mine after 3 months, he found it didn't shoot, I blamed both of them for not knowing how to shoot a 1911, I tried it, laff, couldn't make it shoot, but Damn it looked good though.

But if I remember you said you wanted one that will shoot and cost under $1700. I think you,ll find that rules out some of the models previously mentioned on this post. What is the cost on the Kimber? A guy on our board of directors bought one last year and loves it but i'm pretty sure he paid a lot more than $1700.
I bought a Used 1911 for my wife (.45acp) two years ago, Has a Caspian frame with a colt top end. It shoots fantastic, paid $450 (used obviously) off of an old guy I shoot with, He had done some home gunsmithing to the sites and I found I couldnt get them to stay in place. Gave it to a member of our club who works at Para during the day and has his own shop at night. He welded up the g.i. holes in the slide and dove tailed the slide to hold the new Para 2007 sites (weren't available at the time) they work great, he had noticed some odd markings on the slide so had a friend date the slide, told me it was new in 1917.
All said and done I've got about $650-700 invested in this and it works well for PPC , plates and just plaine entertaining the wife.

My suggestion, go to your club you shoot at, borrow everything you can get your hands on and buy the one that feels best to you and shoots well for you.
You,ll save a bunch and find something that's comfortable to you, dress it up later if you like.
I looked at a new Para over 4 yrs ago, 16-40 LDA LTD. was about 1200 Plus for price, total with tax was going to be $1605, don't know what you,ll find new for $1700 now a days.
 
v65magnafan said:
OK. This was taken during a visit to the local 1911 store where this 1911 said that she wanted to follow me home.:bigHug:
While we're on the subject of 1911's, I've been reading both 1911-dedicated forums, the "com" and the "org". Does anyone here have any comments about these sites? Just wondering.

(Maybe I should update my avatar to a more inclusive one.)

IMG_0868_edited-1.jpg
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I learned how to gunsmith my 1911's on those sites. Great information and friendly people, sort of like here. They don't bash tupperwear guns too bad and they realize that the 1911 isn't the only good gun.

I have the same moniker on both as I do here.
 
If this one doesn't shoot, a short drive to the factory might be possible. With an ATT of course, and a pre-arranged drop-off.

With all the production checking and the test firing at Para, I have a hard time believing that the gun didn't "shoot". But that's OK. We'll see, I guess.

Ice-pick, for $1700, you get a work of art that will probably give two inch groups at 25 yards. Maybe one-inch groups. But I don't need that. I just need fun and CCW.
 
Ice-Pick said:
What is the cost on the Kimber? A guy on our board of directors bought one last year and loves it but i'm pretty sure he paid a lot more than $1700.
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You can get many Kimbers for much less than $1700. The cheapest ones (Custom II) can be had for just under $1000 these days. Ones with light rails and night sights are around $1400.

$1700 buys a nice Kimber... anything from the "Custom" family, the Tactical, Eclipse, and even a Raptor II from the Custom Shop line.
 
"I think any 1911 will be more accurate than I am."

Not to worry, any inaccuraccy you have will get added to any inaccuracy the pistol has! If you shoot 3" groups with a "laser" at 25 yards (your inherant ability), and your gun shoots 2" groups out of a theoretically perfect Ranson rest (the gun's inherant ability), your overall results are probably going to look like 5 inches.
 
I have one and mine shoots well. Accurate and reliable. The only issue I had with it is that it shot low--still grouped well. Para offered to have a look at it but I put on a set of Novak Extreme Duty sights on it. They're a pretty 1911 with a lot of features for the buck.....YMMV.
 
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Misfire,

I had to change the Novaks on my Beretta, too. It shot low. Combat sights are good--in close combat. When I'm trying to hit a bull at more than ten yards, they seem problematic. Or, maybe I don't know what I'm doing.

I looked at a Dark--the modded 'rinco--at Al Simmons. A great shop. I would've bought that--but it was a double stack.
 
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