{"id":34697,"date":"2015-03-20T09:02:34","date_gmt":"2015-03-20T13:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=34697"},"modified":"2023-11-21T11:08:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T17:08:24","slug":"goodbye-para-the-death-of-a-brand-and-a-belated-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/goodbye-para-the-death-of-a-brand-and-a-belated-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Goodbye Para\u2014The Death of a Brand and a Belated Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Check out the Details–https:\/\/para-usa.com\/blackOps1911.php<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Buy a Para Black Ops–\/para black ops<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Para Black Ops has a nice, clean look.<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u2019ve got mixed emotions about the way corporate conglomerates gobble up smaller companies. While I understand (and will defend) American capitalism, growth almost always comes with sacrifices of some sort.<\/p>\n

In the gun industry, what\u2019s sacrificed is the human touch. I was visiting a high-end 1911 maker last week, for example, that still has one smith make one gun, start to finish. The smith stamps his initials in the steel, and if it ever comes back with problems that same smith is held accountable. It is brilliant. It is also not sustainable on any scale.<\/p>\n

Para, by all accounts, is a kick-ass brand. I\u2019ve known several professional shooters who run Paras. These are people with skills and means, who could carry any 1911 on the market, and they carry Paras.<\/p>\n

This might explain why I was surprised to see the gun I\u2019m going to chronicle below, a 1911 with some distinct personality issues. It is a Para\u2014and I can find the bones here that would make for a rock solid 1911\u2014but you have to have faith to find them.<\/p>\n

\"Rather<\/a>

Rather than appealing to law enforcement, some of the new Para iconography seems to aim for gamers.<\/p><\/div>\n

Para<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s go back a bit. Para Ordnance was founded 30 years ago, in Canada of all places, by Ted Szabo (a Hungarian expat) and Thanos Polyzos (who had immigrated from Greece). The company grew slowly and specialized in 1911s. In 2009, Para USA began domestic production in North Carolina. The Freedom Group bought them in 2012.<\/p>\n

The company built its reputation on rock solid, no-frills 1911s. The guns sometimes strayed into more radical designs. Para pioneered double stack single actions, and developed a double action for the 1911 that gained favor with law enforcement. In fact, if you look at the history of the company and the design innovations they developed, you\u2019ll see evidence of a true dedication to the 1911. Think about the time frame we\u2019re talking about here. In the mid-1980s, the American military kicked the old Browning design to the curb. The era of polymer framed double-actions was just ramping up.<\/p>\n

Instead of jumping on that band wagon, Para answered the 1911\u2019s critics. You want more capacity? Try the double-stack. You don\u2019t trust single action? They can fix that, too. You want a 1911 that runs reliably, every single time? Pick up a Para. These aren\u2019t titanium framed guns, they don\u2019t have Damascus slides, and they\u2019ve never worn unicorn horn grips.<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO:<\/strong> Improve Your Glock 22\u2019s Accuracy: Ops Armory \u2014 Captain America<\/a><\/p>\n

Para today<\/h2>\n

This is a review, after all, so let\u2019s review a gun already. This pistol here is a Para Black Ops. When I went looking for a Para to review, I wanted something that would be ideal for everyday carry. The Black Ops is exactly that. The gun integrates a lot of features I consider mandatory for a defensive carry gun. Let\u2019s break them out.<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO: <\/strong>Improve Your Glock 22\u2019s Accuracy: Ops Armory \u2014 Captain America<\/a><\/p>\n

[one_half]<\/p>\n