Para Ordnance Expert .45

Deaf Smith · April 27, 2017, 05:27 PM

Say, found a unused Para Expert .45 for sale at a pawn shop.

Strange thing is the rear sight is moved way to one side but I see no marks from a drift punch.

$399!

Now has anyone heard of Para Ordnance 1911s having issues with shooting to one side?

Thanks,

Deaf

**Aguila Blanca** · April 27, 2017, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deaf Smith

Now has anyone heard of Para Ordnance 1911s having issues with shooting to one side?

Nope. And I own a Para GI Expert.

fourbore · April 27, 2017, 06:56 PM

If it was used (not unused) then it might be the shooter was pulling his shots. You say new in a pawn shop.

Then I read a very bad review since the Remington take over. Another good name down the toilet.

Deaf Smith · April 27, 2017, 08:41 PM

Well it has ZERO wear on it. Looks like it wasn't shot. It also has the Colt designed firing pin lock.

I didn't disassemble it but I could see no were on the outside.

But I figured $399... not bad IF it does not shoot to one side.

Deaf

railroader · April 27, 2017, 10:21 PM

I had one and it ran great. It shot low so it need a shorter front sight.

Danoobie · April 27, 2017, 10:26 PM

Somebody at the gun store may have fiddled with the
rear sight. Bring it back on center and shoot it.

IME, Para's shoot straight.

Deaf Smith · April 27, 2017, 10:32 PM

Strange thing was, the sight had no marks like someone had drifted it over, way over!

Maybe in the factory someone didn't put it in right.

Say, is $399 a good price?

Deaf

Danoobie · April 27, 2017, 10:47 PM

The company's been sold, so you may have a little trouble finding
OE parts. Fortunately, you should be able to shoehorn most aftermarket
1911 stuff onto it.

fourbore · April 28, 2017, 04:36 AM

Quote:

The company's been sold, so you may have a little trouble finding
OE parts. Fortunately, you should be able to shoehorn most aftermarket
1911 stuff onto it.

It is now part of the Remingon family. I would look at location of manufacture. That is a legal required marking. I would not waste money on a Freedom Group/Remington gun. The first ones off a new assembly line are going to be guarantee trouble. Read the reviews, metal fragments, non-functional trigger and the safety broke first time engaged.

RickB · April 28, 2017, 06:42 AM

Check to see if the front sight is off-center; a small error at the front will require a large adjustment at the rear.
I had a gun with the front just barely off-center, and had to move the rear 1/8" to zero it.

fourbore · April 28, 2017, 07:18 AM

Not true, a 1/8" change on the front will require a 1/8" adjustment in the same direction at the rear.

Danoobie · April 28, 2017, 09:17 AM

Yeah, IME, Para has the world's worst ambi safety.
I had mine replaced. It has a weak spring to compensate
for usage on both sides, and is still prone to
breaking, anyway.

Brit · April 28, 2017, 10:04 AM

My Buddy had one, it was a jam o matic, magazines were rubbish.

He sold it for a Glock 19 he now carries. I was employed by the Crown Att. in Brampton Ontario Canada a while back(same as DA). Netted $1200 Canadian ($13.00 US!) My expertise was required to show how the shots were fired.
The killer was found not mentally able to go to trial.

Ended up in Penetanguishene super jail/asylum for the criminally insane . But the instant he is declared OK? He walks. After killing man and Wife, with more than one Para Ordnance .45. He worked at the factory, that was a 1/4 of a mile from my house in Ontario.
He stole parts, and built the guns at home. The only ammo he had, was proof loads he also stole from work as well. The Police work up on the scene was miles off. The perp was a recent immigrant to Canada, an ex Secret Police Officer from East Germany. Talk about extreme vetting!

RickB · April 28, 2017, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Not true, a 1/8" change on the front will require a 1/8" adjustment in the same direction at the rear.

I wasn't talking about how much the sights must be moved to change POI, but the alignment of the sights relative to each other.

Danoobie · April 29, 2017, 10:20 AM

To be fair, my Para has become an ongoing project.
Jammed every 3rd round or so, at first. Wolff mag springs
helped that, but it still hangs up, once in a while.

AxlMyk · April 29, 2017, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Strange thing was, the sight had no marks like someone had drifted it over, way over!

Why should there be marks? Maybe they were moved with a sight pusher instead of a drift.

Deaf Smith · April 29, 2017, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Why should there be marks? Maybe they were moved with a sight pusher instead of a drift.

Cause usually people who do their own adjustments use drift punches. Not that many pusher devices outside gunsmiths. Add to that the fact the gun has not been fired much I think the factory didn't put the sight in right. Poor QC.

Deaf

glockman55 · May 1, 2017, 08:00 AM

plastic or brass punch shouldn't leave marks, maybe someone kept the rear sight and replaced it with another and just slid it on as far as they could without using a punch..Which side is it sticking out on, right?

Martowski · May 1, 2017, 04:19 PM

Could be poor QC.

