Para Ordnance Warthog

HHI944 · 05-27-2009, 07:27 PM

Any opinions? I'm looking at trading my Government RIA 1911 and a little cash for one. How much cash should be my top end to throw in?

Bill Douglas · 05-27-2009, 08:07 PM

Just my particuarly humble opion... I'd rather have the Rock Island 1911.

HHI944 · 05-27-2009, 08:29 PM

You're not the only one. I'm beggining to think I should just use the money to buy a pair of new sights, spring set, hammer and trigger from Wilson.

I've been slammed with stories of Para's not feeding and not ejecting.

This ol RIA has 1000 rds down range under my care without a single failure and I've run everything from Winchester Rangers to reload wadcutters in those 1k rds.

Bill Douglas · 05-27-2009, 08:38 PM

When I say "particuarly humble" I mean it. I just think the RI is a particuarly handsome 1911 and I'm personally not a great fan of compacts - but it is probably an excellent gun

HHI944 · 05-27-2009, 08:50 PM

That's the RIA next to her plastic, 9mm companion that I absolutely hate!!!
Unless someone chimes in with a 'Para is just freaking awesome' line, I think I'll just put my money into beefing up the RIA, sights have gotta come soon, the standard sights are next to impossible to acquire fast when the gunpowder starts flying.

Bill Douglas · 05-28-2009, 01:05 PM

I'm not terribly fond of plastic guns, but that's just me.

What's wrong with the 9mm?

Where's Rick Lee when you need him. He knows everything

HardDrive · 05-28-2009, 02:14 PM

I have never owned a Warthog, but I've shot one a couple times and loved it. Might be hard to conceal, as its a fat little bugger. I don't recall it malfunctioning, but I do recall it could use a little more machining on the back of the frame around the hammer. I seem to recall my hand getting a bit raw from shooting because of some rough edges back there.

Fun, unique little gun, just not sure what you would do with it.

HHI944 · 05-28-2009, 03:10 PM

Sticking with the rock island. I can actually conceal it relatively well and I know it's abilities. I just got an adjustable lpa rear sight and I'm about to have a guy install Wilson springs, hammer and trigger.

m21sniper · 09:25 AM

I had a Para Ordnance P12.45 or something. It's the double stack officers model, i believe it was 12+1. It fit my hand like crap, so i traded it for a Springfield Armory Champion .45ACP.

Now -that- was a pistol.

HHI944 · 05-28-2009, 06:26 PM

What's funny is, out of the box...the RIA's have a better trigger pull than the low end SA's that cost 2x as much.

I still wouldn't mind getting my hands on an SA Operator 1911 solely to have an accesory rail.

The guy that's going to work on my RIA said he had a Para that out of the box took him 4 hours to clean the sloppy machine work on. That's just not acceptable on $1k guns.

RacerX1166 · 05-29-2009, 10:20 AM

Good move on keeping the RI. I shot IPSC for 10 years and, as a result, won't touch a Para or a Kimber because they just don't run.

I also had a TRP for a few years (one of the guns I sold to subsidize my P-car purchase) and it was top notch. Great trigger for stock, ran flawlessly even during break in, excellent fit and finish... The rail with a mounted flashlight and 10 round Wilson mag made for a great home defense gun.

HHI944 · 05-29-2009, 10:48 AM

I've got 2-8rd Wilson mags and when I order the parts I'll be getting a 10rd to go with em. The mag that comes with the RIA is a cheap POS.

sammyg2 · 11:56 AM

I always wanted a warthog gun, but don't think I could afford one.

HHI944 · 05-29-2009, 12:21 PM

My mom dated an A-10 pilot while I was in High School. Cockiest SOB you've ever met, made Rangers seem humble.

ZLP · ZLP's Garage

IMHO Springfield makes the best 1911's out there.

HHI944 · 05-29-2009, 01:27 PM

Yeah, but can you get a new 5" SA for $400??

jt1 · 05-29-2009, 02:45 PM

I don't have any experience with a warthog, but I've owned a P12 and two P14's. All of them functioned without any problems, and had good out of the box triggers. The grips are definitely not for everybody, but worked great for me. I'm going to buy another one of the days, I want to try a LDA.

John

onewhippedpuppy · 05-30-2009, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHI944

Yeah, but can you get a new 5" SA for $400??

I think mine was around $450, but it's just a humble mil-spec. For the same money I would have considered one of the factory modded RIA 1911s, but I couldn't find one at the time. From everything I've heard and read, RIA makes a good gun.

HHI944 · 05-30-2009, 06:41 AM

I'm pleased with it overall, now if I could just get rid of the tupperware..........

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I had a P-12 and, after spending lots of money on making it a race gun, I still couldn't shoot it as straight as my out-of-the-box SIG P220. I sold it. It was very heavy for a CCW piece. I love my Springfield 1911.