Taurus PT1911 vs. Kmmber

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Depends on who you ask!

I have found a lot of good things said about tauruse's entry into the 1911 market. From what i've seen, you can get the taurus and add goodies onto it, and still come out cheaper than a kimber,plus according to some reviewer's
the pt1911 is a great gun, which they consider as reliable as a kimber., but in my searching i have found more negative on the taurus then on the kimber's.
My suggestion is to do alot of research, maybe even shoot one a few time's, then decide if u likey the kinmber or u likey the taurus.
 
From most reviews Taurus makes a decent 1911. However, I can't personally justify buying one when a US made Kimber, Colt (XSE Series), STI (Trojan), or S&W 1911 with the same or better features cost only a little more. Also in that slightly higher price bracket are the Brazilian Imbel 1911s from Springfield Armory. All of these other-than-Taurus manufactures, with the exception of S&W (who reportedly makes Kimber's frames & slides), have a much longer track record building 1911s. I'd spend a little more for a gun from an established 1911 manufacturer instead of buying a Taurus PT1911.
 
I own a taurus pt1911, which I bought after shooting a Kimber.
dollar for dollar, the taurus is a great gun.
I could buy 2 taurus's for the price of the kimber. Now, if I had the money, I might buy a kimber just to have one. but, I don't regret buying the pt1911 at all. I still think $ for $ it is a great buy.
The More we shoot it, the more we(son and I) like it. smooth out of the box, great trigger, and it just gets better as we shoot it more. We are pushing over a 1000 rnd now with no hiccups at all.
I guess all in all, I would almost have a problem justifing the extra money for the kimber, but , kimbers are nice.
If you want a great economy priced 1911, buy a taurus, If you have the money, heck yea, go for the kimber, both are very nice guns.
 
I got my Kimber Custom II for 670. I saw most Taurus' in the 500-700 bracket. I would go Kimber.
 
I could buy 2 taurus's for the price of the kimber.
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I got my Kimber Custom II for 670. I saw most Taurus' in the 500-700 bracket.
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The Taurus is an okay gun if you get a good one, but in the end, it is still a Taurus. As the Taurus new is about the same price as the entry level Kimber new, why WOULDN'T you go with a Kimber?
 
The STI Spartan is, dollar per dollar, the best 1911 bargain currently on the block imo.


Check out Dawson Precision.
 
Here's the scoop on the Taurus PT1911:
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=3703.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=8044.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=2045.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=6050.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=2155.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=2079.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=6415.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=8715.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=898.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=2229.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=5120.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=5689.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=8844.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=9048.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=8966.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=8605.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=6857.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=2167.0
 
The STI Spartan is, dollar per dollar, the best 1911 bargain currently on the block imo.
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The STI Spartan is a RIA is an Armscor.

It just has STI internals.

On the debate between Taurus and Kimber, I would say spend your money and take your chances. I've seen about equal amounts of good and bad in both. I will say I carried a Taurus PT92AF for 10 years and it was a very quality piece. The new versions of the same pistol, however, feel cheap to me. Plastic sights that move and such.

Josh <><
 
Well now, there seems to be much discussion on the subject.

My $0.02: I bought a blue Taurus. The only loads to go through it have been cast loads. 100% function every time. On the strength of that pistol, I bought the stainless version, also 100% function every time.

Both guns are very accurate w/ great triggers out-of-the-box.

The finish on the blue gun could have been better

Here is an interesting review, it puts alot in prospective too.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/articles2008/frc_ataurus1911/index.asp
 
Taurus all the way. I could never bring myself to get a "kimber". Nor would I be able to buy something called "kimmie" either.
 
Yes indeed. There are Kimber and Taurus PT1911 comparisons in the links folks for those who are interested.

The PT1911 does pretty well in the comparison. In some cases better.
 
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If you're going to step up from the Taurus to the Kimber, take another step up to a Sig GSR 1911.
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I'd stay away from the GSR. The blocky SIG-ified slide makes it heavier, and makes it tougher to fit in standard 1911 holsters. A GSR is also the only 1911 I've had major feed issues with. If you want a SIG in .45 ACP the P220 is a fine gun.
 
kimber makes some of the best 1911's around, don't get me wrong, i have a Taurus pt92af, and i love it, but kimber makes nicer 1911s than most others.
 
If I thought this might not be my last 1911, I would go with the PT1911 (stainless if I had to do it over again) after giving the consideration to the RIA. Though I am usually not an advocate of skimping on the purchase price since it is a fraction of the lifetime investment, I am very satisfied with my PT1911. Buy ammo with your savings.

If I knew this was going to be the only 1911 I would ever own, I would consider the Kimber but I would look hard at a lower price point Colt. However, I would still probably wind up with a stainless PT1911.

But that's just me...
 
The 1911 Forum has a huge volume of Kimber threads that are from buyers with problems. The usual chant is "send it back, they'll fix it." For a company that's been in the 1911 "line" for so long, they sure have a lot of problems.

The PT1911 had a run that had sub-standard safeties, but they appear to be on top of that now. They appear to be accurate, and several threads on just about every forum have people with 3K+ rounds, and no problems.

I've just never understood why the only way to "compare" on a gun forum is to slam the one you feel is a lesser choice.
 
I posted a mini review a year or so ago..