As a side note, there are a LOT of pusher devices out there easily purchased for not much money. Go on ebay and search for sight pusher; you'll see there's a lot of small shops putting these out, most of them based on a the same basic design. I purchased one last year and have been pleased with how it works; much easier than beating on something with a brass punch and it leaves no brass marks behind.

April 27, 2017, 05:27 PM	#1
Deaf Smith Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2000 Location: Texican! Posts: 4,453	Para Ordnance Expert .45 Say, found a unused Para Expert .45 for sale at a pawn shop. Strange thing is the rear sight is moved way to one side but I see no marks from a drift punch. $399! Now has anyone heard of Para Ordnance 1911s having issues with shooting to one side? Thanks, Deaf __________________ “To you who call yourselves ‘men of peace,’ I say, you are not safe without men of action by your side” Thucydides

April 27, 2017, 08:41 PM	#4
Deaf Smith Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2000 Location: Texican! Posts: 4,453	Well it has ZERO wear on it. Looks like it wasn't shot. It also has the Colt designed firing pin lock. I didn't disassemble it but I could see no were on the outside. But I figured $399... not bad IF it does not shoot to one side. Deaf __________________ “To you who call yourselves ‘men of peace,’ I say, you are not safe without men of action by your side” Thucydides

April 27, 2017, 10:32 PM	#7
Deaf Smith Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2000 Location: Texican! Posts: 4,453	Strange thing was, the sight had no marks like someone had drifted it over, way over! Maybe in the factory someone didn't put it in right. Say, is $399 a good price? Deaf __________________ “To you who call yourselves ‘men of peace,’ I say, you are not safe without men of action by your side” Thucydides

April 28, 2017, 06:42 AM	#10
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Check to see if the front sight is off-center; a small error at the front will require a large adjustment at the rear. I had a gun with the front just barely off-center, and had to move the rear 1/8" to zero it. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

May 1, 2017, 04:19 PM	#19
Martowski Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2000 Location: Texas (By Way of Illinois) Posts: 1,376	Could be poor QC. As a side note, there are a LOT of pusher devices out there easily purchased for not much money. Go on ebay and search for sight pusher; you'll see there's a lot of small shops putting these out, most of them based on a the same basic design. I purchased one last year and have been pleased with how it works; much easier than beating on something with a brass punch and it leaves no brass marks behind. __________________ Midwestern Ramblings (my amateur firearms blog): http://martowski.wordpress.com/

April 27, 2017, 06:56 PM	#3
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	If it was used (not unused) then it might be the shooter was pulling his shots. You say new in a pawn shop. Then I read a very bad review since the Remington take over. Another good name down the toilet.

April 27, 2017, 10:21 PM	#5
railroader Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2000 Location: Tucson Arizona Posts: 1,756	I had one and it ran great. It shot low so it need a shorter front sight.

April 27, 2017, 10:26 PM	#6
Danoobie Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2017 Posts: 351	Somebody at the gun store may have fiddled with the rear sight. Bring it back on center and shoot it. IME, Para's shoot straight.

April 27, 2017, 10:47 PM	#8
Danoobie Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2017 Posts: 351	The company's been sold, so you may have a little trouble finding OE parts. Fortunately, you should be able to shoehorn most aftermarket 1911 stuff onto it.

April 28, 2017, 07:18 AM	#11
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	Not true, a 1/8" change on the front will require a 1/8" adjustment in the same direction at the rear.

April 28, 2017, 09:17 AM	#12
Danoobie Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2017 Posts: 351	Yeah, IME, Para has the world's worst ambi safety. I had mine replaced. It has a weak spring to compensate for usage on both sides, and is still prone to breaking, anyway.

April 28, 2017, 10:04 AM	#13
Brit Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Orlando FL Posts: 1,934	My Buddy had one, it was a jam o matic, magazines were rubbish. He sold it for a Glock 19 he now carries. I was employed by the Crown Att. in Brampton Ontario Canada a while back(same as DA). Netted $1200 Canadian ($13.00 US!) My expertise was required to show how the shots were fired. The killer was found not mentally able to go to trial. Ended up in Penetanguishene super jail/asylum for the criminally insane . But the instant he is declared OK? He walks. After killing man and Wife, with more than one Para Ordnance .45. He worked at the factory, that was a 1/4 of a mile from my house in Ontario. He stole parts, and built the guns at home. The only ammo he had, was proof loads he also stole from work as well. The Police work up on the scene was miles off. The perp was a recent immigrant to Canada, an ex Secret Police Officer from East Germany. Talk about extreme vetting!

April 29, 2017, 10:20 AM	#15
Danoobie Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2017 Posts: 351	To be fair, my Para has become an ongoing project. Jammed every 3rd round or so, at first. Wolff mag springs helped that, but it still hangs up, once in a while.

May 1, 2017, 08:00 AM	#18
glockman55 Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2009 Location: Mich Posts: 179	plastic or brass punch shouldn't leave marks, maybe someone kept the rear sight and replaced it with another and just slid it on as far as they could without using a punch..Which side is it sticking out on, right?