This PDA isn’t what a techno-geek might expect, but for gun guys it’s a high-performance handheld that maximizes the chances of surviving today’s tough streets.
Top: Regardless of a handgun’s profile, weight or ergonomics, if it rides uncomfortably you’ll be less apt to have it when you need it. The author decided on the Versa Max 2 holster from Milt Sparks and said it made for a great combination.
Center: A popular feature of many Para pistols, the Light Double Action trigger is also offered in the PDA. The mechanism has the pull weight of a conventional single-action trigger but the longer pull length of a double-action-only trigger.
Below: The PDA has the familiar grip angle, flat mainspring housing and grip safety of the 1911, only in a compact package.
In today’s high-tech world, it seems many people
can’t function without a personal digital assistant, or PDA. Until
now, the term has generally referred to an electronic organizer of
sorts, but Para-Ordnance has changed all that with its new Personal
Defense Assistant. For those with concealed-carry permits, this new
breed of PDA could quickly become just as much a part of everyday gear.
It may not keep track of your daily appointments, but it will help
make sure you get to them safely.
Para’s PDA is built for a very specific task—concealed
carry for personal defense. It represents an evolution of the popular
Para Carry line, utilizing a new frame and magazine the company designed
specifically for the 9 mm cartridge.
The PDA packs 8+1 rounds of 9 mm into a thin, light
and easy-to-carry package. All of Para’s pistols are variations of
the classic 1911 design, and the PDA follows that form—a single-stack,
external-hammer pistol with a grip safety and a thumb safety. The
PDA looks like a 1911-pattern pistol, but it’s equipped with Para’s Light
Double Action, or LDA, trigger mechanism.
The LDA requires a long,
although light and consistent, trigger pull, and in a traditional
sense there is no cocked-and-locked carry on guns equipped with the
system. The PDA is carried with the thumb and grip safeties engaged,
but the hammer is down, though it remains partially tensioned after
the slide cycle. The result is a gun that is easy to carry—with no
cocked external hammer to hang up on clothing—and potentially safer
given the longer trigger pull required to fire. The LDA system has
been dissected more fully in previous issues of Shooting Illustrated,
and it’s worthy of your consideration, especially if you have never
quite warmed up to cocked-and-locked carry with a 1911.
Those who prefer a big-bore carry pistol can rest
assured Para will soon offer the PDA in .45 ACP, but I believe the
9 mm PDA will be popular for several reasons. First, the 9 mm chambering
allows for a larger capacity of nine rounds, as opposed to seven
.45 ACP cartridges in a similar-sized pistol. The 9 mm is also somewhat
easier to shoot in a tiny package, and I am sure some people will
prefer it just on that basis alone.
The pistol is an attractive gun with a black finish on the
frame and portions of the slide, with the rest being polished stainless.
The wood grip panels have a unique textured look with the letters “PDA”
appearing on each side. A few people commented that the grips were
ugly, but I like them. Grips, of course, are easy to change if you
don’t feel the same way, and there are plenty on the market to choose
from.
External controls include an ambidextrous thumb safety, a
slide-release lever, a grip safety and a magazine-release button. Each are
standard for a gun of this type and are easy to operate. I am not normally
a huge fan of grip safeties, but I found Para’s safety very easy to disengage
with a natural grip, and it never presented a problem. Tritium-powered,
three-dot night sights are standard on the PDA, which is a great
feature for a serious carry gun.
Top: Dovetailed into place on the slide, the PDA’s front sight is drift-adjustable for windage and maintains a low profile. Its tritium tube insert helps ensure visibility in low-light conditions.
Bottom: Completing the three-dot sight configuration common to modern self-defense pistols, the rear sight has horizontal serrations to reduce glare. Rounded edges lower the chances of the sight snagging during the draw stroke.
Easy to Carry
As you might have guessed, the PDA carries very easily. Although slightly
heavy when compared to similar polymer pistols, weighing in at 23
ounces empty, the form factor is excellent. The gun is small in size
and relatively thin for good concealment. It’s also well suited to
belt carry, whether you go with inside or outside the waistband.
