I noticed that sometimes the high cap guns for sale on some sites say they have the steel frame? What other frames were offered and how can you tell if its one or another? Thanks.

Para frames came in steel or aluminium- try a magnet? There is very little in weight difference between them - especially when the gun is complete.

Had very good service out of my Para frame for IPSC competition. Had an aluminium frame briefly which a sold years back. Lad who bought it still shoots it regularly (Built into .45 acp). Seems pretty duarable. My steel frame is well over the 100,000round mark and still no signs of cracking.

The Para frames generally require more smithing work than STI or SVI frames. After having built two of them and an SVI for IPSC use and shooting them a lot ... I'd spend the time and money on another SVI or STI but not on a Para.

Had one Para major super crack in the inside of the trigger slot and require repair. Happened at 75k rounds or so. The other is a tac .40/.45 that has many fewer rounds on it and it is doing fine.

My STI Super is still running strong at over 100k rds.

I have owned two paras, 13-45 and 14-45. Both were all stainless and both operated flawlessly except when the bushing broke. They were very accurate. A friend broke two bushings on his 14-45. All of the broken bushings I looked at had mfg defects. Para makes chrome moly frames and stainless frames and no other to the best of my knowledge.