I owned a Para Ordinance and shot it a good bit - it was completely reliable and the thick grip didn't get in the way. I have big hands, and the grips themselves are a paper thin veneer, so it all balances out. They do not have the bomb proof solid structure of a real 1911 though - there is at least one long, fragile spring in the grip that had me thinking "Murphy" when I saw it. But people swear by them.

The older I get, the more I wonder why anyone needs more than a WW2 style 1911 with a 7 round magazine. Is your home REALLY going to be invaded by a squad of VCR thieves??