All of the edges are rounded, as is the spurless hammer to minimize
the chances of snagging during the draw. The sights are large enough
to provide a solid sight picture, but not clunky enough to hang up
or hamper a draw from concealment. The grip safety dispenses with the
all-too-common beavertail design that can often print on clothing.
In searching for a carry rig for the PDA, I contacted Tony Kanaley
at Milt Sparks Holsters. It is hard to think of a company that has
been consistently producing high-quality holsters longer than Milt
Sparks—a leather-crafting icon since the late 1960s. I have never been
disappointed with a Milt Sparks product.
Kanaley and his crew recommended one of their most popular holsters—the
Versa Max 2, a strong-side, inside-the-waistband holster constructed
from leather. Depending on the belt clip configuration, the holster
can be tuckable. I have used the Versa Max 2 for a variety of handguns,
and its design always works. The holster supports the weight of the
gun well, keeps the grip close to the body and produces an easy draw.
It suited the PDA perfectly, much as expected.
Comforting Performance
During testing, the PDA performed well. The gun handles easily despite
its small size. All external controls are routine to operate, and
reloading and malfunction clearance drills are easy to execute. The
grip size is adequate for acquiring a decent firing grip to control
the gun.
The weight of the PDA seems to really help with soaking up perceived
recoil. While hot 9 mm loads are snappy, standard ammunition is very
easy to handle. I did not find the felt recoil or muzzle blast from
the PDA to be uncomfortable or objectionable. Even recoil-shy shooters
shouldn’t have any real trouble with this diminutive 9 mm.
The Para had no malfunctions with any factory ammo, totaling approximately
200 rounds. However, its tight tolerances and match-grade barrel occasionally
choked on reloaded ammo. Accuracy was impressive for a 3-inch gun.
The little 3-inch-barreled PDA shoots much better than a gun this size
is supposed to.
The majority of testing was done with Federal’s Premium
Personal Defense 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP, which averaged a very respectable
1,037 fps from the PDA’s stubby barrel. Showing far more precision
than is needed for combat, the PDA with the Hydra-Shok load averaged
1 1/2-inch groups at 7 yards, shooting unsupported. The gun ran well
with the Hydra-Shoks, and that would likely be my choice for carry
in the PDA. A 9 mm +P load is also an option, but you sacrifice some
shootability for a marginal increase in velocity.
Since the bobbed hammer on the PDA cannot bite the web of the shooter’s hand, there is no need for a beavertail on the grip safety. The hammer returns to the down position at the end of the slide cycle.
Final Thoughts
Para’s new PDA is a well-designed and well-built
concealed-carry gun from an industry leader. The 1911-style frame provides
a thin profile and a comfortable grip for most shooters, while the
LDA trigger offers an additional level of comfort for shooters who
might shy away from a traditional, single-action 1911-style carry gun.
A 23-ounce gun that is easy to shoot with a capacity of nine rounds
of 9 mm should be more than sufficient for most carry needs. With a
spare magazine you’re packing 17 rounds that can be easily hidden and
delivered. And, because of the PDA’s likeness to the 1911, you should
have no trouble finding a holster that is up to the task of keeping
the pistol by your side.
Para’s “Personal Defense Assistant” moniker is a little bit of trendy
marketing, but it is also a fitting description. In the hands of a
skilled operator, the PDA is definitely up to the task of personal
defense. So perhaps when you leave the house each day, you should take
both your electronic organizer and your Para PDA. One will get you
where you need to go, and the other will make sure you get back home.
If you also consider Para’s reputation for customer service and its
lifetime guarantee, the PDA will likely be with you long after your
current electronic organizer is at the bottom of a landfill.
Thin cocobolo grip panels with a unique texture give the PDA good looks without compromising purchase or adding undue width to the frame. Designed specifically for the 9 mm cartridge, the frame measures just 1.1 inches wide with the grip panels.
