PT140/145 Q's

[JamisJockey]

I'm very close to either buying the Taurus PT140 or PT 145. I've done some forum searching but mostly found old threads on both guns. I'm looking for recent purchasers honest opinions on both.
I'm more attracted to the slightly narrower profile of the 140 and the price of .40 ammo, but am a dyed in the wool .45 fan.....The price difference isn't much at the local gunshops, maybe $15 or so. Tell me why or why not for one or the other.....
Is there certain serial numbers I should avoid, given the early QC problems?
Also, I'd like to hear some reccomendations on holsters for casual wear CCW for the above guns.
I really really hope the only gun shop around that rents used guns has one for me to try when I head over there tomorrow or monday.
:banghead:

 

[AllLockedUp(tm)]

PT140

I had a PT140. Worst gun I've ever owned. First time shooting the extrator broke, back to the factory. Got it back, took it out, something broke internally and the mag kept falling out. Factory time again. Once I got it back a third time, had problems with FTF - light primer strikes. Ammo was Winchester white box, same box shot fine out of a friend's Glock. It regularly had feed and extraction problems. I finally traded it in two months ago for a new SW99 in .45. Did I mention it's horribly inaccurate? 10 yards and all I could do was hope it hit the paper.

 

[Sean Smith]

Is there certain serial numbers I should avoid, given the early QC problems?

From the relatively late-production PT145 I saw, all of them. A friend bought one, and it BROKE something on every range trip. And had mis-feeds. And failed to fire when it WOULD chamber a round. And... well, you get the idea. I've seen better performance from AMTs, which is saying a mouthful.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

In my area, .40 is more expensive than .45. I would advise against the older PT-140/145s in favor of the newer PT-140/145 Millenium Pro series (looks like all 3 calibers use exactly the same frame). If you get a Pro, you don't have to worry about serial number ranges (supposedly the problems of the earlier models were fixed with the introduction of the Pro). I didn't wait for the Pro to be released and got a late production PT-145 which I am very happy with. Basically, you want to avoid guns made earlier than January 2002. The three letters of the serial number indicates the series, year, and month of production. Do a search here and you'll find several threads giving this information (I don't remember the conventions right off hand).

 

[wally]

I've a PT111 Millenium 9mm. I guess its possible the design doesn't hold up to scaling for stronger calibers, but every maker lets bad guns slip out -- check the Kimber, Kahr or Para threads on pistolsmith.com and you'll find unhappy campers there too, even with these much more expensive guns.

I find the DAO trigger on the PT111 to be the best of the breed so far -- but at heart I'm a 1911 guy and biased against DAO. Its a true double action meaning you can get a second hit on a hard primer, unlike a Glock or Kahr which requires movement of the slide to reset the trigger. The trigger on my PT111 stages wonderfully giving a pause point that then breaks very much like a SA. Fact is I shoot tigher groups with the same ammo in my PT111 than with my Glock 17. YMMV. I shoot better still with my Kahr PM40, and best with a 1911 style gun, but for a small 10+1 gun the Milleniums are definetly worth a look. I'll not argue you can't do better if you are willing to spend more. The Kahr P40 or PM40 are better but are 6+1 and 5+1 vs 10+1 and almost twice the price, but do conceal better for me. The small Glocks are generally well regarded, can be 10+1 in some models, but are also a good bit more expensive as well. I definitely advise shooting a Glock first in case you are like me and just can't get used to the way the trigger breaks.

The newer Millenuim Pro models are claimed to "fix a few problems" but to me they were only significantly heavier and thus of less intrest to me. One other feature of the Millenium series is a frame mounted thumb safety that blocks the trigger, this is either eye-wash or great depending on your comfort level with one in the chamber.


Obviously its best to borrow or rent any gun you are intrested in as shooting is the only real way to tell how well it'll work for you. As a gun hobbiest, I buy what's intresting and carry what I like best (in order of preference): Kimber Ultra Carry 45ACP, Kahr PM40 40S&W, S&W SC360 Scandium .357, Kel-Tec .380 P3AT for when everything else is too big to conceal.

As another 45 fan, I must say I like the 40S&W out of these 3-3.5" barrels as the 180gr .40 and 230gr .45 have identical sectional densities but you'll likely get an extra 100 fps from the .40 for a bit better penetration.

--wally.

 

[Hypnogator]

I have a PT-145 Millennium Pro stainless, that I bought last June. I'm tickled spitless with it. Accurate (not a target gun, of course) and reliable for the most part (occasional failure to go to battery -- probably stronger recoil spring would cure this). I recently bought a couple of additional magazines for it, which I haven't tried with it yet.

I've only fired about 250 rds through it, of which about 200 were ball and 50 were Hydra-Shoks. No sign of any cracking or breakage.

The trigger pull is MUCH better than the old Millennium pistols.

As for the size difference between it and the PT-140, that's negligible for me, but then I'm a BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F-----). I would much rather have the extra stopping power than the additional compactness, inasmuch as I'll be carrying it in a holster, anyway. It is, by no stretch of the imagination, a pocket gun.

I've heard lots of negative things about the Millennium series, but the consensus is that Taurus got them pretty well fixed in the Pro series. Of course, every manufacturer makes a few lemons, no matter what the model number.

Good luck!

 

[Brad Johnson]

The second digit of the serial number on the original 145's denoted the year made, and is represented by a letter. Don't get one with a "U" in the second spot unless you can verify that it's been back to the factory for the frame upgrade. Once the upgrade is done, you should not have any of the early problems that a lot of the first owners had. "V" or later is the revised frame which did not have the problems of the earlier guns (the year designators are in alphabetical order).

I know several who have the original PT145's. One was an early unit with had the frame ear breakage problem. The frame was replaced under warranty, and the owner has not had a problem since. Aside from the long trigger pull (a result of the true DAO design) I have heard nothing but good reports from all the owners.

Brad