Who makes the best Double Stack 1911?

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ms6852

New member
In my opinion there is no such thing as "the best". It becomes a question of personal preference. For example I have a 99pt taurus which in almost 30 years I have not had a malfunction with fmj's or hollowpoints. But Taurus gets trashed quite a bit.

A friend of mine, a leo carries a para ordinance in a 45 cal. high capacity. I have shot it before feels okay to me but does not feel sweet like a regular 1911. My brother has an fnp 45 which feels better because you can switch the backstraps of the grips to your liking. But still not a 1911. If I want high capacity I load the 10 rd single stack magazines. But its a .45 you only need one round.
 
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KyJim

New member
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Para-Ordnance (now Para USA) originated the double stack 1911 and has been making them longer than anyone else. STI/SVI followed several years later with their hybrid polymer/steel insert double stacks, but (as already noted) these are intended primarily for practical shooting and steel competitions rather than day-to-day self defense carry.

I carry a Para-Ordnance. In fact, I alternate between a P12.45 and a P13.45, with some days when I carry their comparatively tiny, single stack Slim Hawg (such as hot weather when I need to conceal under a tee shirt). The Para grip is smaller than the STI/SVI polymer grip, and easier to conceal. Personally, I would never consider one of those for daily carry.

Other double stack options are Springfield Armory and Armscor (Rock Island Armory). Both are modeled after the Para, both are hard to find, and both can use Para magazines (sometimes with minor tweaking).

BUL Transmark (in Israel) makes or used to make a more carry-oriented, polymer frame double stack 1911. It never caught on and I don't know if it's even still available. Wilson Combat had a polymer 1911 that was more like a "stack and a half" than a true double stack, but it didn't sell and they discontinued it.

IMHO, if you want double stack, go with Para.
 
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M

Mrgunsngear

New member
I'm not trying to bash Para but your question was 'the best' and in my experience there's no way Para is the best. I've shot 3 Para doublestacks and 1 was reliable. That's a small datapoint but I bet if you grabbe 3 STI or SVI guns you wouldn't get the same result. For the money; I'd say STI makes 'the best' double stack in 45. Other custom shops may offer more bells/whistles but the STIs are quality guns with good customer service behind them.
 
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Fishbed77

New member
If I were looking for a double-stack .45ACP for HD, I wouldn't be looking at a 1911 design. I'd probably be looking at the H&K HK45 or FN FNP-45. Maybe the S&W M&P45 as well.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
plouffedaddy said:
I've shot 3 Para doublestacks and 1 was reliable. That's a small datapoint but I bet if you grabbe 3 STI or SVI guns you wouldn't get the same result.
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It is said that "The plural of anecdote is not data." No one owner can amass a sufficient log of data as to be statistically significant.

Over the years I have owned and shot six (6) Para double stacks. Of the six, only one was initially unreliable, and that was a used pistol that had been "improved" by its previous owner. Once returned to original configuration it, too, has been boringly reliable.

Conversely, I have shot one STI and that was not reliable. It was new and unaltered.

Para-Ordnance went through a rough patch in the second half of the last decade, after they promoted their quality control guru out of QC and didn't replace him. After the move to North Carolina, the powers that be saw more clearly that the production and quality control manager was so intent on production that he was ignoring quality control. He was not amenable to "coaching," so they fired him. The quality of current production Para pistols is as good as ever, or better.
 
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Rugerismisticness

New member
Lotsa para bashers not giving us a reason to dislike para. What kind of jams? What was wrong? What year is this (para has changed a whole lot in the past 5 years)? What model?

My P18.9 made in 2010 is excellent, I have yet to see it jam. It's also extremely accurate as is.
 
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Mrgunsngear

New member
Aguila---I agree it's not much to go on but this is a gun forum after all :D and I'm just sharing my experience. I own 17 Glocks, 1 is unreliable. If that 1 was my first, I probably wouldn't have the other 16 so I totally understand what you're getting at...
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Rinspeed said:
That's not saying a whole lot.
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It is to me.

The range where I shoot holds informal practical shooting competitions on alternate Thursday evenings. I shoot either a P13.45 or a P14.45. A number of the other regulars also shoot Para pistols, including the range owner. Typically there is one Beretta, a few Glocks, and several Colt 1911s. It is very rare for any of the Paras to malfunction. In fact, I had the only one that balked regularly, but that was the one I bought used. Once I corrected Bubba's "improvements," it has been completely reliable.

I wouldn't be carrying a Para on a daily basis if I didn't think it was going to go Bang when I pull the trigger.
 
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KyJim

New member
STI/SVI followed several years later with their hybrid polymer/steel insert double stacks, but (as already noted) these are intended primarily for practical shooting and steel competitions rather than day-to-day self defense carry.
Click to expand...
STI/SVI are two separate companies now. STI has a choice of non-competition double-stacks.
 
S

slow944

New member
I have the FNP-45 and so far it has been prefectly reliable, except for some bad WWB ammo. Have prolly close to 1K rds down the barrel. It is not a small gun but with the right setup it is acceptable for me.
 
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