Mrdwayne0405 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 So, I see all kinds of posts about STI and all kinds of big money guns, but never anything about Taurus... Is this a dirty word? They have a lifetime warranty and all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodownzero Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 No amount of warranty makes up for the terrible fit and cheap parts. They're so poorly fit that it's somewhat unbelievable that they're even safe to shoot. The last time this question was asked, my response was something like "complete trash," to which the others somewhat disagreed. I don't own any very expensive 1911s, but I would not buy a Taurus at any price level; they're just that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrdwayne0405 Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Interesting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
technetium-99m Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Mine had the ejector, thumb safety, and front sight break off. The grip safety didn't work either. At the price point there are better buys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acekc Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Chalk me up as a happy PT1911 owner. I haven't shot the thing a huge amount but I've never had any issues at all. I love the trigger and the gun is very accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scffacenter1 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I bought a 9mm 1911 from taurus and though it had a few things that I did not like, it is very accurate compared to my springfield GI and loaded. I like the loaded better because of certain features (sights mostly) but for the money I have been very happy. I fit a new bushing (had to buy oversized) dropped the main spring as well as recoil spring weights (personal prefrence) Besides the first 2 or 3 magazine loads having a few malfunctions this pistol has been flawless. I have ran between 3 and 4 thousand rounds through since then without even a SINGLE hiccup. Ammo dosent seem to matter, nor diff. magazine brands. I do not reload and only shoot factory ammo. I know you get what you pay for and the finish on these guns is nothing to be proud of. Some of mine is rubbing off from dry fire practice. As for the comments about loose fit and that not being safe, I think this is total bull. One of my fathers 1911 pistols (old army issue, and reissued and then recieved by him) rattles like crazy if you shake it, but I wouldn't want him shooting it at me and it has no dependability issues. The fit on mine is nothing to right home about and since I fit a new barrel bushing the accuracy has been great. Only thing about mine that really dissapointed me is that the sight cuts are not the same as any other pistols or sights on the market. Long story for these points: You get what you pay for. Not all of us can afford 2k dollar 1911's No one expects these guns to perform like $2k guns. They are still a good gun for the money. I think the STI spartan is the only gun in around the same price range that compares with the pt1911 and I chose the taurus because I wanted a ramped barrel in 9mm. Just my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodownzero Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) I think the STI spartan is the only gun in around the same price range that compares with the pt1911 and I chose the taurus because I wanted a ramped barrel in 9mm. The Taurus also has its frontstrap checkered, which is a very nice feature. I don't care for the profile of its fronstrap, though, which is squared to the point of feeling like a 2x4 in the hand (I have smaller hands). The ramped barrel in 9mm is a nice feature. I have the Spartan in 9mm and I'd rather run it with grip tape and find a load that feeds in it with good mags than deal with a Taurus. The Taurus really does offer a very nice bundle of features for the $$$. It's really too bad that the rest of it is such a mess. I'm running grip tape and round nose bullets in my 9mm Spartan with a lot of success. If it were checkered and had a ramped barrel, I think it'd be just about perfect. Edited January 23, 2012 by twodownzero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbbean Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 So, I see all kinds of posts about STI and all kinds of big money guns, but never anything about Taurus... Is this a dirty word? They have a lifetime warranty and all... There's a reason you see all the posts about STI, Springfield, et al and so few about Taurus. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Garbage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 If you're looking to buy a .45 1911 on a budget, the Metroarms American Classic is really tough to beat. Better fit and finish than a Spartan or any of the other Armscor products (which are actually pretty decent in their own right), and cheaper to boot! I'm fortunate to have a bunch of nice 1911s, but my American Classic that I bought on a whim for $340 performs amazingly well, and I would not hesitate for a second to shoot it at a major match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob DuBois Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 With Mike on this one 100%, friend bought an American Classic by Metro Arms over a year ago. Barrel marks where it should, good lock