The History of Para

The Para-Ordnance Manufacturing Company was founded in 1985 by two handgun enthusiasts and childhood friends, Ted Szabo and Thanos Polyzos. Ted was a gifted engineer and designer, and Thanos a practicing attorney. From its inception, the company displayed an innovative capacity that has characterized its products ever since. Their first offering, introduced in 1987, was an all-plastic, selective-fire paint ball gun called the Model 85 "Dye Marking Tactical Machine Pistol." In full-auto mode this unique pistol fired at a rate of 1,200 rounds per minute, and was designed as a close-quarters-combat training device for law enforcement and military personnel.

In 1988, Para-Ordnance introduced an innovation that had been the dream of company president Ted Szabo since his college days, a high-capacity frame and magazine for Model 1911-type pistols. This solved the classic handgunners’ dilemma: choosing between the superior stopping power of the .45 ACP cartridge and the impressive magazine capacity and firepower of the 9mm Parabellum. For the first time in the history, Model 1911 pistol owners no longer had to compromise, and could enjoy an 86% increase in magazine capacity—from 7 rounds to 13. The high-capacity frame assembly however, was only Para’s first step in a long series of needed improvements upon the original John M. Browning design.

In 1990, Para-Ordnance determined that the only way to assure the total quality, performance and reliability of a pistol based on their innovative frame was to manufacture the entire pistol themselves. Using the basic shape of the proven M1911A1 pistol as a starting point, Ted Szabo created a vastly improved product, with significant innovations in a design that had been regarded as a firearms icon for nearly 80 years.

Szabo redesigned the frame with built-in plunger tubes and grip bushings, leaving no possibility of the loose or lost parts that plagued the old Model 1911 design. Frame wall thickness around the slide stop hole was made 20% greater for extra strength under stress. Szabo even incorporated a ramped barrel and supported chamber, features that had previously been expensive options provided only by custom pistolsmiths. This enabled the Para-Ordnance pistol to feed any kind of ammo, even hollow-points and semi-wadcutters, and eliminated case overexpansion or blow-out.

Para-Ordnance’s initial P14•45 pistol design incorporated more features than John M. Browning had ever envisioned. The double-column, tapered Para magazine offered inherently superior and more reliable feeding characteristics and, coupled with a beveled magazine well, ensured faster, surer and more instinctive reloading. The ejection port was flared for consistently reliable operation, and the safety features included a positive slide lock safety, a grip safety, and an internal firing pin block.

In 1992, following the success of the P14•45, Para-Ordnance introduced the P12•45, a compact model with a 3.5" barrel and a 12-round magazine. Shortly afterward, Szabo redesigned the basic Para frame and trigger guard so as to provide slimmer, more ergonomic contours. This improvement made the Para grip feel virtually identical to that of Browning’s original design.

In early 1994, Para introduced the P13•45, a tactical-size pistol with a 4.25" barrel and a 13-round magazine. Later, that year saw the passage of America’s infamous Clinton-backed Crime Bill with its 10-round magazine restriction. Fortunately, Para leadership had anticipated this event and had produced large reserves of legally grandfathered high-capacity magazines, still available to purchasers of Para-Ordnance pistols.

1996 saw the debut of the P10•45 with a 3" barrel and 10-round magazine, the smallest 10+1-round .45 ACP semiautomatic pistol ever, and the first successful ultra-compact .45.

At this point, Para offered a wide range of pistols in four different barrel lengths and magazine capacities, with calibers from 9mm through .45, and a variety of finishes. Customers could even opt for the Limited Series, the logical, affordable choice for handgunners who wanted a wide variety of custom-shop extras and performance without the delay or expense of custom-shop service. But even more dramatic developments were to come.

At the 1999 SHOT Show, Para-Ordnance introduced the first light double-action, now known simply as LDA, a design that dramatically reshaped the criteria by which shooters perceive and evaluate semiautomatic trigger performance. The 14•45 LDA, lauded by the top handgun authorities and cited by GUNS & AMMO magazine as Handgun of the Year, was the first of an exciting series of advanced-action pistols planned by Para-Ordnance. Initially available in a full-size 5" barrel configuration with 14-round magazine capacity, the LDA quickly won acclaim for its extraordinary trigger pull. Unlike the 14-lb. pull found an many double-action pistols, the LDA features a 4-6.5-lb. pull. The LDA’s sweet, smooth trigger pull has been described by many leading gun writers as comparable to that of a superbly tuned revolver. Could a DAO trigger compete with a competition-tuned single-action trigger? Ask IDPA and USPSA Champion shooter Todd Jarrett, who successfully uses an LDA pistol in competition. In fact, he won the Factory Gun Nationals with a production Para pistol. The LDA’s DAO trigger, three positive safeties and the security and speed of cocked-and-locked carry with the hammer down make it a natural for law enforcement applications, as well as legal civilian carry.

Constant improvement in safety, performance and reliability are the norm at Para. Para’s President, Ted Szabo, never satisfied with the status quo, asked, "If I can’t significantly improve a product, how does that serve the consumer?” Szabo realized the most troubling potential weakness in Browning’s original 1911 design was the extractor. If the extractor does not maintain the proper tension, it can cause feeding problems during the extraction and feeding cycle of the slide. If it fails to extract an empty case completely, it can cause a “stovepipe” jam or—worse yet—the infamous "death jam," where the extractor slips off the rim of the case, leaving it in the chamber…and then the slide on its forward stroke tries to feed a fresh round into the already filled chamber.

Some manufacturers tried to overcome the problems of the original 1911 extractor by switching to an external extractor. Some of those designs, however, have caused problems, such as dirt and debris getting into the extractor channel in the slide. Also, if the external extractor is not designed correctly, it can be blown out the side of the slide.

Szabo reasoned that Browning had used an internal extractor to avoid both the dirt and containment problems but, not having 21st Century technology, he had done the best he could with his extractor design. Using the latest CAD/CAM design computers, Szabo studied the function of the extractor and looked at what areas could be improved.

The most obvious challenge was to maintain constant extractor tension on the rim of the cartridge case. This is important because, in addition to extracting an empty case, the extractor is also vital in feeding a fresh cartridge into the chamber. By giving the extractor a greater range of movement, Szabo created not only a better extractor, but also a controlled feed capability that would improve both feeding and extracting reliability.

The other area of improvement was in the size of the claw on the extractor that comes into contact with the rim of the cartridge case. With twice the surface area on the claw, twice the surface area contacts the case for positive feeding and extraction.

The new patent pending Power Extractor™ (PXT™) takes the classic 1911 into the 21st Century. As Ted Szabo stated, "The new Para Power Extractor is the ultimate improvement to the 1911 design. This will really help all shooters to have the most reliable 1911 pistol, and I am proud to introduce it in our new series of Para PXT™ 1911 pistols. In fact, we have redesigned our entire line of pistols to incorporate this important new technology."

Over the years, Para has won the praise of the top gun writers and recognition by its peers in the firearms industry. Favorable reviews in the firearms press have been accompanied by prestigious industry awards. Shortly after the introduction of the LDA trigger, the 14•45 LDA and 7•45 LDA each garnered "Gunny" awards from GUNS & AMMO magazine, as did the Para Carry in 2001 and the Para CCW in 2003.

Throughout its history, Para has built a solid and enviable reputation for innovation, performance and reliability. Firearms enthusiasts, serious shooting competitors and law enforcement agencies can choose with confidence from a wide and growing variety of Para pistols.