American Handgunner Sept/Oct 2005 Feature

Sept/Oct 2005

A Pair With Punch
Hot SA/DA Combo From Para!

Story By Dave Douglas • Photos By Ichiro Nagata

Let’s start right off the bat with the statement I’m not a big fan of the LDA trigger on some of the Para Ordnance guns. But you have to remember, opinions are like noses. Most everyone has one and they all smell. But, it’s not quite as simple as that statement might look on its surface. I’ve been carrying a single action 1911 as my everyday gun for years now. I carry it at work and when I’m off duty. It’s comfortable, predictable and I’m used to it. So, when I was testing Para’s new CCO, my preference was confirmed. It’s just not for me.

That’s not to say the LDA trigger should be ignored or discounted as a viable option for everyone. It’s a technological breakthrough in engineering design deserving of its rightful place in the Gun Hall of Fame with the likes of tritium sights, lasers and the hollow-point. I wouldn’t think of going armed without night sights or hollow-point ammunition.

Some folks wouldn’t consider going armed with a gun having the hammer back in the cocked and locked position. I can’t tell you how many times someone has come up to me when I’m in uniform and said, “Do you know your gun has the hammer back? That’s not very safe is it?” After a brief educational conversation most uninformed still go away unconvinced. At least they go away.

But it seems Para Ordnance has an answer, for me at least. When his All-Knowing-Exalted-Grand-Editorship Roy was shuffled into the back room of Para’s booth at a show and shown the CCO prototype he quipped, “That’s really nice, an LDA in a 3.5" officer’s-sized configuration. You should make it in a single action model too.” In typical Para Ordnance fashion of listening to their customers, they did just that. It’s called the OPS. The OPS is the same gun as the CCO but in the traditional single action configuration. Para has installed a full beavertail on the OPS, which is missing on the CCO. Otherwise they’re the same gun.

Getting to Know You

I took both guns out to the range and did some testing. Not the typical “this particular ammo shoots a 2.375" group at 25 yards from a Ransom Rest” type stuff. After all we know Para or any other quality gunmaker isn’t going to put out something that sprays rounds like a water sprinkler. This was purely subjective and fun, for that matter.

My “how does it feel and can I shoot it well enough to live through a bad day” results were enlightening. As expected, both the CCO and OPS shoot very well. At 32 ounces each, the little stainless steel guns have highly manageable recoil. I especially liked the trigger on the OPS. It was crisp and predictable. The CCO was also very good, but the LDA caused me more than one false start with the longer trigger reset. I could learn, I suppose, and it might not be a bad idea.

Both guns functioned flawlessly with the ammunition I put through them. First I used American Eagle 230-grain ball ammo. For practice ammo it was consistent and accurate. I tried Black Hills 185-grain JHP with its wide hollow-point. No feeding problems, and accuracy was great.

Then I tried some Federal 230-grain JHP +P HST ammo. It’s law enforcement ammunition having spectacular downrange performance. This one will really bring issues to the forefront; especially with a short frame gun and 3.5" barrel. Slide speed is increased significantly and any little fitting problems, spring tension strength or slide to frame issues are exacerbated. In fact I’ve tested some full-sized 1911s that will not operate reliably with it.

Both the CCO and the OPS ate it like a four-year-old with a double-scoop chocolate ice cream cone. After putting 100 rounds of Federal HST through each gun I was fully convinced they can shoot anything. But just to be sure, I tried the nemesis of any gun no matter what caliber. That’s right, frangible. I was really disappointed. Try as I might, I could not get either to fail. That’s right, they even shot frangible ammo with no problem. It’s a testament to Para’s ramped barrel and attention to detail.

LDA on left, SA on right. Same gun, different actions.

A Little Experiment

In an effort to be fair to Para’s LDA trigger, we tried a bit of a test on one of our own. One of the guys at work has wanted to convert to a 1911-style gun. He’s been shooting a Smith & Wesson DAO for years. I called him to the range, put the CCO in his hands and had him try it out. After about a hundred draws to get used to operating the safety, he went out on the line and started punching holes in targets. He absolutely loved it. Where I was used to the single action 1911 system, he was used to shooting a DAO. He did not have any of the issues with trigger reset I had. I think he left the range and went directly to the gun shop and bought a full-sized Para Ordnance Covert Black Hi-Cap .45. He says the CCO is next on his list as an off-duty gun.

The front sight is dovetailed in place and regulated well. The rear sight is well thought out too. It too uses a standard dovetail and it’s a single piece of CNC metal. All edge surfaces on the guns are well rounded allowing for easy concealed carry without a worry about snagging during the draw and presentation. The rear sight carries it further by being rounded in all the right places. During malfunction drills, they allow you to keep most all the hide on your hands instead of leaving it on your sight blades.

A Crimson Trace lasergrip enhances the CCO neatly.

Purty Too

Aesthetically, both guns are stand-outs. The standard double-diamond grips are slim. The stainless steel is polished on the slab sides and matte on the top to reduce glare. The receiver is also matte-finished. The Griptor grasping grooves on the front strap are not only distinctive but functional as well. They go a long way toward helping to control recoil by giving you a positive gripping surface. Additionally, the Griptor grooves are a lot easier on your hands than some of the more aggressive checkering found in other brands. Matching slide cocking grooves are a nice touch as well.

So, what we have here is a great pair to draw to. For shooters comfortable with the inherent safety of a double action gun, you get a nice compact officer’s-sized single stack gun easy to carry, easy on your hands under recoil, shoots well and has a distinctive look to it. For those of us who are more comfortable with the single action trigger system of a traditional 1911 you get all the above and a nice beavertail thrown in as well. And let’s face it, a nice beavertail is always a good thing.

Para Ordnance has listened well to its customers. When they were told by customers some improvement was needed in the customer service area, they honed it to a razor’s edge. When they were told customers wanted a 3.5"-barreled single stack 1911 with their LDA trigger system, they did that too. And, when they were told we want a single action version, well there it is too. You can’t ask for much more than that. Can you? The CCO and the OPS are a great pair of Paras.

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