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PARA P14-45 LTD
4/5/2005 9:41:09 AM
Took it to the range for the first time the other day and it is easily the most accurate gun I own. No malfunctions except for one limp wrist in 200 rounds.
4/5/2005 10:20:42 AM
This is my $0.02 worth, and not meant to offend. Don't let my comments bother you, as my motivation is strictly to talk about 1911 reliability.
I'm not knocking you or your gun. The comment you made about limp wristing your gun got my attention. Limp wristing should not be an issue in a properly fit/tuned 1911, Para or otherwise. Did your gun fail to feed, or fail to eject? Did you buy this gun new or used?
Limp wristing can definitley affect the reliability of plastic framed guns, due to the fact there is not a lot of frame weight to resist the slide and recoil spring. In a 1911, there is enough mass in the frame that it should not be an issue.
If you limp wrist and induce a malfunction in a 1911, it might mean you have a marginally reliable gun. To me, 1 round in 200 is not acceptable reliability. There might be underlying problems, such as a poorly radiused or improperly tensioned extractor, improper barrel ramp geometry or lack of a barrel throat breakover point, weak mag springs, bent feed lips, etc.
Anyway, if this is a carry gun, I would take it to the range and intentionally try to induce some failure to feeds. You can bench the gun with as light a grip as possible and see if it malfunctions. Also, make note of where the round is hanging up, or if it is failing to eject. Also, be aware of whether this happens at or near the end of each mag, and what mag you're using.
I'm not knocking you or your gun. The comment you made about limp wristing your gun got my attention. Limp wristing should not be an issue in a properly fit/tuned 1911, Para or otherwise. Did your gun fail to feed, or fail to eject? Did you buy this gun new or used?
Limp wristing can definitley affect the reliability of plastic framed guns, due to the fact there is not a lot of frame weight to resist the slide and recoil spring. In a 1911, there is enough mass in the frame that it should not be an issue.
If you limp wrist and induce a malfunction in a 1911, it might mean you have a marginally reliable gun. To me, 1 round in 200 is not acceptable reliability. There might be underlying problems, such as a poorly radiused or improperly tensioned extractor, improper barrel ramp geometry or lack of a barrel throat breakover point, weak mag springs, bent feed lips, etc.
Anyway, if this is a carry gun, I would take it to the range and intentionally try to induce some failure to feeds. You can bench the gun with as light a grip as possible and see if it malfunctions. Also, make note of where the round is hanging up, or if it is failing to eject. Also, be aware of whether this happens at or near the end of each mag, and what mag you're using.
4/6/2005 9:36:25 AM
The gun was new, and the failure was to feed, so while I think it was limp wristing, it might have been something else. It looked like the bullet overshot the feed ramp and hit the top of the barrel where the slide promptly scraped the side of it pretty good. I ejected the round and promptly put it in the other mag. It would not chamber despite not being that seriously deformed. Also, I believe the Para is aluminum framed not plastic. I would rather it was steel however. Based on this info, what do you think happened?
4/6/2005 12:14:06 PM
Your gun is steel framed. There are aluminum Paras, but they are black. What I was saying about plastic frames is that they have a tendency to have FTFs from limp wristing, due to lighter weight and frame flex. Steel guns, like your, should not.
Was your FTF on the last round of the mag? If so, it's probably a week mag spring. Also, is it a Para factory mag?
Was your FTF on the last round of the mag? If so, it's probably a week mag spring. Also, is it a Para factory mag?
4/6/2005 2:26:28 PM
Since I can see that a Wolff extra power mag spring is going to come up very soon, I will offer this one piece of advice,
When installing the Wolff spring, you need to tweak the top of end coil down to lower the front edge of the follower from the start. Failure to do so will resolt in the slide being locked back with the last round still in the mag. Just went threw this with a new batch of springs refreshing mags. The factory coil angle was too high in the front, and allowed the front of the follower to came up with the last round to the point that it engaged the slide stop during slide end of travel impact.
(read a PITA when you know the round count, yet the slide locks back on round too soon. Ended up pre-dumping the mags and reloading before even getting close to the 19 round count.)
When installing the Wolff spring, you need to tweak the top of end coil down to lower the front edge of the follower from the start. Failure to do so will resolt in the slide being locked back with the last round still in the mag. Just went threw this with a new batch of springs refreshing mags. The factory coil angle was too high in the front, and allowed the front of the follower to came up with the last round to the point that it engaged the slide stop during slide end of travel impact.
(read a PITA when you know the round count, yet the slide locks back on round too soon. Ended up pre-dumping the mags and reloading before even getting close to the 19 round count.)
4/10/2005 2:33:46 PM
You were right. It was the last round of the mag. It did it again yesterday. Now at least I know which mag is for range use and which to use for more serious matters. I took my friends shooting and the Para instantly became their favorite gun. In fact one them, who had not been shooting before picked up the Para and shot it better than a Ruger MK512 and Baby Eagle 9mm. Now that I think is a true testament to the greatness of the gun.
