Taurus PT1911

**jthrelf** · April 18th, 2014, 01:01 PM

Tanner's (in Bucks Co) has a pretty smokin' deal on blued Taurus PT1911s for $399. A forged frame and the many features for that kind of money is intriguing me, but I don't know if I should bother because of the potential infamous problems with Taurus firearms (especially their semi-autos). Although there is a lifetime warranty.

This would pretty much just be a casual range gun. I don't know if I should go for it, or just buy once cry once and spend some more money on a different 1911. Anyone care to share their experiences with this model?

**ViperGTS19801** · April 18th, 2014, 01:34 PM

The PT1911 is my EDC OC weapon. In the time I have owned it, I have experienced on single problem, which was cheaply manufactures magazines. I replaced the stock (shitty) magazines with Wilson Combats and this firearms runs smoothly, flawlessly, and reliably.

It's not an extremely pretty gun - the stainless version I have seems to be somewhat prone to holster wear, but then I use a Serpa - but never once have I experienced a FTF/FTE or nor have I had any other cycling problems or issues whatsoever.

**normanvin** · April 18th, 2014, 01:36 PM

399.00? I would buy it.

**RocketFoot** · April 18th, 2014, 02:09 PM

I have a blued PT1911...the finish is thin but it goes BANG every time!

**rensdd** · April 18th, 2014, 02:46 PM

I own 4 Taurus, 1 revolver, and 3 semiautos. One of which is a 1911. I have not had a problem with any of them. And I do carry the 1911 o.c. and a 709 slim c.c.

**jaseman** · April 18th, 2014, 03:08 PM

I have a PT1911 as well.

I've had exactly two failures with it in aprox. 1500 rounds. Both were FTF, out of the same box of cheap reloads. While I can't 100% rule out the gun, I am 99.9% sure it was the ammo. I have run everything from cheap, reloaded wadcutters, to unjacketed ball, and FMJ hollow points. So far it's chewed up everything I've fed it, other than those tow single rounds.

Recently I experienced two separate issues... both of which were my fault, and not the gun's. Basically they were a lack of proper lubrication and maintenance.

It's not the prettiest 1911, and the blueing is a bit thin, but it's well featured for one in it's price range. Forged frame and slide, ambi safety (a plus if you're a lefty like me), Novak sights (older ones had Heinies which are also nice) 30 lpi checkering (IIRC) and a few other things.

It's not nearly as nice as my father's Gold Cup, or any other $1000+ 1911, but it shoots well (especially for the price) and I trust it for an EDC gun.

If you're not looking for an investment piece, at $399, I'd jump all over it. It's a great gun to get your feet wet into 1911's, allowing you to tinker with it if you want, without financial disaster.

**toml** · April 18th, 2014, 04:34 PM

I had my issues with my stainless PT1911 (more because of their customer service than the pistol itself) and traded it away, but that price is a steal.

**SauerGrapes** · April 18th, 2014, 05:03 PM

Buy it, shoot it, clean it, repeat process. I've never heard anyone complain about the 1911s from Taurus. {except my 9mm version}

**harold63** · April 18th, 2014, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by jthrelf

Anyone care to share their experiences with this model?

I bought one for my son and liked it so much (not the Taurus, but the 1911...and I got a good deal on the Taurus), I got myself one. Then, I started learning how to work on 1911's. Since I didn't want to mess up my SA long slide or one of my Colts that I had acquired, I got another PT 1911. I used these three 1911's (my son's included) as guinea pigs for cutting, banging, slicing, and dicing. Now, I am at having purchased 11 total PT 1911's (7 steel 45's...2 of which are stainless, 2 parked 9mm's, and 2 ALR's...which are exceptional and I will never sell) that various family member's are either using or now possess. A few of them do not have the original parts in them, but that's the price you pay to learn.

One thing I'll say about the PT is the one's built in 2011, or later, seem to be fit better, overall, than say the one's from late '06 or '07. The one my son has is from Nov. '07 and it just didn't have the nice looking fit from the rear that the newer one's I have do. None of them are this: http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...5/119_1924.jpg or this: http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r...n/SlideFit.jpg, out of the box, but they worked fine. I stuck with the PT because it's as easy to tune as any other 1911 and it comes with full checkering, which is a lot when you go pricing checkering or buy the files to do it and invest the time. I was pissed in the beginning when my son's rusted over night because the glue was still damp when I put the gun in the case for the 'molding' effect (I did a custom case for it). But, that prompted me to recoat the crap park job Taurus does on their non stainless 1911's. I now have three non stainless PT 1911's done in Dupont enamel with no bill boards.

I was fortunate with my PT's. I didn't get a single one that didn't function like it was supposed to. I did get a couple that the sights were wrong on (fixed via the file method) or were fit too tight (one of the 9mm's was so tight, it was spitting casings on my shoe), but over all, I would/will buy another if the need arises. Half the shit I read, I don't believe because too much of the stuff isn't even indicative of what a 1911 does or doesn't do when its fucked up, so I would worry about that, too much. It's only a Taurus PT, but it'll get the job done: