S&W or Taurus 1911

[JR47]

A quick perusal of the S&W forum on 1911.com turns up a cracked frame, and a number of other problems. Not as bad as Kimber, but, like every other brand, there are problems. As for customer service, they don't care too much for today's, either.

You have to ask yourself if the people who are talking five or more bad guns from Taurus are for real. I would have quit buying them after number two.

 

[ZeSpectre]

You have to ask yourself if the people who are talking five or more bad guns from Taurus are for real.

Would you like to see receipts?

See the problem with my Taurus guns (5 of them by the way) wound up being time. I bought one that was great, which quickly led to another (to complete my CAS pistol pair), then a few months later another, then a lemon, then the PT-1911.

Gaucho, Gaucho, PT-140, .22 Tracker, PT-1911

All were fired a reasonable amount (except the Tracker who's trigger broke after three rounds!) and well maintained.

Went through unresponsive customer service for the lemon, then #1 went bad (misfires), then #2 started acting up (trigger slap and light strikes), then #3 had an intermittent but nagging issue with FTF, #4 still a lemon (broken trigger). So by this point I was completely fed up with the nagging troubles and unresponsiveness of Taurus so I got rid of 'em all including the PT-1911 (which I freely admit had given me no trouble but had that name on the side) and was done with Taurus.

I've had some trouble here and there with other brands, but nothing like the streak that I ran through with Taurus.

 

[tinygnat219]

You have to ask yourself if the people who are talking five or more bad guns from Taurus are for real. I would have quit buying them after number two.

I can provide receipts as well. Zespectre had more sense than I did, I bought a total of 7 different Tauri models. All looked great. Function however, was something entirely different. The PT1911 was almost number 8, that was until I realized it was a Taurus.

Look, I like how the guns look, I like the features they try and design into the gun, and I like the cost. However, Taurus products are overwhelmingly overpriced junk. If you get one that works, thank the lucky stars, You actually got a deal. For those of us that have had to deal with their customer service, it's a crap shoot. This is one line of firearms I will never own again.

 

[JR47]

Gentlemen, I've never doubted that there were those who would continue down a path of failure. I see them every year as season ticket holders to teams whose last pennant race occurred about the same time as WWII.

However, most reasonably intelligent purchasers would quickly learn how to examine such prospective purchases prior to buying the them.

FYI, I own a collection that some museums would be envious of. There's little that I can do to avoid buying problem guns, especially when they approach 100 years old, but I have been pretty lucky at it so far. New guns, though, are a far different proposition.

I currently own seven Taurus revolvers, and four Taurus semi-autos. None of them have exhibited any factory glitches. Calibers run from .22 lr to .45 ACP. Using your posted accounts, it would be impossible for me to have as many good guns as I do.

Instead of arriving in every post about Taurus with your incredible tales of woe, why not try another brand. Your experiences, sadly, are just too bad for any type of meaningful happenstance.

tinygnat, as I said, we've met before. Back then, the Model 94 was your first Taurus, according to you. As that was this year, you've been a busy person, buying faulty Taurus guns. Or perhaps honing your stories as you pass from forum to forum with them.

 

[ZeSpectre]

Instead of arriving in every post about Taurus with your incredible tales of woe, why not try another brand. Your experiences, sadly, are just too bad for any type of meaningful happenstance.

JR47,
Just because you dislike my "tale of woe" in no way renders it invalid. I simply relate the experience that I have had with Taurus.

I certainly understand your disbelief, It was rather shocking to have various and sundry failures crop up more-or-less at the same time on multiple handguns and I would have had a hard time crediting it had it not happened to me personally. The language that cropped up in my household at that time was decidedly NOT high-road.

As for "try another brand", well, initially I really thought I was on to something with the Taurus products...then the failures started. You can rest assured that since then I most certainly have moved on to other products.

 

[elChupacabra!]

Gentlemen, I've never doubted that there were those who would continue down a path of failure.

What does THAT mean!?!?

FYI, I own a collection that some museums would be envious of.

Fantastic! Duly noted! GOOD FOR YOU!

Instead of arriving in every post about Taurus with your incredible tales of woe, why not try another brand. Your experiences, sadly, are just too bad for any type of meaningful happenstance.

I'm calling shenanigans on that one RIGHT THERE. You've had good luck with Taurus. Many of the rest of us haven't. Just because your luck has been better than ours doesn't mean that we're all lying about it.

Believe me, if I was going to lie about my Taurus, it WOULDN'T be that I had to spend a gawdawful amount of money to get it to run and am a little ashamed to be seen with it until someone sees me shoot it. If I was going to lie about it, that lie would be that it came that way for $400 out the door and it's never had a hiccup. Why would anyone make up a story about making a BAD decision?

 

[Neckshot5seven]

Ive got near 1000 rounds through my PT1911 with no problems. Using the Taurus mags also. I guess they let a few bad seeds slip by quality control. I handled mine for a good 30 minutes before I threw down. I checked everything. Had gunshop owner sweating because I had it disassembled on his display case in 15 seconds without the barrel bushing tool. It felt good tight and everything worked well, so I handed him my debit card as I was putting it back together.

 

[elChupacabra!]

I guess they let a few bad seeds slip by quality control.

