Para Ordnance P14 upgrade suggestions

[Magnumite]

use the the barrel as a small slap hammer to tap the bushing out of the barrel. The bushing gets tirned clockwise to remove the dpring plug and recoil spring. Then turn completely counter clockwise the move just a tiny bit to get the bushing lug off the slide bore. Then ‘tap hanmer’ the bushing out eith the barrel.

 

[Naptown34]

If you like Para handguns, I got a couple for sale in the classifieds.

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[ezracer]

If you like Para handguns, I got a couple for sale in the classifieds.

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I had a 9mm PARA Hi-Cap P-18 LDA. Loved the trigger. Sorry I sold it!!

 

[jimbobborg]

What's a good way to loosen them up?

You don't want it loose, it's what makes it accurate. Follow what the above guys say and you can get it out.

 

[MattFinals718]

use the the barrel as a small slap hammer to tap the bushing out of the barrel. The bushing gets tirned clockwise to remove the dpring plug and recoil spring. Then turn completely counter clockwise the move just a tiny bit to get the bushing lug off the slide bore. Then ‘tap hanmer’ the bushing out eith the barrel.

I was going to message back, but eventually, I figured out what you meant. Finally got the P14 taken apart and cleaned up. Thanks for your help as I take my first steps down the 1911 rabbit hole.

 

[MattFinals718]

If you like Para handguns, I got a couple for sale in the classifieds.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Nice pieces. Sadly, I don't have an HQL yet (all of my handguns were purchased in VA before I moved to MD), and I'm also not in the market for any more right now.

 

[Magnumite]

I was going to message back, but eventually, I figured out what you meant. Finally got the P14 taken apart and cleaned up. Thanks for your help as I take my first steps down the 1911 rabbit hole.

You’ll have lots of company down there…
www.1911forum.com

 

[MattFinals718]

You’ll have lots of company down there…
www.1911forum.com

Haha, so far, I've avoided it. Since I got bitten by the AR bug four years ago, I've already spent too much time on Arfcom. Then again, I also now own 4 ARs, but still only one 1911.

 

[TinCuda]

Thank you to everyone who has made suggestions so far. I've realized that I have a more urgent issue...who makes the best mags for Paras? A few sources I've Googled suggest that the factory 14-round mags are not so good. Should I get MecGar or another brand instead?

I have had several Paras over the years and still own a few. They are great pistols. The weakest link in any firearm is it's magazine. This is especially true for Para Ordnance magazines. If your factory mags work for you, great! All of mine were horrible. They had soft plastic followers that wouldn't hold the slide back, feeding issues, cheap flimsy clip style base plates. Just awful.

The good news is MecGar makes fantastic magazines. I would trust my life to MecGar. Sig Sauer's (among other companies) factory magazines are made by MecGar and then stamped with Sig labeling.

Thoroughly test whatever magazines the Para came with and if they don't work 100%, run over them with a truck and buy MecGar replacements.

 

[Magnumite]

I’ll scond Mecgar mags for paras…all mne have worked.

 

[MattFinals718]

I have had several Paras over the years and still own a few. They are great pistols. The weakest link in any firearm is it's magazine. This is especially true for Para Ordnance magazines. If your factory mags work for you, great! All of mine were horrible. They had soft plastic followers that wouldn't hold the slide back, feeding issues, cheap flimsy clip style base plates. Just awful.

The good news is MecGar makes fantastic magazines. I would trust my life to MecGar. Sig Sauer's (among other companies) factory magazines are made by MecGar and then stamped with Sig labeling.

Thoroughly test whatever magazines the Para came with and if they don't work 100%, run over them with a truck and buy MecGar replacements.

I’ll scond Mecgar mags for paras…all mne have worked.

So I've since moved to MD since I wrote that post, but before I moved, I purchased four more 14-shot mags, all of which were factory. Didn't have a chance to get any Mec-Gars yet, but maybe I'll ask my folks (who live in NC) to get me some.

The factory mags worked fine for me when I fired the gun in August. My one annoyance with them is the fact that they don't have any markings for rounds/capacity, so one has to count the rounds mentally - it's not what I'm used to with Glock mags, for instance. Otherwise, no feed issues or any other problems.

 

[Magnumite]

I’ve always liked and used Para factory mags. I get it sbout the rounds in mag markings. I am about to putmarkers in my Ceiner conversion mags

 

[jimbobborg]

I have a few of the Mecgar mags for my P16-40. They only hold 15 rounds, and they fit super snug so you can't put extensions on them. It won't matter to most of you, but they're just Barney mags for me now.

 

[P-12 Norm]

I just won a stainless Para Ordnance P14 in a GunBroker auction. Looks like this is going to be my Christmas present to myself, and also my last handgun purchase before I move to Maryland. Aside from buying 14-round mags (because I can't buy them in MD, and there wouldn't be a reason for me to have a P14 if I didn't have its regular-capacity mags), I'm looking to crowdsource suggestions for the following upgrades that I'd like to make:

- Adjustable sights
- Ambi safety
- Grips

Anyone else own a Para and have suggestions for these?

I have a P-12, and one mod I did that I Love is the beavertail grip safety. I went with a drop in. Required no fitting. Made it more comfortable. I also put an extended slide release, and tactical safety on it. My auto hammer fired pistols I tend to use the safety as a thumb rest after I disengage it. The Para thumb safety wasn't comfortable to me. Being right-handed, I just did a single sided safety.

And hold off a little about the HQL...that just might be going away.

 

[Magnumite]

Something I did to my P14-45 is I converted it to P9-18. With mag extensions I can get 21 rounds in a mag. With new springs its a little finicky over 19 rounds so I just limit loading mags to 19 rounds. Definitely an econo conversion. RIA barrel and slide. Fitted barrel, bushing, extractor.

It is a standard Para pustol so I fitted a Wilson beavertail “drop-in” for Commander…just to see how it would work out. I was a full fit job. I did this knowing I might have to fit a standard .250” or .220” radius gs. Used it in a few matches welhete round counts were high. Great ergonomics but the top of the beavertail to frame interface aesthetics leave something to be desired.