The Para SSP's seemed to be all the rage about 2 years ago. Now it seems you never [or rarely] see one for sale or even talked about on the handgun forum here. Just wondered why they seemed to have 'dropped off the map' so to speak?
Para SSP?
- Thread starter NAA
- Start date
A bit of topic but if you are looking for higher quality 1911 at affordable price STI Trojan or Ranger fits the bill. The internal parts are great - cast frames some snicker at it but Caspian frames are also cast. Accurate, reliable one thing is the finish which is kind of weak.
Kimbers essentially the same pistol with different finishes.
Sorry about the off topic here.
Kimbers essentially the same pistol with different finishes.
Sorry about the off topic here.
Hey, no worries.... Your 2 cents is always welcome....
I admit a couple years back the Para SSP was on my "what I want for Christmas list" but maybe not so much anymore.
On the same vein, I was thinking about a Kimber.... maybe the Gold Match.
But I am going to give the STI's a serious look, too.
Okay, I've owned my SSP for about 2 years now and have about 4000 rounds through it. The gun is accurate and reliable but.....
1) I had to change the rear sights to Novak Extreme Duty's to be able to get it to shoot where I wanted. Stock rears shot consistently 4" low at 15 yards. No satisfaction from Para (not using sights correctly according to Para)
2) On the slide where the slide stop lever meets...it started peening after 100 rounds. At 4000 rounds the peening has slowed but the burr that's formed there can cut your hand if you mishandle the gun. Yes, I will dress it with my Dremel one of these days. No satisfaction from Para (Normal wear according to Para--my Colt 1911 has had more rounds through it than my SSP and there is only slight peening to the point that it's practically non-existent) I've never used the slide lever to release the slide. I always 'slingshot' it.
3) The dust cover started rubbing against the frame after 500 rounds causing a wear line in the finish.
I know that my complaints are minor and can happen with any brand of 1911 but I feel that there are better 1911's out there for the same or less money. The biggest chaff was Para's indifference towards my concerns especially when it came to the sights. I realize I'm no Todd Jarrett but I'm not new to handguns and I know how to sight a handgun......
FWIW, the SSP is my first and last Para. YMMV.
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1) I had to change the rear sights to Novak Extreme Duty's to be able to get it to shoot where I wanted. Stock rears shot consistently 4" low at 15 yards. No satisfaction from Para (not using sights correctly according to Para)
2) On the slide where the slide stop lever meets...it started peening after 100 rounds. At 4000 rounds the peening has slowed but the burr that's formed there can cut your hand if you mishandle the gun. Yes, I will dress it with my Dremel one of these days. No satisfaction from Para (Normal wear according to Para--my Colt 1911 has had more rounds through it than my SSP and there is only slight peening to the point that it's practically non-existent) I've never used the slide lever to release the slide. I always 'slingshot' it.
3) The dust cover started rubbing against the frame after 500 rounds causing a wear line in the finish.
I know that my complaints are minor and can happen with any brand of 1911 but I feel that there are better 1911's out there for the same or less money. The biggest chaff was Para's indifference towards my concerns especially when it came to the sights. I realize I'm no Todd Jarrett but I'm not new to handguns and I know how to sight a handgun......
FWIW, the SSP is my first and last Para. YMMV.
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Para SSP
I bought one last year....from P & D in Edmonton......great service, by the way. As far as the gun is concerned, really nice looking, etc. but the trigger was a real disappointment.....I can only describe the pull as "gritty". Not what I expect from a gun costing this much.......
I bought one last year....from P & D in Edmonton......great service, by the way. As far as the gun is concerned, really nice looking, etc. but the trigger was a real disappointment.....I can only describe the pull as "gritty". Not what I expect from a gun costing this much.......
Steve David
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Oshawa, Ontario
I have seen a few. TENEXX brings one to CDP some times. Seems like a nice gun, but has this really odd blue almost purple finish to it, it shoot ok.
My best friend bought a brand new SSP two years ago - paid almost $1200 for it including taxes.
He sold it not too long after for the following reasons:
1. Ejector was made of material so soft that it significantly and visibly mushroomed after about 350 rounds. Para did send him a new ejector, but his confidence in the product was shaken.
