Taurus PT1911 .45 pistol. One good review. One bad review.
GunBlast.com has just reviewed the Taurus PT1911 .45 pistol. It is a big contrast to the review by B.B. who had a lot of trouble with his.
The Taurus delivered. It was one hundred percent reliable with every type of factory ammunition that I had available. It also functioned flawlessly with my favorite .45 ACP handload.
I wanted so much to love this pistol, but poor reliability is the worst sin a defense gun can commit. I’m not sure I can forgive it
My wife bought me this one for a birthday and I have found it to be great (so great that its now my bed side gun). Mine has had no problems with any ammo that Ive put through it (other than the occasional stove pipe when my wife shoots it, this being from not holding it correctly). Ive shot well over 5,000 rds through mine and have loved every moment.
I RESPECT THE RIGHT OF THE NEGATIVE REVIEW TO POST, WAS THE PISTOL RETURNED FOR SERVICE??? DID THEY REPAIR THE DEFECTS.
IT IS A BUMMER THAT YOU HAD DIFFICULTIES. YOU COULD HAVE LISTED THEM AND WHAT CONDITIONS IT HAPPENED UNDER. WHAT AMMO USED & HOW THE RESOLUTIONS WERE DEALT WITH.
I ONCE BOUGHT A NEW CAR AND HAD THE DASHBOARD FALL OUT OF POSITION,IT CAUSED A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES. WHEN REPAIRED I DROVE THE AUTO FOR 56,000 MILES AND SOLD IT.
I NEVER REALLY WAS AT EASE WITH IT,LIFE IS FULL OF POTHOLES.
I have to agree with campbaker. I had a Smith and Wesson Model 37 that the frame cracked in. Just leaving it at that would be terrible. What I would need to include is that Smith sent me a brand new 637 “in 4 days” for free that has had no problems yet!
I like the idea of the “Budget” 1911 that Taurus has put out but I would like to get some solid reviews. Gunblast reviews are always good, he doesn’t find a gun he doesn’t like. Just like reviewers in gun rags. We need more people like the author of this blog to review guns harder. For those of us who only buy a few a year and can’t buy every last one that every manufacture comes out with.
I shot a bullseye at 20yds. on this pistol (Taurus PT1911) the first time I took it to the range with my 11 yr. old son, then I let him shoot it at the same distance and he put his hole about an eight of an inch off my bullseye. This gun is the most accurate gun I’ve ever shot straight out of the box.
I have the pt1911alr and i couldnt be happier. It has about 600 rnds through it its very accurate……..shoots any round u put through it.My friends with kimbers are acutaly jealous because the checkering and finish are alot better than his kimber……yes i didnt believe it either but, when i saw his kimber i was surprised. Ive noticed kimbers QC failing alot lately my buddies kimber went back after 100 rnds…..stove pipes fail to feed etc. I love my taurus Ill never get rid of it.
Just purchased this gun. Only had one opportunity to shoot yet and put 50 rounds through with great accuracy and no problems. Has some great features at an affordable price. At this point, very satisfied with the purchase. Ive found that Taurus has a bad rep and people are wary of their guns but the 1911 .45 cal really is a good gun.
I’ve owned a stainless PT1911. purchased used for $400. I am a long time glock jock and when purchasing a firearm reliabilty is one of the first things I consider, along with accuracy, feel etc.
I put nearly 500 rounds through the Taurus. Only had 2 stove pipes. But when comparing my department issue G21 with nearly 2500 rounds and no failures I was a bit dissapointed. But in my opinion this isn’t uncommon for 1911’s and “tighter” guns. Accuracy was good. golf ball sized groups at 20 yds easily obtained. Trigger was crisp beeing SA. Heinie sights where great. Installed nite sighters glow in the dark inserts to make the gun more capable in low light. I sold it during some tough times due to department layoffs, but would buy another. You can’t beat the price. Is it a Kimber? A Wilson? A glock? haha! Hardly. But for $600 new its a good way to get your foot in the “1911 door”.
Detonics,Taurus,Paraordonance,or simply Colt;lets’ talk about your favorite 45 and why?
