Ruger 345 or Taurus PT1911

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BP Hunter

BP Hunter

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I am seriously looking into purchasing a .45 cal pistol. It has come down to either the Ruger 345 or the Taurus PT1911. The reason is that I wanted a .45 cal with a decoker, thus no Glock, M&P, etc. I don't also want to spend more than $800. Both of these pistols can hold 8+1 in their magazines. One is all steel and the other aluminum + polymer frame. The Ruger costs $469 vs the Taurus in blued $566 in our local stores. I don't plan to carry it but use it basically for home defense. Ruger, I hear has great customer service; Taurus, we know all about it.

What you guys say?
 
The PT1911 is SA, with no decocker. The P345 is DA/SA, with a manual safety & or decocker. I had a P345, and It was a laser, as accurate as any 1911 I've owned:)

The P345 has either a stainless or blued steel slide, no aluminum to be found.
 
I love my PT 1911. It shoots very well and is good looking to boot.
 
You can still decock the 1911:) A used Sig 220 would be a great decock 45 to look at:cool:
 
I just wrote out a huge review of the P345 to another member who asked me about my experiences. I'll PM a copy/paste of it to you as well.

I've looked at a few Taurus 1911s now in the store.. and even though everybody seems to be happy enough with them ( except for customer service ), the slide to frame fit on each of the maybe.. 4 .. that I've looked at was absolutely horrid when compared to higher priced models. Maybe they aren't all like that, just the ones I saw. And on the other hand maybe some of the positive reviewers don't have enough experience with other maker's models to know the difference. I can't say either way, and I don't presume to. I have nothing against Taurus as a brand per say though, and I've had very positive experiences with the PT99 line.

The P345 is a great feeling gun that shoots better than I'd expect it to. I used it as my daily carry gun for awhile. It would be my choice of the two for the going prices. If the price was the same.. that would be a much tougher call.

(BTW: I do carry a modified springfield loaded 1911 as a daily carry and not the P345 , but I'd still go with the P345 over the taurus incarnation .. bearing in mind my extensive experience with the P345 and admittedly quite limited experience with the taurus. ) I can certainly see how someone would be drawn to the taurus choice, simply because it's a 1911, and I wouldn't fault them for that. BUT.. if I liked them both a lot, and one was a hundred bucks less with far greater cust. service.. Ruger it is.
 
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Pick of my PT1911's slide to frame fit,its very tight.
1911slidefit.jpg

Even tho i love the PT1911 im also gonna try and carry it once cooler weather hits Ohio and i can easierly conceal it.
Mabey look into the PT145 as its a smaller frame and much lighter and can be carried "locked and loaded" like the 1911,but has no exposed hammer.I believe capacity is 10+1 compared to 8+1 on the 1911.
The ruger would be a good ccw gun imo,its a tad big but still smaller and lighter than the 1911 except in thickness.
 
Hi DasFriek. Although your slide fit does look a little tighter than the ones I've inspected, it really doesn't look good to me. As a preface to what I'm about to say here ..please understand I'm not a gun snob ( I'm too poor to be one ), and and not trying to insult your gun, or in any way trying to ruin your love for it. The fact is though, the tooling there is just sloppy, and appears to have some odd ( not Squared angles ). For the price, and the features you get for it, I can see how it'd be acceptable to some folks and not others.
I love the 1911 platform, but in my personal opinion the taurus build quality would make me save up for something a little better. Again, just my opinion.

Posting two pics at the bottom of this post that I just hoisted from Sturmgewehre over on TFL of a factory TRP for comparison's sake.
I don't have one so expensive as the TRP , but the somewhat less expensive Loaded I have is just about that tight and has nicely tooled edges with straight lines.

(p.s.) the pics are big I know, but they're not mine and I won't revise someone else's work.

458541757_mgk4w-O.jpg

458541743_TEtA9-O.jpg
 
One needs to be careful evaluating pics of slide fit. It looks like the Taurus was fitted then the frame was buffed/polished without the slide on it. If you look at the fit of the slide rail in the frame groove, you'll see what appears to be a close fit.

