Para-Ordnance

[harald]

I made a trade and got a Para-Ordnance frame. The frame is very light almost like alu.

The marking on the box say; Model 13+1, caliber .45, serial no. PG 002584

Have P.O. made alu frames before, I could not find any info on their web site.

I have a 6" Caspian slide I was planning to put on this frame, will this be a good idea?

Edited October 24, 2007 by harald

[et45]

Yes,The first frames they started making were alloy.

[dirtypool40]

I don't think it would stand up to hard use as an IPSC gun, but might make a fun carry gun. I thought about it years ago too, but was warned not to put a lot of rounds through an alloy Para.

[Joe4d]

I don't understand the first sentence of your post. Did you get a single stack or a P13 frame ? The P13 is a shortened commander dimension frame (I think) may look goofy with a 6"slide.. Also home fitting a new slide on an aluminum frame isnt a good idea, sorta why it is allmost impossible to buy an alloy frame. Aluminum alloy is surfaced hardened. Lapping in a slide will remove that hardening, you will end up with a steel slide grinding the frame down to nothing. If you fit it you'll need to reanodize and then refinish the frame.

[wide45]

The original Para was a full size frame kit, with 13 round .45 mags, only available in aluminum.

Very few were made in beryllium copper, before they were available in steel.

[Flatland Shooter]

When the ParaOrdnance was first introduced back in the mid-80s, all they had to offer was a wide body aluminum frame with one 13 rd .45 ACP magazine + trigger + plastic mag release. Soon after their introduction I purchased one and installed a spare Series 70 Gold Cup slide and barrel.

The earlier frames had a "block-like" grips. About a year and a half after their introduction, steel frames were make available. Sometime in the 90s the grip was "streamlined" into the Paras we see now.

I used my aluminum framed gun in USPSA for over a year and probably shot over 10,000 major PF loads through it. (Got a lot of looks when I first took it to a match. It was the first wide body gun at matches in West Texas at the time and some of the "established shooters" considered it borderline on cheating.)

I still have it and shoot the occasional fun match with minor loads. As far as tearing it up, I shot Paras for over 6 or 7 years before I ever heard of anyone having trouble with cracked frames. I also have two additional Paras that were purchased as frame kits and built into open guns. No cracks in any of these either.

Bill

[Joe4d]

Berrlium copper ? no way ! you have just started me on another gun quest.

[harald]

Can a aluminum frame be hardchromed?

[benny hill]

Yes burrilum copper frames were made by para. Big john dixion from huston had one & shot with me in the early 90's.

[Kingman]

aluminum can be chromed but the peson doing it has to know alot about working with aluminum.

the original para frames were Aluminum, they will hold up to .45 for lots of rounds, 40 and open gun calibers they will not last forever.

[HSMITH]

Chrome that Para aluminum frame and you can expect 40-50 thousand rounds out of it IF you chrome it. It will loosen up pretty quicly. Accurail and chrome it and it will go further still.