I am impressed with this pistol which I’ve only owned for a few weeks now. It shoots ever bit as accurate as my H&K USP45 Tactical (which cost a little less than 2x). I confess my USP45 was much easier to field strip than my new PT1911, but that 1911 “feel” is superior. I had no jams or miss feeds at all. The only issue was one of the two clips that came with it. One was flawless, one was quirky. The quirky one would not slam home easily when loading the clip into the handle. It also would not catch the slide when the last round fired. I was able to “reform” the leading edge of the clip to slide past the clip retaining pin, but I haven’t shot the pistol since to check for slide lock. Bottom line: I got a great pistol, at a great price. Accurate, full featured.
I picked up a used PT1911 this past Wednesday. I walked in the shooting range/gun shop’s door knowing I was going to walk out with something; I just didn’t know what that something was going to end up being.
I picked up a box of 50 .45 ACP Magtechs, a couple targets and the PT1911.
The PT1911 chewed through the 50 rounds in what seemed like 30 seconds. Obviously it was a little longer than that, but as they say: time flies when you’re having fun.
I walked out of the range, took off my ear and eye protection then pulled out my wallet. Haven’t regretted it for a single fleeting moment.
I just bought at PT 1911 because my Dad loves his so much. He shoots IPSC tournies on the weekends and uses it, leaving his Kimber Custom 1911 in the safe, to keep it new. He’s very happy with the performance of the the Taurus, mentioning only one problem in the beginning, and that was the occasional misfeed. The very occasional repolishing of the feed ramp with a Dremel tool and some car polish took care of the problem thus far. I can’t wait to shoot mine. Thanks for all of your honesty and input. I feel encouraged about my purchase.
I purchased the PT1911 AS A JOKE,I OWN A KIMBER CUSTOM A SPRINGFIELD LONGSLIDE BULL BARREL,A USP H&K FULLSIZE AND THE COMPACT, GLOCK 21 AND MODEL 30,AND A FEW CUSTOM MADE 1911.GUESS WHAT…THE JOKE WAS ON ME.AFTER 500 ROUNDS IT WORKS LIKE A CHAMP.I HAVE USED DIFFERENT MAGS,GI ,TAURUS FACTORY CHIP MCORMACK,AND A FEW OTHERS.I FIRED 100 REMINGTONS,200 OF MY OWN HANDLOADS AND 200 DEPARTMENT ISSUE RANGER SXT.THEY ALL WORKED WELL.THE PT 1911 IS AS ACCURATE AS THE ABOVE MENTIONED PISTOLS.WOULD I USE THIS FIREARM AS PERSONAL DEFENSE WEAPON.THE ANSWER IS YES.ALL FIREARMS ARE SUBJECT TO USE AND SOMTIMES ABUSE.THE PT 1911 IS ONE OF THOSE THAT CAN AND DOES.IS IT THE BEST OUT THERE I SAY THIS ALL OF USE WHO SHOOT WILL AGREE ON THIS.THE SHOOTER MAKES THE GUN WORK.THE GUN AND THE VALUE THAT IT BRINGS TO OUR WAY OF LIFE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.PLEASE DONT LISTEN TO ME.STEP UP BUY ONE FOR YOURSELF.HEY IF YOU DONT LIKE IT SELL IT.TO FIND OUT IF IT REALLY WAS JESUS THOMAS PUT HIS FINGERS IN JESUS WOUNDS.
I have had my Taurus 1911 about 6 months now and really like the way it performs overall. very smooth hard hitting and extemely accurate.
The only drawback has been the ambi thumb safety. It kept falling out as I would shoot couldn’t keep it together.
I finally installed a Les Baer ambi safety and machined the right side to clear the Crimson Trace grips I put on the gun. So far so good. I have several friends that experienced the same thing with the safety on theirs also.
Was very wary about buying another Taurus after having a 3″ 357 revolver shoot loose in about 200 rounds (frame stretch, damaged crane & out of time)
But heard many positive reviews on Taurus’s as of late.
Took the plunge and got the blued (actually black parkerized?) PT 1911 a few weeks ago. Accuracy is very good, as is the trigger which should be expected in a 1911. Think one magazine may be bad however. The first round likes to nosedive when attempting to chamber. No problems with the other mag. Overall about 200 rounds threw this one.
Detal-stripping the pistol showed a lot of black “5th wheel” looking grease & metal chips & garbage inside, even under the grips. I recommend you clean this thing up first. No burrs on the parts however; must be a filthy assembly line they work on.
