Para Lda

[kevin c]

This is embarassing, but I just found that my new lda limited doesn't break down like my other Paras (all those little widgets...). I can't even get the thumb safety off. All I can do is field strip it. The manual doesn't help, online or written.

I remember that, 1st time, it took me about an hour and a half to get my Beretta 92 apart, and about three times that to get it back together again, and that was with the armorer's manual on the M9, and the AGI video to back me up. With this I got less info and an intact slide and receiver assembly grinning at me on my bench.

Anybody got any resources/basic hints on a detail strip?

[Scooter]

I talked to the Para Rep once and he said don't do it and don't recommend anyone doing it. One, there are parts that must go back in a certain orientation or it won't work. Two, there are lots of small parts that are easily lost.

[ErikW]

I thought we've already had a bunch of posts warning not to take apart an LDA, including posts from regretful LDA tinkerers. Oh yeah, here we go...

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...cs&highlite=lda

oh, and by God don't take that piece apart more than field-stripping. The guts consist of about 1 Mio small parts that have no similarity to 1911s and that, once out, need to be sent to the service center to be put together again.... 

--Detlef

Duane Thomas: You're screwed. Send the gun to Para and ask them to put it back together again for you.

[kevin c]

Thanks, Erik, I did read those posts. But I was hoping that, the same way people who have wondernines and glox have learned how to take them apart and reassemble them, and to heck with the warranty, somebody has done the same with the lda and is willing to share.

[kevin c]

OK, found whiztech's post at the bottom of one thread. Will see what happens (thanks for the search, Erik! ).

[Detlef]

Kevin,

I am sure it (taking it down) can be done, I just haven't seen any documentation yet. Let us know if/when you find something. That being said, I have fired approx. 20k rds through mine, and never had the need to take it apart to more than field strip. That, of course, includes changing FP springs and extractors and ejectors, all very straightforward and 1911-like. Same for the "sear spring", easily removed and easily put back (not quite 1911-like). I had one breakage during that time (hammer return spring, it is pretty much the last thing coming out when you take the guts of the trigger mechanism apart), and that needed to be fixed by Para due to my inability/unfamiliarity. On the good side, one breakdown in 20k is pretty stable for a 1911-type gun, and it wasn't anything that would keep you from finishing a stage or match (the spring has no other function than to visibly bring the hammer forward after each shot, and is therefore purely optical in nature and non-essential; you can do this manually to start a stage and fulfill IPSC's "start with hammer down" requirement).

Anyone else with their breakage experience: Come forward.

--Detlef

[TMC]

Kevin, talk to Bruce Ahern. He says he has done it. It may take come coaxing though, he wouldn't go though it with me on the range last time I saw him but he says he has done it a few times. Then one you have it down you can help me.

Todd

[kevin c]

Thanks, gents.

The LDA is for production and IDPA, but as the locals know, I'm very Limited. That means it'll be a while before the gun gets gunked up (provided I don't feed it what's left of my lead practice loads). 20K w/o cleaning the action sounds very glocky to me, but hey, my limited gun hasn't had a bath for a couple of months and runs fine, so maybe this clean thing of mine is a bit excessive.

When the time comes, I will approach the mighty humbly...

[jjanglin]

If any of you all are having problems with your LDA-send it to me

Ihave seven of em that i have tuned up -To substatute for not

being alble to have them hard chromed I ahave them CRYO

treated and then polish every thing that moves-I have done two

for the Air Force team and several others Gary STevens has one

of mine also.

Jim Anglin

Sailors Custom Pistols

4760 n 17th st.

Omaha Ne 68110

402 451 0797

jjanglin@msn.com

[Gary Stevens]

Yes I do Jim and a fine one it is.

[Detlef]

Jim,

that was our point, though: We did not want to send it anywhere, we wanted to take it apart ourselves! Any hints? Resources?

--Detlef

[jjanglin]

ya all can go to the Para web site and click on gun parts and a pretty

detailed schematic of parts for the lda comes up- and the gun goes together

like in the pictures-you have to put the trigger return spring in with the tag

end above the coil to the right inside the hammer and when you slide the

sear up and in place make sure the hammer return spring is in place on

the sear-just study the picture of parts and you should be able to get it

together -if ya have a problem call me 402 451 0797 and Ill try to

talk ya through what ever ya are stumpped with,

.

jim Anglin

Sailors Custom Pistols

[Merlin Orr]

A friend - who did the trigger on my LDA - told me today that there is a video comming out regarding the Para LDA assembly and finer points. I will try to find out more.

