My Black Friday Deal...Para Expert

Isk · November 29, 2014, 02:14 PM

I decided to take advantage of the Sportsman's Warehouse Black Friday deal on the Para 1911 Expert. Cost $299 plus tax after the mail in rebate. I've been wanting a 1911 for awhile (this is my first) and decided I could wait in 18 degree weather for about an hour. I figured this was the best deal I'd ever seen on a 1911, so why not?

When I pulled in at about 4:50 am, there were five other cars but nobody in line (I live in a pretty small town that just happens to have a Sportsman's Warehouse for some reason). I decided I would rather freeze for an hour and be sure of getting the gun than be warm and risk not getting it. So I started the line and was the first to get to the gun counter. I picked up the Para, 100 rounds of .45 and some Hogue wraparound grips.

I've shot a few 1911's before, but I haven't spent much time with them. Learning how to disassemble and reassemble took a few minutes, but wasn't a big deal. I like the pistol so far and it feels good in my hands (at least with the Hogue grips, the plastic stock grips did not feel nice). I ran 70 rounds through it yesterday to get a feel for it and had only one minor failure to feed issue that was fixed with a quick jiggle of the slide. I didn't have any decent targets to shoot at for accuracy, but it seemed to shoot where it pointed.

Anybody else have any experience with these pistols?

Obligatory poor lighting pic below:

Targa · November 29, 2014, 03:06 PM

$299 ?!?!?

You absolutely stole that gun, congrats on a great buy.

PoiDog · November 29, 2014, 10:01 PM

Excellent deal on a nice pistol. You did really well with that one.

Nice looking gun.

tdocz · November 30, 2014, 04:06 PM

Wow! Well done. Are they still on sale? I'll head over right now.

LockedBreech · November 30, 2014, 05:15 PM

I was aware of this deal. Very tempting. For that price you couldn't have done much better.

Ritz · November 30, 2014, 06:06 PM

Wow, and I thought I got it for a song at $500-$100 MIR.

Welcome to the "club".

Best,

Fishbed77 · November 30, 2014, 09:09 PM

Those were the first Black Friday guns to sell out at my local Sportman's Warehouse.

It was definitely their best deal. All of their other Black Friday gun specials were very underwhelming.

Mike38 · November 30, 2014, 09:25 PM

Bass Pro Shop had the Para Expert on sale for $409 after rebate. I thought that was a good deal, but you stole yours.

AustinTX · November 30, 2014, 10:01 PM

Wow!

Congrats!

Isk · November 30, 2014, 10:28 PM

Thanks for the comments guys. I do feel like I stole it at that price. The guy next to me bought two. If I had the spare cash I might have done the same.

It was really convenient for me, living in such a place to be sure I could get that deal. In larger cities, I wouldn't be surprised if people were fighting over these things.

railroader · December 1, 2014, 12:21 AM

You got a great deal. I got the same gun at sportsmans warehouse at the memorial day sale they had. Mine was $450 after rebate so you did well.

mellow_c · December 1, 2014, 03:48 AM

Wow! Fantastic deal!!! With the money you saved on that gun you could buy 1000 rounds of ammo!!! there is probably someone out there who paid $600.00 for the same gun when they first came out. You'll be talking about this deal for years!

spacemanspiff · December 1, 2014, 01:39 PM

For 45acp where I am, 1k rds is nearly twice the cost of the OPs purchase of his Para!

Gus90 · December 2, 2014, 09:54 PM

I saw the same deal and was very tempted to pick one up, but seeing as I already have 2....

by the way they are great guns, very accurate and very reliable, imo the best "value" 1911 on the market. My para commander is by far my favorite handgun

Tangentabacus · December 6, 2014, 06:47 AM

Got a non SS version this morning. $10 less. Don't like how bright the SS are for carry purposes so I was happy to see mine come on sale. FIRST 1911!!!

s3779m · December 6, 2014, 07:10 AM

Next time give us a heads up while you are waiting in line.

