plastic part on s1445 limited

[spacgost79]

hi guys just took delivery of my first para, s1445 limited. ive wanted one for a while now but have been waiting for the move to usa to settle. finally got my para , cant wait to go to the range and put some ammo through it, but a little disapointed at the plastic main spring housing and trigger :( i would like to change the main spring housing to steel, do normal 1911 mainspring housings fit?? how about the trigger can the trigger be changed to alum??
does any body make custom grips for hi-caps? thanks for any help mike

[Cap]

but a little disapointed at the plastic main spring housing

don't sweat the plastic MSH...many many 1911 manufactures use one.

I don't know much about wide bodies , as i just recently bought one, but when i detailed stripped mine, it looks like a "regular' MSH to me.
matter of fact, the only parts i recall being different were the trigger (trigger bow is wider) Mag catch and grips


..L.T.A.

[Hawkmoon]

Any standard MSH will fit the P14.45. The trigger has to be made for a Para. Brownells offers a few, but there aren't a lot of choices out there.

[Cap]

Hawk, i donno if this is the right place to ask or not...but...

are the all the wide bodies "clones" ..
example....does Para, RIA, Springfield share the same wide body parts?


..L.T.A.

[Hawkmoon]

Hawk, i donno if this is the right place to ask or not...but...

are the all the wide bodies "clones" ..
example....does Para, RIA, Springfield share the same wide body parts?


..L.T.A.
I have been told that RIA/Armscor double stacks take Para magazines. I don't know about Springfield's. I know that STI double stacks do NOT accept para magazines, and Para triggers are not interchangeable with STI's.

And that's about all I know.

[Spyros]

I know that STI double stacks do NOT accept para magazines...True, but Paras can accept STI or SV magazines, although the mags need to be modified for this purpose, i.e. the mag release notch needs some 'massaging'. Needless to say, it's a permanent modification. A couple of 'experts' at the local range (none of whom own Paras) told me to do this for my P18.9, but I never saw the point...

There aren't many grip makers that cater for these pistols, but if you check the E-zine, you'll find an article on Alumagrips for Paras (and a few other things). Hogue also makes some grips for Paras, in rubber and wood.

As for swapping out the plastic parts, I can see why you might want to replace the trigger (e.g. if it has a little play), but as the mainspring housing goes... do you really need the extra weight?

[Hawkmoon]

True, but Paras can accept STI or SV magazines, although the mags need to be modified for this purpose, i.e. the mag release notch needs some 'massaging'.
I can make a Hemi V8 go into my 1988 Jeep Cherokee, too, but that's not the same as saying that it fits. If you have to modify either the pistol or the magazine, then the pistol does not "accept" the other brand/type magazines.

[Dave Waits]

As for the plastic MSH, it depends on who makes it. Up until March when it was stolen, I had a McCormick Polymer checkered flat on a build I did fifteen years or so ago. Was still fine. however, the Polymer MSH on my Kimber shattered at the range after about 125 rounds. Whole bottom of it broke off right above the MSH pin. Replaced it with a S&A Steel, flat checkered. Odds are, yours will be fine.

[Spyros]

If you have to modify either the pistol or the magazine, then the pistol does not "accept" the other brand/type magazines.I should have explained that there are manufacturers who sell STI-style mags for Paras, at least here in Europe:

https://www.sps-dc.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=38&osCsid=da9be85e8f522b5ab02a8df7f38505c9

In any case, I don't see why I'd choose magazines from a source other than Para, for my pistol.

[spacgost79]

thanks for all the info :appld: taking all the advise under consideration, still didn't make to the range to start the break in :mad:. i am a little disapointed
that it has some plastic parts, as i assumed that all 1911's were "all metal"
the deeper i dig the more mfg i find using plastic parts which i do not care for
but i guess its become common practice.

[SMMAssociates]

spacgost:

The msh should be fine unless you like arched housings, in which case you can probably swap in a steel one.... Some minor fitting might be required, but they're "standard" in the larger models. The P13's use an "Officer's" sized housing.

The trigger, as mentioned, is very non-standard, but the overall function is the same as any other SA 1911, and the magazine release is likely to be plastic, too, and also odd. Replacement mag releases should be fairly easy to find.

Don't forget that engineering plastics are quite strong, and can often replace steel (or other metals) with actual advantages, including weight. However, the mag releases were a problem a while back if memory serves.... Five minute fix, so....

Now, if you want to talk about my P3AT, where the magazine release was pretty well designed to fail, or so it seemed, that's another story. I found a source for metal ones.... Much better....

(For a while that thing didn't work well enough to get a full magazine through it before something poofed. It's feeling better now....)

Regards,

[Spyros]

...and the magazine release is likely to be plastic, too, and also odd.Huh? The mag release on my P18.9 is all-metal, the kind of metal that's attracted by magnets. It's obviously cast, or MIM, but definitely metallic.

I've heard/read many posts about Para using plastic mag releases, but never saw one!

[Hawkmoon]

I've heard/read many posts about Para using plastic mag releases, but never saw one!
Para originally used plastic for the mag catch, on the theory that it was preferable to wear out one mag catch that cost $10 or $15 than to wear out several magazines costing $50 each. I guess a lot of people complained, because they changed to metal around the time they introduced the power extractor.

[Spyros]

Thanks, that explains a lot.

So, a current S14.15 should have a steel magazine catch, like mine.

[jlc492]

With regards to the grip portion of the question, I looked everywhere for grips for my 16-40 (same dimension as your 14-45) and only found Hogues rubber grips, the aforementioned Alumagrips, Smith and Alexanders that are basically identical to factory. Found nothing similar to VZ's. Did not look at wood as I prefer the G10's.

[spacgost79]

i have alumagrips on my smith & wesson 1911 & i love them !! probably going to end up with alumagrips for the para also, MSH i think im going to try a smith & wesson from midway its alum. and black so it will keep the same appearance. thinking of changing the thumb saftey,the stock one seems to creep up a bit ant locks the trigger, looking at the ed brown stainless extended.

[Cap]

funny...my new to me "old" 14-45 has an aluminum "arched" MSH, MIM mag catch and "standard" extractor


..L.T.A.

[spacgost79]

just an update swapped out the MSH for a springfield steel 20 lpi with the ILS
and installed alumagrips checkered grips, wow what diff in the overall feel of the gun :appld: i am keeping the trigger as it is very clean and crisp so it stays.