Taurus 1911's

[beararms1776]

Anyone have the Taurus 1911's. They are a nice looking pistol but what about the durability. Any problems with them?

 

[Sratch16]

Here we go...

There are plenty of Taurus haters and fanboys. I've used a few Taurus products and haven't had a problem with any of them. Others claim that they are the spawn of Satan, himself.

While the quality/reliability can be debated, one thing cannot, and that is PT1911's proprietary keyed locking mechanism. Supposedly, there have been reports of it engaging (locking) during firing, which is... undesirable if true. Of course, you could always just replace the hammer (where the lock is) and mod a few other components to permanently fix the potential problem.

 

[the1kidd03]

I've had nothing but problems with Taurus, BUT it is hard to screw up a 1911(although some companies can). In any case I would be able to fix the issue easily. Good bang for the buck and so the PT1911 will be one of my next few purchases. A friend has had two of them now and not had any problems so they are worth giving them a shot to me, plus they do have a lifetime warranty and have heard good things about their customer service department on issues with guns.

 

[garyindiane]

I have a PT1911 and by shooting bud has a PT1911AR both of them shoot very well and have had no failures of any kind. 500+ rounds through mine. 250+ rounds through his.

-Gary

 

[redwingshooter]

I don't have one but they seem like good value for the money. That being said, you could probably get the same value out of a Rock Island without having to replace the hammer to remove the locking mechanism. I guess it's all personal choice so that part is up to you. As for myself, Taurus has fallen out of favor with me so I'm not too apt to buy any Taurus products in the near future. I agree with the1kid, it's hard to mess up a 1911

 

[Fordtough25]

I really don't know, a buddy of mine used to have a Taurus revolver that worked well, and we did play with a PT1911 at the shop he traded it in at. But, he walked out with a RIA 1911, less money and rock solid. I'm not knocking the PT1911 at all though, if you like it go for it! I prefer the old school looks and feel in a 1911 myself.

 

[sgreen3]

My cousin has had one for a little over a year now and it has had no problems at all, real nice gun.

 

[bluepkp]

I bought one in 2008 for the purpose of using it for a woods gun on my lease in southern Arkansas. To my surprise it shot very well and was very tough so I decided to try shooting single stack with it several thousand rounds later it still shoots great and has yet to fail me.

 

[bingley]

You'll get lots of anecdotes about how Taurus worked or did not work, sometimes from people who identify too much with their guns that they cannot see the other side's point of view. Such comments are not too helpful.

Take a look at a Taurus PT1911 and compare it to a Kimber, Springfield, RIA, Ruger, etc. Field strip the gun and compare the parts. You'll find that The Taurus parts are not made as precisely as the better brands on the list. Overall the quality of the gun is lower. Now, lower quality parts may still make for a perfectly serviceable gun, if they are reliable even overall the gun isn't as accurate, as beautiful, etc. That's why Taurus PT1911 got those nice reviews. It can do the job. (It seems that some of the $1,000+ guns really go overboard for what most people need for defense and for range fun.)

But there is a separate problem. In my view, Taurus continues to have worse quality control than some of the better gun makers. A greater percentage of their guns return to the shop. So reliability is more of a problem. Does that mean their guns are worthless? No. Does that mean their guns are "good"? Not necessarily. It depends on how much risk you want to take, and how much savings would make that risk acceptable to you. This is a personal decision, unfortunately, and we can't help you with it.

Some people will reply, "Oh yeah? I had problems with my <insert fancy gun here>." There are always some bad guns from almost any manufacturer. The better manufacturers keep them to a minimum. I know that good statistics doesn't mean much when you are the one getting shot at in a real life encounter with a bad guy. That's why you test and inspect (or have a gunsmith inspect it for you), especially if you need to rely on a gun for defense.

Da Bing

 

[Plinkuh]

I really don't know, a buddy of mine used to have a Taurus revolver that worked well, and we did play with a PT1911 at the shop he traded it in at. But, he walked out with a RIA 1911, less money and rock solid. I'm not knocking the PT1911 at all though, if you like it go for it! I prefer the old school looks and feel in a 1911 myself.

Yous in love with them plain janes

 

[beararms1776]

Sounds like it's basically a hit or miss to get a good Taurus 1911. Taurus ever had recalls for firing pins or other hardware issues?

 

[ryan3030]

No issues with my PT1911 after several hundred rounds.

The good thing about Taurus though is that any defects are fixed free of charge if you simply ship the gun back to them. I don't know how unique that is for manufacturers in the firearms industry, but it's nice to know they stand beside their product.

 

[beararms1776]

A while back Ruger had some issues with the SR9's and they fixed it. How can you tell if your buying the updated/ fixed?

 

[Plinkuh]

A while back Ruger had some issues with the SR9's and they fixed it. How can you tell if your buying the updated/ fixed?

The PT1911 or the Ruger?

 

[BlueEagle]

I need to just keep this information typed out, because I reference it at least once a week....

I've had 4 or 5 Taurus handguns, and zero malfunctions out of any of them, (excepting that the micro-.22 was picky on ammo.)

I had a full size .45, sub compact .380, full size 9mm, two .38 revolvers, and a micro .22. NO issues out of any of them.

As for their warranty, when my girlfriend dropped the micro .22 and cracked the grips, they sent me a pair free of charge; I just had to pay the shipping to have the old ones sent back. Wound up being like $3 and change, in a flat-pack envelope.

I would have absolutely no problem buying more Taurus firearms.

 

[04DarkShadowGT]

I own a Taurus PT1911 and a Rock Island. I have had zero failures of any kind with the PT1911 running WWB, Aguilla, Hand loads, or any other ammo I have tried. I find the quality to be excellent given the price that you can pick them up for. They have more bells and whistles than the RIA, that is part of the reason they are a bit more $$. They do not offer any GI models so they all have nice sights, beavertail safety, skeletonized parts, checkering, ambi safety, etc.

