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Posted: 4/2/2014 11:15:20 AM EDT
I bought a barely shot blued Taurus PT1911 a couple of years ago for $450 after reading that they did a good job putting the 1911 together. I am NO fan of Taurus - I generally think they are complete shit, BUT a saw a 1911 in a shop the day after I red the article about it - it looked good in the shop and the trigger felt decent (it actually felt better than a used Les Bear race gun that was in the shop at the time) and the price certainly was right, so I went for it. Well, it sat in my safe for a couple of years doing nothing, but I finally dragged it out and I've been shooting the hell out of it for the past couple of weeks. I've got to say, the gun is verrrrrrry nice for the money. It's tight, the trigger is excellent (very crisp at ~5# with no creep), it has the required features to feel good in the hand, and it is acceptably accurate. I've seen the same gun for sale new for around or even under $500 online. I never though I'd say this about any Taurus, but I'd definitely recommend it for those looking for a budget 1911.
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Mine had problems with the ambi safety seperating and sliding out from the side of the gun. If I hadn't lost it I probably would have swapped to a different safety.
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I had one, worked great. Decent trigger, nice accuracy, completely reliable. Sold it to fund my Range Officer.
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Best friend had one spent more time commuting from his house to florida to brazil than it did him shooting it.
I even told him friend do not let friends buy taurus. |
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Are they discontinuing the Taurus 1911's or changing lines ? I ask because our wholesalers are blowing them out and are down to a couple models ?
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Quoted:
Are they discontinuing the Taurus 1911's or changing lines ? I ask because our wholesalers are blowing them out and are down to a couple models ? View Quote Saw a model in a shop today which had the billboard on the slide replaced by a small logo behind the cocking serrations (a la Rock Island's new style). Not sure is this denotes actual design or manufacturing changes, or if Taurus simply realized that the less noticeable their name is, the better. |
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"If you can't say something nice then don't say anything."
I will follow that advice. |
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I think there were good ones and bad ones. I've had mine for about 5 years and have had no trouble with it at all. Lots of folks have, though. The ambi safeties were a known issue; prone to break, so many people replace them with a Wilson or similar.
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Taurus is Taurus.
Ive seen you either have a Taurus that works, or one that does not. I wouldn't buy a Taurus personally |
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got a PT1911AL ive had for 4 or 5yrs and shoot the shit out of it nice weapon for the money. No failures of any kind prolly 2krds through it.
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I like my PT1911-AL. Good gun for the money. I got mine used post break-in period. Great trigger.
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I have had two. A .45 and a .38 super. Liked them both but ended up selling them for different reasons. The .45 started developing a bend on the feed lip of the barrel. It still shot fine but I did notice it took a small chunk out of lead bullets. The .38 super didn't have a fully supported chamber. I was getting a lot of blown cases due to the fact that I like to shoot 158 grain bullets out of that caliber. So both ended up being sold at a slight loss. I did feel that mine were accurate and shot okay other than the details I mentioned.
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A friend had one that had the same problem with the ambi safety coming off, but was happy with it otherwise. It shot as well as most 1911s, better than the targets posted above.
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I like my PT1911-AL. Good gun for the money. I got mine used post break-in period. Great trigger. View Quote i got one about a month ago only it was the strait PT1911 (stainless steal version) also post break in. i love it, ive only put about 100 rounds through it myself so far. i got it plus a ruger single six, 100rounds of 45, and 500 rounds of 22, for $400. (guy was in a despret situation and needed money bad, and looking at it now i kinda feel bad) |
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Are they discontinuing the Taurus 1911's or changing lines ? I ask because our wholesalers are blowing them out and are down to a couple models ? View Quote For what I saw on Shot show and read online, they are not discontinued they have just gone back and made some changes "for the better" to the weapon. I have a PT1911 AR and I love it, I recommend them. |
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I had an early one with the original billboard that I got cheap, had to replace a bunch of internals, took the slide to a surface grinder to make it more heterosexual, refinished the whole thing, and ended up selling it, that one took a lot of work to get it right, recently I got another one, from a board member here who guaranteed function, and after swapping the hammer and grips, it's really not a bad pistol, I usually tell people to stay away from Taurus guns, but the 1911 is pretty much mil spec, so if you do get a lemon, it can at least be fixed.
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I have had a PT1911 for three years and I think it's great. It's accurate, it's reliable, and it looks pretty good. For the money, I could not do better. I also have a Taurus Model 85T snubnose revolver. It is also accurate, reliable and good looking. Neither weapon is going to win a beauty contest, but they are both rock solid for me. I haven't run into any of the problems with Taurus that are mentioned in this thread. Lest you think I am a total noob, I have firearms made by Browning, S&W, Larue, Remington, CMMG, Taurus, Savage, Ruger, Thompson, and Mossberg in my current arsenal. I have shot many others as well. Taurus is a good brand, in my opinion.
