OK. I think I've calmed down enough to write a better blog post that doesn't use foul language every third word. Here's the story -
When I received my Gun Blog 45 from Para USA, I was ecstatic. I only had a few glitches with the pistol at Blackwater and I primarily assumed it was just being a newbie when it came to the 1911 platform. However, when I first took it to the range, I discovered there was actually something physically wrong with the pistol itself. With the (superfluous IMHO) safety engaged, you could still pull the trigger. All the way to the rear.
This would not cause the pistol to fire, but it would lock it up hard requiring racking the slide to get it back ready to fire and hence losing a round in the process. Not something you want to happen in a self defense nor competition event. So, I had to ship it back. Due to this, I missed shooting the IPSC match on Sunday.
The pistol returned to me yesterday and was waiting for me when I got home - in worse shape than I had sent it in. Apparently, the grip safety had broken at some point and now the slide is locked hard. Because of this, you cannot even disassemble the pistol being that you can't move the slide back to take off the slide stop. The grip safety is flaccid - there is no spring to push it back out when not gripping it, so something is definitely hosed on the inside and someplace that my non-1911-knowing-ass has no way of fixing.
Needless to say, I'm not a happy camper. I'm going to miss yet another match because of this and to add injury to insult, I had to dip into my credit to buy this pistol and I'm fairly broke because of it. So far, it hasn't been exactly worth what I've had to go through.
I'm not ready to totally blame Para yet. Nobody else appears to be having issues with their pistols so it's just bad luck that I've gotten one that has problems. Para was very responsive to fixing the safety issue and even adjusted the trigger and filed down the rear sight blade so it wouldn't slice me open every time I touched it. It is assumed the grip spring mechanism somehow broke during shipping.
My problem now is I'm not sure I'm ever going to trust this particular pistol. I'm sure the TAC-S line is good, but if my pistol can break simply by being in a case that is form fitted for it, I'm going to be wary trusting it to make it between matches.
To compound the problem, it's not like I really can sell the thing after it gets fixed. I've got the 1911 bug and while I'll still use my Glock 29 for my carry piece (it's smaller, powerful, and accurate enough when it comes to real life), I don't think I'd want to use anything but a 1911 for competition. There's just something phenomenal about the feel of the 1911 in my hand, it's like an extension of my arm. Even if I got what I paid for it and then some, I'd still not be able to afford another comparable pistol, I can barely afford this one.
So, I'm probably stuck with this one. Hopefully Para will have it picked up, fixed, and returned and I never see another problem with it again, but it isn't going to be easy trusting it. The thought that at any time it could just seize up on me again will be there at the back of my mind at a time when I'll need all my concentration for other things.
Missing yet another match isn't helping my mood either.
I know of at least four people who bought the Para WartHog as a CCW weapon,
Tam- I bought my first 1911 style pistol last November. I had been a Sig devotee until then, and decided to try the 1911 platform. I got a Colt Combat Commander, then in January I got a Pro Carry, followed by an Ultra Carry in August.Since completing the break in period, my Ultra Carry has been flawless. (Although I have to admit that I took it to the IDPA match last month and did horribly- I am used to double actions, and need more practice with the platform).My Pro Carry had problems at first, but Kimber sent me a new slide stop and that fixed it. The Commander is the one I have never been able to get working. For now, it is a safe queen due to the jam-o-matic status it has. I hope to one day get it working.
all I can say to that is "Beware the statistics of small numbers"