Taurus customer service said they did have a problem, and fixed it. Told me that over the phone. Woman on the phone seemed very honest, recognizing they did have a lot of frames to fix from 2001/early 2002, and did make some changes to the design. I don't have an example of one of the earlier P-145's to compare it to my "late model" PT-145, however, to see what changes were made.
When I read the large number of posts on frame cracking, it made me think along the following lines...Taurus has a lifetime warranty on their guns. If a systemic problem arises with a particular manufacturing line, they have two choices...discontinue the weapon, or change the design. Otherwise, they are manufacturing a continuing liability and cost. You just can't stay in business with that model. Easier and cheaper to fix the problem for the long haul. The PT-145 is still being produced, so I doubted they would create a geometrically increasing problem.
So, the next step is to see if the problem has been fixed, and get some indication that is the case. So I called, and got that indication. Instead of just reading posts, always ask the source, if possible. Another reason I called was to "test" the customer service department...would I get the royal brush off, rudeness, or an uncooperative attitude...or would I get a friendly, helpful person that seemed to be honestly answering my questions...an indication of a good company. Of course, I got the positive response, which also influenced my purchase.
I also read the
www.pt145.com website. There is some info on problems with other Millenium pistols as well, the PT-111 and PT-140. While they look similar to the PT-145, the lowers (and uppers, of course) are quite different, so I don't think they should be lumped together. The rivet cracking issue, for example mentioned should not be lumped in with the PT-145. For the safety lever issue mentioned on the website...my safety lever really wants to be either on or off, and snaps to either position very nicely. I tried that one out before buying as well. It would take deliberate, careful and slow manipulation to get the safety lever to stay in a middle position on my gun. And it really doesn't want to stay in that position...the mechanism really wants it to snap to either "on" or "off". Try it and you will see what I mean....at least on the high serial number guns. If the safety is "partially" off (meaning you try deliberately to put it in a halfway position), and you try to fire the gun, it WILL fire the weapon. That might shear off the safety lever if it does, as the slide will move across it at high velocity. I thought about this, and the fact is that if I take the safety off (and for some strange reason, it doesn't go down all the way, which would be very hard to accomplish), and pull the trigger, I STILL WANT that gun to fire...it could be an emergency situation...I AM pulling the trigger, after all...not something that is easy to do by accident on this particular pistol. I couldn't understand why the person who posted to the
www.pt145.com site said they lost all confidence in the gun...when you take the safety off, you want it to "go" when you pull that trigger.
In the meantime, the bad press on the gun kept the price *really* low. So, benefit to me...
Also, there is nothing quite like the size, weight, cost, safety, and ammo capacity of this particular .45.
Finally, there is still the lifetime warranty...so, as long as Taurus is in business, I am covered...
In addition, the failures mentioned did not stop the gun from firing...so, even if the gun is used in an emergency situation, I am as confident as you can be with any fairly simple reliable semiauto handgun that it will work. And the firing mechanism is VERY simple.
At this point, I admit I only have about 200-250 rounds through it. But so far, I am very pleased with my purchase.
The light weight also makes me more likely to carry it...always a good thing, since a gun left at home is pretty useless if you are not there as well.
I posted my info to this and at TFL so others could weigh my experience against others, and make their own decisions. All guns have their pluses and minuses. My experience so far has been very positive. If that changes, I will post it as well.
