THEBIRD

Im trying to build a Idpa , steel plate shooter and heard paras where really good guns but i picked up my big hawg and some issues bother me.
1. The safety doesnt lock to safe and sometimes rocks just a little on the ball bearing to stop the slide from easily bieng pulled back. ( easy fix but a bug none the less)
2. There is a definate feeling of like a yo yo effect when shooting the pistol the slide seems to delay then blow back mid recoil... ( maybe above problem)
3. Last round failing to feed and some mid point, either ramp or something else wrong it stops like 75% into battery. ( remington, federal , winchester same problem)
4. trigger pull set to about 10 lbs from factory.
i like the gun and like the feel and think its a great place to start a build of a truely great 1911 but my question is is it worth sending to para or should i have a real pistolsmith work on it.
and if so WHO , WHO is like the PARA GUY.

Im just looking at having it tuned a bit maybe tightend up. new sights etc...

Bill Caldwell

First of all, Go to Wild Bill Caldwell View fron the Hills.....page 2 , see Para 16 40 limited.

After that....issue 1....I've never seen a BALL BEARIN' in any 1911....May be one in a Para

issue 2 I don't know what You are referrin' to here...Yo Yo effect, Do You have another 1911 You can compare this one to

issue 3 May be mag springs, recoil spring, dirty chamber

issue 4 never seen a para from the factory with a decent trigger pull ,again see Write up on para 16 40 limited, hammer , sear, sear spring , disconnect, were junk...not worth workin' on

You are tryin' to build a pistol....it can be done with a para...money, time, and parts is all it takes, YOU NEED KUHNHAUSENS TWO BOOKS ON 1911s....AGI VIDEOS...an a good set of drawin's with the correct dimensions.....By Kuhnhausens instructions ( THIS SHOULD BE THE FIRST THING YOU DO BEFORE YOU BEGINN WORK ON ANY 1911 ) check to be sure all holes are where they should be, all
dimensions are correct....Every para I've ever seen is out of spec with the 1911 drawin's, may be within paras specs

THEBIRD

ok ball bearing referring to the pin between the slide stop and the thumb safety. the thumb safety rocks up and down over a weird pivot that allows the thumb safety to protrude into the thumb safety notch about 20 thousandths and stop the slide from sliding back. with out being put fully in to the safety notch. I own a kimber and springfield 1911 both 4" carry models when i shoot them the slide during recoil seems very solid and on time. this one feels like the first problem may be interferring with the operation of the slide and it that as the recoil pass's up your arm then you feel the slide hit the end of its travel just feels way different than the kimber or springfield.

so you saying to ditch the para and go in a different direction?

Bill Caldwell

Now ...I may have a little of what You are askin' figured out. The plunger tube fits in the area between the slide stop and the thumb safety. Inside the plunger tube startin' at the slide stop end is the slide lock plunger, then a spring, then the safety lock plunger.( the safety lock plunger is what I think You are callin' a ball bearin') The way I hold a 1911 My right thumb rides down hard on the thumb safety so the safety can't engage the slide. I disable the slide stop so the mag follower can't lock the slide back when the last round is fired.

The Yo Yo effect You describe could be many things....slide and frame needs cleanin', slide and frame needs oilin' are a couple...Usually paras have so much slop between the frame and slide they will work dirty to a certain degree...If the barrel is not fit properly and the slide is havein' problems gettin' loose from the barrel this could cause the slide to be sluggish as it starts back

No matter Who worked on the para or who rebuilt the para I've never seen one I considered to be a truely great pistol, few I've seen that after a build are even a good pistol, more than likely You will put a lot of money in this one, You may end up with a pistol that is reliable to a certain extent, accurate enough for the occasion but if You ever try to sell it or trade in the end it will be very hard to get back what You spent on the para......Maybe if You are wantin' to learn the 1911this would be a good pistol to go to school on....Buy the books, the video, and get after it

Bill Caldwell

Bill Caldwell

Another thing to consider....A P 14 slide is gonna move a lot different than a 4in. Kimber or Springer

Try to find somebody in Your area with a 5in. 1911 and compare slide speed or find somebody with 100,000 rds of 1911 fire behind them and see what They think, might not be the problem You think it is

Bill Caldwell

alsipd

check the operation of the disconnector. You will most likely find that the disconnector does not work correctly. I had to replace the sear and disconnector on mine to make it work correctly. I had failure to feed, failure to go into battery and that "yo-yo" effect you were describing where the slide feels like it is out of time with the gun. All of this was caused by a defective disconnector/sear combination. It cost me less to replace them with EGW parts than to send it back to PARA for their "Lifetime Warranty" service. This was my choice and no reflection on PARA service is intended.