Para Ordnance P14 upgrade suggestions

[MattFinals718]

Here’s a site I monitor occasionally for my P14 and P16 parts, when they come up (looks like they have “P” and “M” mags in stock):

Gun Parts & Firearm Accessories | Numrich Gun Parts

Numrich Gun Parts Corporation, America’s leading supplier of current and obsolete gun parts, accessories, and military surplus since 1950.

www.gunpartscorp.com

ETA: one important note; not all the extended base pads you’ll see in stock there will work with all (“P” or “M”) mags - some will prevent the mag from seating fully (being engaged by the mag catch). I only mention so you might add one or two of each type and make certain they function 100% with whatever mags you desire, before you load up on a score or more

Good find! Thank you for the link. So far, I'm just running factory 14-round mags, which have decent pads (got two of them from another GB seller).

Nice pickup, OP. You’ll like it. You have decent useable sights.

Paras tend to have generous clearances in my experience. My formula for inexpensive improvements is a fitted barrel bushing and a good trigger job. You have a medium to short trigger and it will do nicely.

The VZ grips mentioned by a previous poster I will second. If you choose an ambi safety the premium nes with the hammer pin retention for the right side paddle are the best..but start at $125 and go up from there. All the tongue and groove types will loosen up in time. If you are right handed, as alluded to early in the thread, you may want to skip the ambi. If the present thumb safety doesn’t do it for you and you are right handed, get a good single side thimb safety. FWIW, fit the thumb safety (ambi or single side) when the trigger job is performed. Changes in the lockwork will affect thumb safety blocking lug fit.

Yeah, compared to my Glocks and most of my other handguns, the sights are a bit taller than what I am used to. Any good recommendations from trigger and barrel bushing?

The trigger on the gun is apparently not the factory trigger (or so the GB vendor told me), but it doesn't seem to be a quality custom trigger, either.

 

[dgapilot]

I’ve got a P10-40. Been working on polishing the feed ramp. When I got it it would fail to feed about 2 out of every 10. I have it down to about once every 2 mags. Need to get some 1200 and 2000 grit paper to finish it up.


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[Biggfoot44]

The trigger on the gun is apparently not the factory trigger (or so the GB vendor told me), but it doesn't seem to be a quality custom trigger, either.

The trigger , the piece your trigger finger actually touches , can be an important part of fitting a 1911 to your hand . As in a Long ( aka original 1911 size) vs short ( aka 1911A1 size ) . Perhaps a previous owner changed to suit himself .

Do you know which you prefer ? ( Or know that you could use either for that matter .) If not , shoot some 1911's to find out .

 

[Magnumite]

Good find! Thank you for the link. So far, I'm just running factory 14-round mags, which have decent pads (got two of them from another GB seller).



Yeah, compared to my Glocks and most of my other handguns, the sights are a bit taller than what I am used to. Any good recommendations from trigger and barrel bushing?

The trigger on the gun is apparently not the factory trigger (or so the GB vendor told me), but it doesn't seem to be a quality custom trigger, either.

The easiest way to get a good bushing fit is to go to mic or use dial calipers to measure the outside diameter of the barrel at the muzzle, and the inside diameter of the slide at the muzzle. Then go to www.egwguns.com. Click on 1911 Parts, Slide parts, barrel bushing. There will be a listing for custom fit bushings. Just enter your measurements in the appropriate boxes and pay he man.

The trigger itself is one one component in a trigger job. Depending on composition you may be able to reduce excessive vertical and lateral movement. As mentioned earlier, there are different length triggers. Anyone with less than large hands or long fingers would not want the long trigger.

As far as the other very important aspects of the trigger job a gunsmith should be employed or team up with someone who really knows a 1911 and how to properly service them.

 

[MattFinals718]

The trigger , the piece your trigger finger actually touches , can be an important part of fitting a 1911 to your hand . As in a Long ( aka original 1911 size) vs short ( aka 1911A1 size ) . Perhaps a previous owner changed to suit himself .

Do you know which you prefer ? ( Or know that you could use either for that matter .) If not , shoot some 1911's to find out .

I have to admit that I don't. Since I have zero experience with 1911s (until now), I'm really not going to know until I've had the chance to take this gun to the range.

My impression based on Googling is that the previous owner of my Para swapped a short trigger (which seems to be factory standard) for a Para-made long trigger. This gun doesn't seem to have a custom (i.e., non-OEM) trigger. The last owner also doesn't appear to have swapped anything else on the gun (the sights, safety, mags, etc. are all factory).

 

[Biggfoot44]

Don't just try your Para , shoot some other 1911 to compare .