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The ambi safety in my .45 broke one leg off while I was removing parts to clean. I ordered a new right handed safety for both of my PT1911s the .45 and my 9mm and tossed the ambi safeties for both in the trash. My 9mm shoots low and one day I will replace the front sight to raise the point of aim.
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I just purchased a Taurus PT1911. This is my first 1911 heck this is my first .45. Anyway so I look at the Kimber Custom II and the Springfield GI along with a couple of other 1911's chambered in .45 and at the end of the day I was having trouble convincing myself to spend $600 on a gun that I had little knowledge about. So I ran across guns made by Tisas, Rock Island Armory and Girsan all for less then $500. I was very skeptics, mainly because of how unfamiliar I am with the 1911. Then I ran across the Taurus PT1911 for $419 NIB and thought why not! I have read the reviews both good and bad. So far i have put 68 rounds through it. I know that is hardly a test fire, but those 68 rounds were cycled flawlessly. The grouping was tight, at least in terms of my ability.
I did have one hang up while shooting the 68 rounds (this past Sunday) I purchased a CMC 8 round mag along with the gun. When 8 rounds are loaded in the CMC mag I can not chamber a round when racking the slide, however when I eject the mag, take 1 round out (now I have 7 rounds in the mag) the magazine and gun work flawlessly. I am going to chalk this up to the mag as the stock mag has worked fine. I have already contacted CMC about this and hope to get this resolved. So for a first time buyer looking for 1911's, the Taurus PT1911 is definitely worth looking at. For someone on a budget the same applies. I will continue to evaluate the gun as more rounds are ran through it. |
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I just purchased a Taurus PT1911. This is my first 1911 heck this is my first .45. Anyway so I look at the Kimber Custom II and the Springfield GI along with a couple of other 1911's chambered in .45 and at the end of the day I was having trouble convincing myself to spend $600 on a gun that I had little knowledge about. So I ran across guns made by Tisas, Rock Island Armory and Girsan all for less then $500. I was very skeptics, mainly because of how unfamiliar I am with the 1911. Then I ran across the Taurus PT1911 for $419 NIB and thought why not! I have read the reviews both good and bad. So far i have put 68 rounds through it. I know that is hardly a test fire, but those 68 rounds were cycled flawlessly. The grouping was tight, at least in terms of my ability. I did have one hang up while shooting the 68 rounds (this past Sunday) I purchased a CMC 8 round mag along with the gun. When 8 rounds are loaded in the CMC mag I can not chamber a round when racking the slide, however when I eject the mag, take 1 round out (now I have 7 rounds in the mag) the magazine and gun work flawlessly. I am going to chalk this up to the mag as the stock mag has worked fine. I have already contacted CMC about this and hope to get this resolved. So for a first time buyer looking for 1911's, the Taurus PT1911 is definitely worth looking at. For someone on a budget the same applies. I will continue to evaluate the gun as more rounds are ran through it. View Quote I can't figure out how much a PT1911 is supposed to cost, what my gun is worth, or even exactly what model it is. They seem to have one blued model that routinely goes for $400-500, and another that looks identical that goes for $600, along with the rest of the stainless line which is also in the $600 range. I have no idea whether I have a $400 pistol or a $600 pistol. |
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Solid guns. Range I worked at had one, and I would use it to teach people interested in purchasing a 1911 how to run and shoot because it was more reliable and people shot it better than both Kimbers our range also had.
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http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz125/Shot_To_Hell/IMG_0938_zps59ed759e.jpg
Over 1000 rounds and never a hiccup. The only problem with it was the finish wasn't very good and I didn't like the 2 tone slide so I had it durakoted. |
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Only issue our range taurus had, was after about a year and 1/4 the firing pin broke.
It had a gazillion rounds on it (after I came on and started trying to estimate the use, at least 30K and probably a ton before that). |
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See what I mean about pricing? This is the shit I'm talking about...
