Not a Ruger But ....

[modrifle3]

I found a dealer on GB selling Taurus PT1911s for $350 nib. Anyone have any Taurus experience? They are forged frame but use a modified 80 series block.

For the price I went ahead and bought one....what could it hurt!

 

[RickinPA]

Ever hear the old saying, "you get what you paid for"? My first 45 was a Taurus because it was so cheap. Shot good except for the fact that the mag would fall right out of the gun about every 4th or 5th shot! They are not terrible guns, but just do not have the quality of better named American built. Hope you got one that was made on a Wednesday! For a few dollars more, you could have gotten a great gun with fit and finish that is excellent, like my SR1911CMD. Take that Taurus back to your dealer in a month and see how much he'll offer you! May open your eyes!

 

[modrifle3]

Lol ... I have several high end 1911s. I actually sold my sr1911 to upgrade. Just curious the opinions. I may use the frame and slide for a build.

 

[revhigh]

The PT1911's are decent guns. Entry level quality with lots of cosmetic doo dads trying to make people think it's a much higher level gun. To be honest ... About equal in quality to the SR1911, and almost any other entry level 1911. Above a RIA and Philippine 1911's, but well below the Springfield Loaded Models.

Nothing wrong with them at all, but to put them below the Ruger in terms of quality and function is simply wishful thinking. They're about equal. The ones I've shot have been very good guns, although all the cosmetic doo dads are a turn off to me.

For $350 ... If they had one available in 9mm I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

Let me know if it's available in 9mm please.

Thx,

REV

 

[Mike J]

Rev, I couldn't find you a Taurus 1911 in 9mm for that price but Buds has a Citadel (made by Armscor) in 9mm for about that money. http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/89750/Citadel+CIT9MMFSP+1911+Full+Size+9%2B1+9mm+5%22

Lots of deals posted at Slickguns. I think there will be some interesting offers between now & Christmas.

 

[modrifle3]

Yeah the 9mms go for a bit more. Like I said for $350 I just couldn't pass.

 

[revhigh]

Yeah the 9mms go for a bit more. Like I said for $350 I just couldn't pass.

Yup ... a bit more ... like $150 more ....

REV

 

[revhigh]

Rev, I couldn't find you a Taurus 1911 in 9mm for that price but Buds has a Citadel (made by Armscor) in 9mm for about that money. http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/89750/Citadel+CIT9MMFSP+1911+Full+Size+9%2B1+9mm+5%22

Lots of deals posted at Slickguns. I think there will be some interesting offers between now & Christmas.

Thanks for the link !

That has to be the ugliest and most poorly fitted trigger I've ever seen.

Absolutely hideous.

REV

 

[Mike J]

Yeah the 9mms go for a bit more. Like I said for $350 I just couldn't pass.

$350 is about a hundred cheaper than I have seen them going for online. I don't have any experience with them though. I do a lot more looking than buying.

 

[Mike J]

Rev, I couldn't find you a Taurus 1911 in 9mm for that price but Buds has a Citadel (made by Armscor) in 9mm for about that money. http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/89750/Citadel+CIT9MMFSP+1911+Full+Size+9%2B1+9mm+5%22

Lots of deals posted at Slickguns. I think there will be some interesting offers between now & Christmas.

Thanks for the link !

That has to be the ugliest and most poorly fitted trigger I've ever seen.

Absolutely hideous.

REV

LOL, Same old Rev. Who knows if you want the 9mm for $350 keep a look out one might come up. Prices are dropping until the next panic anyway.

 

[revhigh]

Rev, I couldn't find you a Taurus 1911 in 9mm for that price but Buds has a Citadel (made by Armscor) in 9mm for about that money. http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/89750/Citadel+CIT9MMFSP+1911+Full+Size+9%2B1+9mm+5%22

Lots of deals posted at Slickguns. I think there will be some interesting offers between now & Christmas.

Thanks for the link !

That has to be the ugliest and most poorly fitted trigger I've ever seen.

Absolutely hideous.

REV

LOL, Same old Rev. Who knows if you want the 9mm for $350 keep a look out one might come up. Prices are dropping until the next panic anyway.

I hear Ya.. I'd buy the Taurus for $350 in 9, but I really have all the toys I need and then some

REV

Do you like that trigger?

 

[Mike J]

I hear Ya.. I'd buy the Taurus for $350 in 9, but I really have all the toys I need and then some

REV

Do you like that trigger?

You are right. It just doesn't look right. I didn't notice it until you called my attention to it though.

