Para Ordnance started the trend with hi-capacity 1911-style handguns back in the 1980s. People said it couldn’t be done – putting more than 7 or 8 big ol’ .45ACP rounds in a 1911 frame, and still have a gun you could wrap your fingers around. Para Ord proved everyone wrong! Para didn’t start out with a complete 1911, instead, they manufactured a frame only. And, people could simply fit the slide, barrel and other upper parts onto the Para frame. I still remember the first Para frame I saw – it wasn’t nicely finished, and it was a little bit bulky. Still, it fit the hand fairly well.
Para Ord was started in Canada, and several years ago, they made the move (wisely) to the USA. They also changed their name from Para Ordnance, to Para USA – to indicate where all new Para firearms are being made. I’ve owned several Para handguns over the years, all have been the smaller models – I never owned the full-sized P14, which really started it all. I contacted long-time buddy, Kerby Smith, who handles the marketing for Para and requested a sample. Smith asked me to hold on for a bit, as Para was re-introducing their P14, and the wait was worth it, too.
What we have in the P14, is a full-sized “Government” model 1911, that holds 14 rounds in the magazine. The gun weighs in at 41 ounces, just a tad heavier than a standard 5″ Government Model 1911. The new P14 is all black, coated with Para’s proprietary Para Kote — a tough stuff synthetic finish. The rear sight has 2 white dots, and the front sight is a red plastic Hi-Viz style “pipe” that gathers light and makes for one outstanding sight picture. The pistol also has a beavertail grip safety and single side thumb safety that is of the extended “combat” style – easy to reach to snick on and off.
Trigger pull on my P14 sample is dead-on at 5 pounds, and super crisp. I thought about lightening the trigger pull a bit, but after firing the P14, I decided to leave well enough alone. The gun is a tack-driver, plain and simple. The sample I got is serial number 2 –the second gun off the production line. I’m sure Para kept serial number 1 in their collection. The P14 also comes with two Mec-Gar made 14-round magazines – some of the best mags made, plain and simple. In the past, Para Ordnance of Canada made their own magazines, and the springs were stout – making it difficult to get the last round or two loaded in the magazine without busting your thumb or using a magazine loader. The Mec-Gar magazines loaded all 14 rounds easily, without aid of a loader. [JWR Adds: The earlier magazines can be distinguished by their “Made in Canada” markings. This distinction should be of interest to those living in New York state, where post-1994 manufactured magazines that can hold more than 10 round magazines are banned. Yes, you can still find pre-ban Para Ord magazines, of up to 15 round capacity!]
Para has gently “melted” the original P14 dimensions in all the right places, including the grip area of the frame – it is only slightly larger in circumference (and I mean every slightly) than a standard 1911 frame. The front strap of the grip also has serrations to aid in gripping the P14. Interesting that Para didn’t include their Power Extractor [seen on earlier Canadian-production Para Ords] on the newly re-introduced P14. Instead, it has the standard 1911 extractor. I’ve read reports on the Internet (and you have to take most things with a grain of salt that you read on the ‘net) that people had lots of problems with the Power Extractor breaking. I’ve had several Para handguns with the Power Extractor and didn’t have any problems at all. Nor did I have any problems with extraction during my testing of the P14 sample, with the standard 1911-profile extractor.
The P14 comes with a match-grade 5″ stainless barrel that is throated and polished. My sample fed everything I put through it and never once stuttered or stammered – with the two Mec-Gar magazines that came with the gun. I purchased some Para-made P14 magazines to add to the two that came with the gun. These mags were the older ones – they were made by Para Ord in Canada. The springs were super-stout, and on several of the magazines, I couldn’t get the last couple of rounds loaded into them – even with the aid of a magazine loader. Not to fear, Para’s warranty covers magazines as well as their guns. I returned the 7 extra mags I purchased to Para, with a note explaining how difficult they were to load. Two weeks later, I received a package with 7 nickel plated 14-round mags, and they all worked perfectly. Para USA has an outstanding warranty and their customer service is great, too.
My P14 sample is one of the most accurate 1911s that I’ve ever fired, period! Now, keep in mind that, this is a factory gun, not some custom 1911. It seemed as if Para might have built-in some kind of “radar” into the P14, that allows the gun to get on-target and place all the rounds where you want them to go. I fired over 500 rounds of various ammo through my P14, and as I mentioned, I didn’t have any malfunctions of any kind. I had Buffalo Bore 185 grain JHP +P, 230 grain JHP +P and their several other of their .45ACP loadings. Now, you’ve got to remember, these .45ACP rounds are all stout +P from Buffalo Bore – and the P14 had no problems at all with the heavier recoil. One thing I like about the P14 is that, with the slightly “chunkier” grip, it helps spread out the recoil impulse.
