New Blue Press Section 1 8/15/08 9:37 AM Page 10 10 Picking the Pocket 9s: Comparison Review of the Para PDA and Springfield Armory EMP Story and Photo by Peter Caroline six pounds, but six pounds in a smooth, stage- The venerable 9mm Parabellum cartridge has able double-action feels like a whole different been around since 1902, longer than any other animal. I’ve fired Para LDAs in every configura- popular semiauto centerfire round. It’s been a tion from this tiny 9mm to the big double-stack favorite of military forces worldwide, and in recent 14•45, and the double-action trigger is identical years has been chambered in a number of pocket- in every one of them. sized pistols, from the ubiquitous Kel-Tec to the Although I must admit a partiality to the Para rarely seen Rohrbaugh. Even Colt briefly came out LDA trigger, in offhand shooting I actually got with a couple of marginally pocket-sized 9s. But slightly smaller groups with the Springfield. Go then some marketing genius came up with the figure. The PDA’s sights are a bit higher than the idea of a 1911-style pistol scaled down to 9mm EMP’s, and both have equally comfortable grips. dimensions, and the race was on. Now, the title of The magazine base has a more pronounced lip “World’s Smallest 1911” is up for grabs, and the on the PDA than on the EMP, but I couldn’t two main contenders are Springfield Armory and detect any real difference in support, since I have Para. Springfield’s entry is called the EMP a fairly small hand, and my little finger didn’t (Enhanced Micro Pistol), and Para’s is the PDA quite cover the magazine base. (Personal Defense Assistant). I set up my portable Let’s weigh both con- bench at 20 yards, the limit tenders. The Para PDA on this particular piece of weighs 24.9 ounces with an What it comes down desert real estate. The empty magazine; the Spring- Shooters Ridge bench is field EMP weighs 26.4 quite an asset. It weighs ounces. Dimensions are fair- only 35 pounds, has a com- ly close: the Para is 4.75 to is a difference fortably padded seat, and inches in height with the folds up quite flat. It comes magazine removed, and the with a Y-shaped rest for Springfield is 5 inches; the in price and trigger rifles or pistols. Using the PDA is 6.4 inches long, the rest, I was able to get 1-1/4 EMP is 6.6 inches long, to 1-1/2 inch five-round thanks to the beavertail. The action, and a one- groups from each pistol. Para magazine holds eight Overall, there was no rounds, and the Springfield marked difference in accu- magazine holds nine. round difference racy. Neither is intended for The Para and Springfield competition, and both will 9mms look very similar. Both fill the bill quite adequately sport a handsome two-tone for a defensive weapon. finish, fancy wood grips, in capacity. What it comes down to, three-dot tritium night sights with a windage- finally, is a difference in price and trigger action, adjustable rear sight, ambidextrous safeties and and a one-round difference in capacity. The three-inch fully supported ramped barrels. Both Springfield Armory EMP costs about $200 more have dual captive recoil springs. The EMP maga- than the Para PDA. The Springfield is single-action; zine well is slightly beveled; the PDA’s is not. The the Para is double-action, which is off-putting to EMP comes with three magazines; the PDA with some shooters and attractive to others. The Spring- two. They differ most in trigger action. The Spring- field puts one more round at your disposal. Both field has a conventional single-action trigger; the are top-quality pistols. If you haven’t already spent Para features their distinctive LDA (Light Double your economic stimulus check on such frills as Action). The Para PDA has no hammer spur, as gasoline or groceries, either of these pistols would there is no need for manual cocking. be an excellent investment. After several individual shooting sessions, I took both pistols out to the range at the same ParaUSA time. Initially,I had some problems with the 1919 N.E. 45th Street Springfield EMP. The trigger, which the factory Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308-5136 specs indicate at five-to-six pounds was actually 954-202-4440 off the scale on my Lyman eight-pound-limit trig- www.para-usa.com ger pull gauge. Several hundred rounds and a whole lot of dry-firing later, the pull did get Springfield Armory USA down to six pounds, which is a bit high for a sin- 420 West Main Street gle-action auto, in my opinion, particularly one Geneseo, IL 61254 with an MSRP over $1,300. The Para trigger, 1-800-680-6866 which is their LDA (Light Double Action), is also www.springfieldarmory.com DP.