Overall, I’m happy with this pistol. I will upgrade the magazine, grips and maybe tritium sights as time/money permits.
A very good pistol for $500
Taurus PT1911-ALR review
3-19-09
Short Review:
Buy your own, I’m keeping mine.
Long Review:
I have avoided 1911’s since my first one too many years ago to count because I didn’t like the poor accuracy of the old boy. Recently I have wanted to upgrade power from 9mm and a co-worker got me interested in the 1911’s again. I looked at everything, and was at the gun store in the next town over when the salesman forced a Taurus PT1911 with aluminum frame into my hands. Instantly, I noted the lightweight, and decided that it is something that I could carry all day and not mind.
The specific shopping began, and I bought one from Buds online. Good experience with Buds and a local FFL. Upon initial inspection, I noted that an incorrect front sight tool was enclosed; otherwise I apparently had a good copy. Field stripping, internal inspection and reassembly was straightforward with no surprises.
Ammo:
It took an eternal week, but I finally was able to get out to the country to give it a try. I fed it 6-7 brands / types of ammo and it functioned perfectly. Accuracy was best with MagTech ammo. I was satisfied with the accuracy-much better than the olden days.
Clips:
It functioned well with a Colt 7 round clip. I like the classic lines of the 1911 with the Colt clip as my primary clip, and the Taurus factory clips for 2nd/3rd clips. The bumper pads help with rapid reloads, but the first clip is just fine without a bumper pad-especially if you leave one round in the clip which helps with clip removal. Rapid fire was flawless.
Range:
The range of the .45 isn’t that of my .357, but any rock or stump within 50 yards was in mortal danger. I penetrated 4” of wood easily with the ball ammo.
Sights:
The sights on my copy were 3 dot like I am used to, so I liked them.
Trigger:
I was very pleased with the trigger-one of the best on any of the guns that I have shot. Overtravel adjustment set about perfect from the factory. I would estimate the pull at about 3 ½ pounds.
Recoil:
With the light frame, I was concerned about recoil. However, it turned out to be minimally bothersome with the fine checkering on the front / backstrap and bottom of the trigger guard for high hand positioning. The fine checkering and a high grip kept the muzzle flip to a minimum. I am definitely slower on follow up shots than with a 9mm, but faster than with a .357. Even with a high hold, there was no hammer bite due to the beavertail safety.
Grips:
Carrying in the field with the plastic grips became uncomfortable, so I stopped on the way home and bought some Hogue rubber side grips. I forwent the wrap around style because the front/backstrap checkering was fully functional. When I pulled the factory grips off, I found that 2 grip screws were actually loose, 1 was just right, and 1 was cross-threaded and pulled the bushing out with it. I was unable to get the screw out of the bushing, and had to purchase a new one. I did make a call to Taurus for a warranty claim on the bushing, and they grudgingly said that they would send me one. It should be here next week. I also asked for the correct sight tool, and we’ll see if they send it along also. I made a separate call about using +P ammo, and left a message after interminable hold, and they never did call me back. The Hogue grips had a cut out for the ambidextrous safety, but still had to be deepened/extended to accommodate the Taurus right sided safety. I noted that the frame under the grips was pretty dirty.
Holster Issue:
The next hurdle was finding a holster to fit the gun-the accessory rail is a Mil-Std 1913 which is apparently somewhat bigger than the Universal accessory rails. After purchasing and returning a couple of quality holsters, I just bought a Blackhawk cordura hip holster to tide me over until I can get a custom one built. Still, even with the “loose” nylon/cordura, it was a very tight fit due to the accessory rail. I laid the holstered / unloaded gun on a heater vent overnight to do some thermal cycling which helped a lot.
+P Ammo:
In Utah where I live, it is legal to hunt deer with a handgun as long as it develops 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. That makes my PT1911 ALR (5” barrel) legal to hunt deer if I use +P ammo. The manual for the gun uses some language that can be interpreted in various ways about whether you can use +P ammo in the gun. However, on Taurus Tactical, they do have a definitive statement that all Taurus handguns can handle +P ammo. With the aluminum frame, I purchased a guide rod bumper pad, and an 18 ½ pound heavy duty recoil spring to protect the frame. The difference in pressures between standard and +P ammo is about the same as between the factory and heavy duty spring, so I assume that the frame impact will be similar to standard loads/factory spring. I noted that you can tell the difference between the factory spring (right hand coils) v. the heavy duty with left hand coils. I like to lock the plug onto the spring by a ¼ turn and it helps to keep the springs differentiated by which way I have to turn the plug to lock it on the spring.
