The new arrival (right) next to the other pretty gun in the family:
 
Here’s a shot with the flash so you can see details.
It’s the Para PXT LDA Limited in .45 ACP from the Gunblogger Rendezvous!
Para donated it, and I dropped (cough) a bit (cough) of money on the raffle trying to win it. Didn’t, though.
Derek, the Packing Rat, won it — and as Chris Byrne said, that was eminently right and good, because Derek was a first-time GBR attendee and a young blogger who’d just finished school.
However, turns out Derek didn’t cotton to the 
LDA trigger. I, on the other hand, love double-action triggers. I tried Joe Huffman’s Para LDA at the GBR Saturday shoot and was quite pleased with the design. I’m used to long-action triggers on defensive pistols, and I’m still leery of single-actions, so when Derek offered the LDA for sale I jumped at the chance.
The gun itself exceeded my expectations. It’s gorgeous, for one, and looks and feels incredibly well-made compared to the only other 1911 I own, the Rock Island. The fiber-optic sight is tres kewl, the trigger feels awesome on dry-fire, and I can’t wait to shoot the thing!
Thank you to Derek, thank you to Mr. C for putting on the GBR, and thank you especially to Kerby Smith and Para for donating the gun.
Derek should have his range report on the gun up shortly. Here’s his sneak peek on the pistol. It’s as yet unfired by me, but I’ll remedy that in the next couple weeks.
Very nice!
Kerby Smith and Para deserve kudos for supporting the Gunblogger community.
Very nice.
Puuuurdy!
I have the Officer-sized version, the C6.45. Smallest .45 I’ve seen. Very handy, easy to conceal. And I do like the trigger.
Hey cool! I’m glad to see it stayed in the GBR “family!” 🙂
The most compact .45 I’ve seen is the Star PD. Spanish, I think. It’s about the size of a Bersa Thunder .380
It’s considered a handful to shoot, since there is considerable muzzle flip when it goes bang. If you wanted to carry a concealed .45 every day, it’s a good choice, but you might regret having a protracted gunfight while using it.
If I bought one, I would work up very slowly from weak reloads to standard ball and finally to full-strength defense loads.
Gun Control is more difficult with a compact .45.
That’s a fact, and that’s why the .40 S&W was invented.
What’s the other one? I’m not much of a pistol guy besides the obvious. I still want a stainless .357 snubby.
Beretta 92 EL.
Better pics here http://www.softgreenglow.com/wp/?p=6446
and here http://www.softgreenglow.com/wp/?p=5970
and a bit of a writeup here: http://www.softgreenglow.com/wp/?p=1703
If you’re looking for a snubnose, I love my 940 — it’s a J-frame Smith in 9mm. Kicks less than a .357; more powerful than a .38; loads super-duper-fast with those moon clips.
Writeup on the 940, with pics, here: http://www.softgreenglow.com/wp/?p=2484
Sweet!
I’ve not heard good things about the reliability of Para-Ordnance’s LDA. If it works for you, by all means…
I prefer single action, and carry cocked-and-locked. I myself have a P-12 and a P-14. I carry the P-12 most of the time, with a P-14 mag in the mag pouch.