View Full Version : 1911 Taurus
CALSHOOTER
07-17-09, 02:53
Any taurus 1911 owners out there that can tell me what they think of this companies 1911's? They have a good price and all the right stuff for tactical shots.
John_Wayne777
07-17-09, 08:29
Any taurus 1911 owners out there that can tell me what they think of this companies 1911's? They have a good price and all the right stuff for tactical shots.
I'm not quite sure what a "tactical shot" is....
That being said, here's the thing: Taurus has a miserable reputation for semi-auto pistols. 1911's in general are a finicky design that requires intricate machining and skilled fitting of parts in order to function properly.
That's a recipe for disaster, IMO.
I only personally know 1 person who has a Taurus and his seems to work, although I have no idea how many rounds he's put through it or what sort of ammo he uses. I doubt he did a 1,000 round reliability test on the weapon.
If you're pondering a Taurus 1911 as a carry gun or a home defense gun, I would STRONGLY encourage you to go another way...like perhaps a 9mm Glock or an M&P.
If you're wondering about a range toy, if you like it and can afford it, go for it. Just be aware that 1911's are picky beasts.
I know if you do a search you'll find discussions about these. But I've had my gun for a while and put plenty of rounds down range. My personal non-professional opinion of these guns is that they are great guns for the money. I haven't had any issues with my gun that I didn't create myself.
Much better options available, period! Look at a Colt or SA. All of the "bells and whistles" that Taurus adds to make their pistols look like a value, are not worth the problems you will encounter with the pistol. Not to mention that many of their parts are junk. I have personally had a TS snap of while disengaging it... A friend at a shop has seen 3 hammers sheer off, after less than a 100 rounds...
Think of Taurus as a DPMS or Oly AR, and even that could be a stretch.
A friend of mine owned a Taurus 1911. At first, he was impressed by the "bells and whistles" that Taurus put in them. He knew it wasn't a Wilson Combat CQB but to him it seemed like a good value for the price. He put about 600 rounds through it and it did work for him.
The trigger was not great for a 1911 and there were a couple of other things he wanted to change or improve. He immediately ran into trouble when he went to do a trigger job and swap out parts. He wanted to add a magazine well guide/funnel and found the hole for the MSH was not properly aligned. The pin was a beast to remove. Internally, it appeared to be crudely fit together. There was a shim holding the firing pin stop in place. He was able to improve the trigger, but gave up on the rest. He traded it a week later.
Taurus does put a lot of popular features into its 1911. To me, the problems are how well the gun is put together and how much it deviates from spec. It would probably do fine as a plinker for the range but there are much better 1911 style pistols available than the Taurus 1911. Save your money for one of the better ones.
My dad has a Taurus 1911. He has put a ton of rounds through it and not had any problems that I know of. He casts his own semi-wadcutters to shoot through it. I haven't personally chot it but holding and manipulating it it doesn't "feel as nice" as my Colt.
When I went through firearms instructor school early last year the only semi-auto that broke was a Taurus 1911. I don't remember exactly what happened to it but it lasted about a day and a half before it went T.U.
Those are my two Taurus 1911 experiences. To me they look like a crapshoot and I'm usually not that lucky.
MarshallDodge
07-17-09, 13:59
Supposedly they use a forged frame and slide, and I have not heard of them breaking. I'm not sure how good the barrel is.
They have a firing pin safety system which I am not a fan of. Most of the parts are MIM, not a bad thing if they are of good quality but Taurus does not have a good reputation.
If I got a good deal on one, I would probably throw out most everything except the barrel, frame, and slide and then put good quality parts in it from Ed Brown, Wilson, etc. This is about $300 to $400 in parts and does not include fitting. By that time you would probably be better off buying a good used Springfield Pro or better yet, a Les Baer TRS.
A lot of the problems associated with 1911's are due to poor magazines. That 230 grain bullet is a heifer to lift so you need good magazines like the Wilson 47D or the Chip McCormick Power Mag. Something to remember if you are going to purchase a 1911.
I have a co-worker that bought one to play with.
The gun uses some good parts, but then again a 1911 is much more that the sum of its parts. The fitting on these guns SUCKS!
On his gun the beavertails is not fit flush to the frame and when depressed leaves a jagged edge to dig into the web of your hand. There are large gaps between the things like the sights and the slide.
So far in the few hundred rounds that he has fired the gun has not had any real issues, but I wouldn't trust it in the long hall.
If you want a 1911 that spend the extra few bucks and buy a Springfield, Colt or other reputable 1911.
CALSHOOTER
07-18-09, 23:52
Well I think from the reply treads the Taurus is 1911 is a bad deal, so thanks for your help. Oh Wayne 777 I should have said 3 gun Tactical Div. and d90king, colts are banned in Obama's favority state also known as the great socialist state of California, can you say Aronld. Thanks all
citizensoldier16
07-18-09, 23:54
Looks like personal experiences with these guns varies from good to bad.
My personal experience has been a good one. I've put over 5k rounds through mine with no problems whatsoever. None of this hammer shearing, frame cracking, slide rattling stuff I've read about above....none. It's a tight pistol with good workmanship. Compared to my Les Baer, if I were to close my eyes, it'd be hard to tell the difference, except for the triggers. The Taurus does have a little creep, but I'd say less than 1/64 of an inch.
Sure, there are the "it's not a COLT" bangers out there who are going to tell you that Taurus makes crappy guns, and that you have to spend over $1000 to get a good 1911. Well, truth of the matter is, Taurus makes good guns like Ford makes good cars. Sure, it's not a Mercedes (or a Colt), but what you save in $$ can be put towards more ammo. I own 2 Taurus guns and love them. I also own Colts, a Les Baer, and Glocks.
One caveat however: I'd stay away from the version with the rails. It's a little front-heavy in my opinion. Replace the hammer (to get rid of that stupid hammer safety) and get some good Kimber magazines. The MegGar mags that come with the gun do suck. I've added night sights to mine and it's been a great gun through all those 5k rounds. Oh, and it's a tack-driver right out of the box. Mine shot point of aim at 15 meters from round #1, and I can cover my groups with a soda can...and by the way, that's better than my Les Baer.
Well there you have it, my personal opinion like so many others above. I'm sure there will be a post below mine shortly saying something like "BUY A COLT because everything else sucks!" without hard evidence to back it up. Some are just stuck on the idea that certain manufacturers can do no wrong, and others just suck because someone at the gun store or on this site told them so.
Really the best advice I can give you is to purchase what makes you happy. If you do end up buying a Colt or other higher priced 1911, good for you. However, if $$ is an issue and you want the best pistol you can afford, you won't go wrong with a Taurus....it just won't have that schnazzy little pony on it. Come to think of it, my car doesn't have the Mercedes symbol on the hood either...but it cranks every time I turn the key and I've still got a few dollars in my pocket for gas.
colts are banned in Obama's favority state also known as the great socialist state of California, can you say Aronld. Thanks all
Really?
http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/
decodeddiesel
07-20-09, 10:23
Really?
http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/
Well played Sir.
I was under the impression that all of these Taurus 1911s come off the some production line as the Brazilian made Springfield Armory 1911's. Comparing them against the SA pistols then is less of an apples and oranges than a Granny Smith vs. McIntosh comparison. Now, if I could only find someone with a M1911A1 Remington Rand for sale that has no idea what it is worth!
JiMfraRED1911
07-20-09, 15:22
Any taurus 1911 owners out there that can tell me what they think of this companies 1911's? They have a good price and all the right stuff for tactical shots.
Absolute rubbish.
decodeddiesel
07-20-09, 15:55
Absolute rubbish.
I agree, hot garbage.
i have to agree with decodediesel and jimfrared1911, this gun isn't worth it. i was at the range with my uncle last month when he was trying out the taurus as his new carrygun. the slide CRACKED after the 50th shot! i have heard of horror stories with taurus pistols before, but to see that happen.....:mad:
BTW, kmstnsn, his other gun is a 1911 Remington National Match that had been issued to my grandfather. :D he bought it before he left the service in WW2. don't think my uncle plans to sell his though. if he is, i'm first in line:D
I was under the impression that all of these Taurus 1911s come off the some production line as the Brazilian made Springfield Armory 1911's. Comparing them against the SA pistols then is less of an apples and oranges than a Granny Smith vs. McIntosh comparison. Now, if I could only find someone with a M1911A1 Remington Rand for sale that has no idea what it is worth!