Taurus PT1911 vs Kimber Custom II Mini Review

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I’ve always been interested in the new Taurus 1911 and was curious as to how it would compare to other 1911s. As luck would have it, a friend of mine purchased a new Taurus PT1911 and was kind enough to let me borrow it for a quick review. Unfortunately, the digital camera is not cooperating with me at this time, so no pictures for now. Hopefully I’ll have a couple up soon. The comparison pistol is my personal Kimber Custom II 1911, which is factory stock except for an added Novak light rail on the dustcover. I’ve broken this review down into several comparison categories and awarded a winner each particular category.

Initial Quality/ Impression. TIE

Taurus- The Taurus has a “Beefy” feel to it, functional and utilitarian. The corners and edges of the dustcover and the trigger guard are not smoothed or beveled, giving the appearance of a solid, more robust frame. The front strap as well as under the trigger guard is checkered while the front of the trigger guard is left smooth. The finish is a matte blue type, nothing special, but functional. A nice added touch is that all major parts, the barrel, frame and slide all have matching serial numbers.

Kimber- Edges and corners are slightly smoothed, however, no checkering is on the trigger guard or frontstrap. The hammer, trigger and recoil rod/ bushing are all “white” making for a nice appearance. In contrast, these items are blued on the Taurus. The finish is also nothing special, but functional.

Both the Taurus and the Kimber also have front slide serrations that are popular these days. I’ve never used one or done a “press check” besides, how can you with a 2 pc guide rod?

Trigger- Winner= Kimber

Taurus- The Taurus trigger had some fore and aft play as well as up and down play, enough to hear a slight rattle if you shake the weapon. However, there is an overtravel adjustment screw that may help matters. The trigger pull is acceptable, but has an initial “mushy” feel due to the type of firing pin safety – I’ll go more into that later.

Kimber- Excellent trigger. I can’t say much more.


Grips= TIE

Taurus- Hard plastic checkered with a diamond pattern.
Kimber- Softer rubber.

Personal preference prevails.

Mainspring Housing- Winner= Taurus

Taurus- Flat checkered metal (verified with magnet)
Kimber- Flat checkered plastic.


Manual Safety- Winner= Taurus

Taurus- Ambi safety with positive engagement. You can hear and feel and audible click when engaged.

Kimber- Standard safety. Also positive.

Sights- Winner= Taurus

Taurus- Heinie lower profile sights. White dot front, one white dot rear. Drift adjustable with allen screws locking them in place.

Kimber- High profile black sights. Suitable for target and good light shooting, but not so good for low light shooting.

Hammer- Winner= Kimber
I rate this for Kimber only because the Taurus has a built in key safety in the hammer. As for looks, the Taurus is a round spur vs the skeletonized in the Kimber.

Ejection Port- TIE

Both are the same, lowered and flared.

Recoil Spring/ Guide Rod Setup= Tie

Both use a 2 pc guide rod setup and single spring.

Grip Safety- Winner= Taurus
Taurus- The Taurus has a pronounced “bump” to help you feel for the right hand placement as well as a more positive engagement. The beavertail is also a bit longer.

Kimber- a slight swelling of the safety in the lower area ensures that it engages.

Barrel = TIE

Both are polished and throated for hollowpoint use. If the hollowpoint misses or hangs up on the gaping maw of either of these two pistols, then you have a serious problem.

Taurus- Slightly different in that there is an approx ¼” section that has an increased diameter to mate with the barrel bushing.

Kimber- has a loaded chamber indicator cut, but you really need good eyes to make use of it. Besides, I don’t trust one.

Ejector= TIE

Both are pinned.

Extractor= TIE

Both are internal type.

Firing Pin Safety- Winner=Kimber

The Kimber firing pin safety relies on the grip safety depressing the plunger while the Taurus uses a bar connected to the trigger mechanism. Although I’m not particularily fond of firing pin safeties in a 1911, I’d rate the Kimber better because it does not interfere with the trigger pull.


Unfortunately time did not permit a range session, and I’m sure that I’ve left something out, so feel free to add to this post. Would I buy a Taurus? After examining one, yes. I think it offers a great value- even when compared to a higher priced Kimber. In my area the Taurus goes for a bit over $600 vs $750 plus for the standard Kimber
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I don't have any updates on the Taurus, however, my Kimber has been going strong and trouble free for a good while now. It remains on my nightstand.
 
I've fired several Kimbers and am impressed with the pistol. I own a PT1911B. I've had zero problems and found the accuracy impressive. I haven't seen enough difference to justify about 2x the price for a Kimber.

I keep hearing "but it's a Taurus" as a way of dismissing any good qualities of the pistol. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've yet to see pieces fall of the pistol when I shoot it. I've also seen more problems in the range with Kimbers than any other 1911: slide not fully closing; not ejecting/feeding certain kinds of ammo. I even fired an ultra carry that you had to manually close the slide every round. I really loved the guy who kept telling me how bad my Taurus was and how much he paid for his Kimber. He was shooting 16" groups at 10 yards and I was cussing because I couldn't get sub 2" groups at 15 yards.

All that is anecdotal. Most of the problems I mentioned were probably related to cleaning and lubrication (except the 16" groups). I think the Kimber is a fine weapon and may end up buying one if price meets mood. However, I've been pleased enough with the Taurus that I can't really justify dropping the bucks for a Kimber.
 
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