2. The same problem as "misfire" quotes in his number 2 complaint - i.e. the slide peening where the slide stop meets it. Again, my friend's confidence in the solidity of the materials used to make this gun was shaken even further. He felt the slide was cast out of material too soft for his liking - and that at that price he could of had a forged slide made from better material.
3. The finish is almost as if it is painted on - and not durable.
4. For the money he paid, he was disappointed by the plastic main spring housing.
5. As someone state above, the trigger pull wasn't very nice, and the trigger itself felt really cheap and plastic (looked a lot better in the pictures).
6. Too many MIM parts (even stressed parts) coupled with the cast frame and slide, out of what seemed to be soft material, put him over the top and he got out - at a significant loss.
I was there for all of this, and had the gun totally apart with him several times.
For what he paid and what he ended up getting, I will not even bother looking at Para.
Larry Vickers once called them "junk" and didn't devote any more words to them.
For the money, you're way better off with a Dan Wesson - do the homework.
He sold it not too long after for the following reasons:
1. Ejector was made of material so soft that it significantly and visibly mushroomed after about 350 rounds. Para did send him a new ejector, but his confidence in the product was shaken.
2. The same problem as "misfire" quotes in his number 2 complaint - i.e. the slide peening where the slide stop meets it. Again, my friend's confidence in the solidity of the materials used to make this gun was shaken even further. He felt the slide was cast out of material too soft for his liking - and that at that price he could of had a forged slide made from better material.
3. The finish is almost as if it is painted on - and not durable.
4. For the money he paid, he was disappointed by the plastic main spring housing.
5. As someone state above, the trigger pull wasn't very nice, and the trigger itself felt really cheap and plastic (looked a lot better in the pictures).
6. Too many MIM parts (even stressed parts) coupled with the cast frame and slide, out of what seemed to be soft material, put him over the top and he got out - at a significant loss.
I was there for all of this, and had the gun totally apart with him several times.
For what he paid and what he ended up getting, I will not even bother looking at Para.
Larry Vickers once called them "junk" and didn't devote any more words to them.
For the money, you're way better off with a Dan Wesson - do the homework.
Hey Thor74,
I experienced all that you listed plus the mag feeler (or whatever it is called) the part that detects an empty mag was so darn sharp that it would snag on the bullet. It would even snag on a factory round! Any 1911 should be able to digest factory ammo all day! I have fixed the problem. I keep a file in my shooting bag so that I can dress the ejector when necessary. Yes, Para takes a very cavalier attitude towards problems with their product. The impression that I got was that they don't really care about the CDN market, they are fixated on the market south of the 49th.
I experienced all that you listed plus the mag feeler (or whatever it is called) the part that detects an empty mag was so darn sharp that it would snag on the bullet. It would even snag on a factory round! Any 1911 should be able to digest factory ammo all day! I have fixed the problem. I keep a file in my shooting bag so that I can dress the ejector when necessary. Yes, Para takes a very cavalier attitude towards problems with their product. The impression that I got was that they don't really care about the CDN market, they are fixated on the market south of the 49th.
1851 Navy, I used the Para factory mags for the first couple hundred rounds then switched to McCormicks when I noticed the peening. I stopped using the McCormicks because they weren't locking the slide after the last round consistently and the slide stop area still continured to peen. I am currently using MecGars and they've been very reliable. Like I said the peening seems to have slowed but I guess I should dress the burr and see if it comes back. I've read the article your links point to. Interesting but it only convinces me that Para is aware of the peening/magazine issues and dismissing them by not re-evaluating their 'stock' magazines or making any recommendations or comments about the peening/magazine issues. They deem this phenomena as 'normal' wear and, to me, this shows a total disregard to their customers and quality control. As to the link to the forum post, the person there seems happy using McCormicks but they didn't work well for me and I'd be curious to see what his take on things would be after a few more thousand rounds with the McCormicks. I've talked to other SSP/LTC owners at the range and it's a mixed bag. Some have flogged theirs at a huge loss like Thor74's friend, some are satisfied. I have no issues with the performance of the SSP it's accurate and reliable but I really question the quality of the gun. Like I said in my original post in this thread, there are better 1911's out there for the same or less money. I was attracted to the SSP because it seemed to offer a lot for the money but in hindsight I think I bought into the 'shiny bits'. I'm also skeptical about Para's customer service for Canadians because everytime I've contacted them all I got was a "Wedgie"......