5" blued PT1911 w/ rail - Heinie sights: ($MSRP $834.97, shop price $681) http://shop.secondamendmentarmsllc.com/product.taurus-1911-std-45-acp-5-81-wlight-rail-heinie-sight-blk-grip-blue 5" blued PT1911 w/ rail - Novak sights: (MSRP $684.40, shop price $511) http://shop.secondamendmentarmsllc.com/product.taurus-pt1911-45acp-5-barrel-wnovak-sight-8-round-magazine OK - so maybe the second gun doesn't really have a rail, and they used the wrong picture by accident...then what is THIS? 5" blued PT1911 w/o rail - Novak sights: (MSRP $684.40, shop price $556) http://shop.secondamendmentarmsllc.com/product.taurus-pt1911-45acp-5-barrel-wnovak-sight-8-round-magazine-2 See? They're all over the place. I certainly have a no-rail blued gun w/ plastic grips. MSRP is $680, and it is generally priced between $500 and $600 on the 'net, though I've seen it as cheap as $439, which makes me wonder what dealer cost is. I paid $450 barely used for mine, so I guess the price was OK. In any case, it's a fine pistol for the dough (or lack therof). |
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Our wholesaler is blowing them out and giving a free 22 heritage revolver in the deal. Im sure this is where the lower pricing is coming from.
Dont sweat it you paid a fair price just shoot the thing. |
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The problem with Taurus is that you are taking a 50/50 chance that you are getting a good one.
I have owned a PT1911 that I got in a trade. The gun had light primer strike issues so I ended up selling it to a friend that wanted to have a hobby 1911 to mess around with. |
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Easy_E,
Would you mind PMing me the info? I would not mind getting a cheap one to "play" gunsmithing on. Thanks. |
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Quoted: A Springfield Milspec for around $550 would be a much better choice. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Easy_E, Would you mind PMing me the info? I would not mind getting a cheap one to "play" gunsmithing on. Thanks. A Springfield Milspec for around $550 would be a much better choice. Springer milspecs are nothing special. |
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The problem with Taurus is that you are taking a 50/50 chance that you are getting a good one. I have owned a PT1911 that I got in a trade. The gun had light primer strike issues so I ended up selling it to a friend that wanted to have a hobby 1911 to mess around with. View Quote Really? My PT1911 has a very heavy strike, and a large diameter pin - puts a huge dent in the primer that easily covers 70% of the primer face. |
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Unless you want the features the Taurus has, for the money. Springer milspecs are nothing special. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Easy_E, Would you mind PMing me the info? I would not mind getting a cheap one to "play" gunsmithing on. Thanks. A Springfield Milspec for around $550 would be a much better choice. Springer milspecs are nothing special. They work and are reliable. Can't say the same for some Taurus 1911s. |
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They work and are reliable. Can't say the same for some Taurus 1911s. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Easy_E, Would you mind PMing me the info? I would not mind getting a cheap one to "play" gunsmithing on. Thanks. A Springfield Milspec for around $550 would be a much better choice. Springer milspecs are nothing special. They work and are reliable. Can't say the same for some Taurus 1911s. We had a 1911 snob buy a Taurus because of our sale price. He called back and had us hold another saying for a junk pistol it shot great . Most guys buy them to modify on a budget. |
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Quoted: They work and are reliable. Can't say the same for some Taurus 1911s. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Easy_E, Would you mind PMing me the info? I would not mind getting a cheap one to "play" gunsmithing on. Thanks. A Springfield Milspec for around $550 would be a much better choice. Springer milspecs are nothing special. They work and are reliable. Can't say the same for some Taurus 1911s. Because out of the many I've sold, and many I've seen shot over the year, I can say that they are reliable and work. |
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What issues have you had with them? Because out of the many I've sold, and many I've seen shot over the year, I can say that they are reliable and work. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Easy_E, Would you mind PMing me the info? I would not mind getting a cheap one to "play" gunsmithing on. Thanks. A Springfield Milspec for around $550 would be a much better choice. Springer milspecs are nothing special. They work and are reliable. Can't say the same for some Taurus 1911s. Because out of the many I've sold, and many I've seen shot over the year, I can say that they are reliable and work. The 9mm and 45 Taurus 1911s I have all work fine; I just hate the small of the preservative Taurus uses. In their wood griped guns you just cannot get rid of it. |
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I have worked in retail gun and gunsmith shops for 7 years. I've seen more Taurus pistols malfunction from NIB than any other brand. We've sent more back for warranty service than any other brand. They don't always come back repaired. The warranty service is always free, but you get what you pay for. I would not buy a Taurus product.
From what I've seen, they had better QC in the 80's and early 90's, before they became popular enough to establish a US subsidiary. They basically built their consumer base by offering cheap imported copies of S&W revolvers. |
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Quoted: I have worked in retail gun and gunsmith shops for 7 years. I've seen more Taurus pistols malfunction from NIB than any other brand. We've sent more back for warranty service than any other brand. They don't always come back repaired. The warranty service is always free, but you get what you pay for. I would not buy a Taurus product. From what I've seen, they had better QC in the 80's and early 90's, before they became popular enough to establish a US subsidiary. They basically built their consumer base by offering cheap imported copies of S&W revolvers. View Quote Are you talking about all Taurus guns, or just 1911's? |
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I went through several. Each one i had to return because they didnt quite mill the breech face and left a stub sticking out. After the 3rd or 4th replacement, i sold it - unfired from the factory.