The Springer looks like it was externally fitted with the slide on the frame and assembled. It does make for a cleaner appearance.

On top of that the comparison is a $600 pistol to a $1500 pistol. One doesn't get an overly grand finish for $600.
 
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I like mine fine enough. (pt1911) are there better guns, sure, do they cost more, sure.
Just to throw another option out there for you, I want a witness elite match. single action, all steel, any common caliber, from all accounts and what I have handled they're great.
 
weregunner,

Thanks for the links. The true and honest reviews come from the owners themselves. Valuable information.
 
I agree the pics of the slide/frame fit isnt DW clean,but its tight.
I too think they were finished while not together as the edges arent so square and kind of rounded.And i know you werent ragging on me or the gun.And yes its a $600 gun and it does what its supposed to and more accurate than the price indicates.
Its also a great value for what you get for $600,i dont buy into that $1200 worth of Taurus tries to imply.But in general its a tighter and a better shooter than most 1911's in its price range.

To the OP,Ruger makes a couple .45's all of wich are very reliable,just not the best as concealed weapons due to size and weight.
Taurus makes a few good .45's from small too large and plastic framed too metal.They also tend to be run at about the price Rugers do also.
The PT145 would be great as its small enough to wear concealed but still hold 10+1
 
If you have a good taurus, you have a good gun. If you have a bad taurus, you have a serious problem.

My smith waited a year for a small part from Taurus to repair a revolver that I used to own.

If you really want a 1911, look at RIA for the price range you are interested in.

Can't beat a ruger either.
 
I am seriously looking into purchasing a .45 cal pistol. It has come down to either the Ruger 345 or the Taurus PT1911. The reason is that I wanted a .45 cal with a decoker, thus no Glock, M&P, etc.
Click to expand...
First question, why a decocker? Second question, why a 1911 if you want a decocker? Decocking a 1911 without the old style wide hammer spur (particularly almost all the current production 1911s with commander style hammers, including the Taurus PT1911) is flat out dangerous. Further, there is no DA mechanism on a 1911. Trying to thumb cock a 1911 that's been decocked is going to put you into action much more slowly than flipping the safety off of a decock/safety DA/SA pistol; or just pulling the trigger on a decock only pistol, or decock/safety pistol with the safety off (treating it like a decock only pistol).

I don't also want to spend more than $800. Both of these pistols can hold 8+1 in their magazines. One is all steel and the other aluminum + polymer frame.
Click to expand...
The P345 is actually a polymer frame with a steel slide.

At $800 you're just shy of a new SIG P220 (all P220s have night sights now too), which is a far nicer pistol than the Ruger P345 in the DA/SA category. Again, a little more money also gets you into a Colt XSE, Springfield Loaded, or base model Kimber. Again, all of those are proven high quality 1911s. Also in that just a little more price range, are the HK 45 and HK USP. With the HK 45 or USP variant one you'd get the best of both worlds - you can decock, or engage the safety with the hammer back. Your $800 budget is so close to getting you into some of the finest production pistols made. If I had $800 to spend I'd look for a good used example of the above pistols, and keep saving. If you don't find one used by the time you've saved another $100 to $200 dollars then buy one new. Learn from my mistake - you're VERY close - keep saving and don't settle.

Of course, ignore all that if you don't currently have a handgun or long gun suitable for self defense. I'd never advise someone to keep saving and remain gun less if they have the means for a quality firearm now. I'm also not saying the Ruger P345 is a bad gun, nor am I saying the Taurus PT1911 is a bad gun. They're two of the nicest conventional hammer fired pistols that are available new under $600.
 
While I posted the Taurus 1911 stuff there are a few things to consider.
At the bottom of my avatar are two of the Ruger forums and the only Taurus forum available. The other Taurus forum, Taurus Talk folded because MSN ended things.

Which pistol type are you more familiar with? If it is a SA model .45 then go with that. If you are more familiar with the traditional DA/SA pistols then those might be a better pick. Go with what you know.

If the answer is neither to the above, then go with the SA pistol for a house gun. I am not a fan of locked and cocked carry. Too many cases in the tactical and police journals of documented cases of the safeties going off safe in holsters. Not totally overall standard happening for the SA pistols, but it happens enough to warrant caution.