 

[modrifle3]

Well the Taurus came in today and went right back out .... Yeah it was to good to be true. And Rev a Ruger is NOT built to to the same quality level. A Ruger is a Gold Cup compared to this thing. Machining was rough ... Not a big deal. Checkering was poor ... Not a big deal. Trigger was actually good. Frame is larger than a standard 1911...not a big deal. Slide to frame fit was no worse than most Rugers or R1s.

Here is what I couldn't live with ....

Barrel bushing was so loose in the slide it would move up and down a 1/16th of an inch. Now if I would have had time to check the slide and try a new bushing I may have kept it, but just not worth the trouble.

Lesson learned again. Price point is everything.

 

[revhigh]

I hear Ya.. I'd buy the Taurus for $350 in 9, but I really have all the toys I need and then some

REV

Do you like that trigger?

You are right. It just doesn't look right. I didn't notice it until you called my attention to it though.

My eyes went right to it. That would make me not buy the gun.

REV

 

[revhigh]

Well the Taurus came in today and went right back out .... Yeah it was to good to be true. And Rev a Ruger is NOT built to to the same quality level. A Ruger is a Gold Cup compared to this thing. Machining was rough ... Not a big deal. Checkering was poor ... Not a big deal. Trigger was actually good. Frame is larger than a standard 1911...not a big deal. Slide to frame fit was no worse than most Rugers or R1s.

Here is what I couldn't live with ....

Barrel bushing was so loose in the slide it would move up and down a 1/16th of an inch. Now if I would have had time to check the slide and try a new bushing I may have kept it, but just not worth the trouble.

Lesson learned again. Price point is everything.

The ones I've seen and shot were NOTHING like that. They were actually pretty nicely done if yo like all that extra crap. ALL were very good shooters. I'm guessing it was a bunch of seconds or defects that you got hooked into.

No big deal either way ... You won't miss it.

REV

 

[modrifle3]

No I won't miss it at all. My friend at work has one and his was nothing like this. Kinda makes me wonder since these sub $400 tauruses keep ending up on GB.

 

[modrifle3]

So this saga is not playing out as I had expected.

A call to the nice folks at Tanners and an explination of why I wanted to return the pistol resulted in them offering to send another one for me to inspect. Very nice of them to do and since I only paid a $10 transfer, why not. Earlier I was able to stop the gunshop from sending the other one back after reading about EGW custom bushings so I was not hit with the $35 shipping charge to return. They offered to do a return pick up since there appeared to be an issue with the first pistol. Of course I will eat it if I return this one.

The engineer in me will not settle for "well it just sucked". First order was to find the parts I want to replace, but on a very cheap budget. This is a cheap gun so no since in putting alot into it.

A quick browse on Midways site yielded the following:

Cylinder and Slide low profile single side safety on clearance for $21
C&S safety detent as I hear the Taurus is not great and safety moves easily. $2.99 for two.
Colt Hammer pin (love colt parts and for the money nothing beats them) $2.99
Colt Sear Pin $3.99

When in stock I will order the following:
S&W Hammer: $9.99
Hammer Strut $4.27
Pin: $1.99

I will have roughly $50 invested and most of the things covered that I am not found of.

If this one has a loose bushing and doesn't shoot well I will invest the $25 in a custom angled version.

An of course I will throw on a set of wood grip I have because to me a 1911 should have wood grips. So no cost there as they are laying around.

If this turns out to be a reliable gun, I may use it as my carry. I know I know . . . there are better options, but I like 1911s.

All in all I will still have far less than the MSRP in this gun.

 

[revhigh]

Good plan and good thinking MR ...i'd think the first one was a fluke ... the ones I've seen have actually been pretty decent.

Keep us informed !

REV

 

[Anthony Williams]

Gotta watch Rev' he's probably on Taurus's payroll! :lol:

 

[modrifle3]

Not worried about it. As long as the frame and slide are correctly specd internally I will have a nice pistol when done. This isn't my first build still 1911 green, I have only been messing with them about 3 years so plenty to learn.

 

[modrifle3]

As an update, still waiting on the pistol, but have all my parts but hammer sear and disconnector ordered. I decided to spend the extra money and get the Cylinder and Slide Tactical match kit. All parts machined steel, no MIM and comes with all 5 pieces. Doubt I will use the 18lb hammer spring as I already have a 23lb Wolffe.

