Looking for experienced opinions/comments on a firearm purchase I'm considering

[Xamor 101]

I have used the valuable site for many months, as many of you will surely notice (despite my lack of actual actions on here) and now I am considering a purchase I would like more details/warning to beforehand since I'm not completely sure of this purchase nor have seen all that much about it on here. The handgun I'm considering is a used (of course) Taurus PT1911 .45 ACP Semi-Automatic Pistol thats the stainless steel version.

I of course know of Taurus's lifetime handgun warranty despite the # of owner's its had, however I have also heard from a number of people that the warranty is there BUT, customer service isn't the greatest to deal with If I wouldn't be making a total mistake I must also let you all know that a set price has not yet been verified. So, not much knowledge on this firearm type apart from knowing Taurus hasn't really dabbled into 1911 styled handguns until very recent years. I am versatile & experienced with the 45 caliber along with other calibers so thats no question, and I'm certainly hoping this doesn't turn into another argument over the better self defense caliber Don't hesitate to leave your experienced opinions/concerns over the firearm, they're all appreciated

 

[SSGSAD]

There are plenty of comments, here, about this or that handgun,
I have no experience, with the taurus .45, but I can tell you, that I have a Mod., 85, that is great, never had a prob., so it is an excellent handgun.
Good accuracy well built, etc... you can try a search, and see what comes up..... good luck...

 

[Bapak2ja]

I have personal experience with Taurus customer service. They did exactly what they said they would do. The covered all the costs. They fixed the problems with my used 709 Slim in about six weeks. I know others have had worse experiences, but Taurus did a good job for me.

 

[melensdad]

I have a couple Taurus pistols (PT111 and PT145) and I've never had to use their customer service, however from the standpoint of their 1911 I have no experience.

Still, what I have seen/heard about their 1911 is not particularly good.

The 1911 is the most copied gun in the world, but not everyone builds it properly to fire/function with each pull of the trigger. One of the brands of 1911 that I would personally stay away from is the Taurus.

 

[451_Detonics]

I have heard of a number of problems with the Taurus 1911, the last one I saw at the NWI get together at the range wouldn't function even with ball ammo. I have also heard from gunsmiths that say fitting high quality parts to them is often a very tough chore as the Taurus isn't exactly to standard specs. I know they can be bought for very low prices but I feel this is really a case of you get what you pay for.

 

[x10]

I have heard of a number of problems with the Taurus 1911, the last one I saw at the NWI get together at the range wouldn't function even with ball ammo. I have also heard from gunsmiths that say fitting high quality parts to them is often a very tough chore as the Taurus isn't exactly to standard specs. I know they can be bought for very low prices but I feel this is really a case of you get what you pay for.

I owned a Taurus 1911 and I own and owned several other brands, Here's my take on it,

If your not going to tinker with the gun then its a good gun, mine shot pretty well, and as is would have been a good piece to have around,

If your like me and you feel the need to tinker and I mean even the simple things like grips then the taurus is not the one to have, Aftermarket parts will not fit without major modifications,

Before I bought the gun I went to the main Taurus site and everyone there was bragging and said that drop in parts worked fine, They were wrong, I ended up getting rid of the gun just because it wouldn't do what I wanted.


Try not to pay more than 450 for a used one of the base models, other than that I think they are decent guns, Just don't buy it if you have plans to change anything

 

[Squib]

I think it would not hurt you to look at some other 1911s. A few folks will usethe pharse "you get what you pay for" in relation to Taurus. Having owned a few, I believe it's more like, "you don't get what you pay for" and then some.

