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My Para Frame Cracked


dickwholliday

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i just noticed a crack that appears to go through the slide rail in the area where the slide lock goes through the frame.....this is the hole where the slide locks back....not where the barrel is held in place.......Any suggestions other than to buy a new frame?????.....Can it be repaired????? D I C K

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I had an aluminum P14 frame that had developed the same problem. Para (via Larry Steurwald?) replaced the frame with a steel one for (IIRC) $200-$250.

Anyway you can try stopping the spread of the crack by drilling the frame. Usually at the end of the crack.

You could also just mill that side (or both sides) of the affected rail area off. Both of my SVI and STI frames come with this modification from the factory --- no slide rails to the left or right of the magwell tunnel. I'm willing to bet they did it because it is a common failing of the original 1911 frame's design.

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that's exactly what you should do! It is a harmless operation to just take that part of the rails off. This way the crack cannot continue to propagate, and gun function is totally unaffected. My Para developed that 50krds ago, and is still going strong, no worry at all.

--detlef

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well i did sleep good last night but i did wake up wondering about how the slide lock will act when the small section of rail above the locking end of the slide lock is removed....because now it will be able to pivot maybe more than before....hell...it may work better.....Dick

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Dick, you will not see any diffrence in the operation of the slide lock. After you get over the inital shock the fix for this is a no brainer. Without a doubt the best way to do this is with a mill, but I did one with a hack saw and a file one time. Just do it and shoot it. Larry

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(Harp music ON)

From the Para-Ordnance Owner's Manual:

Thank you for buying a Para-Ordnance pistol. Once you have discarded everything but the frame and slide and have replaced all stock internal components with quality aftermarket parts and skateboard tape, we are confident our pistol will give you many weeks of enjoyable use. When your frame crack appears, please refer to Appendix "A" for an immediate actions procedure, crude explanatory diagram, and a list of recommended hacksaw blades. Appendix "B" includes sub-minor load data, a formulary of useful tranquilizers, and telephone numbers for SVI, STI, and Caspian Arms. Still have questions? Call 1-800-CRACKED. Our lawyers are standing by.

(Harp music OFF)

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Wasn't it Colt that cut the hole for the slide stop all the way up. I recall to have seen new guns that way. One positive thing, it cannot crack!

Mine (Steel P.O. 60k +) is cracked for quite some time (at least 2 years), and I only filed of the sharp burrs. It keeps on shooting (until a link breaks or something similar). The crack end in the hole for the slide stop so it won't go any further.

John

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  • 10 months later...

Well, I just found the same crack in my (steel) P16 (gunsmith frame), but have the additional problem of another crack in the bottom of the cut out. In other words, not only is the rail cracked (through and through) but there is also a small crack at the base of the cutout, in the body of the frame proper.

I discovered this problem when the gun nearly disassembled itself during a course of fire - the slide stop actually popped out. I didn't think that was possible, but smarter people than me speculate that the frame flexed and opened up at the break when the slide was out of battery during firing.

I can see doing without the broken part of the rail, but my concern is the crack in the body of the frame. It's at the front edge of the cut out. I sort of understand that drilling out the base of the crack eliminates the high stress point that propagates it, but I'm not sure whether the location of the end of the crack is in some critical part of the frame. My smith says that welding up and recutting the cutout area is not practical. If not repairable, my next best option is to start w/ a new frame.

Unfortunately, Area I is only 3 weeks away. My backup gun works, but I sure hope that my (better) match gun will hold up through the match.

Any comments?

TIA

Kevin

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Find a company that specializes in very high quality welds. Here we have a group that does some subcontracting for nasa. Their welds are good enough that you almost can't tell they welded it.

I had them weld up a frame for me once. Used it the next day. it was a first gen caspian High Cap.

I also have destroyed several aluminum para frames.

Never killed an S#I YET. But will work on it. New gun in June 16k rounds through it so far.

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Kevin,

crack propagation is of course the issue. I cannot fully understand where exactly your crack is (I mean the crack on your gun...:) ), but can you drill a small hole where it ends now to stop the propagation? My frame also has a vertical crack 2 in long inside the magwell near the cutout for the trigger. It's been there for many 10k rds and I am still waiting for the frame to separate into 2 pieces, but nothing so far.... I never did anything about it.

--Detlef

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Detlef, I have an alloy single stack frame that has a crack in this same area. It is a vertical crack emanating from the square slide stop hole going downwards in the frame. I also have the famous "Caspian crack" in my first generation hi-cap. This is a horizontal crack inline with the bottom of the trigger bow. It has been like this for years and has never caused me any problems. I have been told that Caspian will either replace the frame or send it to someplace that does a quality weld and builds up a stress point.

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Every major company normally stands behind their stuff if they are trying to promote it for our sport. They don't want a bad reputation. I would imagine they would replace it.

Hell I have even had caspian replace super lightened slides on a steel gun.

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  • 1 month later...

OK, now that the bulk of my shooting season is over, I decided to call Para and asked about my cracked frame and how their warranty applies. This is straight from the horse's mouth:

All COMPLETE guns have a lifetime warranty on defects in manufacturing, if they were purchased after January 1st, 2001. If your frame cracks during normal use they will most likely replace it, the "most likely" part comes from the fact that they expect that the gun will not have been "heavily modified". They said nothing about ammo (I didn't ask). If they agree that it's covered, you ship them the frame/broken part, and it will be replaced.

Guns built from PO's frame kits carry the same warranty as above, but it is only good for one year from the date of purchase.

Replacement frames purchased out of warranty are $299, and are available in alloy, blued steel, stainless and gunsmith frame configurations, the latter being steel in the white, w/ oversized rails and w/o front strap serrations (just as well).

Any replacement frame will have a NEW serial #. The Para rep told me that their work order would serve as proof that the new frame is a replacement part, and that the old frame was relinquished, and should keep me out trouble in terms of having a "new" unregistered gun. They were proposing shipping the new frame to me directly, even though I'm pretty sure I made it clear that I didn't hold an FFL. I ran it by a local (California) FFL holder (gunshop owner) who threw up his hands in horror and told me just how many laws I'd be breaking, since Ca considers the receiver to be the essential part of the gun. I'd have to go through the hassle of registering a new firearm, about another $50 or so.

I'm probably just going to drill out the end of the crack, and take my chances... <_<

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