Accessory Rail:
Mounting a M3X light onto the rail almost took a sledge hammer both on and off. After some excellent customer service from Insight, I pulled the M3X insert and found that the friction fit was just about right, but with the alternate insert that came with the light, it can be mounted/pulled off with 2 hands instead of 2 people. I do wish the M3X light had a deeper recess for the insert to allow for some over-travel which would help with pulling the light back off. The Insight Customer Service Representative will pass along my suggestion to the engineers.
Summary:
I like:
factory rail, lightweight, good sights, good trigger pull, good trigger overtravel adjustment, not finicky about ammo, accepts Colt clips, can easily be legal for hunting.
I don’t like:
plastic grips, grip screw issue, wrong sight adjustment tool, mediocre Taurus customer service, trying to find a holster, tight fit for accessories on rail.
Bottom line:
I would rate this an 8 out of 10, not perfect, but I would still recommend this to someone looking to purchase a 1911 style handgun. Buy it.
Comments about this review appreciated: ais (a t) q (d o t ) com
I live in NE Oregon and go out occaisionally to shoot, especially with my son, a former marine exoert marksman with everything/sniper/National Guardsman. I have an XD 40 Compact and an XD 45 Compact(if you can call it that) and a couple revolvers. Have always wanted a 1911 type gun, fell in love with the S & W 1911 but not he price. Happened to be visiting in Central Oregon, went looking at guns. Stopped in at Big R ranch and home store in Redmond. Cameron behind the counter was very friendly very helpful, very knowlegable and not pushy, though like all of us, he has his opinions. Along with that, were the PT1911 and the .44 Mag stainless ported 6″ revolver for very good prices, and I had compared with several places. He assured me that taurus had taken care of the early action problem on the PT1911 and I had the money available, so bought them both. Two weeks later, after nasty weather up here, went out for a short session in the country with both guns. Been years since I had shot either type of gun, so took some getting used to, but the PT1911 was very comfortable to hold, recoil better than my Springfield Armory, probably because it’s all S/S and heavier. When I settled down and focused, the two dot sights, which I never tried before either, worked great. I danced a beer can at about 15 yards, slowly mind you, but it worked. When I missed, I just barely missed, could see the dirt kick up where I hit. Also danced empty shotgun shells at about 5-10 yards same way. I loved it, it never missed a beat with the two supplied 8 round mags. Took the .44 out and put 4 cylinders full through it. For a .44 Mag., it was awesome to shoot, very loud, but very accurate. I was almost as good as with the .45 at hitting the close in small objects and also some larger sticks and things at about 50yards, never a failure.
A week later, my son and his sniper unit and the local police SWAT unit went to the police range to fire all their stuff, along with their own handguns. He took my uncleaned .45 with him too. He didn’t give me all the details, but he said it definitely performed well and didn’t hang up. So far, all I’ve used was 230 grain either ball or hollow points. Manual didn’t suggest anything else, though can’t imagine why not use 185’s or +P’s, but it was against it, and handloads too, though I suspect that’s due to liability concerns.
Now, it sits in pieces, to clean and also to try to put back together, can’t seem to get everything to coordinate but as I said, this is my first 1911 and my two Springfields are dead simple to strip, so this is more complex. When I get it sorted out, I will carry it most of the time, even though my .40 is smaller and the other .45 carries way more rounds and both are dead reliable. I just really like the feel and natural pointing ability of the 1911 style gun. My son the expert either now wants a 1911 of some type with a rail or maybe a Glock to go with his Glock .40. If I can get this assembly issue figured out, I will be a happy camper, sounds like I should really pull it apart like the others and give it a good cleaning first, and an inspection. I would like to get some rubber grips, like the Hogues my son has on his Beretta 92, that feels really comfy, but in the meantime, the plastic ones give a good grip so can’t bitch much, at least till it warms up and I can shoot more.
I definitely recommend this gun to people, as I do the .44, and my son’s little 5 shot .38 is a great little weapon too, I may buy one down the road or maybe get a .357 just to have the extra strength if necessary.
