Sunday, January 18, 2009

Incidentally...

The Para LTC 9mm continues to function fine. I hadn't cleaned or lubed it after its last range session, and ran another six magazines (48rds, mixed 124gr Speer Lawman and 115gr PMC Bronze) through the gun with no issues yesterday. The factory adjustable sights have held zero despite banging around in the range bag.

I haven't tried it with any mags other than the four factory 9mm Para mags I have. I need to get some Wilsons and/or Metalforms to try at some point.

The verdammt FLGR is still in it because I have been too lazy to sit down with a stone and trim the head on the stubby Ed Brown unit I purchased.

As it stands, the gun's role in life is apparently going to be that of providing increased 1911 trigger time at less cost than my .45ACP, but with a more realistic manual of arms, blast, and recoil than my .22 conversion units. (The Ciener does not lock back on an empty mag, and an alloy 9mm Commander has about the same jump in the hand as a steel 5" gun.) So, figuring 50-100 rds/week, that's a leisurely 2500-3000rd/yr duty cycle, which even an aluminum framed Commander should have no problems standing up to.

I'm happy with it so far.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Out of curiosity, what's your opinion, looking back, on the Para Gun Blogger Weekend?

It looks to me like Todd Jarrett, Blackhawk(!), and Blackwater all came out looking very nice and being praised to the high heavens. Para itself...that seem to be another story. Your gun is relegated to training, Robb's was finicky, and I haven't heard anyone else actually praising the gun itself (although you all seem to regard the design itself as being fairly good).

Am I wrong on this? To my eyes, it seems like Para gambled on an open examination by prominent bloggers and wound up finding that their gun was only regarded as moderately good.

Roberta X said...

W, I'm just guessin', but the evidence is that for herself, Tam considers 1911s shootin' anything below .45ACP to be trainers.

If she didn't think her Para was reliable, it would be a safe queen memento. Or sold.

Matt G said...

Look, you know I love the 1911 in .45 acp. Love it. Grew up with it. Believe in it.

But people like Stephen Camp have made me a believer in the 9mm, with modern ammunition, as a viable round. Yes, I'll utter that heresy. Something about seeing the pictures of Steve's 3rd or 4th deer that he shot and killed cleanly with a 9mm kind of brought me to the belief that it's not a complete stunt. If you have a reliable, accurate, carriable gun that you can shoot really really well, who the hell cares if it's 9mm? Frankly, I'd rather have a 9mm that I shoot like a superstar than a .45 that I just "shoot decently with," any day of the week, twice on Sundays. Dad's got a Browning High Power that's like that. Frankly, with a better safety on it, I'd carry his Inglis P35 on duty or off, without a care in the world. It's just point and click, and the target has a nice .355" hole in it. Repeat as needed. :)

If you're training with the Para, why not CARRY the Para, knowWh'mSayn?

Tam said...

One Word: Bo-Mars.

FWIW, I don't think a coroner could tell you whether a stiff had been holed by a 230gr Golden Saber or a 127gr +P Ranger Talon. If the 9mm 1911 was a 5" steel gun with fixed sights instead of a 4.25" alloy gun with sure-snags, I'd carry it without a qualm.

Anonymous said...

'I haven't heard anyone else actually praising the gun itself '

I've praised the crap out of mine. Love it. Perfectly reliable, no issues. It doesn't like PMC ammo but that's about it.

I carry it and use it as the nightstand/leave with wife when I'm out gun because of the laser grips.



-SayUncle

Matt G said...

Not worth changing the sights? I know you've shexxy custom and semi-custom .45's, but you seem to be practicing with the 9.

The Duck said...

Well since mine was returned from service I finally shot it yesterday, & it performed very well, I also tested the 9mm MecGar mags I ordered from CDNN & they worked well