up, ran 100% with several types of ammo and magazines. Sharp, clear sights but would like to see one with adjustable sights. Good Gun at a low price worth more than they ask for it. On a low budget, check Metro Arms American Classic on Gun Broker. Seen a few Taurus 1911's apart and rank them on the bottom by far, think the proper word is junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 With Mike on this one 100%, friend bought an American Classic by Metro Arms over a year ago. Barrel marks where it should, good lock up, ran 100% with several types of ammo and magazines. Sharp, clear sights but would like to see one with adjustable sights. Good Gun at a low price worth more than they ask for it. On a low budget, check Metro Arms American Classic on Gun Broker. They make an upgraded version called the American Classic Trophy, which has an adjustable rear sight and FO front. The rear sight is the style that fits in the Novak cut--the same unit sold by Caspian and Dawson and STI. I think that sight is actually made by Champion, but I might be wrong on that. I would much prefer a Bo-Mar pattern rear sight, but this one is functional and gives a decent sight picture. By coincidence, before they brought out the Trophy, I installed the exact same sight on my blue American Classic. The hard-chrome Trophy is a really nice gun. Dealer cost runs around $500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkheard Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 There are good and bad stories about the PT1911. If you look hard enough, you'll find the same about almost any other product. For those that are claiming the PT1911 is "trash" or "garbage", please remember that it may just be what one of your colleagues is using. I'm sure you wouldn't take kindly to someone say the same about your blaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DyNo! Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I have one in 9mm that works great. I use it for USPSA fun matches and all I had to replace was the safety well plunger assembly. Once I cleaned it up and dropped lighter springs in it, it felt like a $1,000 gun. The finish is crappy but I spent $500 to beat up on it and it is holding up fine. Shoots fist sized groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowShooter Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) I've got a Taurus Pt 1911 Stainless in 9mm. It's Not perfect, not fancy, but a workable firearm. Yes fit and finish is rough. Had some hiccups when i first got it: Somehow mine came with too strong of a recoil spring (like a 38 super recoil spring by accident?) so i swapped-around recoil spring until I found the correct weight spring to make it run. I had to sand-down some burrs inside the frame that were preventing the mags from dropping-free. Then I discovered I needed a slightly hotter load to get it to cycle properly ( can't run it on min PF). The PT 1911 is my first and only 1911 style pistol, and I am a novice to the shooting sports. So, I don't know if all this run-around and experimentation is normal for the 1911 family or if this was specific to the Taurus. After that, now it runs fine. I run it occasionally but it is not my primary competition gun. I normally run M&P, which is not picky, but my Pt 1911 is Picky about certain ammo loadings. Edited January 23, 2012 by SlowShooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrdwayne0405 Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 I have been. Carrying a pt1911 in .45 as my primary concealed carry gun for a while. I haven't had any issues at the range, I mean, I know it's not a super awesome competition gun, but garbage is not necessarily the word I would use. To each his own I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Springer Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Be prepared to hear what you don't want to hear when you ask for an opinion. So here's mine. I don't have a ton of money and usually have to save for what I want. Because of this I have learned not to buy on price. Is Taurus a servicable brand? Maybe. I'm not willing to find out with my dollar though. While I'm not one of the few making money off this sport my little local matches are just as important to me and I don't want my gun taking a dump because I wanted to skimp. No way in HELL I'm trusting my life to it. How many rounds have you put through your gun? Be honest now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunshineST Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 (edited) My minimum on a carry gun is 300 rounds without failure, but I'll usually try to put 500 through before trusting my life to a sidearm. My ranger 2 has 700 through it now with not a single stoppage, so I trust it. Some issues will ruin your match, but don't let the same issues ruin your life. If you simply cannot afford a reliable 1911, buy a glock or kahr and carry that... In the end, Taurus isn't a dirty word, but keep in mind you posted that question on a forum geared towards competitive shooters, not average Joe gun buyer. Reliability has to be there, constantly, or "gun maker / brand / model" won't get talked about here. I'm glad your gun works for you, with what you want it to be able to do, though...but I don't think you'll find a critical mass of shooters here buying pt1911's and racing them. Edited January 24, 2012 by GunshineST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 