Gun Slide Guy · December 9, 2014, 03:05 AM

as was mentioned previously, I was aware of the Bass Pro sale. But your deal went way beyond that. Great purchase!

November 30, 2014, 05:15 PM	#5
LockedBreech Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2009 Location: Rocky Mountain West Posts: 3,395	I was aware of this deal. Very tempting. For that price you couldn't have done much better. __________________ 16 Pistols, 5 Rifles, 1 Shotgun, no time to shoot them

December 1, 2014, 12:21 AM	#11
railroader Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2000 Location: Tucson Arizona Posts: 1,756	You got a great deal. I got the same gun at sportsmans warehouse at the memorial day sale they had. Mine was $450 after rebate so you did well. Last edited by railroader; December 1, 2014 at 09:30 AM.

December 1, 2014, 01:39 PM	#13
spacemanspiff Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2002 Location: alaska Posts: 3,498	For 45acp where I am, 1k rds is nearly twice the cost of the OPs purchase of his Para! __________________ "Every man alone is sincere; at the entrance of a second person hypocrisy begins." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard

November 29, 2014, 03:06 PM	#2
Targa Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Posts: 2,085	$299 ?!?!? You absolutely stole that gun, congrats on a great buy.

November 29, 2014, 10:01 PM	#3
PoiDog Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 1999 Location: IL Posts: 309	Excellent deal on a nice pistol. You did really well with that one. Nice looking gun.

November 30, 2014, 04:06 PM	#4
tdocz Member Join Date: November 30, 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 23	Wow! Well done. Are they still on sale? I'll head over right now.

November 30, 2014, 06:06 PM	#6
Ritz Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 283	Wow, and I thought I got it for a song at $500-$100 MIR. Welcome to the "club". Best,

November 30, 2014, 09:09 PM	#7
Fishbed77 Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2010 Posts: 4,862	Those were the first Black Friday guns to sell out at my local Sportman's Warehouse. It was definitely their best deal. All of their other Black Friday gun specials were very underwhelming.

November 30, 2014, 09:25 PM	#8
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,758	Bass Pro Shop had the Para Expert on sale for $409 after rebate. I thought that was a good deal, but you stole yours.

November 30, 2014, 10:01 PM	#9
AustinTX Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2010 Posts: 2,145	Wow! Congrats!

November 30, 2014, 10:28 PM	#10
Isk Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2011 Location: Alaska Posts: 206	Thanks for the comments guys. I do feel like I stole it at that price. The guy next to me bought two. If I had the spare cash I might have done the same. It was really convenient for me, living in such a place to be sure I could get that deal. In larger cities, I wouldn't be surprised if people were fighting over these things.

December 1, 2014, 03:48 AM	#12
mellow_c Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,862	Wow! Fantastic deal!!! With the money you saved on that gun you could buy 1000 rounds of ammo!!! there is probably someone out there who paid $600.00 for the same gun when they first came out. You'll be talking about this deal for years!

December 2, 2014, 09:54 PM	#14
Gus90 Member Join Date: June 14, 2014 Posts: 37	I saw the same deal and was very tempted to pick one up, but seeing as I already have 2.... by the way they are great guns, very accurate and very reliable, imo the best "value" 1911 on the market. My para commander is by far my favorite handgun

December 6, 2014, 06:47 AM	#15
Tangentabacus Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2010 Location: Alaska Posts: 276	Got a non SS version this morning. $10 less. Don't like how bright the SS are for carry purposes so I was happy to see mine come on sale. FIRST 1911!!!

December 6, 2014, 07:10 AM	#16
s3779m Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2012 Location: Lometa, Texas Posts: 384	Next time give us a heads up while you are waiting in line.

December 9, 2014, 03:05 AM	#17
Gun Slide Guy Member Join Date: December 9, 2014 Posts: 27	as was mentioned previously, I was aware of the Bass Pro sale. But your deal went way beyond that. Great purchase!