Kit was only $99 and is something that you can always take out and transfer to another pistol. I have used C&S kits in the past and they are very nice. They require no fitting unless trying to get a perfect trigger pull.

 

[modrifle3]

Taurus will ship out this week. Just spoke to them and they have to check the other pistol back in. I will start a new thread for the build with lots of pics.

 

[Mike J]

Taurus will ship out this week. Just spoke to them and they have to check the other pistol back in. I will start a new thread for the build with lots of pics.

Sounds good, I would be interested.

 

[dakota1911]

That is an amazing price. Down here you see them in the $600 something area so in the Ruger area. My story is yes I have one. I bought one of the first ones in my area for $499 at the time. Mine was O.K. The finish looked like you could rub it off with you thumb but you couldn't. I did not like the fact the S/N was on the frame, the slide, and the barrel either.



It had all sorts of goodies. Beavertail grip safety, ambi safeties, FLGR, checker the front of the grip, checker the bottom of the trigger guard?, Heine like sights........ Then there was the Series 80 system and the key lock in the hammer.



Anyway. Mine was not horrible. I let lots of friends shoot it. They bought them and had many multiple problems with theirs like ambi safeties falling off and many other things. To this day I do not bring up Taurus when I shoot with them. Every now and then I take mine out and shoot it. All by myself.

 

[modrifle3]

If the frame proves to be of spec and the fit is good. I am using this as a project and to learn. Really focusing on the action of the pistol. Sear/hammer engagement and tuning for minimal creep but keeping it safe for carry. I will also install a fitted barrel bushing.

 

[modrifle3]

Well it’s been a while since the PT arrived and I must say I was very pleased, but yet left disappointed. Let’s start with a review.

Here is the good. Finish is nice and fit is very good. Slide to frame and slide to barrel bushing fit is on par with Colt. Trigger is WOW . . . never imagined that a $350 pistol would have this nice and clean of a break. So my issue now is whether I even install the Ed Brown action kit or leave it as is. That is to be determined. Barrel bushing fit is good but I will still order an EGW custom fit. Barrel is OK and appears shot peened. Safety is large and a weird shape, but clicks on and off as it should with no sear movement. However the frame hole is exposed when engaged. Sights are mini Novak 3 dot which I am use to, but at some point I want to try night sights. Novak makes an adjustable direct replacement, but they are half the price of the gun. This thing will have to be 110% before spending a $150 on sights.

Now the bad and the ugly. Pistol arrives and first thing I noticed was my pistol was only shipped with one mag. I am disappointed by this but oh well I have plenty. It is soaked in grease . . . not a bad thing but super dirty. I mean kid in a sand pile dirty. No way any one could shoot a straight from the factory PT. So a good cleaning is needed. I decided to not detail strip the frame, but rather to spray it with break free. This worked pretty well, but on the slide I decided to detail strip it.

Here is the first problem. The firing pin stop is a stippled type and it was hammered in. It was tilted to the side so rather than file the high edge off the assembler took his hammer and beat it down. So there is a nice dent in the back of the slide.

Second problem. I decided to fit the FPS properly and as a result the side to side play is too great so the extractor is now loose. There is no bend so there is no tension on it or the shell casing. Yes this could be adjusted easily, but fixing this doesn’t support the case I am building for a new pistol. Upon further inspection there is way more than the spec allowable space between the breech face and extractor hook. This is going to cause a problem . . . we will get to that. I already have a EGW oversized stop to fit once it returns.

Third problem. The frame is damaged from the assembler dropping the hammer repeatedly with the slide off.

Fourth problem. The barrel link appears to have been reamed with a dull drill bit. Jagged ragged hole. My God!

This is just too much. Not even going to address all these issues on a gun that will not function. We will get to that. So a quick call to Taurus and a very nice lady answered in about 45 seconds. I explained everything and that basically I wanted a new gun. So off the pistols goes for round 3.


Now back to FTF and FTE issues. Round one off of a full mag with the slide closed and a quick rack of the slide results in a nose diving jam. Doesn’t happen with the slide open. Last casing will not clear the gun. Also the casings eject everywhere. The loose extractor is causing this I know. I fear there is more to it, failure to feed is a feed ramp issue . . . most likely angle. The space between the extractor hook and breech face really bothers me. I really think based on using another extractor and measuring that the slide was mismachined.


OK OK . . . you told me so, but if I get the pistol or at least the slide and barrel replaced and properly fitted, this will be a nice gun. Besides the learning aspect is worth the trouble . . . at least to me. Stay tuned.

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

Dear God...