The Para Ordnance 1911s

[Blaine]

Someone recently alluded to them being a well known POPelosi. Naturally, , I have one. It shot low, so I "bubbanated" the front sight, and I'll do something proper when I get a round toit.
But, what was wrong with them? Can it be corrected? I have one of the NRA-ILA models that I bought new, and was made a long time before Freedom Group screwed up the brand.

[AJMD429]

If any of the ParaOrdnance 1911's I have owned had ANY problems, I would be happy to post how to correct them...

[Blaine]

If any of the ParaOrdnance 1911's I have owned had ANY problems, I would be happy to post how to correct them...

Exactly....Aside from the sights that didn't work for me, I've been real pleased.

[jeepnik]

Internet rumors. One person has a problem and the chorus takes up the cry. While I don't any Para's I've shot more than a few. My only complaint is that the grip frame is a bit wide for me, but with a double stacked magazine you're going to have that issue. for some.

[Blaine]

Internet rumors. One person has a problem and the chorus takes up the cry. While I don't any Para's I've shot more than a few. My only complaint is that the grip frame is a bit wide for me, but with a double stacked magazine you're going to have that issue. for some.

Me, too....I have the single stack.

[wvfarrier]

I own a Para Black Ops 1911. It was finicky with ammo til it broke in and he ambi safety broke. Both easy fixes. Since then it's had zero issues. More accurate than I am

[hayabusa]

I have only shot one Para and it was a double stack magazine.
It was my nephews'. We and his BIL shot a several stage match in Houston, TX with the two Paras and after several stages spray down with cleaner and wipe dry. During the practice the day before and the match we put hundreds of rounds of 45 ACP thru them without one malfunction.
The BIL had a Dillon 1050 and loaded up a bushel basket of ammo at a time. My nephew bought the reloading supplies.

Wish I had bought one back then. It was about the 2005 time frame.

hayabusa

[jhrosier]

What I have heard is that Para has, in recent years, had many issues with fit and functioning, and that their service has become poor to non-existant.
One of the larger gun shops in Massachusetts will no longer sell
paras because of this.
It sounds like if you have a good one, you are good to go, but if you got a stinker, you better be able to fix it yourself.


Jack

[AJMD429]

I think just before or just after they moved from Canada to the U.S. there were some bad guns shipped out. That's been awhile ago. I talked to their service department a couple years ago about refinishing my oldest one and they offered that if I sent in the gun they would also tune it speifically to any factory load I wanted if I sent 'em some extra money. Since mine is flawless with Remington 230 gr JHP Golden Sabre loads I didn't see the need. As for refinishing I may get it DuraCoated.

[cas]

I bought a "higher end" Para last year and the small parts are fairly unimpressive MIM stuff. Some parts like the slide lock are pretty crudely finished for a gun that retailed for $1100-$1200.
Everything else seems decent. There is a lot more up and down slide movement than I'd like, but side to side is minimal. So IMO their high end gun was equivalent to most middle of the road ones.

When Para Ord because Para USA quality control started to slip. They were supposedly making great efforts at improvement in recent years though I have no first hand experience. Now that Remington/Freedom group swallowed them up, who knows what will happen.

I have a friend who used to joke that his Para spent more time at Para than it did at his house because for a long time it was true. He sent it back 3 maybe 4 times and it was always gone for months. Why they didn't just replace the whole gun I don't know. I have another friend with an older one that constantly broke barrel links. That gun changed hands a few times, different people trying to solve the problem, I'm not sure who ended up with it.

[Old Ironsights]

This is why I like true 1911s.

Even if they are "foreign".

I can fix a Steel 1911...

[mohavesam]

I have steel and alloy-framed Para 1911s and have never needed repair, so I don't know any issues out there. All the guns from ParaUSA are under Remington's warranty service (with Remington parts) so whats the worry.
My LDA lightweight has been plenty dirty on the trails but always operated happily. Same for the 14.45, which is a whole different fistful!

[JohndeFresno]

I own a Para Black Ops 1911. It was finicky with ammo til it broke in and he ambi safety broke. Both easy fixes. Since then it's had zero issues. More accurate than I am

I won a Black Ops 1911 in a raffle. It is an impressive gun, and so far has shot everything put through it, although I have just used premium ammo and some of my handloads.