I have to say, though there are smoother actions in S & W’s and different things here and there, I have a lot of respect for Taurus’ products, at least right now, and I hope that will continue.
I am a filipino soldier fighting in the jungles of mindanao against insurgents.
recently we were issued a local version cal .45 (Amscor) 1911. We encountered a firefight with a group of MILF bandits. it lasted for an hour. my rifle falted and had to rely on my side arm which by and by jammed.
I was lucky to have survive that encounter due to the fact we had high casualties. with that situation in mind, i elected to purchase my own pistol
and chose the PT 1911 of taurus.
Opportunity striked when we were on our usual patrol rounds when a group of bandits fired on us, we stumbled to a tunnel and i voluntered to enter it. hAD TO RELY ON MY PISTOL PT 1911. a welcoming committee was waiting and had to fire all 8 rounds from my clip in around 1 to 3 seconds.
After the smoke was over around 5 bandits were on the ground. I checked and smiled as this pistol saved my life and had revenge for my brothers in arms who were treachorously shot by these men.
CONSIDERING THIS PISTOL IS IN STOCK, I’D SAY THIS IS THE BEST WITH THE PRICE SO AFFORDABLE. I MEAN THE PRICE DOESNT JUSTIFY THE QUALITY OF THE GUN FOR THAT AMOUNT BUT IT SURE PACKS A WHALLOP AND IT SAVED MY LIFE.
My brother bought a taurus pt 92 and the spring behind the left grip came out. He sent the gun to taurus to have it fixed and they sent it back without the clip and without a screw for the grip. He has called them several times for 6 months and they tell him the parts are on back order and theres nothing they can do. I think Taurus Sucks. I have heard other people including gunsmiths complain about ordering parts and having to wait months to get them. I would never recommend them to anyone.
I’ve had my Taurus 1911 for about a month and I have had nothing but problems.
Although similar to the venerable 1911, there is just enough physical difference to make assemble/dissasembly troublesome.
The first thing I did was take it apart – thank goodness for the bushing wrench. BUT – it took me over an hour to get it back together – the slide stop would jam 1/2 way in even though it was thru the barrell lnk. Even with everything aligned the slide stop had to be hit with a mallet to seat all the way.
Then came the bushing – which tended to jam as soon as it was turned and aligned with the spring compressed and the bushing cap depressed.
After assembly, the gun refused to fire after 2 mags – further inspection revealed the lock had become engaged – I had to unlock this 3 times before a full box had been shot.
I contacted Taurus by phone and was repeatedly put on hold. I emailed 3 times with no answer – I even had the local shop that sold it to me call them – no luck.
As far as I am concerned it’s a paperweight in it’s present condition. How can one trust one’s life to a weapon that will lock up guarantted after 12 or 14 rounds???
Removal of the lock assembly voids the warrantee and of course would generate all kinds of legal hassles should someone get injured with the modified gun.
Both of my WWII era 1911’s are more dependable than this, but I do not want to carry a collecttor’s item so I will by a good used Colt or better yet a Kimber.
No more Taurus of any kind for me.
Regards
Rick C
Sioux FAlls, SD
Referring to my earlier comments on the PT1911, it turns out my own inexperience with the 1911 type gun was what caused the problem. I just wasn’t familiar enough with the assembly and disassembly methods to get it right. I found a video on the Net that shows how to do it with a PT1911 and though slow, I got it back together properly. I have noticed that the two 8 round factory mags have both become 7 rounders. I have not fired it since, just cycled some rounds through the action and both mags seem to work ok as 7 rounders. I also bought 2 S/S Kimber 8 rounders and will try them, they seem to feed ok just cycling the slide. I do think I’ll look for Hogue or similar grips soon, as someone else said, long term carry with the stock plastic ones is not comfy after while. Also, I had a customer service issue, not directly related to the guns, with Taurus and though I had to hang on hold for over 5 minutes, the lady was very helpful. Maybe all the complaints are reaching the right ears and customer service is improving, but I had no issues at all. Looking forward to more shooting with both guns and my others and getting more into where each bullet type hits. Still love the feel of the PT1911, no wonder that type gun has been around so long, nothing else feels like it.
Chalk up another negative on Taurus 1911’s. I bought mine a few months ago. After fifty rounds, the safety detent had failed, causing trigger jams. I finished off another fifty shots while holding the safety down with my left thumb.
