Quick 1911 Question: Kimber & Para etc.

[afcarpenter]

I too have the 1911 fever and I have given Kimber a lot of second looks as well as SA and Para. With that being said, what is the general opinion of the para lineup?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[JD]

As a previous Para owner, unless I was specifically on the market for a double stack or double action "1911 style" pistol I would pass on Para, I just don't feel like I was getting my money's worth out of them. There are better guns in the same price point.

If I were to go with Para for a single stack, single action it would probably be the stainless GI Expert for a 5" and the stainless LTC for a 4.25" gun as the Parakote finish is not very durable.

I also don't like the overdone "grasping grooves" that they put on the front strap of some models.

[Don Glock]

i have a para gi expert. i'm about to sell it after dealing with their "cust serv". i will not buy another product from this company.

[GM]

I am a SA guy, and between those two I should go for the Kimber.

[HK Dan]

A quick look at USPSA/IDPA usage stats will tell the tale. Para is declining at a pace rivaled only by a 500 pound bomb out of a B17s bomb bay.

Rumor is? They don't hold up, take too much tinkering, and do not present a good value.

Now, Kimber is hit or miss. Personally, I'd do an S&W custom shop, Les Baer, or a Wilson. (Nighthawk Custom?) In other words, if ya gonna spend some money, spend it right. The cost of the gun will be forgotten long after the gun is being enjoyed.

[retsupt99]

I prefer the Kimber to the 'thicker' Para, and around here Para's seemed to have lost their appeal...OMO

[buckeye .45]

I personally prefer springfield when it comes to non-custom 1911s. They may not be the flashiest, but the are reliable and well made.

[Don Glock]

of the one's you mentioned--Springfield

[Thumper]

You'll never regret owning a Springfield... never!

[ckfarris]

I shoot a para P16 40 in USPSA matches. It is a double stack 40. As much as I love tinkering on my race gun, I wouldn't carry one for self defense.

[Klash545]

friends dont let friends buy para or kimber
do some serious reading,and looking at some interesting pics,before purchasing either one.
sure,you can get a lemon anywhere,but you're far more likely to get one from them.
springer isn't that great either....but a damn sight better than the other two. springfield sells brazilian 1911s at a price that is far too high,playing off the history of the name they bought. they're mediocre guns sold at premium prices.

[earlthegoat2]

Paras are declining. As an owner of 3 previous Paras, I have nothing bad to say about them. Regarding their overdone "grasping grooves", I too think they are overdone but they are functional. As a retail seller of firearms I know they have bad customer service. I got rid of mine not because of problems but rather because I became less anamored with 1911s.

3 years ago I would get one but not today.

[richgp100z]

I own 2 RIAs. Rock Island Armory .45 1911s One is a 5 inch parkarized and a 3.5 inch also parkarized. Good guns for the money and no hiccups with either 2. richgp100z

[JD]

To add to my previous post. While my four Paras all ran well, there are more reports of shoddy workmanship these days it seems. Regarding Kimber, I've spoken my mind on them a time or two and would pass.

My choices ranging from most to least expensive of 1911s would be:

Nighthawk Custom, Wilson Combat, Les Baer, Dan Wesson, Colt, S&W, Springfield, and Rock Island Armory.

As for which model that depends a lot on what you're looking for in the gun.

[YFZsandrider]

Sure, you'll find owners of every manufacture that swear by a gun, no matter what the general concensus says of them. One thing you might try... take a look at what Paras sell for in the used market. Might give you a good idea of what people really think of them.