Para-Ordnance PDA
Manufacturer: Para-Ordnance;
(954) 202-4440, www.para-usa.com
Action Type:
Recoil-operated semi-automatic
Caliber: 9 mm
Capacity: 8+1
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Overall Length: 6.4 inches
Height: 4.75 inches
Width: 1.22 inches
Weight: 23 ounces
Frame: Black-anodized aluminum alloy
Slide: Duo-Tone stainless steel
Grips: Checkered cocobolo
Sights: Drift-adjustable, three-dot tritium night sights
Trigger Pull: Double action, 6 pounds
Accessories: Two magazines, lockable hard case, lock
MSRP: $1,199
LDA Mechanics
Whether the need for cocked-and-locked carry is real or just
perceived, Para’s LDA trigger eliminates the argument altogether. The mechanics
of the LDA provide a double-action trigger pull with a single-action let-off
weight.
Removing the slide reveals a drawbar along the top right edge
of the pistol’s frame that connects the trigger and hammer assemblies. Pressing
the trigger causes the drawbar to move the hammer to the rear, trip the sear
and release the cocking cam that rotates forward under pressure from the mainspring
with the hammer to fire the pistol.
The hammer returns to the down position at the end of the slide
cycle and is held there by light spring pressure, and the drawbar reconnects
to the pinned trigger. When the trigger is pulled, resistance comes from only
the trigger return and hammer return springs—since the mainspring is already
cocked—and pull weight is consistent from shot to shot.
—Adam Heggenstaller
Holster Option
You have to be carrying to carry concealed, but if your rig’s uncomfortable
the odds only increase that you’ll leave your piece at home at just
the wrong time. When Mark Craighead, owner of Crossbreed Holsters,
sent his company’s SuperTuck inside-the-waistband holster for testing
with the PDA, his letter was almost apologetic. “We like to say that
they might not be pretty, but they sure do work,” he wrote.
The design is interesting, with some of the leather from the holster
backer trimmed away to ensure a firmer grasp on the gun during the
draw stroke. The exact contour varies by the model of handgun
being carried, and the holster is adjustable for ride depth and cant.
J-hooks and V-clips are also available, along with a horsehide version.
You can count on plenty of clearance for your sights, too, with a 3⁄4-length
full sight channel standard. Mounting spacers behind the clips also
ease tucking.
Since it’s a family-owned business producing its holsters here in the
United States, we decided to put Crossbreed’s website claim that “Our
SuperTuck Deluxe is the most comfortable and concealable holster available…”
to the test.
NRA Firearms Inventory Manager David J. Fischer volunteered to wear
the holster and PDA for several hours at work. Bear in mind the holster
was brand new and not broken in. We surmised he’d surrender in only
a few hours toting an unfamiliar gun in a new rig.
We were wrong. “If not the ugliest, it’s the most comfortable inside-the-waistband
holster I’ve ever worn,” Fischer said, “allowing freedom of movement
with no skin pinch. It’s extremely accessible for unholstering and
reholstering alike.” He gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
—Guy
J.Sagi
Crossbreed Holsters
(888) 732-5011;
crossbreedholsters.com
Holster Option
The Silent Thunder Leather-Lined Kydex holster from Tucker Gunleather
subscribes to the theory that smaller is better. In the case of concealed
carry, that’s a great way to go.
A thick layer of Kydex lines the exterior to give the holster the rough-and-tumble,
shape-retaining properties modern shooters seem to demand. But inside,
your gun is cradled in a plush leather lining that won’t mar or scratch
the pistol’s surface. Best of all, the perpetrator won’t even realize
you’ve drawn because there’s no plastic-sounding click to let him know
you’ve made your move.
The holster is available with a quick-mount system to make rigging
up fast, the company’s Hi/Lo mount that allows for 150 degrees of cant
and a Butt Tucker that brings the gun closer to your body for easier
concealment, as well as a standard mount. All are adjustable for cant,
and the holster has two retention screws for complete control. The
Silent Thunder combines a lot of features into a little package.
—Guy
J.Sagi
Tucker Gunleather
(800) 308-6628;
tuckergunleather.com
