Post by XavierBreath on Mar 14, 2004 23:43:24 GMT -5
The 1911 is handgun design that endures as the standard by which combat handguns are judged today, almost 100 years after it's inception. Only the uninitiated would argue that point. Yet, personal protection for a private citizen is grossly different from personal protection in a combat zone. The very thing that makes the 1911 the epitome of combat handguns, the cocked & locked single action deployment, can become a enough of a liability in civilian use to give even the most hardheaded defense attorney a headache. While, to my knowlege, there has not been a criminal conviction on the grounds of cocked & locked carry, some cases have come perilously close, in stating that the cocking of a DA revolver not only implied malice of forethought, but made the gun a more "efficient killing machine". Whether one agrees or disagrees, these are the legal seas a person must navigate after a lethal encounter, whether justified or not.
Through the years the basic 1911 platform has not been altered much. Sure, more effective sights were installed, more resistant finishes were applied, more comfortable controls were fashioned, but the pistol itself functioned the same as always. Paraordnance has been a consistent provider of 1911s that possess an inovative approach to needs for the 1911 shooter. Paraordnance appeared with a 13 round 1911 frame and magazine in 1988, and in 1990, became a major player in the 1911 arena by making the entire high capacity 1911 pistol itself. Suddenly, the 1911 was a competitor in the wondernine era again.
Then in 2001, Paraordnance overturned the 1911 applecart. Seeing that CCW was a sweeping trend across the United States, Paraordnance decided to tap into that market. The 1911 platform has always been an excellent one for concealed carry. No handgun carries flatter on the hip, and gets into a fight quicker. The problem of the potential legal entanglements afterwards always remained, however, not to mention many potential pistol packers simply get the willies thinking about cocked & locked carry. Rather than deny these limitations, Paraordnance resolved to attack them head on.
What resulted is possibly the best (IMHO) concealed carry gun yet designed. The C6.45 LDA (Para Carry) has what Paraordnance calls their Light Double Action Trigger. It is a DAO action, but with a trigger unlike any other. The LDA system uses two hammers. When the slide is racked, the outer hammer carries the inner hammer with it, and cocks it. The outer hammer then follows the slide forward and rests just off the firing pin. The pivoting trigger works by way of a drawbar to then pull the outer hammer back under very light resistance. Once the outer hammer is again fully to the rear, increased resistance (approximately 6.5 pounds) is felt without creep just before the sear releases the inner hammer, firing the weapon. This allows the same trigger pull for each shot, as well as giving the ability to stage the hammer in use. The trigger really has to be used to be appreciated. The only drawback to the action would be in the event of a misfire. If a misfire were to occur, a tap, rack bang response would get the pistol back into action.
The Para C6.45LDA has three safeties. The firing pin safety uses an inertia firing pin and a spring loaded plunger, which keeps the firing pin from going forward until activated by the trigger's drawbar. The thumb safety can only be activated when the internal cocking cam, and the slide, are fully forward. When the thumb safety is pushed up and engages the slide lock notch, the slide is prevented from moving rearward and the drawbar is disengaged, preventing the hammer from moving rearward even if the trigger is squeezed. In use, it functions exactly like a standard 1911 thumb safety. The grip safety prevents the rearward travel of the trigger and the slide unless the pistol is gripped firmly with the shooting hand depressing the grip safety. While the function of the LDA grip safety is similar to that on a standard 1911, it accomplishes the same task by blocking the hammer with the grip safety lever instead of by the trigger bow as in a standard 1911.
The C6.45LDA was designed from the ground up as a concealed carry weapon. Because the external hammer does not allow for manual cocking, it is shaved off to little more than a sliver. Since the shaved external hammer cannot bite the shooter's hand, the pistol does not require a beavertail. What results is a rear profile on the weapon that eliminates any snagging on the draw. While a spur hammer and beavertail may not present a problem with a holster on the hip, limitations are discovered when one tries to draw such a weapon from deep cover. The pistol comes with low profile three dot sights that are serrated and ramped on the rear, again preventing snagging on the draw. The gun is small. It is a similar size to any other micro 1911 on the market. The grips are very nice cocobolo, and are about as thin as could be cut and still maintain structural integrity. Unfortunately, the screw placement is unique to the pistol, making replacement grips a difficult proposition. The C6.45LDA uses a proprietory recoil system of two captured springs on a full length guide rod. The C6.45LDA does not use a barrel bushing. Lock-up is accomplished by two locking lugs on the top of the barrel, and a standard bull barrel arrangement. The barrel is fully ramped with a concave crown. The trigger is rounded and polished smooth.
