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Thread: Para 14.45 Limited SS - are these parts necessary?

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  1. #1
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    Para 14.45 Limited SS - are these parts necessary?

    I'm finally getting around to cleaning a Para 14.45 Limited SS I purchased a while ago - there's a blue buffer or something that's on the end of the recoil spring guide towards the link - I've never ran into one of these before - what's its' purpose?
    Is it necessary??

    The gun also has the firing pin plunger and trigger lever that (I guess) interacts with the plunger to enable the firing pin - I'm just curious, but if I removed the plunger and spring, and put some kind of spacer in where the lever is now, that'd make it a 70 series 1911, right?

    I'm comfortable with a complete dis-assembly of a 1911 - aside from the plunger and trigger lever, every else looks normal like any other 1911, except the gun being a double stack and having an ambi thumb safety - anything else I should be aware of when dis-assembling and re-assembling one of these 14.45s?

    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    The blue thing is a Shok Buff. They are sold by Wilson (and others, but not blue).
    They are stated to reduce the impact of slide against frame making recoil feel less sharp and reducing wear on the gun.
    There is also the risk that they will deform and drag on gun operation.
    Some like them, some hate them, they generate a lot of emotion for a dollar piece of rubber.

    Yes, you can omit the firing pin obstruction and put an $8 spacer in to replace the frame levers.
    Some worry about legal liability if you should need to shoot even a criminal assailant with a "safety device" removed.
    Makes about a quarter pound lighter trigger pull possible.
    Last edited by Jim Watson; 8th May 2018 at 19:54.


  3. #3
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    If you remove the Series 80 levers from the receiver you must also remove the plunger and spring from the slide or the pistol won't fire.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the guidance, guys - one other thing - I was also thinking of replacing the ambi safety with a regular safety - unless there's some technique that I'm not aware of for getting that right-side safety back in that'll be easier than I've experienced - any suggestions?

  5. #5
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    Your P14 will accept a standard 1911 safety, subject to the usual caveat that it will most likely require fitting. There's another discussion that was started just a couple of days ago that has links to several choices for replacement safeties.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  6. #6
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    I was lucky, the Wilson single I put in my Springfield went right in and eliminated the ambi I did not want on a small gun.
    But it is best to assume that "fitting" will be required.
    King's would put a dab of paint on the surface that is filed to fit a new safety, which seems like a good idea, but nobody else does.

  7. #7
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    To be clear: there are TWO levers in your frame, the one you can see with the slide removed, and another, smaller one, below and forward of it. The lower one pivots around the sear pin, the upper around the hammer pin.

    A spacer takes the place of both frame levers. Some people have been known to simply cut the nose of the upper lever with pliers, remove the plunger and spring from the slide and be done with it.

    Others (like me) have found that the gun can be 'fettled' to have a pretty good trigger pull, that's plenty light enough (around 3.5-4 pounds, possibly a bit lower still, if you like it) with these parts in place, plus a 23 or 21 pound mainspring (I believe yours had a #21 from the factory, but it might have been changed by the previous owner). So removing the firing pin safety parts might seem like a good idea, in the "if it works without them why bother" sense, but legal considerations aside, I've simply not found a reason to do so -- even for my P18.9 Para (i.e. the 9mm brother of your P14.45) that I only use for competition. Some other competitors tell me I should disable the grip safety (no idea why); they get positively wide-eyed when I tell them that I won't AND that it has a working FP safety...

    I've also found that it's actually EASIER for me to take apart a 1911 slide that has the plunger and spring. OK it's not faster, but I like that the plunger can hold the firing pin forward, as I leisurely remove (or re-insert) the firing pin stop. YMMV.
    Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
    M. Setter

  8. #8
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    Thanks, guys, for taking the time to reply with the detailed answers. I'll probably just leave the "extra" parts as they are, and as far as the ambi safety, I'm not interested in taking the time to do any "fitting" right now - the buffer is already out - thanks again!

  9. #9
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    Wise decisions!
    John Caradimas SV1CEC
    The M1911 Pistols Organization
    http://www.m1911.org

  10. #10
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    So, I'm working on a different Para (a Super Hawg Hi Cap) with the Series 80 stuff - the firing pin block plunger got mangled and is no longer serviceable - I am unable to find a replace plunger, and I'm considering buying the spacer part to convert the gun to a Series 70, or as mentioned here, simply "cut the nose of the upper lever with pliers, remove the plunger and spring from the slide and be done with it" - any additional thoughts?

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