I also like my RIA, however it has not been that flawless. It had major issues with failure to return to battery. The RIA will be back in my hands tomorrow after being sent to Armscor for fixing.

You'll get lots of anecdotes about how Taurus worked or did not work, sometimes from people who identify too much with their guns that they cannot see the other side's point of view. Such comments are not too helpful.

Sorta, but if people like their gun enough to defend it when its being criticized chances are likely they really do like it and it has been a great weapon for them. That is valuable imo. Id rather take their word than someone who has never owned the gun, just heard internet or second hand accounts. Im not saying Taurus is perfect, far from it. I have heard the same stories you have. But they sell a bunch of guns, far more happy owners than mad ones or they would be out of business because gun shops would stop selling them because their customers would be pissed.

Take a look at a Taurus PT1911 and compare it to a Kimber, Springfield, RIA, Ruger, etc. Field strip the gun and compare the parts. You'll find that The Taurus parts are not made as precisely as the better brands on the list. Overall the quality of the gun is lower. Now, lower quality parts may still make for a perfectly serviceable gun, if they are reliable even overall the gun isn't as accurate, as beautiful, etc. That's why Taurus PT1911 got those nice reviews. It can do the job. (It seems that some of the $1,000+ guns really go overboard for what most people need for defense and for range fun.)

I do not find the Taurus to have worse quality machining, fit and finish, etc than the RIA or any other entry level 1911. Yeah of course a Kimber or Springfield is going to be nicer, they cost several hundred dollars more. A loaded stainless PT1911 is easily $150 cheaper than the entry level Kimber.

But there is a separate problem. In my view, Taurus continues to have worse quality control than some of the better gun makers. A greater percentage of their guns return to the shop. So reliability is more of a problem. Does that mean their guns are worthless? No. Does that mean their guns are "good"? Not necessarily. It depends on how much risk you want to take, and how much savings would make that risk acceptable to you. This is a personal decision, unfortunately, and we can't help you with it.

On what basis do you have the ability to know that a greater percentage of Taurus guns are sent back than other brands. Im not saying its not true, but that is pure conjecture and could very well be false.

I have read on the 1911 forums as many and probably more threads of unhappy Kimber owners than PT1911 owners. Does that mean the Kimber owners were expecting more out of a gun that costs more and will overlook less? Probably but maybe not. There are also lots of threads about RIAs getting sent back (mine being one of them), they even make you pay to ship it back when its a warranty issue. Taurus doesn't.

Some people will reply, "Oh yeah? I had problems with my <insert fancy gun here>." There are always some bad guns from almost any manufacturer. The better manufacturers keep them to a minimum. I know that good statistics doesn't mean much when you are the one getting shot at in a real life encounter with a bad guy. That's why you test and inspect (or have a gunsmith inspect it for you), especially if you need to rely on a gun for defense.

Da Bing

People have issues with all kinds of guns, thats the truth, you are right.

Taurus, RIA, Kimber, Springfield, Colts, whomever all build good guns for their target market. Buy what you like and have fun shooting it.

 

[bingley]

Sorta, but if people like their gun enough to defend it when its being criticized chances are likely they really do like it and it has been a great weapon for them. That is valuable imo.

On what basis do you have the ability to know that a greater percentage of Taurus guns are sent back than other brands. Im not saying its not true, but that is pure conjecture and could very well be false.

(1) The gun that works for you is not the gun that I can buy at a store, even if I can get the same model. Your Taurus/Kimber/Nighthawk might work flawlessly, but I might end up with a bad "copy." People who think that their model can do no wrong are as bad as people who think that Taurus guns are worthless. This is a gray zone of quality control and reliability percentages, for all manufacturers. Just because your gun works/doesn't work, it doesn't say anything about that company or even that model. Some Glock owners cannot believe any Glocks failing, but I've experienced problems with a Glock. Does that mean all Glocks are bad? No, just my particular "copy" on that day. But the other Glock owners need to understand that quality is not black and white.

(2) Consumer Report doesn't collect data on firearm repairs, and as far as I know, no one does. My information comes from candid gun store clerks. They get most repair requests for Taurus firearms. No, they weren't trying to steer me away from Taurus guns, because I am a Taurus owner. This is somewhat better than anecdotal data, but I don't have the percentages, so I can't tell how the different companies do relative to one another. There could also be factors that skew this particular report (varieties of guns carried, population sample size, the type of buyer, etc.).

By the way, for what it's worth, these same clerks also say that the PT1911 is a reliable firearm, based on their retail experience. But again, this is not a guarantee from God. It just means it's less likely to have problems. Weapons all eventually fail, after all. They are just material tools.

Most modern guns are perfectly serviceable firearms, though no gun is perfect. Gun purchase choices are frequently personal and economic: does this gun fit you, and can you afford it. Many posters, however, seem to get very extreme reactions and resort to this black and white rhetoric. Maybe this is a chance for me to appeal to people on this forum to be more thoughtful about comparing guns.

Da Bing

 

[qualitytym]

I have one on layaway at Americas foremost outfitter. Its the aluminum frame model, felt great in the hand and lot of features for the dough. I dont expect it, nor was I looking for a top level .45, but I will hold Taurus to their word if there are any problems. I figure its a win win for a first 1911. Cant wait to shoot her, I mean it. Waiting for a coupon...

 

[beararms1776]

I like adjustable sights. The taurus pt1911 is a nice looking pistol but doesn't have elevation adjustment on the sight. Are there any that do?

 

[gunman41mag]

I don't own any taurus right now, but if I get a good deal I'll buy one