Taurus PT1911, feasible 1911 for defense?

SW-Shooter · #1 11-23-09, 17:03

Why the hatred? I've heard of finish, and hammer follow issues but don't other manufacturers 1911 style firearms have their(or had) problems from time to time?

Aside from all of the Taurus bashing, why do you consider this 1911 a no go? Please provide some substantiation. Please don't post the typical Taurus bashing rhetoric.

I've not heard of one instance of a 1911 KB from this model.

ETA: I understand this is a low price point 1911, and will not compete with a 2K 1911.

lil'Zeus · #2 11-23-09, 17:26

I have a good friend with one and have had no problems with it. He also have a Kimber Raptor...both nice guns...

I think PT1911 is a good gun for the money!

kaltblitz · #3 11-23-09, 17:40

I wouldn't trust my life to one.

I've only handled and shot two of them, but based upon the two that I've seen and what I've heard from others they are a fairly roughly assembled hodge-podge of parts.

A guy at my work bought one to carry on duty to prove to us that you didn't have to spend a lot of a quality 1911. The plunger tube and firing pin stop all promptly fell apart within the first 1,500 rounds. He's now back to carrying the issued M&P.

When there are much better options out there in the same price area, like the M&P 45 or Glocks, why bother with a gun of questionable quality?

SW-Shooter · #4 11-23-09, 17:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaltblitz

I wouldn't trust my life to one.

I've only handled and shot two of them, but based upon the two that I've seen and what I've heard from others they are a fairly roughly assembled hodge-podge of parts.

A guy at my work bought one to carry on duty to prove to us that you didn't have to spend a lot of a quality 1911. The plunger tube and firing pin stop all promptly fell apart within the first 1,500 rounds. He's now back to carrying the issued M&P.

When there are much better options out there in the same price area, like the M&P 45 or Glocks, why bother with a gun of questionable quality?

I think by merely not owning one, and shooting one twice this is an unqualified opinion. But thank you for the info about the tube and stop. I'd more likely replace a few parts with Wilson or some other company. I'll await the next post from someone that has more experience behind the trigger of a PT1911.

rubberneck · #5 11-23-09, 19:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by SW-Shooter

I think by merely not owning one, and shooting one twice this is an unqualified opinion. But thank you for the info about the tube and stop. I'd more likely replace a few parts with Wilson or some other company. I'll await the next post from someone that has more experience behind the trigger of a PT1911.

A simple thank you would have been good enough. The guy was trying to help you and you cop an attitude. I was going to give you my $.02 based off one used at a friends range as a rental but I think I can do without the attitude.

dojpros · #6 11-23-09, 20:06

By the time you are finished switching out parts with quality replacements, your
"savings" over a gun with an overall better reputation i.e. Springfield or used Series I Kimber will likely evaporate presuming a new Taurus purchase price of 550 to 600 for a blued gun.

You have already contemplated a new firing pin stop and plunger tube. i suspect since you will have then gun that far apart, you will likely end up replacing the Taurus unique hammer with the key lock built inside of it. This will mean a bit of work to fit it and to get and /or keep a decent trigger job.

Since you are replacing the hammer, you might think about replacing all the other internals with some type of matched set.

I frequent a private board that is populated with the 1911 "gurus of old and some new. The collective universal opinion is the the Taurus 1911 is a good concept that contiues to be marginally executed on its best day.

YMMV greatly

david of vcdgrips.com

FULL DISCLOSURE
I own 2 1911s, both Kimber Series I guns
I have only shot one Taurus 1911. It was a POS.
It has since had 200.00 woth of new parts put it in by a guy who knows a thing or two about 1911s, it is now a marginal gun at best as the good parts only fit/function so so given the outofspectness of the frame, slide etc.

SW-Shooter · #7 11-23-09, 20:15

No disrespect was intended, I'm sorry it came out so bluntly.

MarshallDodge · #8 11-23-09, 20:18

I have never shot one and will not own one because it has a firing pin safety.

I have heard mostly good things about them from the gun shops that I frequent. One of them said that they had their doubts about their reliability but that they have never had one returned.

On the forums you hear about a lot of failures with their small parts and I believe it based on Taurus' reputation.

If you want a 1911 I think there are better choices out there.......

SW-Shooter · #9 11-23-09, 21:13

While I would love to own a better 1911, I cannot afford one. I picked up the Taurus for about the price of a low end condition Glock, Less than $350.00. So I'd like to upgrade it over some time by putting quality parts on it.

