Feedback on double stack 1911

Eppie · October 13, 2012, 10:43 AM

Hi Guys,
I've been burned with a Para 18.9 double stack 1911. I've oftern wondered if this is a problem with the 9mm 1911 platform or it more broadly includes the 45 cal as well.

I've hear from some that their 9mm 1911 single stack work well. What is your experiece with 1911 .45 double stack?

Thanks for your feedback.

RickB · October 13, 2012, 11:32 AM

I had a Springfield hi-cap for a few years, and it generally ran pretty well. Unlike .40 and 9mm mags for hi-cap 1911s, .45s are flat-sided with no ribs pressed into the sides. This means that as the rounds feed up throught the mag, they are in contact with the tube along their entire length, creating a lot of friction. It might not be an issue with factory ammo, but my handloads would not load, or feed smoothly. If I pushed my cases, prior to loading, completely through a sizing die, to both size and uniform the case rims, the situation improved dramatically. In my experience, neither 9mm nor .40 work as well in the 1911 as the longer Colt rounds (Super/10mm/.45), but hi-caps are sort of a different animal, anyway.

PawPaw · October 13, 2012, 12:06 PM

Double-stack 1911s feel too big for my hand, so I don't mess with them. I"ve got a buddy who carries a Para-Ordinance as a duty gun and he doesn't have any problem with his.

**Aguila Blanca** · October 13, 2012, 01:38 PM

Over the years I have owned a Para P10.45, a P12.45, two P13.45s, and a P14.45. The only one that gave me headaches was the first P13.45, which I bought used. The gunshop where I bought it told me it was unfired, but after I couldn't make it work and sent it to a gunsmith whose specialty was para-Ordnance pistols, he reported that none of the internal parts were Para factory parts. He replaced a bunch of parts with para factory stuff and got it running about 90% reliable -- then I massaged the slide stop lug a bit and brought it to 100 percent. I thereafter used it in competition until I replaced it with the P14.45, which has been completely reliable since the first shot. (Ditto for all the others, although the P10 and P12 were bought used.)

khegglie · October 13, 2012, 03:49 PM

No problems at all with a Para 14.45 and a 14.45 LDA.

October 13, 2012, 10:43 AM	#1
Eppie Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2010 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 802	Feedback on double stack 1911 Hi Guys, I've been burned with a Para 18.9 double stack 1911. I've oftern wondered if this is a problem with the 9mm 1911 platform or it more broadly includes the 45 cal as well. I've hear from some that their 9mm 1911 single stack work well. What is your experiece with 1911 .45 double stack? Thanks for your feedback. __________________ "Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State.” -Vladimir Lenin "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson (An early warning to Obama care)

October 13, 2012, 12:06 PM	#3
PawPaw Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Posts: 3,137	Double-stack 1911s feel too big for my hand, so I don't mess with them. I"ve got a buddy who carries a Para-Ordinance as a duty gun and he doesn't have any problem with his. __________________ Dennis Dezendorf http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com

October 13, 2012, 11:32 AM	#2
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	I had a Springfield hi-cap for a few years, and it generally ran pretty well. Unlike .40 and 9mm mags for hi-cap 1911s, .45s are flat-sided with no ribs pressed into the sides. This means that as the rounds feed up throught the mag, they are in contact with the tube along their entire length, creating a lot of friction. It might not be an issue with factory ammo, but my handloads would not load, or feed smoothly. If I pushed my cases, prior to loading, completely through a sizing die, to both size and uniform the case rims, the situation improved dramatically. In my experience, neither 9mm nor .40 work as well in the 1911 as the longer Colt rounds (Super/10mm/.45), but hi-caps are sort of a different animal, anyway.

October 13, 2012, 01:38 PM	#4
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,459	Over the years I have owned a Para P10.45, a P12.45, two P13.45s, and a P14.45. The only one that gave me headaches was the first P13.45, which I bought used. The gunshop where I bought it told me it was unfired, but after I couldn't make it work and sent it to a gunsmith whose specialty was para-Ordnance pistols, he reported that none of the internal parts were Para factory parts. He replaced a bunch of parts with para factory stuff and got it running about 90% reliable -- then I massaged the slide stop lug a bit and brought it to 100 percent. I thereafter used it in competition until I replaced it with the P14.45, which has been completely reliable since the first shot. (Ditto for all the others, although the P10 and P12 were bought used.)

October 13, 2012, 03:49 PM	#5
khegglie Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2009 Posts: 387	No problems at all with a Para 14.45 and a 14.45 LDA.