Taurus Pt1911 .45 Acp

[bdo]

I've been kind of flamed on another board for posting a favorable opinion on this pistol. I got responses of, "I'd never bet my life on cheap junk!" to, "My TRP is better."

Yeah, I read your posts over at ARFCOM and some of those guys are just ignorant. Just like that guy complaining about the whole made in Brazil thing.

[Bruce]

Looks like the extractor is shaped sorta weird.

The prices should be coming down once the initial flurry is over. Dealer pricing on this piece is under $400. Looks like a helluva deal to me!

Dealer price has been sneaking up a bit. It was at the $399 level, now seems to be in the $429-just under $450 range at Zanders and Jerry's Sport Center, but neither has them in stock. It will be in 9mm, .38 super, .40 and .45.

I will have to get one in .38 super, just because

[Irishlad]

If they continue to work as well as the reviews I'm reading, and at those prices, I suspect they will have a hard time filling orders with just the two models they have, let alone different barrel lengths and calibers.

[Tokarev]

Looks like the extractor is shaped sorta weird.

The prices should be coming down once the initial flurry is over. Dealer pricing on this piece is under $400. Looks like a helluva deal to me!

Dealer price has been sneaking up a bit. It was at the $399 level, now seems to be in the $429-just under $450 range at Zanders and Jerry's Sport Center, but neither has them in stock. It will be in 9mm, .38 super, .40 and .45.

I will have to get one in .38 super, just because

I doubt these guns will go down in price even after the "newness" wears off.

I've been kind of flamed on another board for posting a favorable opinion on this pistol. I got responses of, "I'd never bet my life on cheap junk!" to, "My TRP is better."

Yeah, I read your posts over at ARFCOM and some of those guys are just ignorant. Just like that guy complaining about the whole made in Brazil thing.

Actually most of the "gun snobbery" has taken place on 10-8 fourms.

[Eager]

How do you like the 30 lpi checkering on the front strap. If it's good, that would be a good (and normally expensive) feature.

[Tokarev]

How do you like the 30 lpi checkering on the front strap. If it's good, that would be a good (and normally expensive) feature.

Taurus' checkering is functional but a kind of crude. It looks like it was done by a kid in shop class. Taurus ran the checkering file across the front strap horizontally but only ran the vertical lines across to the width of the lip cutout on the frame. It's really not bad but it does look different. Also, they kind of ran an extra line on the checkering on the bottom of the trigger guard.

Some people will tell you that 30 lpi checkering is purely cosmetic but I kind of like it. It does improve traction but it's not as hard on my delicate fingers as 20 lpi.

I'm still pleased with this gun. I usually don't stay so positive for so long when it comes to new gun purchases...

[jasmap]

He's not joking. He never stays this positive for this long. It really says something.

Edited August 9, 2006 by jasmap

[Harmon]

how many parts interchange with regular 1911s?

Harmon

[Jaxshooter]

Was talking to a friend who is a gunsmith today. He just got thru working on a Taurus 1911 and said to stay away from them. In his opinion they are junk. Just passing along what I heard.

[Eager]

Was talking to a friend who is a gunsmith today. He just got thru working on a Taurus 1911 and said to stay away from them. In his opinion they are junk. Just passing along what I heard.

If he is your friend, could you get some details as to what he doesn't like. Otherwise this opinion is sort of...worthless.

Edited September 1, 2006 by Eager

[Tokarev]

Richard Heinie said the Taurus was good. But what does he know?

[hitman]

Ive had one in my shop for a trigger job and mag well instilation, while I didnt speck all the parts everything looks interchangable.

While some part looked to be made on the cheap side I was able to get a 4.5 lb trigger with no problem or parts changing.

If it was mine I would have replaced most of the springs and internals but I like TI and SS guts.

Blue 45APC.

[Tokarev]

I haven't been doing much with my Taurus as of late because I recently got my STI Trojan back from Tripp Research and it has been getting most of my attention.

I did ask one of my friends, who also bought a PT1911, how his is holding up. He's been shooting it fairly regularly for the last few months and still reports no problems.

Anybody think Taurus will join Springfield in sponsoring the Single Stack Nat's? Okay, I'm getting a little carried away...

[cking]

Got two in that went right out the door. Fit and finish was good. One went straight to range and function all afternoon without any problems. Trigger pull was good for out of box gun.

[Joe D]

Went to a shop yesterday with intentions of buying one of these. I took one apart and looked closely at the parts. IMO it is not in the same class as a Kimber. Slide to frame fit was not that good and the barrel did not come close to having a positive lock up with the slide. I would rate the gun between a Springfield Loaded and a Charles Daly/RIA. Hmmmm that's about where it is priced.

As I was walking out I heard something calling my name. In the used section there was a Glock 35 that looked to have had maybe 50 rounds through it. Still had the copper grease on the slide rails. It was pretty obvious why it was there. The rear sight was jacked all the way to the right. Owner must have had a nice low left group when he fired it. Moved the sight to the center when I got home. Fired 3 rounds in my 25 yd basement range at a 2" Shoot-N-See. First 2 were touching dead center, last one was 1" away from them. Cost? Way less than the Taurus.

It is now sleeping peacefully (after it's 1 1/4 lb. trigger operation) in the safe with it's Glock brothers. I have found that I must keep the Glocks and 1911s on different shelves or I will hear them arguing at night.

[Tokarev]

I took one apart and looked closely at the parts. IMO it is not in the same class as a Kimber.

What difference does that make? The Taurus isn't in the same class as the Les Baer Premier II but that doesn't mean the Taurus isn't a good shooter.

