johnny1gun Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 (edited) So I was at the range today to practice,and there were a few people up there getting ready for 1911 centennial shoot.It was a dream.I got to shoot a plethora of 1911's. STI,Wilson Combat,Smith & Wesson,and Taurus.I have to tell you that Taurus shot just as good as any of them.The topic was brought up that Taurus makes frames,and slides for Smith & Wesson.Does anyone know this to be true?That Taurus sure raised my eyebrows! Edited April 10, 2011 by johnny1gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddje Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I've heard (and seen) good things about those Taurus 1911's. Not sure I'm aware of anyone putting 10k rounds/year through one, but then again I think they come with a lifetime warranty...? Smith and Wesson buying their parts from Taurus? That would be ironic, since Taurus has been "borrowing heavily" from S&W designs for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny1gun Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 (edited) I've heard (and seen) good things about those Taurus 1911's. Not sure I'm aware of anyone putting 10k rounds/year through one, but then again I think they come with a lifetime warranty...? Smith and Wesson buying their parts from Taurus? That would be ironic, since Taurus has been "borrowing heavily" from S&W designs for years. I personally have a hard time believing it myself,but thats how rumers get started. Edited April 10, 2011 by johnny1gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMH Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I could be wrong but from my understanding Forjas Taurus in Brazil was built by Beretta. When the contract ran out sometime in the late 80's early 90's they were allowed to keep the machinery and started up production of their own. Early models were clones of existing designs but obviously they've come up with several big sellers of their own lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipscjoe Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 My brother in law bought a Taurus in 45........I have to admit I'm a bit of a gun snob when It comes to pistols.....I shoot STI's and custom built open guns..........but in all honesty his is a dog on the inside....burrs everywhere, poorly fit everything, etc.........If they shoot good it's a miracle..... I seriously doubt there is any truth to that rumor.... my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pro-Pain Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I've heard (and seen) good things about those Taurus 1911's. Not sure I'm aware of anyone putting 10k rounds/year through one, but then again I think they come with a lifetime warranty...? Smith and Wesson buying their parts from Taurus? That would be ironic, since Taurus has been "borrowing heavily" from S&W designs for years. True. I had a PT145 super subcompact 45. Terrible to shoot and even worse to break down to clean. Ended up ripping a little piece of metal ear off and gun would not run. (I guess there's a conversation for tolerances there, was literally 1.5mm long). Took it to the FFL I bought it from, they sent it back in a week or two good as new. I could be wrong but from my understanding Forjas Taurus in Brazil was built by Beretta. When the contract ran out sometime in the late 80's early 90's they were allowed to keep the machinery and started up production of their own. Early models were clones of existing designs but obviously they've come up with several big sellers of their own lately. Also true. Look at a Taurus 92/99 or 100/101 and compare it with a Beretta 92 or 96. Without barrel markings you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. Had a shooting buddy say the parts were interchangeable, but I never went that far. My brother in law bought a Taurus in 45........I have to admit I'm a bit of a gun snob when It comes to pistols.....I shoot STI's and custom built open guns..........but in all honesty his is a dog on the inside....burrs everywhere, poorly fit everything, etc.........If they shoot good it's a miracle.....I seriously doubt there is any truth to that rumor....my .02 There was a Gun Tests magazine out a few years ago that put Taurus's (what's the plural, Taurusii?) new 1911 versus 2 other ones. I don't remember, but I want to say a Colt and a Springfield. Not much of a comparison, I know, but the Taurus ran very low. I want to say out of 10, taurus got a 4 or 5 something, and the other 2 were 8 or 9. If you're seriously debating one, I'd try to dig up that old mag and see what it says. Gun Tests is a pretty straight forward, no nonsense magazine IMHO, I think they call it pretty close to how they see it and aren't swayed by demo's. Personally I've never tried one, but for the price have debated long and hard. If you do let me know! Another Idea would be to look at the entry STI's, either a Spartan or a Trojan. That, or I've seen good things from Armscorp/RIA. Nice entry price and you can replace the essentials without having to take out a second mortgage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 (edited) The old saying comes to mind.... You get what you pay for.... Edited April 10, 2011 by GrumpyOne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddje Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 The old saying comes to mind.... You get what you pay for.... Absolutely. Let me clarify a bit - I was certainly not trying to say that the $600 Taurus was equal to any of the custom-built 1911's. I also don't think anyone is going to think that a $600 gun has the same level of craftsmanship as a mid-to-upper level STI (for example). I was simply saying I've seen folks use them in some local IDPA matches without incident. (That is to say, when they were in my squad, the pistol ran fine.) I've also shot one myself briefly and it seemed to have OK accuracy and didn't hiccup on Win White Box ammo. It is what it is - a $600 1911 that seems to run pretty OK for folks who shoot at the local level. I think it would do fine as a first 1911 for someone to use in IDPA, or USPSA single stack, for example. Incidentally, they also come with a special feature: a "lighted" trigger. I'm not sure what that is, but it's listed here under the "Features" tab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny1gun Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 I have herd the same thing about the internals not haveing a good finnish.I think some one needs to run one for 20,000 without a problem befor I would really be serious about buying one.In that price range I would get a STI Spartian First. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skdmrklcy Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I had an early one a few years back. It ran fine never had a problem but the frame just wasn't cut right or something it felt like a brick. The internals on mine were clean, but the entire thing was not done well as far as machining goes. I think for the money they have much better options available. They may not have all the gadgets Taurus advertises but it is all stuff you are better off adding if you want it later. I got mine on a whim and it ran great, I sold it to fund who knows what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sperman Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I started shooting USPSA with a Taurus 1911. The finish isn't great, and the fit is very loose. Despite that, the gun is a tack driver, and has been 100% reliable. Either I got lucky or their product is better than most people are willing to give them credit for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dskinsler83 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I started shooting USPSA with a Taurus 1911. The finish isn't great, and the fit is very loose. Despite that, the gun is a tack driver, and has been 100% reliable. Either I got lucky or their product is better than most people are willing to give them credit for. Well I have to say AMEN. Mine has never had a problem! Finish is wearing pretty quick but wow the thingbis accurate the barrel lock up is perfect and just enough slide play to be reliable. Sti followed suite with thier Spartan and it's a cast frame! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Ho Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I'm a big fan of Taurus. I have owned a couple and I certainly wouldn't put them head to head with any top end guns. They build guns that work. They have good customer service. They build guns for a good price and good value. If I was used to driving a Bugatti I would probably look down on a Ford. But the Ford runs just fine. Here in the Benoverse we probably have a slightly different definition of a 'good gun' than the rest of the world. my $.025 J-Ho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETexPops Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Glad to know there are at least a few of us that have had good luck with the Taurus. I didn't get mine for competition but rather just a range gun. Decided to shoot it in an IDPA match or two and wound up shooting it pretty often after seeing it would preform. Kinda makes it better when I outshoot Kimbers and SA's on occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GForceLizard Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GlMGVYl4wY&feature=relmfu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpookyPistolero Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GlMGVYl4wY&feature=relmfu Well, if Nutnfancy likes it! Oh wait. That's some great form at 28 seconds. Then some re-gripping with every shot during the ~50 second scene. Also dig the new & barely used ninja gear. [/rantoff] Re: the Taurus - I'd avoid the brand overall just due to their crappy customer service (based on numerous and consistent reviews from unhappy customers available on several forums). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G34 CORDY Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 My buddy has one and it is the most unreliable gun I have shot. He bought ever mag known to man and it would still nose dive every mag. I personally would not own one but would buy a springer instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snake32 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 i have about 7k through my taurus pt1911. runs great. i have not changed any internal parts but i did do alot of polishing on it. best gun i ever bought for the money. dont get me wrong its not near the quality of my trip race gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G34 CORDY Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I almost bought one at the time because they were cheaper but he polished his inside and out and still nose dives I guess he just has a bad one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Taurus's (what's the plural, Taurusii?) Tauri. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snake32 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 (edited) all i shoot in mine is 200gr lswc. nose diveing sounds more like a mag problem to me. my chip mccormic mags work great in mine.my dad bought one and is useing the same brand mags as me without any issue. i also did some polishing on his.almost forgot i did change the recoil spring to a 14lb. Edited April 14, 2011 by snake32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G34 CORDY Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 He has tried every mag maker there is with the same result. I told him to send it back to the factory to get it looked at Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Tompkins Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 i have about 7k through my taurus pt1911. runs great. i have not changed any internal parts but i did do alot of polishing on it. best gun i ever bought for the money. dont get me wrong its not near the quality of my trip race gun. I've got ~ 5k rounds through mine, its a SS without a light rail. Used it for IDPA CDP for over a year (then moved to SSP). When I changed the MSH to a S&A with a mag well I disturbed the ambi safety which then would work lose every few hundred rounds. Replaced it with a single sided safety. Other then that it was great until just recently when the extractor started to loosen up and causing a lot of issues. Replaced it with Cylinder & Slide extractor made from spring steel and has been perfect since then. My conclusion is the PT1911 is a good buy and provides a big, strong value. While not all the parts are of premium quality they are quite serviceable for most users. I've been very happy with mine, its delivered more value then I expected. IMHO, a $450 - $600 1911 can be a good or even a great value but if you expect it to be same as a $1200 - $2000 gun you're going to be disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark K Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I recently bought one with a light rail, most for my Truck Gun. What shooting I have done with it,has been good, with a variety of mags. My main complaint is that it does not have an adjustable rear sight, nor have been able to find an aftermarket one for it. Mark K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Tompkins Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I recently bought one with a light rail, most for my Truck Gun. What shooting I have done with it,has been good, with a variety of mags. My main complaint is that it does not have an adjustable rear sight, nor have been able to find an aftermarket one for it. Mark K An interweb rumor I've hard says Novak has one but you must call - not on the web page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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