I've wanted a 1911 forever, so this is my chance.

I just want an honest review of it, not necessarily an opinion, just the facts.

Can I put good parts on it and make it as good as some of the quality 1911's?

Which parts should I look at replacing first?

I know the frame, slide, and barrel are good to go. I should be able to start by replacing the smaller parts, right?

Thanks

bkb0000 · #10 11-23-09, 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by SW-Shooter

I think by merely not owning one, and shooting one twice this is an unqualified opinion. But thank you for the info about the tube and stop. I'd more likely replace a few parts with Wilson or some other company. I'll await the next post from someone that has more experience behind the trigger of a PT1911.

how much more qualified do you think an opinion on this is going to get?

because of the name and short, bad reputation, there are probably extremely few people on earth who've put high volumes of ammunition through one/some. so you're not likely to get any SME opinions either way.

because people don't use weapons that have problems, you're also not likely to get anything more than "i had one, it broke at X round-count, so i stopped using it."

quality is expensive.. if it's cheap, there's a reason. no manufacturer will produce a quality gun/part and sell it for less than it's worth. thats why all the good gear is expensive, and all the crap gear is cheap. if taurus produced a quality 1911, they would sell it for two to three times the current MSRP.

tacdrivrnc · #11 11-23-09, 21:28

well, my .02...
I've put about 1K rounds through one since I bought it slightly used over a year ago. I have had no problems or breakages. The trigger is nice and smooth, and I have no complaints so far. I have a couple of Taurus 92's, and while the triggers aren't as crisp on those as the Italian Beretta 92 import guns from a couple years ago (I have a pair of them), the quality on the Taurus 92's has been good also. I haven't had any problems with them either.
Now granted, when I carry, I carry a small Glock 26 or 31SF because I have a small frame and the 1911 or FS92's would print like hell, but I have the Taurus' sitting around as home defense guns with tac lights on them, and I'd trust them to solve problems that came through the door.

tex45acp · #12 11-23-09, 21:28

Wow it's amazing just how much the Taurus name causes a decent gun to crash & burn in so many opinions. True there are a bunch of folks that have has bad experiences with them.....but there are just as many....actually more that have had experiences from good to great. I just happen to be in the latter group. I am on my 2nd PT-1911. The first a Christmas gift from me to my younger son, who today has over 5000 rounds through his. I am an old 1911 guy from a long way back so before I bought the gun I detailed stripped it, in front of the gunstore clerk, after I signed a paper stating I would buy it if I could not get it back together without any extra parts laying around.

I visually inspected those parts and compared them to my Wilson Combat CQB. Yes there were a bunch of MIM parts, but the same can be said for some other popular 1911's out there. I was a little disappointed in the tooling marks I found in areas that were not affected by them, just used to not seeing them. The gun came apart and went back together just like it was supposed to. The barrek lock up was as tight as a vault, and there was no more slide looseness than any other non custom 1911 I have owned. I had heard about the front cocking grooves not being even on both sides, that was not the case on this particular gun. It looked and felt like a run of the mill 1911, most certainly not a custom or a semi-custom.....but then I was not paying for one either. The tale of the tape was to be on the range in how it functioned and how accurate it was. Accuracy was on par with either my Kimber TLE II or my Springfield Loaded and there was only one malfunction in 6 different brands of 230gr. ammo. One of my Winchester White Box JHP's split a case and had to be driven out with a wooden dowell. I could not believe that they would stick such a cheap pair of plastic grip panels on such a loaded gun but I was not about to give it to my son with them on. I had a nice set of cocobolo double diamond checkered wood panels I put on the gun. My son still thinks his dear old Dad is the greatest for giving him such a good gun for his first 1911. Well I liked it so mch that I came across the stainless railed version of the same gun and bought it for myself. So far the gun has been great. One complaint I had was the barrel bushing fit to the slide. It was a bit loose for my tastes, so I replaced it with an Ed Brown bushing I fit into place and other that some cosmetic custom changed I made for my own personal touch...it has run like the proverbial Timex watch. Last weekend I was at the range with it again, since I added the magwell and flat bottom grips, and put another 100 rounds through it which comes to a grand total of 750. No problems whatsoever. I truly like this gun and it is doing duty as my home defense weapon with a TRL-2 light/laser mounted on the rail. I have 5 other 1911's that I could also call upon to do so, but this gun is the one that just feels right and keeps proving the naysayers wrong...over & over again.
Is this gun the do all, for all and be all.....not many can claim that, but for the money paid to purchase it......well I got more than my money's worth. One big issue is the Taurus customer service. Barring any frame/slide cracking or some major issue like that, the gun is, for the most part just like any other 1911 out ther so most aftermarket parts are interchangable with it.

tex45acp

SW-Shooter · #13 11-23-09, 21:36

tex,

Exactly the kind of comments I was hoping for, thank you Sir. Keep em coming.