I think that's the problem. People with good Taurii swear by them. It's just that too many of them make it out the door without being "good Taurii," and sometimes the problems aren't readily aparrent to someone who isn't already a 1911 expert or before a few hundred rounds, etc.

This one was my first... I'll certainly know better what to look for on my second.

 

[tinygnat219]

JR47,

We met when, at SHOT Show '07 in Orlando? That's the only time I can recall meeting THR members from around different parts of the country. That was a fun dinner!

I currently own seven Taurus revolvers, and four Taurus semi-autos. None of them have exhibited any factory glitches. Calibers run from .22 lr to .45 ACP. Using your posted accounts, it would be impossible for me to have as many good guns as I do.

Goody. Glad they work for you. They don't for me. I figured 7 was enough even for this stubborn cus. Since you've read my previous posts, you know exactly what the problems are / were with each of the Taurus products I have owned.

Instead of arriving in every post about Taurus with your incredible tales of woe, why not try another brand. Your experiences, sadly, are just too bad for any type of meaningful happenstance.

Just as your experiences and statements that yours are 100% reliable are just too good for any meaningful happenstance.
As for posting about my problems with Taurus products, it's simply facts about their guns I have owned. I do them when others ask about opinions regarding Taurus products so that others should not have to experience the same frustration that I have had with Taurus. What others do with that advice is up to them.

I have tried and own several other brands of firearms, they have been delightfully and boringly reliable. Taurus should look into that.

tinygnat, as I said, we've met before. Back then, the Model 94 was your first Taurus, according to you. As that was this year, you've been a busy person, buying faulty Taurus guns. Or perhaps honing your stories as you pass from forum to forum with them.

See above as to where I think we have met. If it's this year, I apologize if I don't remember you. For the latter part of your statement, my experiences with Taurus products are what they are: Factual. I find your insinuation that I made these or have some axe to grind against Taurus simply insulting. I won't post the non-THR thoughts here.

 

[ZeSpectre]

tinygnat, as I said, we've met before. Back then, the Model 94 was your first Taurus, according to you. As that was this year, you've been a busy person, buying faulty Taurus guns.

Oh man you have no idea. TinyGnat buys and sells more guns (of all types, not just Taurus) than any other three people I know.

BUT, if you think that TinyGnat (or myself for that matter) are idiots or liars then we need to take this discussion to PM territory and stop hijacking this thread because this is as far towards the low road as I am going to go here.

 

[JR47]

Oh man you have no idea. TinyGnat buys and sells more guns (of all types, not just Taurus) than any other three people I know.

That means what? Most of the group I deal with are owners of Gun Stores, or serious collectors. He buys and sells three times what they do? BATFE might be interested in that, so it should go away, really.

BUT, if you think that TinyGnat (or myself for that matter) are idiots or liars then we need to take this discussion to PM territory and stop hijacking this thread because this is as far towards the low road as I am going to go here.

I claim neither for either. I've just NEVER met a reasonable person who buys something time and again, ony to have it fail. YOU figure out what that indicates, sir.

We met when, at SHOT Show '07 in Orlando? That's the only time I can recall meeting THR members from around different parts of the country. That was a fun dinner!

"Met" doesn't necessarily mean physically. Try February of this year, in the Taurus column of RimFireCentral. That's open to anyone who wishes to check the Taurus 94 thread. There you hadn't developed quite the story you present here.

What does THAT mean!?!?

Try reading the very next sentence for an example.

Fantastic! Duly noted! GOOD FOR YOU!

I see, so, only bad experiences with brands are to be taken as truth here? I have enough guns, and the experience in buying them, to actually form an opinion. That's what is fantastic. That you've duly noted it should avoid simple comments in the future, right?

I'm calling shenanigans on that one RIGHT THERE. You've had good luck with Taurus. Many of the rest of us haven't. Just because your luck has been better than ours doesn't mean that we're all lying about it.

Actually, the majority of opinions presented by the posters have been more positive than negative.

Where, exactly, have I said that anyone with a PROBLEM is lying about it? I simply don't know why anyone would buy so many if they always have problems with them. It's also statistically impossible, given the records that are discussed here, to buy eleven flawless guns. The only thing that even resembles that folly is buying Kimber.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Here it is again!

WHAT IS IT WITH SOME OF YOU GUYS?

Why, when others don't agree with YOUR assessment of a particular brand of gun, you get all personally offended? The safety of the western world does NOT hinge on your being RIGHT all the time! Wake up and be realistic.

burr00, the OP, asked a question. He got several answers. Fine. Doesn't even matter that the answers didn't agree. THIS IS ALL A MATTER OF OPINION. Your opinion matters just as LITTLE as the next person's. But check this out: Those who make a calm, reasonable-sounding reply to a question, who render their opinion in a logical manner, and then LET IT GO AT THAT, are fairly apt to have their opinion respected by readers. They just SEEM a lot more authoritative than those who keep on harping on the topic, DEMANDING that others agree.

Personal attracks are NOT the High Road way, guys. Let's have no more of them. Please consider this a warning.

Anyway, this topic is about exhausted. Closed.

Johnny Guest
THR Staff
Handguns: Autoloaders Moderator