There's a similar "snobbish" attitude being presented by some board members over on Merlin Orr's thread about his new STI Spartan. Seems some guys just refuse to accept that a 1911 doesn't have to run $1,000+ to be worth owning.

The fact remains that the shooters who own Taurus 1911's are happy. One of the guys I shoot with has well over 1,000 rounds through his pistol without a single malfunction. In fact he used it last weekend when he found his Kimber didn't like his new 200 SWC load. Guess what? The Taurus ran like a top with the new load.

To each his own, I guess...

[Signcutter]

The entry level 1911's my not have a final finish or checkering to match the Kimber's and such. Mechanically, the guns I have seen run as well as any kimber or Springfield that I own or have seen.

On the other hand, I have seen Trophy match pistols that looked good but trigger and slide fit were totally unsatisfactory. Obviously, this is not indictive of all Springers.

I am currently campaigning in Single Stack division. I use or have used: Les Baer, Springer, Colt, and Armscor. Some look better than others, some are a bit more accurate than others but I like them all and they all work.

[Joe D]

Tok, one thing you don't know about me is I am all about cheap. I shot a Charles Daly for a year in IDPA against the high dollar Wilsons, Les Baers and the like - usually won. My friends would laugh at your statement that implies I am "snobbish" when it comes to guns. If you have read any of my posts that would be pretty clear.

I have worked on and built hundreds of 1911s over the years. It became pretty evident to me years ago that Kimber was the benchmark that all non-custom/high volume 1911s should be judged against. The one thing that separates Kimber from all the rest is they figured out how to get a positive barrel to slide lockup in a mass produced 1911.

You do know what I am referring to I hope. If not I can list several publications you can read to help you get a clear understanding as to how a 1911 works.

Just about any cheap 1911 is perfectly suitable for IDPA/IPSC as long as it runs. Any 1911 can be made to run with little effort. The target we shoot is huge. We are not shooting Bullseye. If it will group anywhere close to 3" at 25 yds that's good enough.

IMO the Taurus, Spartan and RIA Tactical are priced pretty well as to their quality and value. I would rank them as follows - RIA, Taurus then Spartan. Guess what that's how they are priced.

Would I ever even consider buying a Les Baer or the like? Maybe when pigs fly. It's like one of my shooting buds said a couple of years ago. "If I had know about Kimber I would have never bought these Les Baers".

Kimbers are not perfect. However, of the six that I have owned or still own all would group under 1 1/2" at 25 yds and functioned flawlessly.

[Tokarev]

Tok, one thing you don't know about me is I am all about cheap. I shot a Charles Daly for a year in IDPA against the high dollar Wilsons, Les Baers and the like - usually won. My friends would laugh at your statement that implies I am "snobbish" when it comes to guns. If you have read any of my posts that would be pretty clear.

I have worked on and built hundreds of 1911s over the years. It became pretty evident to me years ago that Kimber was the benchmark that all non-custom/high volume 1911s should be judged against. The one thing that separates Kimber from all the rest is they figured out how to get a positive barrel to slide lockup in a mass produced 1911.

You do know what I am referring to I hope. If not I can list several publications you can read to help you get a clear understanding as to how a 1911 works.

Just about any cheap 1911 is perfectly suitable for IDPA/IPSC as long as it runs. Any 1911 can be made to run with little effort. The target we shoot is huge. We are not shooting Bullseye. If it will group anywhere close to 3" at 25 yds that's good enough.

IMO the Taurus, Spartan and RIA Tactical are priced pretty well as to their quality and value. I would rank them as follows - RIA, Taurus then Spartan. Guess what that's how they are priced.

Would I ever even consider buying a Les Baer or the like? Maybe when pigs fly. It's like one of my shooting buds said a couple of years ago. "If I had know about Kimber I would have never bought these Les Baers".

Kimbers are not perfect. However, of the six that I have owned or still own all would group under 1 1/2" at 25 yds and functioned flawlessly.

Thanks for the reply, Joe D.

I understand about being "cheap" when it comes to 1911's. I've got a variety of guns that include inexpensive factory stuff and a couple complete builds that cost the price of a decent used car. You do get more gun when you spend more money but there's a point of diminishing returns. Does a $1,700 CQB really shoot any better or have parts that are superior to a $1,400 Baer? Not really. Will a $350 Rock Island kill a bad guy as dead as a $4,000 Heinie gun? Of course. We're dealing with 100 year old technology and there are no design engineers or patents to worry about.

I guess I'm just touchy, as I have been flamed on a couple boards for saying that the Taurus is a good gun for the money. From the three or four Tauri I've looked over and/or shot, they all seem to exhibit the same level of craftsmanship. All the people I've talked to who own one have nothing but positive things to say. Even Richard Heinie is reported to be fond of the Taurus. But maybe that's just because they used his sights...

[Joe D]

I agree the Taurus is a good gun for the money. I guess I had kind of set myself up for a let down. My wife says one of my major character flaws is I research things to death. I went to the gun shop thinking I was going to find a super tight, perfect finish 1911 for $450. I am all about cheap. Maybe the one they had was not as tight as others. The slide was pretty loose.

There was another customer looking at 1911s while I was there. He asked me why a Kimber was worth $275 more. I took the Kimber apart and showed him the differences in the two guns.

Most folks will shoot either gun about the same. I may just get one of the Spartans.

Listen, I get flamed all the time. I see folks get caught up in the new gun feeding frenzy. I try to point out the flaws I see in some of these new offerings. That is perceived by some as being negative.