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I have worked in retail gun and gunsmith shops for 7 years. I've seen more Taurus pistols malfunction from NIB than any other brand. We've sent more back for warranty service than any other brand. They don't always come back repaired. The warranty service is always free, but you get what you pay for. I would not buy a Taurus product. From what I've seen, they had better QC in the 80's and early 90's, before they became popular enough to establish a US subsidiary. They basically built their consumer base by offering cheap imported copies of S&W revolvers. View Quote I agree - I've always thought that Taurus made nothing but shit, as I said in my original post. The last Taurus I held before this one was a Judge - the cylinder was out of square and actually scraped against the barrel face at one spot. Absolute junk - I've refused to buy anything Taurus for 20 years. Anyway, I read an article that said their new (at the time) 1911 was surprisingly well made and a solid platform, not to mention the stock goodies they put on it. They even went so far as to say that it wasn't the typical Taurus crap. The article was fresh in my mind and I just happened to run into one a few days later, so I checked it out at the shop and it's operation was very smooth, and I thought the trigger was excellent, so for $450 I figured 'why not?' and I bought it. Maybe some have problems, but so far, mine is great. |
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Quoted: I also saw a SHIT ton of Taurus pistols eat shit NIB, but mostly revolvers, and thier poly framed semis. Are you talking about all Taurus guns, or just 1911's? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: I have worked in retail gun and gunsmith shops for 7 years. I've seen more Taurus pistols malfunction from NIB than any other brand. We've sent more back for warranty service than any other brand. They don't always come back repaired. The warranty service is always free, but you get what you pay for. I would not buy a Taurus product. From what I've seen, they had better QC in the 80's and early 90's, before they became popular enough to establish a US subsidiary. They basically built their consumer base by offering cheap imported copies of S&W revolvers. Are you talking about all Taurus guns, or just 1911's? |
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Quoted: I was speaking in general of Taurus handguns, but I remember 3 PT1911's coming in for service. One had broken a side of its ambi thumb safety, one had a bad hammer, and one had feeding problems that I believe just a ramp polish cured. I have not seen them often; mostly they were purchased elsewhere. I've seen way more bad revolvers, including some we sold. I've seen the revolvers sell far more often, usually to older people. We maybe ordered 3-4 PT1911's that I remember. (Only 1 was included in the above service count.) So basically, just under half the ones I've laid eyes on had problems. In my opinion, it was the MIM parts combined with poor QC, but they are not the only manufacturer who ever had these problems. Still, when customers want an inexpensive 1911, I usually steer them towards a Springfield first, then the Filipino-made brands. Some still want a Turk or something. We aim to please. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: snip Are you talking about all Taurus guns, or just 1911's? Sounds fairly similar with the exception of the 1911s. |
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See what I mean about pricing? This is the shit I'm talking about... 5" blued PT1911 w/ rail - Heinie sights: ($MSRP $834.97, shop price $681) http://shop.secondamendmentarmsllc.com/product.taurus-1911-std-45-acp-5-81-wlight-rail-heinie-sight-blk-grip-blue 5" blued PT1911 w/ rail - Novak sights: (MSRP $684.40, shop price $511) http://shop.secondamendmentarmsllc.com/product.taurus-pt1911-45acp-5-barrel-wnovak-sight-8-round-magazine OK - so maybe the second gun doesn't really have a rail, and they used the wrong picture by accident...then what is THIS? 5" blued PT1911 w/o rail - Novak sights: (MSRP $684.40, shop price $556) http://shop.secondamendmentarmsllc.com/product.taurus-pt1911-45acp-5-barrel-wnovak-sight-8-round-magazine-2 See? They're all over the place. I certainly have a no-rail blued gun w/ plastic grips. MSRP is $680, and it is generally priced between $500 and $600 on the 'net, though I've seen it as cheap as $439, which makes me wonder what dealer cost is. I paid $450 barely used for mine, so I guess the price was OK. In any case, it's a fine pistol for the dough (or lack therof). View Quote my go-to lgs has some new ones for $450 and said it was below dealer cost. they have the railed versions for $550. |
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I can't figure out how much a PT1911 is supposed to cost, what my gun is worth, or even exactly what model it is. They seem to have one blued model that routinely goes for $400-500, and another that looks identical that goes for $600, along with the rest of the stainless line which is also in the $600 range. I have no idea whether I have a $400 pistol or a $600 pistol. View Quote I found something that will answer the question of what model you have at least. Taurus Serial Number Lookup Follow the link and enter your serial number. It will return the year made and model number. |
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