PARA 745 TAC 45 4.2 8R BLK - Blue/Black, 4.25" Barrel, 8+1 Rounds, Polymer Grips, Night Sights

This is an update to my previous 1-star post. I'm now giving the gun a 4-star rating not based on the entire experience, but on how it performed since being repaired. I called Para Customer Service, explained the problem, and the rep asked me to return the gun on their nickel so they can make it right. He thought it might be an ejector problem, but it was just his guess. He didn't seem confident that he knew what might be causing the problem. Because of their workload, he thought it may be 3 weeks or so before the gun comes home. I got back the LTC Tac from Para after only 11 days total time. Beat my expectations by at least 10 days. Before I took it to the range, I ran the action through with each magazine and it seemed to be a little looser (but NOT loose) and smoother. Everything seemed to work right, so I had a pretty good feeling about it. The paperwork that came back with the gun detailed the work performed as: "installed extractor / polished barrel hood, breechface, feed ramp / test fired 5 mags and functions at 100%". I took it to the indoor range and fired 50 rounds. I first loaded 2 rounds in each mag for a total of 10 rounds and the gun operated flawlessly. Next I loaded 8 rounds in each mag with the balance of the 50 round box (MagTech). The first 41 rounds were flawless. The 42nd round didn't chamber properly. I racked the slide, the round chambered, and I fired it. I put the last mag in and all 8 rounds fired flawlessly. So, not 100%, but 98%. I was pulling the trigger as fast as I could get the sight back on target. I was pressed for time and wanted to go through 50 rounds. This considered, still a very nice group. I'm very satisfied. Really nice shooting gun. Not sorry I bought it. I still don't understand how they can send out a new gun in that condition, but cudos to Para's customer service. The break in period is 500 rounds, so I'm hoping for 100% reliability by then.

I received my Para LTC Tactical last night, read the manual, lubed it as instructed, and had it ready to go to the range today. Got to the range, loaded all mags with MagTech .45 ACP ammo as required by the indoor range. I fully loaded all mags (8 rds). First mag inserted, tried to chamber a round and it nosed into the barrel ramp. No problem. I dropped the mag, ejected the round (not easy), inserted the ejected round back into the mag and tried again. This time the round partially chambered and was very difficult to remove. I tried the second mag. Same result. I tried the third mag. Same result. I tried the fourth mag. Same result. I could not get this gun to properly chamber a round. In case you're wondering, I own a Springfield Armory Trophy Match 1911, so I'm very familiar with the operation of this gun. I stepped out of the indoor range room to enlist the help of the range officer and firearms instructor who has owned no less than three 1911s for over two decades with over 50,000 rounds fired. I explained to him what was happening, so he stepped into the range area to try to assist. Same story. He had the same problem I had no matter which mag was used. He even tried his own personal stash of PMC and Federal ammo, none of which worked. He was stumped. Said he'd never seen a brand new gun do this. He was finally able to chamber a round by fiddling with the slide, then inserted a mag with 1 round in it to see if it would shoot, and chamber the second round. He was able to fire the gun, but the second round would not properly load. Needless to say it was not a happy day on the range. I'll be sending this piece of trash back to Para on Monday in hopes of getting it in working order. I found out after I bought this gun, but before I received it that it was discontinued by Para after only one year. I asked if they did this because of problems with the gun and the customer service rep said no, it's a great gun. I have my doubts now. I'll post more as the saga continues. At this point, I cannot recommend the purchase of this gun even at this discounted price. I now regret not buying another Springfield. The Trophy Match has performed absolutely flawlessly right out of the box. Not a single problem, ever!

I just received a LTC Tac from Bud's. This is a premium pistol. The fit and finish are excellent. It has all the features I look for, checking on the front strap, a mag funnel, fiber front site (which appears to a Dawson), adjustable rear site (may or may not be a Dawson), and a full length 1-piece guide rod. It came with FIVE magazines!! Yes, I said 5 mags. They appear to be ACT mags, with aluminum base pages and numbered witness holes. The slide to frame fit is tight, but not too tight. The firing pin stop is nicely contoured for smooth operation. I shot 250+ rounds of 5 different types of ammo, all 230 gn, with a mix of hardball and hollow points. As you would expect, the hardball ran flawlessly. Remington hollow points ran without incident as well. Winchester hollow points had some issues loading. It looks like the hollow is slightly jagged and much bigger than the Remington, so some were getting snagged. I had no failures to extract or stove pipes. It was difficult to get the 8th round loaded into some of the mags, which made it very difficult to rack the slide. I tired Wilson ETM mags and they worked fine. I expect the Para mags will loosen up. I shot from 10 yards out to 20 yards off hand, and the gun is more accurate than me. With my hand loads, I was able to put 5 out of 8 shots through 1 jagged hole from 20. I really like adjustable sights and I had to adjust these. All my initial hits were left, which is typical for me. A couple of clicks allowed me to zero in. The trigger pull weight came in at 3 3/4 lbs before I started shooting. It dropped to 3 1/2 after 250 rounds. I expect it to drop another 1/4 -1/2 lb after more shooting. The only negatives I have are the stocks and the fact it has a series 80 type firing bin block. The grips are VG G-10 with a very aggressive texture. I thought I liked aggressive grips, but they were tearing my hands up. I was going to swap them out, but I took a file to them and they are much better now. I guess it is better have very a rough texture that you smooth, then grips that are slippery. You can tailor these grips to meet your needs. I had no issues with the series 80, but it bugs me knowing I have extra (maybe unnecessary) parts in the ignition system. In case you couldn't tell, I like this gun. I have 3 other 1911s, all full size Kimber and STI, so this is my first Commander and Para. The Para is equal or better in quality to both other brands.