Five New Pistols from Para-USA – SHOT Show 2013

in Authors, Brian Jensen
Five New Pistols from Para-USA - SHOT Show 2013
Five New Pistols from Para-USA - SHOT Show 2013
The New Executive Agent is aimed straight at the concealed-carry market, with lots of custom features.

Five New Pistols from Para-USA - SHOT Show 2013
The Elite Hunter has a 6-inch barrel to help wring all of the performance out of its 10 mm chambering.

Five New Pistols from Para-USA - SHOT Show 2013
The Pro Custom is a 9 mm double stack comes with an ambidextrous safety and provides an 18+1 capacity.

Five New Pistols from Para-USA - SHOT Show 2013
The Black Ops Recon has an accessory rail for mounting lasers and/or weaponlights.

Five New Pistols from Para-USA - SHOT Show 2013
Chambered in .45 ACP, the Back Ops Recon has an MSRP of $1,299.

Para USA
https://www.para-usa.com/

By Brian Jensen

If you know innovative 1911s, then you know Para USA, formerly Para Ordnance. It has taken the 1911 places where it has never been before, including double-stack, high-capacity magazines and even gave it an innovative Light Double Action trigger.

A few years ago the Canadian-based company moved operations to Charlotte, North Carolina, and at the SHOT Show I saw five new pistols it is introducing. Here’s a look at what Para USA will be rolling out, and they range from a concealed-carry version to a hunter’s version.

Called the Executive Agent, the first pistol I saw was a gorgeous, baby 1911 with a 3-inch barrel for the concealed-carry market. It has a compact, anodized-aluminum frame with a bobtail cut we see so often in 1911 concealment guns. The custom features include a nicely upswept beavertail, VZ Grips and night sights, to name a few. The stainless steel slide has an Ion Bond finish that provides a tough, evenly blackened look. The single-stack magazine holds seven rounds and it is chambered in .45 ACP. With an MSRP of $1,399, it’s pretty reasonable considering what you get.

On the other end of the company’s introduction spectrum is the Elite Hunter, a 6-inch-barreled, all-stainless steel 1911 chambered in 10 mm. This gun is designed for the hunter who wants a potent cartridge for game, using a slightly longer barrel to increase sight radius, bullet velocity and improve terminal performance. Sights are adjustable at the rear, with a fiber-optic up front. This one also comes in that tough Ion Bond finish, and the MSRP is $1,249.

Nine millimeter fans don’t despair. The Pro Custom 18.9 is chambered in your favorite cartridge and has a 18-round capacity. It has a government-size barrel and fiber-optic front/adjustable rear sights. Its integral mag well, front slide serrations, ambi safety and VZ grips make it a real looker.

I was happy to see Para USA has re-introduced a 4.25-inch model in the Black Ops Recon, which provides 14 rounds of fight-stopping .45 ACP in an all-steel gun. With a light rail, night sights, Ion Bond finish, it has an MSRP of $1,299. Other custom touches are an upswept beavertail, skeletonized trigger, ambi safety and VZ G10 grips. (And, yes, I want one.)

Finally, I saw a gun one of my coworkers began yearning for as soon as he heard rumors–the full-size Black Ops, a re-iteration of the P-14 with a load of custom refinements. Features include Ion Bond finish on the stainless steel frame and slide, beavertail, light rail, night sights, skeletonized hammer and trigger, ambi safety, front and rear cocking serrations, and VZ G10 grips. MSRP is $1,299.

All guns from Para USA are made in America, and from what I saw, the craftsmanship is solid. The company stands behind its products with a lifetime service policy for any defects in the gun. All the new guns I looked at had stainless steel and frames (excluding the Executive Agent) and the Ion Bond finish provides a very pleasing, if not businesslike black look. I look forward to what I discover next from Para USA.

Send this to a friend
//