Back in the day , my first 1911 was an early civilian A1 ( short , and arched mainspring housing ) . Shooting it was meh . Kind of ok , but couldn't understand all the 1911 praise .

Then I borrowed the GF's father's (later FIL ) 1911 , with Gold Cup slide on an Essex frame , built by Roland Jorgensen . OMG ! It felt like a totally different gun . one that fit my hand perfectly ! And thus started my lust affair with 1911s , as set up to my preferences . ( Long , Flat , mild Beavertail to stop hand biting , slightly wider , but not lengthened thumb safety , GI size slide release .)

In fairness , probably an equal percentage of shooters are the reverse in fitment , and some have minimal preference .

But you won't Know , without test driving both flavors .

 

[MattFinals718]

Quick question: A seller I met on on GunBroker is trying to sell me a 14-round mag for my P14. Coincidentally, he's in MD, while I am still in VA. He tells me that he can sell me the mag since I'm out-of-state, he just can't sell it to someone in MD. Is that correct?

 

[Magnumite]

My interpretation is the offer to sell from within Maryland to out of state is okay. Others have stated it is a no-no. I prefer to err on the side of caution.

Depending on your individual locations, you could offer to meet him over the VA line and give him a little extra $$ for the time and fuel. Minimum, it will cost $10 to ship.

 

[Boats]

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?

Mec gar. all others suck

 

[Magnumite]

I must be the lucky minority. 9mm, 40, 45 Para factory mags from 1995 through just recently have always worked for me. Of course, now the latest Para I have will begin to choke. I have/had Mecgars and they run as well.

 

[jimbobborg]

Kin of late, but My P16-40 runs with STI mags just fine. Kind of pricey, but you get what you pay for.

 

[Magnumite]

^^^ That is the modular pistol STI mags work in a Para Ordnance double stack pistols? if so that is a tidbit to keep in mind.

 

[Headedthere]

Also, didn't springfield make a double stack 1911 that used the same magazines as the Para?

 

[OMCHamlin]

Mec gar. all others suck

I must agree, I like Mec Gars better then my factory mags!

 

[Magnumite]

Also, didn't springfield make a double stack 1911 that used the same magazines as the Para?

Yes

 

[MattFinals718]

Bumping this topic...

I finally had the chance to shoot my Para back in August at my bachelor party (because my crew and I went out to a range in VA Beach, and I brought a bunch of my guns along on the trip). I put maybe about 50-75 rounds through the gun. Love how it shoots! It's a surprisingly soft-shooting .45, compared to some other .45s that I've fired.

Only problem: I need to clean the gun, but I'm having trouble breaking it down. I bought a barrel bushing wrench (a metal one, after mistakenly buying a plastic one), but even when I rotate the barrel bushing, I can't seem to actually pull it out so that I can field strip the gun. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Bullfrog]

Bumping this topic...

I finally had the chance to shoot my Para back in August at my bachelor party (because my crew and I went out to a range in VA Beach, and I brought a bunch of my guns along on the trip). I put maybe about 50-75 rounds through the gun. Love how it shoots! It's a surprisingly soft-shooting .45, compared to some other .45s that I've fired.

Only problem: I need to clean the gun, but I'm having trouble breaking it down. I bought a barrel bushing wrench (a metal one, after mistakenly buying a plastic one), but even when I rotate the barrel bushing, I can't seem to actually pull it out so that I can field strip the gun. What am I doing wrong?

Did you try turning it the other way?

I don't have a para, but on other 1911s if you rotate it clockwise the bushing moves to allow you to remove the recoil spring plug and spring, but the bushing remains locked in the slide. After removing the spring you rotate the other way to pull out the bushing.

 

[MattFinals718]

Did you try turning it the other way?

I don't have a para, but on other 1911s if you rotate it clockwise the bushing moves to allow you to remove the recoil spring plug and spring, but the bushing remains locked in the slide. After removing the spring you rotate the other way to pull out the bushing.

I did, and still couldn't get it to come out. Are they normally pretty stubborn? I got frustrated, especially since it's so hard to get the recoil spring and the plug back in once they're out. But I'll try again at some point. I'm sure that I'll get used to this - I just don't have any experience with 1911s, so I don't know what I'm doing compared to Glocks, Berettas, ARs, etc. (which I've owned/shot for many years now).

 

[jimbobborg]

The bushing is probably very snug. I had the same problem with one of my SA 1911s. Just have to work it out.

 

[MattFinals718]

The bushing is probably very snug. I had the same problem with one of my SA 1911s. Just have to work it out.

What's a good way to loosen them up?