PT145, is there a real story?

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Ed Ames

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I've been considering getting a concealed permit. One factor is that I don't really have any good concealment guns. Closest I have is a CZ-82. It'll work but it's large and heavy for its power.

After a bit of research it seems like a PT145 would be a good choice. It reviews well, only complaints I've seen here are plastic cracking on older models which supposedly Taurus has fixed. I went into a gun store hoping to see one... the guy behind the counter went into this speech: "I don't recommend the Millennium series because we've seen a 40% failure rate on them... the PT1911 seems fine. The Millenniums are like Mossberg shotguns; no good for defense though they're fine for uses where a failure just means you lose a day hunting or at the range."

I asked him what else he would recommend... he basically said "there's a glock 30... we don't have any." He pointed out his selection of .45 pistols they were basically all 1911 variants.

So... was it truth as seen by someone in a position to know, a salesperson trying to upsell to a more expensive gun, or something else altogether?
 
Um... I'd find a new store to frequent.

1. If the PT145 had a 40% failure rate you would hear about it all over the place and that model would more than likely be recalled.

2. I didn't realize that Mossbergs weren't any good for defense. Apparently neither does the US military.

That guy was just trying to push you towards what he had in stock. Find somewhere else to look.
 
I doubt *very* seriously that they are getting 40% failure rates - if I was a retailer I wouldn't stock such junk - perhaps you should have asked him why *they* did....


My experience with Taurus is very good - I've had 3 24/7s, and a PT140 Mil Pro in auto and a 85 .38 in revolver. All of them work fine.
 
Wow. A 1911 as his only option for a starting carry pistol.

RUN to a new shop. There's nothing wrong with 1911s and nothing necessarily good or bad about a PT145. It's a nice little .45 pistol, but a GUN SHOP should have a PT145 and a few other nice carry pistols for you to handle...along with some realistic advice.

This guy is a know-nothing blowhard.
 
It was pretty classic... he went into how different the military Mossbergs are from civilian models. Usually when I hear this stuff I write it off as upselling but I was curious.

As for stocking or not... he said they stopped stocking Taurus Millenniums (in any caliber) "a long time ago" due to the failure rate. Does that mean that maybe he was right but they haven't kept up with the improvements?


On paper I think the PT145 is my best choice as a carry gun. I've yet to see one in person though.
 
I gotta call BS on the shop employee

There are certainly better built guns. There are certainly guns of much poorer quality too, and both will cost more. I can think of the Sigma series as an example of the latter. I just looked at half a dozen or so Tauri, and I concluded that the QC seemed much better than it used to be. In fact, I would consider owning one myself. I mean seriously, for less than 300 bucks new, and lifetime service, even if it's not top notch, it is hard to go wrong.

Shooter429
 
My PT 145 MilPro was a superior pistol, and incredibly accurate. It shot 6" groups on my buddie's 60-yard range, which is astounding for an unsupported DAO. However, I prefer pocket carry, and it was just a bit much for that, so I sold it and bought a KelTec PF-9, which I am eminently happy with, until they finally decide that we're not all girly-men, and make a 15oz. 5 or 6 +1 .45ACP that doesn't cost an arm & a leg.
 
Best bang for the buck in a .45acp CCW out there IMO. I have the stainless model myself and like it prettty well. It conceals very good IWB and is extremely light. I also bought a PT140 to go with it. It has the blue slide with an olive drab frame. Either one will serve you well for a CCW piece.
 
Those comments are more what used to seeing. That's why I was so surprised by the guy in the shop.

It really does seem as though it's the perfect first CCW gun for me. Especially if it is accurate enough to have fun with. The whole CHL idea has been an interesting thought experiment if nothing else. When I went through the guns that I brought with me to Texas I realized that I really don't have anything would be a good concealed handgun in Dallas where the weather tends to be hot and the dress code tends towards shorts and knit shirts. I have a full size 9mm I would trust but (and this shows the oddity of most of my "collection") it is one of a consecutively numbered pair and I'd feel bad if it wound up rusting in an evidence locker somewhere. My other "Texas" guns are either plinkers or not appropriate for other reasons. Well, I did buy a CZ-82 with my C&R recently but it's bigger and heavier than the PT145 and lacks the power of even a standard 9x19.

Thanks everyone for the feedback! :) This'll give me an excuse to visit even more gun stores and that's always good (though often expensive).
 
tinygnat219 wrote: "I had one of these, nice idea. Poor execution. I went through 2 guide rod mainspring housings and the pistol was unable to return to battery. Lost completel confidence in it as a CHP. Sold it. Much happier now."

I was looking at the PT145 this weekend which is why this thread caught my eye. I have read most of the reports about the PT145 and the above quote seems to be a very common thread in posts from about 5 years ago. However, the above quote would also seem to be the exception for any PT145 made within the past 2-3 years. Tinygnat, about when was your PT145 made and was it the Millenium Pro model?
-Ike
 
I own a pt145 millenium Pro. I purchased it in 2005. I also read many of the reviews on forums like this one of the older models having problems. After being told the problem was fixed, I decided to purchase one. It was recommended to me to buy the pro model over the regular millenium. Since the purchase I have ran approximately 2000 rounds of practice .45 with out ANY malfunctions, I have also run 300 rounds of my agencies duty round, Winchester Rangers HP without having any failures of any kind. :)

I now carry this pistol for cpl and also a back up when on duty. I would recommend it to anyone. I purchased mine in brushed nickel. Again I have had no problems. If you buy a newer one you should not have any either.

Hope this helps
 
I wouldn't get one, but you can question my logic if you want to.

I have owned a couple of handguns that turned out to be truly terrible. One was a 1st Gen S&W Sigma, the other was a Taurus T-92. On the T-92, it was picky about ammo, had FTEs, light pin strikes, and the double action started to slip.

Different gun, made probably close to 20 years ago, but you know what? This business is too competitive, there are too many good pistols out there to give second chances. This is why Glock, XD, H&K, and even this new Ruger that was just announced are higher up on my list than a PT-145 or an M&P.
 
Well, here's a pic of my PT111 alongside my Para P12 for size comparison. The P12 is only about 1/2" longer and a little thicker. The Taurus has been 100% reliable, over the course of 600rds of firing, with only 1 cleaning at the 400rd mark. The only downside for me is that, because the gun doesnt fit my hand all that well, (I prefer the fat P12 grip), I cannot shoot the fine little gun worth a darn. Heck, my ex-girlfriend shoots it better than I do. (Yes, I know, handing an ex a loaded handgun....scary...:eek:) . Bottom line, great little gun, but I am selling mine. It rode great in my Levi denim jacket pocket. I just cannot see the place for this though. Myself, I will carry my P12 when concealment is easy, with a jacket or coat and I will carry my S&W 36 flat latch in the pants pocket when the heat gets turned up.
 

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"Different gun, made probably close to 20 years ago, but you know what?"

I guess I am trying to keep my perspective on the quality Taurus produces today. I am looking to buy a new Taurus PT145, not a used one. I can remember a time when a product stamped with "Made in Japan" meant it was cheap junk.
-Ike
 
I have the 24/7 Pro .45 after getting some mag problems resolved it has ran great. I only have ~500 rounds through it so another 200 or so I'll have confidence in it. I think the biggest problem people are still having with the Mill Pros, are the recoils springs. Taurus has a new design for the springs that should fix it.
The new design has a washer on the front where the spring fits into the slide.
 
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The OP asked if there is a "real story" with the PT-145. There was a real story on this pistol: the first generation PT-145 Milleniums were plagued with some common breakage problems, which Taurus attended to, and with the later releases of the Milleniums, and then the release of the Millenium Pro model, the problem had been cured. This has all been well-documented on THR and other gun forums (a search might have been fruitful, I don't know).

I do know that my wife has a pre-Pro PT-145 that has been spectacular as far as accuracy and reliability (though the trigger pull is so loooonnng). We liked this pistol so much we picked up a Mil Pro 145, which is 100% reliable as well. Our pre-Pro Millenium was my wife's chosen carry pistol until she discovered my SIG P-228.

BTW, I've had a Taurus PT-92 AF since 1991 that has never malfunctioned over the course of probably about 20K rounds, and outshoots a couple of my Beretta 92s.

You can pay heed to the legions of Taurus-bashers on the net (many or most of whom have never actually owned a Taurus product but are possessed of a degree of gun-snobbery quite common hereabouts) but I know one gunshop that can't keep Taurus PT-145s on the shelf and hasn't gotten a significant number of documented complaints on the pistols they've sold (as an aside, this shop also can't keep SA XDs in stock, either, they're selling like hotcakes).

For anyone on a budget, or someone who just likes a very lightweight, but high-capacity small .45, the PT-145 could be your answer. I know quite a few very gun-savvy folks who include a Millenium of some caliber in their inventories.
 
The new PT145 Mil Pro with the single action / double action trigger has a completely redesigned recoil spring assembly. Much larger and more secure and I believe it is all steel now not plastic inside the spring. My dao PT145 shed the front end of the recoil spring assembly years ago and kept on shooting just fine. Problem was with putting the darn thing back together after cleaning, the spring wanted to go everywhere but where it belonged.

Bottom line, the new PT145 is a great little pistol and AFIK all the prior problems have been fixed and no new ones seem to be appearing. I've got close to a thousand rounds of 200gr cast reloads and at least 200 rounds of factory hollow points through it so far. No problems of any kind. Put on some Williams Fire sights and I'm a happy camper.:)
 
600+rnds and not a single FTF or FTE in my PT145 Pro. I would take the advice of those who actually own a newer PT145 Pro over those who "once owned a T-92(*** is that) 20yrs ago". And btw, I owned an XD-40 that the trigger spring broke after 1k rnds or so, so name recognition doesn't mean s*&^, all gun mfgr's have probs..EVEN GLOCK, I'm sure.
 
I own a 3rd gen PT145 & I carry it everyday have shot a couple thousand rounds though it with no problems I love it
 
I personally won't trust a MilPro ever again with my life and I do own one, though it is being sold. They are fixing the recoil spring assembly problem so it may work perfect after that however once a gun has failed me not once but twice, I will not trust it again. I bought a Glock 36 to take over the duties.
 
I carry a PT145 pro daily. Quite satisfied with it. Love the trigger. It's light, small, and packs a whallup. Mine is now (after the ~200 rnd break in period) 100% reliable. Be sure to put 300 rounds down range before putting it on your side for the day. But it's an awesome pistol. And I never think twice when I pull the trigger whether it will work or not. The gun works. I've got a shop near me that always tries to sell people other stuff besides Taurus. They have a bottom line to look after...
 
oh, and since the best advice I can give a new ccw permit holder is to get the best and the right holster, I'll let you in on the secret that though holster manufacturers are slow to release specific holsters for the PT145, there are many holsters (not all) for the Glock 23 will fit a PT145. My fav. holster is a pancake for the G23 which fits my PT145 beautifully, made by a fellow out of Azel, TX. Since you might not be far away, look for D.M. Bullard at the gun shows, or right there in Azel. He makes custom stuff too. And it's all reasonably priced.
 
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