Sent the gun back to Taurus ($40 shipping cost out of MY pocket) and had to wait 6 WEEKS (not the four days promised in the owner’s manual).
When the gun finally arrived, I immediately headed for the range and fed it about a hundred rounds of mixed ammo, including reload hollow points. The safety worked fine, but I don’t trust it and have developed a bad habit of holding my left thumb on the safety. Additionally, the HP reloads were not easily digested.
I have also had some difficulty reassembling the Taurus. But still have less difficulty than with that crazy little “piece of wire” Kimber supplied with their Crimson Carry Ultra II.
All the “bells and whistles” you get on the Taurus (in essence, for free) really don’t cost Taurus much to manufacture. I think these features are on MIM (metal injection molded) parts. If so, the only cost is a one-time hit when the tooling is built.
One positive thing I must say, after the last trip to the range I cleaned the gun for the second time (about 150 rounds total), and I noticed a significant difference in how smooth the slide action has become. It is breaking in nicely. There was no plowing of the feed ramp (by those reloaded HP’s). I’ve got another box of those reloads and am planning a trip to the range Friday with a friend. If it stops “gagging” on them would be wonderful. In Taurus defense, the gun never choked on new HP’s or ball ammo.
Bottom line…Would I buy another Taurus? The jury is still out ! And, for now, my wallet is out of $$$ anyway.
I bought a PT 1911 .45 and took it to shoot the first magazine through it. The safety fell out and the beaver tail popped out. I was upset my friend talked me into buying it. He knew someone to put another safety in it, not ambi. style, just on one side. Works fine now. The finish sucks on the newer ones with low serial numbers. Make sure you buy one that was made later. Mine started to rust in spots, and the company told me it was because the finish on the first ones produced was faulty. Just my luck. I have to keep it oiled real well, I don’t want to have to send it off to have it fixed. I still have mixed emotions, I loved my HK USP .45, want another one. I couldn’t afford it at the time. In all, I have shot this and it is acurate right out of the box, no complaints there. It feels tight in the action, again no complaints. It has an ok feel in my big hands, could be a double stack to make the grip wider for us big guys. I just hope it will work when the time comes, had to draw down on a man once, lucky I didn’t have to use it.
I acquired my PT1911 ss two years back and havent regreted any second having it. True, its heavy but a month or so having it 8 to 10hrs a day…. you wont notice its there anymore.. 5000 + rounds have left the barrel without a hitch. Magtech were most accurate at 2″ handheld at 25 yards. THAT you can bet your life on. The 1911 is one of the most intimidating handgun thereis… plastic guns look like toys. hahaha… however, one has to be a pro or had enough training on 1911s… this is my 4th 1911 so far. the first was a 1916 era pistol with four digits, the second a remington rand WWII, next was a series 80 stainless colt…..but the Taurus was tops..
To the Guys of Taurus… long live and congratulations. YOu have made many gun enthusiast happy…..For “Doubting Tomases”…Hold on to your ears.. check out one,.. on the Stainless side… then no Cock will crow…
More Power Taurus….
I purchased my PT1911 SS about 18 months ago. All that I can say is it’s a beautiful piece, shoots everytime that I pull the trigger and hits exactly where it’s pointed. I honestly don’t know what more you could ask of a pistol or any other weapon. Would I bet my life on it? You bet I would without hesitation. At this point, I’ve gone through approximately 1,000 rounds without a single problem. I have shot wad cutters, cheap ammo, defensive hollowpoints, reloads, you name it and it doesn’t know the difference. If I had $1,200 to spend on a 1911, what would I buy. A Taurus PT1911 and pocket the difference. After all, perfection can’t be improved on………….Long live Taurus!!!
Bought my PT 1911 AR yesterday at the gun show. $560 after tax. Didnt like the grip well enough so I bought Pachmayr grips, 500 rd. of reloaded crap, very accurate even at 80-90 yards with the crap shells. Put 300 rounds through it, at the end it finally slipped up once (alot of carbon residue) having the shell not feed all the way in. Thats it. easily customizable. The grip didnt fit with the left handed safety (not needed at all) popped it right out of there. Very Happy!
