I have been interested in the Taurus 1911 sense it was introduced. It seem to have a lot of nice features at a really good price.


When they first came out they were around $500 (blue steel). They have went up in price and now are in the $600 range around here. Still a good value for what you get (Imo).



This is what you get, the PT 1911 comes in a hard case with 2 magazines a manual and a set of keys for the funky Taurus hammer lock. It has a forged frame, forged match-grade barrel, ambidextrous safety, skeletonized trigger, target hammer/sear set, serrated slide, checkered trigger guard and front strap, Heinie 'Straight Eight' 2-dot sights, a polished feed ramp, lowered and flared ejection port, internal extractor, and beavertail grip safety.

I bought the Stainless Steel (chrome/moly steel) model and the fit and finish is excellent. Now it did come covered in a thick film of oil. According to the manual that came with it, the PT 1911 "may be cleaned and lubricated under normal conditions without the need for any disassembly". This just kind of made me roll my eyes after seeing what I would consider oil with the consistency of pine tar covering my new pistol. I recommend disassembly and a good cleaning and re lubrication before taking this gun to the range.


Upon disassembly I cleaned and inspected the slide, barrel, mainspring, feed ramp and extractor very closely. I found no tool marks on the slide or burrs in the bore or chamber. In fact I found everything looked and fit very nice.

The weather is not looking very good right now, so it will be next weekend before I get a chance to evaluate the PT 1911's performance at the range. I will update this thread after I get some range time in.

These do seem like a solid value for the money.  I need to try one in stainless.

Nice looking pistol!

nice write up!

I picked one up at a pawn shop and have been thoroughly impressed with the fit and finish.  If you can get past the Taurus name you can get a lot of bang for the buck!!!!!!

I've had a blued one since they first came out.  No problems, shoots better than I do and has been 100% reliable with variety of factory ammo and reloads.

A lot of people down them ive still got mine and had over 1500 rds with no malfunctions at anytime its a solid shooter

I dont know what the deal is with taurus and that oil. My father bought a stainless taurus .357 a while ago and just tossed it in the safe. 2 years later, guess who gets to donate the elbow grease to get the crap off?  ME! If you think it was pine tar when fresh, imagine it after 2 years in a dry safe. I wish i would've gotten one of their 1911's instead of my m&p. Sweet pistol.

I will be interested in your report also cause they are priced very well
from your inspection it's off to a good start. Glad to hear you found
No tool marks, thats good..How about the mags it came with, what
was the visual inspection of them?..strong/thin..etc..

It would be nice to find out they are a diamond in waiting. So I'll keep an
eye open for your findings...Good luck :)

I now have over 2500 rds through the pt1911 I bought used off of the EE.  This is all in the last month to month and a half.  I replaced the safety with a kings single sided safety as I don't like ambi safties, and added a kimber magwell MSH.  This gun has been 100 percent.  I am so impressed with it, that I have actually sold my colt1991A1 and my springer as neither one of them shot as well as this pig.

I like you was very skeptical, mainly because they get bashed around here so much.  They are worth every penny.

I would like to get a second one, but can rationalize why.

OP, thats a nice looking pistol.
I myself havn't had best of luck with Brazilian guns. In 2006 I bought a new Taurus Tracker. I felt it was good deal considering the featrures it included. The Tracker is a 7 shot revolver, mine is a .357mag with factory ported 6.5" barrel. I put a red dot on it to check its accuracy which is good and certainly better than I can shoot. Another guy who has the same gun told me that his barrel is rifled only up to the porting where the barrel dia. is increased. Mine is rifled all the way past the poerting and remains .357" to the end of the barrel (right, wrong? how should it be? I have no idea) and the rifling at the ported area is banged up like it was stuck on an iron rod and jiggled around. Eventually I removed the side cover and found the MIM hammer at the radiused area looks like they there wasn't enuff powdered metal to complete the part. This cannot be seen on the assembled gun but it is obvious with the side cover removed. Besides that and the adj. rear sight elevation/retainer screw won't stay put its fine and For Sale.
Although not techically a Taurus, I also have a mid-1990s production Rossi, model 68 that after 300-400 rounds is out of D/A time on 2 chambers, the other 3 chambers are fine.
And, just a few days ago while at an indoor range I was picking up .45 auto brass and noticed part of the case head edge had been coined by a section of the breach face that had metal that had not been machined out. I varified this by looking at the pistol which was a Tuarus 1911. The area on the breech face was, say at the 3 o'clock position directly across from the extractor.
Those are my experiences with Taurus.

-VonBarky-

You're experiences with Taurus are a revolver and a non-Taurus?  People can say whatever they want about other Taurus products, but the PT1911 is an excellent choice for any gun owner... regardless of the price.

I can back this up. My PT1911 has not FTE or FTF yet. My Kimbers had issues during break in....they are fine now, but that was hundreds of rounds.

PT1911 has to be the best purchase I made for the price as I have no regrets.
Granted, I would never carry it or use in competitions over competition fit guns, but for the price it is very good.

I just happen to stumble across this article today on PT1911
You may have read it already? But if not, you will enjoy it.
Also check out the very nice leather holster he's speaking of
it's gorgeous.

.
Can Be Found here: http://www.mernickleholsters.com/
.IT also carries the weapon..High above the
belt..(my preference) with great balance & a new security
method for holding the 1911 Secured...
.
I's got to have one....I'm thinking...PISTOL TO :)
Especially after your report & this article.
He also confirms your statement & what I thought? That for
the money, It's the best value going in the 1911 market today.
You never get this many upper end features on a base model 1911

And another interesting fact about cost:
PT1911 sells for about the same price as a basic 1911 did thirty years ago

http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-PT1911.htm

I see you also have the SIS as I do the SIS RL. I hate to hear
you had problem with your Kimber. Mine has been 100%
perfect so far..knock on wood. I've got maybe 3000 rds
through it so far.

I do like the look of the Taurus & I am
thinking of adding one to my herium. Are they as hard to
find in the stores, now as those most coveted?

I'm going to go ahead and chime in here to say that I was shocked at how nice the Taurus 1911 is.  I've got a SA Loaded stainless, and it is a damn fine pistol, but I got the chance to fire the Taurus and it ran neck and neck with my SA!  I was nothing short of flabergasted.  The only true difference I could feel was the trigger (my SA has a great 4.5lb trigger)  If you find the right dealer, the Taurus 1911 can be had at comparable Glock prices ($499-$600).  I'm seriously considering getting one and tuning it up a bit...

Are the myriad of aftermarket 1911 parts compatible with this pistol?

I was able to get a little range time in today. The weather wasn't perfect, it was kind of windy. The Taurus ran like a well oiled machine. It fed and ejected everything I loaded. The ammunition I used today was: American Eagle 230gr FMJ, PMP 220gr FMJ, Remington Golden Saber 230gr JHP. The Heinie Straight Eight sights work very well and I got very tight groups as a result. I didn't know if I was going to like these sights when I first pick up the Taurus, but now I fine them simple to use and very fast when acquiring a target. The rear sight does have a hex screw for adjustment if needed.

So after sending about 200 rounds down range, I can honestly say I have no regrets and only praise for this pistol.

Out of curiosity's sake, will the Taurus 1911 accept one of the aftermarket .22LR conversions (Kimber, etc)?

Yes, with the caveat that some fitting may be required.  "Drop in" can be very hit or miss, with all brands of 1911.