TOrrock · #14 11-23-09, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by SW-Shooter

tex,

Exactly the kind of comments I was hoping for, thank you Sir. Keep em coming.

You're looking for validation on a purchase that you've already made.

I know of no serious smith/1911 guru who has anything positive to say about them. Taurus has a well deserved reputation for putting out crap semi auto pistols, that's just the way it is.

I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just understand that while yes, it is certainly possible to get one that is well put together and reliable, the chances of getting one that isn't is much greater than it should be.

Bantee · #15 11-23-09, 21:46

I think if you know the weapons limitations you'll be good to go. Of the two different PT 1911's I've shot I think "run of the mill" sums their lineup best. They're certainly not the worst of the breed. As far as upgrading goes I would shoot the s@#$ out of it, and replace whatever breaks, if anything, or whatever makes the gun more user friendly.
Good luck and burn up lots of ammo

RyanS · #16 11-23-09, 21:53

One of the guys at my local fun shop, who is actually a shooter and not a gun shop commando, and whose opinion I trust told me that they had almost every PT1911 they sold back in for some repair or another. He couldn't and wouldn't recommend it even as a base gun.

bkb0000 · #17 11-23-09, 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bantee

I think if you know the weapons limitations you'll be good to go. Of the two different PT 1911's I've shot I think "run of the mill" sums their lineup best. They're certainly not the worst of the breed. As far as upgrading goes I would shoot the s@#$ out of it, and replace whatever breaks, if anything, or whatever makes the gun more user friendly.
Good luck and burn up lots of ammo

you can't fix a broken part if you're dead. advice like this totally ignores Murphy's Law. the "limitation" in question is whether or not the gun will fire a round when needed- that's not something you can just work with.

if your budget is $600 for a carry weapon, there's fantastic options available to you. if it's not to be a weapon you'll use in defense of yours or your life, and the money's just burning a hole in your pocket- go for it. see what you can pull off... but please don't hang lives on notoriously poor manufacturing.

SW-Shooter · #18 11-23-09, 22:08

My CCW is a Glock 30SF, and has been for the past year. I'd bet some people would say that it is a poor choice as well. As far as the Taurus goes it will reside in a drawer next to the entry way, my door gun.

I'll do what i do with every gun I own, shoot the crap out of it and test its reliability. I really wanted to hear from those that owned them.

I just can't get past all of the Taurus bashing even from those that don't even own one. That's why I made it clear that I wanted real world owners/shooters to chime in. I guess you can't always get what you ask for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx7HY...eature=related

Top Gun Supply · #19 11-23-09, 22:22

I tend to judge a gun on it's own individual merits. If you are wanting to use this gun for self defense, run several hundred rounds of your defense ammo through it, or find an ammo it likes. If it proves reliable, why not carry it. If it doesn't prove 100% reliable, get it fixed or find a different carry weapon.

Outrider · #20 11-24-09, 02:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by SW-Shooter

Can I put good parts on it and make it as good as some of the quality 1911's?

The short answer is "No." With 1911 pistols, it's not just a question of part selection, it's an issue of how well they are fit together to avoid cycling issues. Holes drilled at improper angles, barrels not being properly fit, an improper cut in the slide or frame are not going to be cured by good parts alone.

Spending hundreds of dollars on parts and gunsmithing to try to upgrade your PT1911 is basically going to be an education for you. It seems that you don't want to hear from anyone who had a bad experience doing what you are contemplating so I don't know that you will learn the lessons.

I would recommend against investing any money trying to change a Taurus PT1911 into anything other than what it is. It's an entry level 1911 with some of the popular upgrades. That's it. It does not compare well to the better examples of the 1911 design. Putting in extra money for work and parts undoes whatever bargain you think you got by buying a PT1911.

Shoot it to learn what you like and don't like about the 1911 design. When you decide you want a better 1911, sell it and save your money for a better 1911. Don't waste your money doing custom work on a PT1911.