Para Ordnance Prokiller - Western Arms
This one's a bit of a mystery...
It came in a big box from those nice people at Elite Airsoft along with a number of other guns for review and I must admit I was a bit baffled by it.
It's a Para Ordnance and it's a Prokiller, but it's not like any Prokiller I'd ever experienced before...
In the Box
The box is big and opening it up you see why.
First of all, the Para Ordnance 14.45 (14 rounds, .45 ACP calibre is the derivation of the nomenclature) has a short silencer on the barrel.
Next, you notice the large, 52 round magazine, familiar to Gigant and, some, Infinity based Pro-killers, resting separate from the gun, in the lower part of the box.
Also, somewhat unexpected (I'd only seen an Ultimate Comp PO before, with the integral compensator), was the barrel bushing spanner, familiar from the SCW 1911, I tested in the same batch.
Otherwise, there's the usual collection of BBs, manuals and other paperwork inside the box.
First Impressions
The gun is, as you would expect, neat and well finished.
The Para Ordnance 14-45 (basically a modified 1911 frame, expanded to take a double stack, 14 round magazine in real steel form) is a nice looking gun and the Prokiller's no exception.
Personally, I find the Para Ordnances a little plasticky, compared with the predominantly metal Infinities, but the heavyweight material feels good in the hand and many will prefer the sleeker, curvaceous style of the Para-Ordnance's swollen bellied 1911 frame to the angular Infinites.
It's a bit like the comparison between a Ferrari 512BB and a Lamborghini Countach. Me, I rather like them both...
The Para-Ordnance markings are faithfully reproduced and, as expected, sharply rendered.
All of the usual controls are metal, with trigger, hammer, slide lock, safeties (Thumb and grip) and the sights all being metal.
The silencer is all metal and just 3.5 Inches (8 CMs) in length. It feels nicely cold to the touch, but doesn't add much weight.
Closer Look
I was quickly drawn to the front of the Prokiller Para-Ordnance. The silencer simply unscrews (in an anti-clockwise direction) to reveal the raison d'etre of this gun, the extended, tightbore barrel, which provides a full 3.5 inches of extra barrel length as it reaches almost to the very end of the silencer.
On the front of the gun itself is a bright metal thread, which forms part of the metal outer barrel, onto which the silencer screws.
Behind this is the familiar, traditional 1911 bushing, which requires the spanner to unlock, before the gun can be field stripped. If you want a traditional style 1911 with lots of capacity, the P14-45 is the best choice around.
On the right hand side of the gun, there are simple P14-45 markings on the slide, with "PARA-ORDNANCE INC."/"FT LAUDERDALE, FL. CANADA " on the frame, with WA and ASGK above the skeletonised, but fixed, trigger.
The left side of the slide bears a "PARA ORDNANCE" script, with a lengthy, Beretta-like licence script on the frame (Exact wording is "This product is made in Japan by Western Arms and Para-Ordnance."/"Trademarks are affixed under licence of PARA-ORDNANCE MFG. INC."). The grips bear "PO" logos, moulded into them.
Unlike the Infinity based Prokiller and Gigant I had seen before, the Para Ordnance Prokiller has an operational grip safety. This surprised me somewhat, but even more surprising was the lack of the right hand side thumb 'safety' lever, which on the Infinities works as a selector switch permitting full-auto operation, synonymous with the term "PROKILLER" in many minds (including mine, I will admit).
A quick re-read of the e-mail from Elite Airsoft confirmed what I suspected without even firing this gun. It is a SEMI AUTO ONLY Prokiller! (John's exact term was "Don't worry - it's not supposed to be full auto"). This left me wondering why it ships with a 52 round magazine...
This model has the Novak sights, which means it's a Combat (rather than the Limited, which has adjustable Bomar style sights). The metal outer barrel is (as you can see in the pictures) bright silver (like an Infinity Ltd), but there's no magwell (as on the Ultimate Comp model). The 30 round Para-Ordnance (or Infinity) magazines will fit the Prokiller, too, which make it a more manageable (and, to my eye, attractive) package.
Under the front of the frame is a small metal rail (identical, I believe, to that fitted to the Vreaker), which would be useful for anyone interested in fitting a torch or laser sight for CQB skirmishing.
The hammer is a nice cutout, polished sided number, which cocks smoothly, whilst the trigger is a skeletonised job, not dissimilar to the SV Infinity ones, but not interchangeable, like the SVs.
Shooting Impressions
Gassing up the massive 52 round magazine, with Abbey Ultra Gas, was easy enough, but handling the pistol with the magazine fitted was not. With no full auto capability to demand a large supply of BBs, this magazine just seems an encumbrance.
Click on image for bigger version in separate window.
However, I managed to find a stance (with one hand steadying the big magazine!) which permitted reasonably comfortable shooting and carrying out my standard 5m/6 round, off hand test produced some extremely impressive results.
All 6 rounds fell within a 2 inch (5 CM) by 1 inch (2.5 CM) band, grouped tightly around the centre of the target.
I suspect that, as with all the long barrel target guns, a test at 10m or so would show the benefits of the longer barrel, but I don't have the facilities to carry out such testing.
Conclusions
The PO Prokiller is a nice enough gun.
The basic P14-45 gun gives you a more traditionally styled Hi-Cap alternative to the SV Infinity range and the long barrel seems to confer increased accuracy and power (subjectively) upon it.
However, the lack of full auto capability makes the packaging of a 52 round magazine, which does nothing for the manageability of the gun, a mystery and will, no doubt, lead many to decry it as 'not a real Prokiller'.
With a 30 round PO magazine it makes a rather cool looking sidearm, although holstering it will pose problems on a par with an 8" barreled revolver.
To be honest, though, I am a bit lost as to why WA produce this gun. Perhaps there's a specific demand for it in Japan, but it doesn't seem to offer anything much over a standard P14-45 and the big magazine and length make it unwieldy unless it is your primary weapon, when it's lack of full auto capability would place it at as a disadvantage to the Infinity based PKs.
If you REALLY want a Para-Ordnance and REALLY want it to have a silencer (albeit a non-functional one), this is your only option. Otherwise, just get the basic PO P14-45 and save yourself some money and hassle or buy a full auto, Infinity based Prokiller.
Weight : 1250g
Realism : ****
Quality : ****
Power : *****
Accuracy : *****
Buy this gun from Elite Airsoft
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