It features all sorts of goodies: Trijicon 3-Dot Night sights, adjustable skeletonized trigger, ambidextrous safety, tough black IonBond finish, two 8-round magazines that come standard with the pistol, black stainless steel frame and slide, and the bottom of the frame has an accessory rail, beveled ejection port and some other stuff. I like the aggressive pattern on the grip, and I can see where, if I had muddy, greasy, or bloody hands, I could still control it.

Having said all that, I don't like one feature that is probably a plus. The bushing is fitted so tight to the barrel that I must use a bushing wrench to clean it at the end of the day. Its barrel guide rod is different in that it runs the entire length of the slide, so I guess that enhances the accuracy. It seems to be a good one to have as a backup, in case something ever happens to my other .45 semi. Especially since I didn't have to shell out the 1300 frogskins for it.

My 1911 Colt Mk IV Series 70 with its Crimson Laser sight and a minimum of modifications is still my carry gun. It has proven itself for 40 years and counting! I have read that its collet style barrel bushing "works well but is prone to breakage," although I have never had a problem, and have run it through many range hours over the years. It has been accurate enough for me and very reliable. Still, I recently installed a new one, in case fatigue has weakened the original one. So it should last until after I've gone to that gun range in the sky.

[Ysabel Kid]

I have two, and never had had any problems with either. With my long fingers I like the double-stack grip. Few things feel more confident than carrying 12 or 14 rounds (+1) of .45 ACP!

[cas]

I have read that its collet style barrel bushing "works well but is prone to breakage," although I have never had a problem

I accidentally stepped on the one from my Gold Cup. Squashed it so bad the fingers were touching. I bent it back out and put it back in the gun. Maybe one day it will break.

[FrankB48]

I bought a Canadian build 40 S&W double stack a few years ago. Initially, I had a lot of jams. Replaced the extractor and it has run like a champ ever since.

[JohndeFresno]

I have read that its collet style barrel bushing "works well but is prone to breakage," although I have never had a problem

I accidentally stepped on the one from my Gold Cup. Squashed it so bad the fingers were touching. I bent it back out and put it back in the gun. Maybe one day it will break.

[Bronco]

I have used Briley spherical barrel bushings for years .. love them

http://www.briley.com/c-511-bushings.aspx

John

[JohndeFresno]

I have used Briley spherical barrel bushings for years .. love them

http://www.briley.com/c-511-bushings.aspx

John

Thanks for the link, John. This site seems to have some good accessories.

[Lastmohecken]

I remember handling some of the double stack Para pistols, but never thought much about them, as I don't really like the fatter grip.

However, I have a friend that has a gun shop and he got in a Para single stack, double action only 1911, commander size, approx. Well he sold it and it come back on him because the gun was not working right, and the trigger would not reset for the next shot. Well, being very familiar with a standard 1911's workings, having worked on quite a few, I took it apart to see what was wrong. BIG MISTAKE! on my part, but I learned a little about the double action Para before I deemed it a hopeless stupid mousetrap, totally unnecessary as a fire control system for a 1911.

I never really figured out what was wrong with it, but it proved to be a finicky mechanism, and we ended up sending it back to the manufacturer. It definitely came from the factory in a defective condition, but they sent it back in working order, so I guess they got it fixed, and if I remember correctly I think my friend kept it, because it was double action. But fixed or not, I was totally turned off by the Micky Mouse innards required to make it work, and would never own one myself. But then again, I am a cocked and locked guy, anyway, and see no need to change.

[AJMD429]

The DAO "1911's" we're totally different beasts than their real 1911's, which share nearly all parts with the Colt, other than trigger (wider hoop to go around magazine), slide release (different bevel and contour, though I've made do with Colt ones), frame, magazine release, & grips.

When it comes to grip difference.....I measured the grip circumference of my Colt 1911 and Para double-stack, both with factory grip panels, there was ONLY 3/16" difference...! That surprised me, but I certainly feel the difference; the Para is rounder in cross-section, more like a revolver. With long skinny fingers I like it better, and would prefer it even if the gun only held 7 rounds.