I also had some Black Hills Ammunition on-hand for testing. I had the usual assortment of .45ACP, including their 185 grain JHP, 185 grain JHP +P, their 230 grain FMJ and 230 grain JHP loads. Additionally, I had their 230 grain JHP +P load and their newest 185 grain JHP Barnes X-Tac load – which is an all copper JHP load, that reportedly will penetrate about 24% deeper and the bullet stays together – it expands nicely, but stays together as their is no lead core – the bullet is formed entirely of copper. I also fired Winchester‘s “USA” white box 230 grain FMJ rounds through the Para P14, and this is a great target load and economical as well.
I honestly wish I could say there was a “worse” load when it came to accuracy in the P14, but this gun shot all loads just about equally well. The Para P14 sample I had just kept putting all the rounds into one ragged hole at 25-yards, with me shooting the gun over a rest, over the hood of my car. I actually was getting bored with the P14, it just kept putting all my rounds where I wanted them to go. I mean, what’s not to like here? If pressed, I’d have to give a nod to the Black Hills 230 grain JHP as the most accurate load I tested, but it only beat out all the other loads ever-so-slightly.
I did do some additional testing on the side with the new Black Hills 185 grain JHP Barnes X-Tac load, firing into water-filled gallon milk jugs. As advertised, the bullets held together and fully expanded, and they did, in fact, penetrate deeper than other JHP rounds. I’ll be covering this in another article in a few weeks. However, if you have the opportunity to check out some of these new loads from Black Hills, you’ll be surprised at how deep the hollow point cavity is.
If I did my part, I could easily keep 5-rds inside of an inch and a half (at 25-yards) – with some groups a tiny bit bigger, and some a little bit smaller. I did manage several groups of 1 inch – that’s match grade accuracy – from a factory gun. Again, what’s not to like here? And, if there’s one thing we all need to keep in mind, especially when looking at a full-sized gun for survival purposes, and that’s how many rounds they hold and how accurate and reliable are the guns. I think it’s a good idea to have more rounds for a gun, and what better place than to carry those extra rounds in the gun itself – the on-board magazine! It’s hard to find fault with a 1911 that holds 14+1 rounds on-board. That’s enough to put an end to most fights, and you also have a second mag that comes with the P14. And, if you aren’t carrying at least one reload for your handgun, shame on you!
I have a lot of 1911 holsters laying around, and the P14 fit all of them. Now, you’ve got to remember, the P14 weighs slightly more than a standard 1911 (unloaded). However, when you insert a full magazine with 14-rounds in it, the gun weighs quite a bit more than a 1911 that only holds 7 or 8 rounds. You need a good holster and a strong, wide gun belt, to support this full-sized gun with a fully loaded magazine. I like the Blackhawk Products Serpa belt holster – it holds the gun tight and close to the body, and it also has the “Serpa” retention device, that keeps the gun locked in the holster until you draw it – then you simply press in on the retaining tab on the holster (as in a natural draw) and the gun is released for a draw. I also used a small belt slide holster from Safariland to carry the P14 – this is about as minimal of a holster as you can get, and it really held the gun close to my body, however, it was a bit uncomfortable when seated in my SUV for some reason.
If ever confronted with a TEOTWAWKI situation, I’d probably strap on the Blackhawk Serpa tactical thigh holster – one of my favorite carry rigs, for serious tactical work. You can also attach two spare mag pouches on this Serpa holster – that gives you 43 rounds of fight-stopping .45 ACP power on-hand. I also tested a Blackhawk leather belt holster, with a thumb snap, and the P14 nestled in there perfectly, as well as carrying the gun a bit higher on the waist, making it more concealable.
My test and evaluation of the Para USA P14 was uneventful for the most part – the gun just perked along without any malfunctions, and it sent all the rounds downrange where I wanted them to go. The P14 will fit in just about any holster made for 1911s, and that’s a good thing. There is a limited lifetime warranty from Para USA on their guns, and they have outstanding customer service, too. The P14 retails for around $950. That is not cheap, but not too spendy, either – it’s right in the ballpark for a high-quality 1911, that will do all your ask of it for self-defense or survival purposes. Now my only problem is, as usual, trying to find a way to come up with the funds to purchase my sample – it’s not going back to Para USA!