I’ve had quite a few handguns (with a tendency towards polymer) and absolutely love my Springfield XD45–shoots great despite what feels like a crappy trigger–but really wanted a classic government model 1911. I ALMOST bought a Kimber for nearly twice the money but, after handling the two guns, I just couldn’t pass on a SS Taurus with gold accents and white pearlite grips for $650. Right out of the box, the thing shoots accurately (I’ve grow to really like the Heine sights) and reliably–at least a thousand rounds without any problem. I liked the gun so much, I bought another SS one (used) for my son, which behaves exactly like mine after hundreds of rounds. My daughter loved mine so much she had to have it, and I replaced it with yet another more manly SS one which shoots just as good. The triggers are absolutely awesome on our guns, but I did pass on a couple in the store that I thought had a bit of stacking. While I find them very good-looking guns, there are minor aesthetic machining details that are rougher than more expensive guns but well hidden. My son and I have added Hogue grips that allow us to really clamp on. If you can’t tell, I highly recommend the 1911. As for the PT145s I own, the verdict is still out, but that’s another story…
i have an pt-1911 ar and have handled kimbers a springfields right next to it, and i have to say “‘ll keep and stand by my taurus, thank you. it feels solid, shoots awesome, and was NOT overpriced for namesake
I’ve had my PT1911 for about 6 months now. I’ve had it at the range once, it shot pretty well. However, in that time, one of the screws that holds the grips on has fallen out, and there is a good bit of rust on the lower receiver. It lives in a safe, next to a 30 year old Star PD, and a Beretta Tomcat that I bought used. Neither of these guns have any rust. So that tells you something about the quality of the Taurus. Imagine how bad it might be if I carried it on a daily basis. Also, the trigger has some side to side play in it. If I had noticed that in the gun store, I would have passed on it. I would not recommend the Taurus to anyone, and I’ll never buy another one of their products. I’m gonna trade it in on a Glock 30 soon.
I have the Taurus PT 1911 and i love it. Man i can Hit anything u put out in front of me and not a jam yet. The only thing that i dont like about my PT1911 is the sights on it but its still a flat shot. Its a great gun. Jim How can u honestly compare a Glock to a Kimber thats like comparing a the Patriots to the Raiders. That shows a lot of dissrespect to kimber. Ill Stick to Taurus over many guns especially a Glock.
Well, after the safety issue (see my July 6, 09 comment), I finally got to the range again. This time the front sight lossened and shifted right. Suddenly I was shooting 6 inches to the left!
This was the second time the sight loosened and when I got the gun home, I cleaned it and sighted-in with my laser bore sight. By the time I could torque the lock screw adequately, the sight was lifting off the slide so far the gun would obviously shoot low. So ANOTHER call to Taurus.
At first, they tried to tell me the sights were out of warrantee as the gun was two years old. I bought it “as new” this year and they agreed to cover it. But they warned me I might have to accept conventional sights, as the nite sights were indefinitely unavailable. I reluctantly agreed.
Well, only five weeks this time and the gun came back with a new slide. And with nite sights. Went to the range a few days ago and rattled off ’bout a hundred-fifty rounds without a hitch. I have to say when this gun works, it REALLY “WORKS” !!!
I was skeptical of the MIM (metal injection molded) parts in this gun. I have since learned even my Kimber has MIMed parts in it.
Is this gun a “keeper” or a “throw-back”? Well, the jury is STILL out, but leaning toward……………..KEEPER ! Truth be said, in spite of my frustrations, the vast majority of Taurus owners never have a complaint and I’m hoping all the bugs are outta mine by now !!!!
id like to comment on the others who have BAD REVIEW ON the pt1911, you have to know your pistol first……master it care for it. thats a thing with shooters. you must become adaptive to the environment that you use your weapon with.
i can say with proper training or basic knowledge it should follow with the performance of your pistol.
its like a baby that needs to be cared for from time to time.
this pistol has been by my side already for quite sometime. weight is fine and even the recoil. easy to master as your first 1911 model pistol.
something worthy of a bringing on a gunfight. AND THATS THE BOTTOM LINE
I know my Taurus well. Have and will continue to “nurture” it. But can’t trust it with my life. It has a tendency to “go to pieces” when I need it to “keep it together”.
I have other “babies” that have responded much more favorably to their nurturing. They are my carry/defense weapons. The Taurus has been demoted to “range toy”.