There are good and bad stories about the PT1911. If you look hard enough, you'll find the same about almost any other product. For those that are claiming the PT1911 is "trash" or "garbage", please remember that it may just be what one of your colleagues is using. I'm sure you wouldn't take kindly to someone say the same about your blaster. Hi TK, I apologize for offending you. I didn't mean to come off as elitist or chauvinistic. The fact is that a business cannot have a GOOD AND BAD for true longevity. Taurus has quality control issues which need to be addressed. A product must be well made, well marketed, and customer service must be excellent in order to be in business for the long run. I have heard nightmares about the Taurus product line including the PT1911 and I would never recommend their product to anyone. For the price you can be on par with something much more. Remember a lifetime warranty is only as good as the LIFETIME of a corporation. And in the famous words of Chris Farley " All it is like is buying a guaranteed P.O.S.!!!!" Thanks and I apologize once again for saying it was garbage. I just don't find the PT1911 a value due to it's lackluster quality. Robby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snake32 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 i have a pt1911 in 45 acp that i bought new. i have about 6k rounds through the gun without a problem. i have changed all springs and done some polishing. it will feed any 45acp ammo i put in it which is more than i can say about some of the higher end 1911's on the market. its a great buy for the money just remember that you get what you pay for. it doesnt feel like my custom open gun but what 1911 does. from what i have seen you either get a good one or you get junk. i guess i got lucky and got a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cy Soto Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 ...but never anything about Taurus... Is this a dirty word? They have a lifetime warranty and all... I should begin by saying that I do not own one so anything I say here is not from personal experience. I do know a few folks that have them and they all seem to be happy with their purchase. It seems like when they were first released the pistols had a lot of sharp edges but the newer models I have handled look to have been debured at the factory. The slide to frame fit is nowhere near as tight as a Les Baer (I have never understood why they need to make them so tight anyway) but they are not sloppy either. The barrels have always been tight but I probably would consider changing the barrel bushing soon after I got one. Overall they are a good "project gun" and a really good buy for the money. Personally, I would purchase a Taurus 1911 rather than forking out the money for a S&W 1911 or even a Sig 1911. Nothing wrong with these two models but they don't seem to be much better than a Taurus and they cost much more. In that price range I would also consider a Ruger SR1911 (if you can find one). In fact, I think that the Ruger is a bit better than the Taurus but there are not enough of them out there to really know how they will stack up to other 1911's in the same price bracket. Whatever you do, avoid the Rock Island Armory (RIA) 1911 like the plague. The only other 1911 that I think is worse than an RIA is the Charles Daly 1911 but, since those are not currently being manufactured, odds are that you won't see many of them in the market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTD Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I'm gonna steal a quote from some one else but I'd crawl over a mountain of pt1911's to get to a RIA tactical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodownzero Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 In fact, I think that the Ruger is a bit better than the Taurus but there are not enough of them out there to really know how they will stack up to other 1911's in the same price bracket. A 100% made in USA product is a "bit better" than a Taurus? I'm sorry man, while reasonable people can disagree, this is just so far from the beaten path that I just cannot agree, at all. I know of no product of which the American-manufactured product is inferior to a foreign-made one. The American worker cannot compete on price, but there should be zero doubt that a US-made product is superior in every imaginable way to that which is made overseas, except price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landshark45 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 A PT 1911 was my first 1911 got it when I was 17. I was for shure on a budget. I dont agree that it is garbage and I actually feel that It is a great gun. Not by any means the best but a good one. I ran over 7k through it before I got a Sig TacOps this past year. Never had any problems with it and it ran like a champ. Again not the best gun out there but def not a bad one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckaroo45 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Bouight my stainless PT1911 w/ Geo W's $600 kickback. Once I got the better mags I've never looked back. Feeds everything I feed it and more accurate than I can run it. Don't have a clue what those above are talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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