The other down side is that with a SA pistol of having to hold somone at gunpoint until the authorities arrive. With a light trigger pull and covering someone at gunpoint it is easier to have a negligent discharge with such a light trigger pull. According to the gun writers who are police officers holding a person at gunpoint happens more frequently than having to shoot the attacker.

The disclaimer is that there are many who have carried their 1911 pistol locked and cocked and have not had the above off safe in holster problem.

The Ruger 345 is a fine pistol. No,I don't own one, but do have it's kin, a P97DC.

The upside for the Ruger is that it takes more of an effort to trigger the double action mode than the PT1911. That's also a downside of sorts. Having to transition from DA mode to the lighter single action mode. This is also a downside as well having to change from one heavy pull to a light one.

I've trained with DA/SA pistols for the most part and am used to them. Had good instructors,too. anyoen can learn to be proficient with a DA/SA model.

The upside for the PT1911 is that it is easier to learn and shoot a 1911 than other pistols. There is also the same light trigger pull time after time.

This gun can be used for carry, house gun, and one to compete with in IDPA or in some other local gun club matches.

So can the Ruger 345.

While I would like to tell you the Taurus is the way to go that is not going to happen. Nor is the 345 the one and only. What this is about is what fits you and your needs. Which ever brand and model fits you best is the way to go.

Try them both out. Even if it is just handling and inspecting them.

Good luck at let us know which way you go.

If you need the detailed how to break the PT1911 down that link can be brought forth. Just ask.
 
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I carry my P345. I just installed a 19lb trigger spring on it, and oh boy its smooth and nice. I conceal this with a tank top and no one notices. I mean no one. Shoots great, no malfunctions, eats everything. I shot some reloads out of it yesterday(my first reloads) and the slide didn't cycle 4 times out of 26 because the load in the bullet was so light. 185g on 4 grains of bullseye. It shoots lead, it shoots FMJ's, HP's, and even +p's.
It is 2.5 pounds fully loaded. I will say I did want to change the spring because the DA pull is so long and tough. 23lbs! It makes it not fire unless you really mean to, which is a good thing! The 19lb does me just fine and feels like butter.

My dad just got a baby eagle 45(Jericho 45, IWI, IMI, magnum research blah blah) and he shot it yesterday with me to compare mine and his. He likes mine better lol. He compared every gun he shopped for with mine for good reason, he likes it because its comfortable, and shoots straight. Also, the recoil is not even that bad. It is very light even with factory bullets.
 
I don't have a P345, but I do have the P97, the older brother to the P345. My brother has a P345 that he has had good luck with. I also own a PT1911. My 1911 is the pistol I most often taken to the range. Both pistols are accurate, reliable and go bang every time. The 1911 has the edge in the accuracy department, but both have plenty of "combat accuracy".

I probably have about 4000 rounds through the Ruger and about 800 or so through the Taurus. No problems with either pistol.

IMHO - great values both!

KYO - just curious, what holster do you carry your P345 in?
 
I had a 345 for almost a year (hence my user name). One out of evry five or six DA trigger pulls the hammer would drop but it wouldn't fire. Sent it back to Ruger and they sent it back saying there wasn't anythign wrong with it. I sold it soon after.

P.S. I NEVER dry fired the gun without a mag in and I was the only owner of it.
 
Based on what you said you wanted then Ruger. If you really do want a decocker then find a CPO SigSauer P220

If you want a 1911 then find a Colt!
 
@hexidismal
your PT1911 looks so awesome... what grips are those?
Click to expand...

Huh ? I don't have a PT1911. I think maybe you got the wrong post.
Or... The pictures I did post we're listed with this in the post.
Posting two pics at the bottom of this post that I just hoisted from Sturmgewehre over on TFL of a factory TRP for comparison's sake.
Click to expand...
So, not my pics, not my gun , and not a PT1911. :p
 
Alright guys. Now you've gotten me to look at the Sig P220. Thanks for all your inputs. These are the replies I was looking for.:)
 
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