 

[Bshaw]

1911s

I attended a Shooting Acadamy earler this year and didnt want to fly with my Colt 1911 ( dont trust airlines to keep it safe ) so I made arrangements to rent a 1911 from the school .
I was VERY surprised to be issued a Taurus 1911 45 for the 2 day course
it functioned flawlessly with over 300 rds of WWB 230 gr fmj ammo
They did have it lubed VERY heavy ( left an oily stain on my shirt ) but other than that and it felt smaller in my hands than other 1911s ( may have been the grips ) I couldnt knock it
I am not attempting to bash this weapon just making a statement of my personal choice here ,with that said ,I personaly would not buy one simply because I prefer Colts ,Springfields, and Kimbers

 

[Gamez235]

The Taurus 1911's do have a pretty thin set of grips on them. I haven't heard much bad about them. I am not a fan of Metal Injection Molded parts, so I advise guys to drop the hammer and sear on them for a cnc'd part. Great value, and Taurus may be slow, but they stand behind their product..

 

[Redskinsfan]

As for Taurus customer service, they have been great. I told them of a PT-25 I bought recently that would not eject reliably. They sent a FedEx truck the next day to pick it up and will send it back the same way. The only thing that remains to be seen for me in this case is whether the gun will be correct when I get it back, but so far I have had no problems with at all with Taurus CS.

Terry

 

[LPMan59]

mine had a cheap safety and wouldnt feed certain brands of JHPs. really liked the feel though; accurate as well. i would rather go for a SA GI or Mil-spec though.

 

[88GT]

Not exactly what you're looking for as I don't have firsthand experience with the 1911 style Taurus model, but I did have a PT111 Millenium years ago in 9mm that was a royal POS. In every way possible.

That was 10 years ago and quality may have changed, but I don't think I will ever own another semi-auto handgun from Taurus again.

On the flip side, I can't say enough about the Model 85ULT I've had for the same amount of time.

 

[shootinghoosier]

I purchased a stainless steel PT1911 and it was my first .45 and 1911 model. I reload my own bullets and fed it 230 grain round nose all day long. It functioned great, never had a problem with it and it shot very accurately.

It doesn't have the cache of Colt, Kimber, etc., but I thought it was a very decent gun, especially for the money. Never had to deal with their warranty service, so can't provide any input on that.

 

[Hoosier45]

I'm a big 1911 guy, but have no experience with the Taurus.

The one time I did have to deal with Taurus customer service, for a PT99 sight issue, they were top notch. I paid for shipment to Miami, they fixed it for free and shipped it back. And I was the third owner of the gun.

 

[IndyBeerman]

I got a Taurus 1911 that I've put roughly 450-500 rounds down the pipe and it has functioned flawlessly and got rid of my loaded Springfield 1911a1 because I felt that the Taurus was better, and I had the Springfield for 10 years.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

A former co-worker of mine said he owned two Taurus 1911's, along with some more expensive 1911's. He said from his experience they where good guns. I personaly have no experience with them, but I have never had a problem with a Taurus handgun either.

 

[Amishman44]

Taurus...had an 850 once...it kept 'jamming' (cylinder not rotating). Repaired it twice (2x) and it kept having the same problem. I finally traded it....not trusting of it. Taurus...watch out for the lemons!

Have you looked at a Citadel? They are about the same price...and they shoot...and shoot...and shoot...without a hiccup! Very nice gun for around $500 new.

Happy Shooting!!!

 

[451_Detonics]

I keep noticing how many people praise Taurus Customer Service, on this thread as well as many others. Kinda scary that that many people have had to send their Taurus in for service to make them work.

 

[Joe Williams]

I keep noticing how many people praise Taurus Customer Service, on this thread as well as many others. Kinda scary that that many people have had to send their Taurus in for service to make them work.

Horse****. Part of the OPs question was about their customer service, and you are using the responses to rag on Taurus. The fact that you are a gun snob and do not like Taurus is your business. Using legitimate answers to the OPs question, though, is another matter.

To the OP, I've owned at least 9 or 10 Taurus' over the years, and haven't had a lick of trouble out of any of them. Not owned the PT1911, but if I were in the market for a 1911, it would be high on my list.

 

[XtremeVel]

The handgun I'm considering is a used (of course) Taurus PT1911 .45 ACP Semi-Automatic Pistol thats the stainless steel version.

Is there any way it would be possible that you try it first ? Does it belong to a buddy ? If you were able to try it out, good chance you will answer your own question.

The fact it's used lowers the financial risk you take, or at least it should.