While both are made in Brazil, I do not think they are made at the same factory. I could be wrong. But, the Springfield guns are of better quality
varoadking
07-25-09, 07:34
To borrow a phrase:
"Friends don't let friends buy Taurus."
John_Wayne777
07-25-09, 09:15
Well I think from the reply treads the Taurus is 1911 is a bad deal, so thanks for your help. Oh Wayne 777 I should have said 3 gun Tactical Div. and d90king, colts are banned in Obama's favority state also known as the great socialist state of California, can you say Aronld. Thanks all
If you're looking for a 3 gun pistol you would be much better off with a Glock 17 or Glock 34, in my opinion.
CALSHOOTER
07-25-09, 19:37
Well my fellow gun fans I've settled on a SA 1911 in 9mm, thanks for your thoughts and ideas.
MarshallDodge
07-25-09, 19:44
Well my fellow gun fans I've settled on a SA 1911 in 9mm, thanks for your thoughts and ideas.
Congrats, you have definitely made a better choice and if you should ever have an issue with it, Springfield's customer service is excellent.
SGT D USMC
09-19-09, 23:58
Why did you settle for a sub caliber?
he went into younder village and never returned
Outlander Systems
09-20-09, 01:08
I bought one around this time last year.
I had purchased it as a "base" gun, since I thought it would make a suitable platform for upgrading and customising, for a reasonable buy-in price.
My brother broke the ambi-safety just by racking the slide. I hadn't so much as put one round through it, and there was already a failure. I knew better than to send it to Taurus for repair, so it's been laying in a safe for months, since I have more pressing issues in regards to firearms and gear acquisition.
If I don't outright sell it, I plan on gutting it, and using it for nothing more than a frame; retrofitting it with quality parts as I can. This was my original intention, but I became highly unmotivated by the fact that manually cycling the action could snap the safety off.
I really, really wanted to love this gun. There's still hope, but I figure I'll have to drop at least a grand into it to get it running reliably, if I decide to even go that route. Once bitten, twice shy.
Taken around the time I got it:
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3334/1911y.jpg
Somebody here should know how to make one actually work:
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=196407
While both are made in Brazil, I do not think they are made at the same factory. I could be wrong. But, the Springfield guns are of better quality
S.A.'s pistols are made at the Imbel plant which was orginially set up by FN to make FAL's..Imbel makes high quality forgings, At one time S.A.'s pistols were forged and rough machined in Brazil and finish machined and assembled in the U.S. Those older S.A 1911's with a "NM" letter prefix on the serial number are the one that were assembled here. Quality on these pistols was actually halfway decent. I have a Mil spec with a NM prefix and it's really not a bad pistol, the only problems I had with it was when the mags took a dump on me. Nowadays, almost all of S.A.'s 1911's are completely made in Brazil..
I was under the impression that all of these Taurus 1911s come off the some production line as the Brazilian made Springfield Armory 1911's. Comparing them against the SA pistols then is less of an apples and oranges than a Granny Smith vs. McIntosh comparison. Now, if I could only find someone with a M1911A1 Remington Rand for sale that has no idea what it is worth!
Nope, like Ralph said, Springfield uses forgings from Imbel. Taurus operates their own foundry, that being Forjas Taurus. Imbel is one of the worlds premier firearms manufacturers and supplies a great number of militaries throught the world. The NM serial numbers that Ralph talked of is still the case. NM serial number SAs are finish machined and assembled in the U.S. from Imbel forgings. N serial numbers are completely machined and assembled in Brazil. Not really an old vs new, more that SA will finish machine and assemble in the U.S. if demand surpasses the capabilities of the Brazilian operation.
I love mine. Have shot 4 different local/regional USPSA matches with mine, and shoot 100-200rds mine a month when Im not attending a match(sorry I dont have a bottomless wallet to buy more ammo, would love to though).
I got a hell of a deal on mine, $400 with 4 Chip McCormik mags. Have bought 2 more mags and wanna get some 10rd mags as well.
Many on this forum think that Colt is the creme-de-la-creme of 1911s and ARs. I competed in a bullseye league in CT for many years, and Colts out of the box were considered junk. I had to invest in a lot of custom gunsmithing to get my Gold Cup to shoot. It shot 5 inch groups at 25 yds before and 1 inch after. The barrel was scrapped in favor of one from King's gun works. I owned a couple of other Colt revolvers and was not impressed.
I now have a Kimber that I bought used and it shoots 2 inch groups. It is well made and great for a defense gun. I also have a Taurus 24/7 in 45ACP just because it holds 12+1. While not a match gun, it is reliable and shoots 4 inch groups at 25 yds.
Outlander Systems
09-21-09, 21:15
I am NOT trying to be an asshole. I owned a Kimber years back, that was the worst shooting pistol next to the Mac-11 I very foolishly owned. It may have been a lemon, but I cursed the 1911 after an $800 pistol wouldn't shoot for shit.
After selling it, I determined that short of spending a "lump sum" on a serious 1911, almost every 1911 is going to have some sort of customisation.
The purchase of my Taurus was due to this conclusion, though I didn't expect to have to totally gut it. After the malfunction I experienced, treating this weapon as nothing more than a frame, is all I can do at this point.
To those who've had good experiences with this firearm: What have you improved from the factory?
I'm having an extremely hard time trusting a weapon that's failed before it's even been fired.
I did nothing to mine outta the box. Still havnt done anything. It shoots like a champ. Ive had 0 problems with mine. Im very maticulious(sp?) about cleaning it after every time I shoot it.
For the money, Im not buying anything else, even if something does break, I paid so little for it I can afford to put money into it.
Outlander Systems
09-21-09, 22:12
I may just fix the safety and see what happens from there.
I stillwant to like this gun. Anyone got any recommendations for a top-tier 1911 safety?
Don Robison
09-21-09, 22:22
I may just fix the safety and see what happens from there.
I stillwant to like this gun. Anyone got any recommendations for a top-tier 1911 safety?
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=5094/sku/Blue_Ambi_Tactical_Safety
00leland00
09-21-09, 22:41
I'm approaching 1k rounds on mine I think, and I've had no problems. The only thing I did to it was replace the Taurus hammer with one from EGW (to get rid of the locking mechanism), and had the trigger pull and reset lightened up a bit. I've had no problems whatsoever with the ambi-safety. I really hate to sell it, but money's tight. This being unemployed thing sucks ass.:mad:
I may just fix the safety and see what happens from there.
I stillwant to like this gun. Anyone got any recommendations for a top-tier 1911 safety?
Landlord:
Taurus has a lifetime guarantee. If you send your pistol to them, they will replace/repair it to your satisfaction, especially if it is a safety issue. There is no need to buy aftermarket parts.
The Gunslinger
09-22-09, 13:37
friends don't let friends buy taurus ;)
get yourself a springer or a para.
friends don't let friends buy taurus ;)
get yourself a springer or a para.
to poor, would love a Kimber, but for $400, couldnt pass up this Taurus
The_War_Wagon
09-22-09, 13:53
I DO hope the QC on those is picking up, because I like the balance of them in my hands. I had one of the first PT-100's back in the day & it ran flawlessly. I've owned some of their small frame revolvers with no complaints, but the stories I've heard about their 1911 are keeping me on the sideline, for the time being... :(
although i have always recommended to my friends to avoid Taurus pistols, their revolvers seem to be another story altogether.:) havent heard any complaints from any of my friends on their revolvers.
I love my Taurus ALR 1911. I got it used dirt cheap from a coworker. The safety is about to fall off and my local smith refused to do a trigger job due to all the MIM parts.
The reason I love it, is because it was an entry level gun to get my fiance into shooting. She didn't like 9mm glocks or .38 spl revolvers. She liked the 1911 style of guns and actually asks me to go shooting. She also tried talking me into buying a Nighthawk!! I actually went with ordering a Fusion Scout and hopefully it will get here by November.
I recently also found a used RIA 1911 government model. My smith is actually adding a beavertail safety to it and I should have it back soon. I will hopefully be able to compare the two down the road.
usaffarmer
09-24-09, 21:39
No true 1911 parts, fit the taurus. The sights, grips, saftey, trigger are not true spec. Good luck getting parts if you need them.
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