Did Para and Baer Custom ever do a SRP together?
I have a Para Ordnance gun here with a Baer SRP slide on it. I can't find anything on it....anyone know of this happening at the factory? This is a consignment gun and the owner tells me that they did only a certain number of these.....but since I am listing it I'd like to have some history on it if anyone could help?
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It is most likley a Para lower frame kit that Les Baer built.
Email www.lesbaer.com and ask.
A lot of 1911 smiths used them, back in the day.0 -
I have researched these and I'll give you the gist of it to the best of my recollection. 1911 forum is your best source if you're prepared to wade through all the discussion. So here goes:
In 1994 the FBI Hostage Rescue Team wanted a cool new gun to replace their Browning Hi Powers. In the way of government requests for proposals, asked in not so many words for an accurized, reliable 1911 built on a para frame for the Hi Cap. Les Baer won the contract for 250, and eventually built about 270 for them at $2500 apiece.
It was widely (among gun nuts) publicized at the time as the best gun ever. I think they had the Baer guarantee of 1.5 inch groups from 50yds. They also had something called magna fluxing which aparently checked for flaws in the metal. Regardless it was a slick Baer gun with double the capacity.
The bad news is, it was kind of a flop. There are a lot of different opinions here, but one of the consensuses was that the para magazines were not reliable enough, and hence the gun was not reliable enough, although if you found the right mags, lived up in every other way. There is some rumor that Baer wasn't the one who chose the para frame (FBI wanted it) and that is supported by the fact that he doesn't offer them as part of his line, and that when the FBI went after a new contract for the SWAT, they changed their mind and requested a single stacker. Baer eventually withdrew from the SWAT trials after making 5 prototypes, but the pistol lives on as his SRP model (on his single stack frame).
The publicity created by the original HRT gun caused about 250 people with big bucks to shell out to contact LB and request the same model. From what I have read second hand from actual LB employees: The FBI models did not have the "SRP" engraved on the slide, the models sold to civillians did. Also the serial numbers on the Para frames all started with the letters WG (as opposed to LB). They made about 270 for the FBI on the original contract, and about 250 for civies from 1994 to 2000.
A model that I have seen for sale was WG 27xx. So, if yours is within a 100 of this, it is very likely a copy of the FBI model made for a civillian (with all the same features) with the exception of the fact that it probably originally came with 10 rnd magazines.
How's that for comprehensive? Are you going to list it?
Tim0 -
quote:Originally posted by 45forme
I have researched these and I'll give you the gist of it to the best of my recollection. 1911 forum is your best source if you're prepared to wade through all the discussion. So here goes:
In 1994 the FBI Hostage Rescue Team wanted a cool new gun to replace their Browning Hi Powers. In the way of government requests for proposals, asked in not so many words for an accurized, reliable 1911 built on a para frame for the Hi Cap. Les Baer won the contract for 250, and eventually built about 270 for them at $2500 apiece.
It was widely (among gun nuts) publicized at the time as the best gun ever. I think they had the Baer guarantee of 1.5 inch groups from 50yds. They also had something called magna fluxing which aparently checked for flaws in the metal. Regardless it was a slick Baer gun with double the capacity.
The bad news is, it was kind of a flop. There are a lot of different opinions here, but one of the consensuses was that the para magazines were not reliable enough, and hence the gun was not reliable enough, although if you found the right mags, lived up in every other way. There is some rumor that Baer wasn't the one who chose the para frame (FBI wanted it) and that is supported by the fact that he doesn't offer them as part of his line, and that when the FBI went after a new contract for the SWAT, they changed their mind and requested a single stacker. Baer eventually withdrew from the SWAT trials after making 5 prototypes, but the pistol lives on as his SRP model (on his single stack frame).
The publicity created by the original HRT gun caused about 250 people with big bucks to shell out to contact LB and request the same model. From what I have read second hand from actual LB employees: The FBI models did not have the "SRP" engraved on the slide, the models sold to civillians did. Also the serial numbers on the Para frames all started with the letters WG (as opposed to LB). They made about 270 for the FBI on the original contract, and about 250 for civies from 1994 to 2000.
A model that I have seen for sale was WG 27xx. So, if yours is within a 100 of this, it is very likely a copy of the FBI model made for a civillian (with all the same features) with the exception of the fact that it probably originally came with 10 rnd magazines.
How's that for comprehensive? Are you going to list it?
Tim
45forme,
Welcome to the forum. And, might I add what an excellent post! Unfortunately, I don't have anything to add, but it was certainly a good read.0 -
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45forme,
Welcome to the forum. And, might I add what an excellent post! Unfortunately, I don't have anything to add, but it was certainly a good read.
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Thank you, it's always fun to talk guns.0
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