I have a Para P14 and would like a 1911 for a carry gun. I do not like the hammer and

palm safety and am more partial to the MILSPEC hammer and palm safety. Also I am a

lefty and have found that some 1911's eject brass directly at my face. Any suggestions? My

thought was a Srpingfield Milspec adding Trijicon night sights and ambi safety. Or some

model of Para? Would prefer a 4in barrel.

i CCW my para big hawg...it is not so comfy of a carry gun that i "forget" that i am carrying it, but i dang sure wont be under gunned.

I love my para and just started using it as a CCW since its all i have now as i sold the rest for a move to germany. My buddy has a Springfield Champion with 4in barrel i like with the exception of the safety and sights.

IMO? Ditch the para. Get a Springfield

I love my para. Its a Deployment Commemorative pistol not a carry/shooter. I want the springfield but the way it ejects brass is a big downside for me.

Stay the hell away from Para. If your P-14 does you well, then embrace and enjoy it. I did before mine was stolen. Their "small pistol" department OTOH is an absolute nightmare, and that is what cost them my patronage and my goodwill. When it comes to the price range, quality and workmanship, you are NOT getting the same thing with a Para compared to the competition. I will leave it at that rather than re-hash a commonly re-hashed discussion with the hope we don't need to beat this horse further  down the thread.

It took me years to find the ultimate carry pistol for me. It just happens to be a 4" compact like you seem to be interested in. After the Para nightmare, I put my chips on a Wilson Combat CQB Compact. the profile is ideal, concealing better than the larger 1911s, but the 4" bull barrel gives me the control of a Commander. Moreover, their workmanship, quality materials, and unparalleled service make it an absolute joy to shoot, carry, and own. If I bought this wilson the first time, I'd have saved 2/3 to 3/4 the cost of a second Wilson by now based on the cost of the Para, the factory mods, shipping costs for repeat repairs, and hundreds of rounds on "break-in/re-break in/replacement pistol break-in" rounds.


You may not be ready for this kind of financial commitment, even though you may realize getting the ideal choice initially may save you in the long run. In that case, I would advise you to avoid ALL production 1911s with barrel lengths below the 4.25" Commander length. This rules out ALL compact weapons, unfortunately. Some swear by their brand X in 4", 3.5", or 3", but I they just don't measure up to my level of confidence based on the narrow margin of error the smaller pistols require. The ONLY exception is the 4.25" CCO style (commander top over officer bottom), but Colt examples are discontinued and pricey, and forget Para.

As such, I would boil it down to this (in this order)

Semi-custom of choice in the platform you like best (4" compact to 5" standard), Colt CCO, or a quality Commander-sized pistol. HTH.