[kidcoltoutlaw]

Did the video on how to break down the LDA ever make it out . If so where can i get it at thanks,keith

[jjanglin]

Ok maybe I can help ya all out=

Go to the Para web site and print off a picture of the Lda parts and the item list.

click on any item and the nomenclature will come up.

Take the mainspring housing out item 32.

Take a pocket knife and start it under the thumb safety item 43= rotate the

safety up and down about an 1/8 of an inch while putting pressure under it with

knife balde keep wiggling it will give up and come out.

Take the grips off.

Look the exposed parts over real good so you can kinda get the orentation of them.

Push the hammer pin out and the sear pin out watch the parts as they come out.

Be sure to look at the item 57 it goes in with the longer slope to the bottem.

No need to take the hammer apart unless you have a broken spring=If the spring

is to be replaced the tag (small end) goes to the right of the pistol.

When you put the pistol parts back start with the hammer set slip it up in to the

pistol and start item 5 down in along the side of the hammer set at the same time.

Get the hammer set lined up and start the hammer pin not all the way through,

then slide the item 35 down along side the hammer set line it up and push the

hammer pin through.

Lay the pistol on its right side slip item 61 in with plenty of lube to hold it in place

the little tag end goes up on the ramp up along the inside right side youll see when you get it high enough now pull the hammer set spring back toward you it will be the spring end that is in the way of putting tyhe sear in and slip the

sear in with plenty of lube to help hold it in place put item 58 up along left side of

sear the rounded leg of intem 58 goes into the grip safety,you can use a small punch through the right side through the sear and wiggle

the sear pin through.

Take item 59(spring ) and put it on the sear spring item 47 and put it in place

the little forked end of the sear spring (left side )fits on item 58.

Put the main spring housing in.

Take the thumb safety and put it in place i.e. Look it the hole that the thumb safety fits in and you'll see the stradle item 52 hanging down push it up and as you push

it up push down on item 5 (drawbar) by pushing down on the drawbar this holds

the stradle up and out of the way put the thumb safety in if you have ambi's

put the right safety in first once you get the safeties started you may have to lightly

tap them all the way together the last 60 thousand s or so.

call me

402 451 0797 if ya have trouble.

[kevin c]

Question for Jim Anglin (this is embarassing ):

Well, after a long layoff, I detail stripped my LDA and reassembled it (I thought) as per the instructions above, the second time I've done so. The gun function tests fine, except for three little things that may be me rather than the gun.

First, I honestly don't remember if the trigger is supposed to return forward if the gun is dryfired (no cyling of the slide). I thought it did, but it doesn't now. It does return if the slide is cycled or the trigger thumbed back.

Second, pulling the trigger with the thumb safety applied leaves the hammer forward, as it is supposed to, but there is a distinct "catch" at the last 1/4" of rearward travel.

Third (perhaps related to #1 and #2?), which way is the trigger return spring supposed to go in? I put mine in, long leg on the frame, short leg on the back of the trigger. Or is it supposed to be the other way around?

Any help greatly appreciated and gratefully accepted.

Kevin C.

[bountyhunter]

A friend - who did the trigger on my LDA - told me today that there is a video comming out regarding the Para LDA assembly and finer points. I will try to find out more.

Probably a short video with a gunsmith going:

"neener-neener-neener......."

Followed by a graphic showing his address and hourly rates.

[jjanglin]

Ok maybe I can help ya all out=

Go to the Para web site and print off a picture of the Lda parts and the item list.

click on any item and the nomenclature will come up.

Take the mainspring housing out item 32.

Take a pocket knife and start it under the thumb safety item 43= rotate the

safety up and down about an 1/8 of an inch while putting pressure under it with

knife balde keep wiggling it will give up and come out.

Take the grips off.

Look the exposed parts over real good so you can kinda get the orentation of them.

Push the hammer pin out and the sear pin out watch the parts as they come out.

