1911: S&W vs. Para Ordinance

[edirtyfour]

I have a S&W1911 and love it. From my understanding of people who owned paras the ones here who didn't have issues out of the box were the lucky ones.

You also can't beat S&W's customer support.

 

[clinotus]

George Wedge is a douche...

Same sequence of events. George seem to get involved from the PR angle since he doesnt want the public knowing how shoddy the product is and hurting sales. He will do his best to deflect. I'll fire up my archive box and see if I can post the email exchanges I had with him. When the gun came back to me, I sold it the same day, it still had the shipping paper on it.

Ironically later in another shop another customer was complaining about other issues with his Para as well.

 

[Arioch]

I like my Para-carry a LOT. And so does everyone who's shot it.

 

[MassMark]

I like my Para-carry a LOT. And so does everyone who's shot it.

Yup me too...And I know someone else who liked it, but I promised to never tell...

 

[The Goose]

When Para's work they can be great guns. Sometimes even a blind pig finds a truffle.

 

[Jasper]

FWIW, i have a Para SSP, and LOVE it.

i've put about 400 rounds through it so far, and only 1 jam (note: this was a bullet that stovepiped in my buddies S&W 1911, and rather than waste a perfectly good bullet, i threw it in one of my mags, and attempted to fire it. it stovepiped in mine too (looked it over, the casing itself was dented and wouldn't even chamber...it went in the dud bucket)


i've shot both. i like them both. only big difference for me is i can actually reach the slide lock with my right hand without manipulating my grip on the Para (perhaps their slide release is a bit longer than S&W's? i dont know?)

 

[Moderator]

and only 1 jam (note: this was a bullet that stovepiped in my buddies S&W 1911, and rather than waste a perfectly good bullet, i threw it in one of my mags, and attempted to fire it. it stovepiped in mine too (looked it over, the casing itself was dented and wouldn't even chamber...it went in the dud bucket)

Sounds like a smart thing to do.

 

[Mass-diver]

Now only if SW would make a 9mm 1911..

They do, it just costs 2K - the PC model

 

[clinotus]

Yup me too...And I know someone else who liked it, but I promised to never tell...

I'll come clean and admit that I shot 1 of the 15 working Paras on the Eastern Seaboard. It specifically was a good gun, but as was stated:

When Para's work they can be great guns. Sometimes even a blind pig finds a truffle.

^ Pretty much sums it up.

 

[M1911]

I have an early P14-45. In sum: POS.

I've had a fair number of failures to feed. They typically occur near the end of a magazine. Yes, the magazines are factory mags in excellent condition. Yes, I've replaced the magazine springs and followers, to no avail.

After a couple thousand rounds through the gun, the hammer started following the slide down. I had to pay a gunsmith to replace the hammer, sear, and disconnector. He said he'd never seen such soft parts as the OEM ParaOrdnance parts that he replaced.

Now the slide stop notch has started to peen -- the slide itself is too soft. I've put 10 times as many rounds through my full-size Kimber as I have through my P14, with no appreciable wear to the Kimber slide stop notch.

I will eventually have a gunsmith build up P14 as a race gun. All I'll keep is the frame and magazines. Everything else gets tossed.

I've never shot a S&W 1911, so I won't comment on them.

 

[vellnueve]

The slides are definitely soft, can't argue there. The early P14 LDA I've shot has the same problem.

With my current P18 LDA, I'll see how it goes for a while. If it develops the typical Para problems, I'll have something nice built on the frame.

 

[KMM696]

I have a P14-45 Limited (maybe 8 years old) and a P14-45 LDA I picked up a couple months ago. The Limited had the rear sight loosen up and try to escape in the first couple hundred rounds, which Loctite has cured. I've never had issues with factory ammo - it is pickier on the dimensions of my reloads than my other 45s. No other issues, but it has not seen heavy use.

The LDA has only about 150 through it - so far, it works, but I've already had to do some fitting between the inside of the receiver where the bottom of the slide moves inside the dustcover. A burr in there was chewing up the painted finish on the slide. My brother picked up an identical pistol to this as part of the same buy, and his went back to Para on day one because of bubbles in the paint that started flaking off as soon as he started shooting it. Someone should tell the paint shop to stop getting oil drops on the pieces just after degreasing.

So, I really want to love my Paras, but the best I've managed is a mild case of like. Fit and finish are obviously an issue with them. Unfortunately, they aren't a lot of options for 1911s in the PRofMA. At worst, they would make a good base for a gunsmith to work from.

I have no data on S&W 1911s.

 

[Xak]

Man, I was really wanting an all steel, double stack, hi-cap 45 with a rail someday for my nightstand. Glad I never got a Para. May just have to settle for the single stack SS S&W 1911 someday.

...or if I fall in love with my new S&W M&P40c that I haven't had a chance to shoot yet, I may just get an M&P 45.