Through the years the basic 1911 platform has not been altered much. Sure, more effective sights were installed, more resistant finishes were applied, more comfortable controls were fashioned, but the pistol itself functioned the same as always. Paraordnance has been a consistent provider of 1911s that possess an inovative approach to needs for the 1911 shooter. Paraordnance appeared with a 13 round 1911 frame and magazine in 1988, and in 1990, became a major player in the 1911 arena by making the entire high capacity 1911 pistol itself. Suddenly, the 1911 was a competitor in the wondernine era again.
Then in 2001, Paraordnance overturned the 1911 applecart. Seeing that CCW was a sweeping trend across the United States, Paraordnance decided to tap into that market. The 1911 platform has always been an excellent one for concealed carry. No handgun carries flatter on the hip, and gets into a fight quicker. The problem of the potential legal entanglements afterwards always remained, however, not to mention many potential pistol packers simply get the willies thinking about cocked & locked carry. Rather than deny these limitations, Paraordnance resolved to attack them head on.
What resulted is possibly the best (IMHO) concealed carry gun yet designed. The C6.45 LDA (Para Carry) has what Paraordnance calls their Light Double Action Trigger. It is a DAO action, but with a trigger unlike any other. The LDA system uses two hammers. When the slide is racked, the outer hammer carries the inner hammer with it, and cocks it. The outer hammer then follows the slide forward and rests just off the firing pin. The pivoting trigger works by way of a drawbar to then pull the outer hammer back under very light resistance. Once the outer hammer is again fully to the rear, increased resistance (approximately 6.5 pounds) is felt without creep just before the sear releases the inner hammer, firing the weapon. This allows the same trigger pull for each shot, as well as giving the ability to stage the hammer in use. The trigger really has to be used to be appreciated. The only drawback to the action would be in the event of a misfire. If a misfire were to occur, a tap, rack bang response would get the pistol back into action.
The Para C6.45LDA has three safeties. The firing pin safety uses an inertia firing pin and a spring loaded plunger, which keeps the firing pin from going forward until activated by the trigger's drawbar. The thumb safety can only be activated when the internal cocking cam, and the slide, are fully forward. When the thumb safety is pushed up and engages the slide lock notch, the slide is prevented from moving rearward and the drawbar is disengaged, preventing the hammer from moving rearward even if the trigger is squeezed. In use, it functions exactly like a standard 1911 thumb safety. The grip safety prevents the rearward travel of the trigger and the slide unless the pistol is gripped firmly with the shooting hand depressing the grip safety. While the function of the LDA grip safety is similar to that on a standard 1911, it accomplishes the same task by blocking the hammer with the grip safety lever instead of by the trigger bow as in a standard 1911.
The C6.45LDA was designed from the ground up as a concealed carry weapon. Because the external hammer does not allow for manual cocking, it is shaved off to little more than a sliver. Since the shaved external hammer cannot bite the shooter's hand, the pistol does not require a beavertail. What results is a rear profile on the weapon that eliminates any snagging on the draw. While a spur hammer and beavertail may not present a problem with a holster on the hip, limitations are discovered when one tries to draw such a weapon from deep cover. The pistol comes with low profile three dot sights that are serrated and ramped on the rear, again preventing snagging on the draw. The gun is small. It is a similar size to any other micro 1911 on the market. The grips are very nice cocobolo, and are about as thin as could be cut and still maintain structural integrity. Unfortunately, the screw placement is unique to the pistol, making replacement grips a difficult proposition. The C6.45LDA uses a proprietory recoil system of two captured springs on a full length guide rod. The C6.45LDA does not use a barrel bushing. Lock-up is accomplished by two locking lugs on the top of the barrel, and a standard bull barrel arrangement. The barrel is fully ramped with a concave crown. The trigger is rounded and polished smooth.
