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STI Spartan or Para Px1445eb?

7K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  honus 
#1 ·
hi there. i really need your help in deciding which one to get. i'm from the philippines. my main use for a firearm is home defense. i dont mind if its a single or a double stack .45 gun. i am torn between these two guns. i got a couple of questions which will help me decide.

1. are the STI Spartan's internal parts really STI? im aware that the frame,slide and barrel are made by Armscor, but what about the internals?

2. Para owners often complain about feeding problems. what would it take to eliminate these problems totally?

3.im looking for a gun which is reliable and worth investing on. i dont want to spend on another gun in case my first choice fails me. so my question is, which gun would you pick if your life depends on it?

im really hoping to be enlightened with your replies. thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
1. I'm not sure if STI's internal parts are made by STI or not. However, I hear STI are quality firearms.

2. Never owned a Para. But most problems can be fixed by a competent gunsmith. As far as feeding problems, I think one thing with a 1911 is that you have to have good magazines. That helps a lot. If that doesn't help, I'd take the gun to a smith and have them work on it.

3. A gun which is reliable and worth investing on... One gun I can suggest is the Rock Island Armory 1911s. They are made in the Philippines. I've owned one and never had a single issue with it. I have only owned two 1911s: the Rock Island M1911A1 and my Springfield Loaded M1911A1... Both are great guns and I've never had a single issue with either. I'd trust my life to both of them.
 
#8 ·
Barrels used to be made by schuemann. The frames were cast in the Philippines but milled and final fitted in Texas. Slides are bar stock. Everything is now state side.
Para's just have these slight differences that make customizing them a pain.
Im not feeling were comparing apples to apples here either.
 
#9 ·
Helix, the STI Spartan in the only STI pistol made in the Phillipines as I recall. Thats why the price is in the $630 range. Virgil Tripp sold the company to Dave Skinner then later Skinner sold the company to the employees.

Most of the STI 1911's are over $1,000 so the Phillipines made Spartan at $630 is a real bargan in todays 1911 market.
 
#13 ·
I own a Para GI Expert. I'm very happy with it. I would say it is comparable to 1911's I was issued in the service in terms of reliability and accuracy. I've fired approximately 600 rds through it without a single failure to feed.....until recently
.
This caused me some concern for a minute...even posted about it, but I believe I figured out the problem and it was more my fault than the guns. When using Wilson Combat mags it takes a little more effort to get them to fully lock in place with the slide closed. It looks like they are fully in when they are not. When the mag is in but not locked in it wont feed properly. So I can't fault Para for this.

I will say this about the Para, at least that particular model. I don't believe the fit and finish is as good as on my RIA. There is some rattle in the slide which so far has not affected accuracy. The parkerizing is uneven and is especially noticable in the slide serrations. It also seems more prone to wear at holster contact points.

In fairness I have to say that for me the Para groups tighter than the RIA, but that may not be true for other shooters. All in all i have to say that i got what I paid for, and what I wanted. That is, a pistol comparable to the military issued 1911's.

I'm also very happy with the RIA. One big plus about them is the way they feel in your hand. I've tried to figure out what it is that makes it such a comfortable grip compared to others but haven't yet. The shape and dimensions appear identical, but if you try one out i believe you will know what i mean.

Somewhere down the road I may own a top shelf 1911, but my budget is limited. I paid almost the same amount for both pistols...around $520.00. One other 1911 you might consider is a Taurus, if you have nothing against "made in Brazil". They cost a bit more... maybe $100.00. Those I've talked to are very pleased with them. I haven't heard anything bad about them. Maybe others on the forum have.
 
#14 ·
Nothing wrong with the ParaOrdnance. The finish is their weak point and some pistolsmiths have a problem with the wide body 1911 like the Para Px1445 EB due to not having the proper frame jigs. Most parts will interchange except the trigger, mag and grip safety.

I took a new, unfired P-16 to Ken Hallock several years ago for a custom job. He had to refinish the pistol after working it due to the poor finish. The mags gave some problems during a match so I rebuilt them using STI mag bodies. Problem solved. Ken refused to build another one. lol.

I have fired a GI Expert at the range and it wasn't bad except for the trigger. It took about 5 min to correct the problem as it was just too much spring pressure on the sear.
 
#15 ·
I rebuilt a Para Slim Hawg and his para mags did the same thing. They would insert and hold but they were not totally locked. It was a issue with the floor plates that para had and the mag well. Well instead of having to alter every single mag he bought, I altered the mag well and problem solved. I to am not saying the Para is a total piece of junk. They do function fine. The finish on them even on the stainless guns is a little concerning. The one i had, had voids in the frame. They were under the grip but still for a mold injection frame there should be no voids. It finished out real nice with some love from a flat surface, buffer and some polish o ray.
 

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#16 ·
Helix, nice work. I like that Hawg.

I knew my Para owning days were numbered when the RO said " Unload and show clear" I complied. He then said, " You may throw your weapon downrange". You could hear the laughter over the gunfire on the next range over. :D After some final tweeking and changing mag bodies, the pistol performed fine.
 
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