Be sure to look at the item 57 it goes in with the longer slope to the bottem.

No need to take the hammer apart unless you have a broken spring=If the spring

is to be replaced the tag (small end) goes to the right of the pistol.

When you put the pistol parts back start with the hammer set slip it up in to the

pistol and start item 5 down in along the side of the hammer set at the same time.

Get the hammer set lined up and start the hammer pin not all the way through,

then slide the item 35 down along side the hammer set line it up and push the

Kevin:

Did ya get your Lda back together and working? call me if you need to

information is free.

Jim Anglin

Sailors

402 451 0797

hammer pin through.

Lay the pistol on its right side slip item 61 in with plenty of lube to hold it in place

the little tag end goes up on the ramp up along the inside right side youll see when you get it high enough now pull the hammer set spring back toward you it will be the spring end that is in the way of putting tyhe sear in and slip the

sear in with plenty of lube to help hold it in place put item 58 up along left side of

sear the rounded leg of intem 58 goes into the grip safety,you can use a small punch through the right side through the sear and wiggle

the sear pin through.

Take item 59(spring ) and put it on the sear spring item 47 and put it in place

the little forked end of the sear spring (left side )fits on item 58.

Put the main spring housing in.

Take the thumb safety and put it in place i.e. Look it the hole that the thumb safety fits in and you'll see the stradle item 52 hanging down push it up and as you push

it up push down on item 5 (drawbar) by pushing down on the drawbar this holds

the stradle up and out of the way put the thumb safety in if you have ambi's

put the right safety in first once you get the safeties started you may have to lightly

tap them all the way together the last 60 thousand s or so.

call me

402 451 0797 if ya have trouble.

[bountyhunter]

[Tear down details for LDA:

Right here... 11 lines down from the top:

http://www.m1911.org/technic_forum.htm

good luck.

Edited November 8, 2005 by bountyhunter

[jjanglin]

Question for Jim Anglin (this is embarassing ):

Well, after a long layoff, I detail stripped my LDA and reassembled it (I thought) as per the instructions above, the second time I've done so. The gun function tests fine, except for three little things that may be me rather than the gun.

First, I honestly don't remember if the trigger is supposed to return forward if the gun is dryfired (no cyling of the slide). I thought it did, but it doesn't now.

Nope, it can't return without slide cycle.

It does return if the slide is cycled or the trigger thumbed back.

AHHHHHHHH! You are never supposed to thumb cock any LDA, I was told it voids the warranty (if you are referring to the hammer).

Second, pulling the trigger with the thumb safety applied leaves the hammer forward, as it is supposed to, but there is a distinct "catch" at the last 1/4" of rearward travel.

Sounds right, mine has a "snag" feeling in it as well. As long as the trigger functions freely with the safety on and returns to the forward position, it's OK.

Third (perhaps related to #1 and #2?), which way is the trigger return spring supposed to go in? I put mine in, long leg on the frame, short leg on the back of the trigger. Or is it supposed to be the other way around?

Any help greatly appreciated and gratefully accepted.

Kevin C.

Sorry, old brain can't remember such details since it's been a year since I stripped mine out. FYI, if it's in wrong I'll wager the trigger won't come all the way forward again.

Kevin:

If ya still having problem call me Ill talk ya through it on the phone.

Jim

402 451 0797

[EricBudd]

Why can't you have an LDA hardchromed?

[kevin c]

...AHHHHHHHH! You are never supposed to thumb cock any LDA, I was told it voids the warranty (if you are referring to the hammer)...

I believe (look who's talking) that if you hold the trigger back as you thumb cock the hammer on an LDA, it disengages whatever is prone to breakage if the hammer is forced back w/o presssing the trigger. At least I never had any problems doing it that way.

Thanks, Jim and Bounty Hunter. With your more detailed instructions and diagrams compared to what I had been using from a couple years ago, I can "redisassemble" and then "re-reassemble my LDA and be sure that I've got it right.

Kevin C.

Edited November 9, 2005 by kevin c

[JohnRodriguez]

If anyone with a LDA is going to the Desert Classic, take it and i'll show you how to disassemble it, you can clean it and put it back together. Just ask Vic Pickett to point me out