Trade a LNIB SA-XD 45 for a new Taurus PT1911?

[marksman13]

This isn't really a trade in the true sense. I want a 1911. I have wanted one for a couple of years. I have an XD 45 Tactical that I have shot very little in the past two years. A buddy of mine wants to buy my XD for $500. With that $500 I could purchase a new PT1911 from a local dealer. Would you do it? Is the Taurus as good as they are made out to be? How do they compare with the other 1911 makers out there?

I don't want information from Taurus haters who have no experience with the PT1911. If you have shot them and you genuinely don't feel they are on par with the products of other makers then I would like to hear it. I own a couple of Taurus firearms and love them.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Pat-inCO]

I've had Tarus, Para Ord. and Springfield. Notice past tense. I have several Kimbers (about $150 to $200 more, each, than the Tarus) and am very happy with all of them.

http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-PT1911.htm for another opinion.

 

[Mortech]

Well I used to own 2 Xd 40 , one standard and one tactical . THeres nothing wrong with them , I'm just a 1911 guy and I recently bought myself a Taurus PT1911 . It is one of the few guns I've bought that were flawless right out of the box . Also the slimmer profile lends its self to CCW better than the XD (everytime I carried one of them I felt like I was hiding a Glock ..er ...brick ) , but carry the PT1911 is a pure joy . So go ahead and get one , their quality control has improved greatly .

 

[1911 guy]

Tough call.

I kinda liked my XD, except for the fact that the takedown lever was under my thumb when I shot and it felt strange.

The Taurus 1911 is a reliable piece of machinery. If this is going to be a beater/CCW/range gun and you don't care how it looks, buy it.

The downside of the Taurus is the looks. When placed next to a well proportioned 1911, it looks cobbled together from spare parts. They seemed more interested in cramming in "features" to advertize than what the finished product looked like.

1) If you're sure you'll shoot a 1911 more than the XD, make the sale and buy.

2) If it's strictly a functional issue, go with the Taurus.

3) If you want a good looking 1911, find something else used.

 

[marksman13]

1911Guy, looks aren't that important. Afterall, I did buy an XD.

 

[1911 guy]

Personally, and given that you're not hung up on having a "pretty" gun, I'd feel comfortable making the trade.

Just be sure you really don't mind giving up the XD. It will be more expensive to replace than buying the 1911 outright.

 

[marksman13]

I've kinda been on an anti plastic gun kick lately anyway. I don't know if I'll get rid of the XD because I like it alot, but the plastic just has no personality.

 

[rockinrussky]

I own both a Taurus 1911 and an XD, though the latter is in 357 sig. In all fairness the pt1911 gives you great value for ~$500, though straight out of the box it took it a little while to really get broken in. The slide action was a little rough, and its not quite as easy to rack as an older style 1911 with looser tollerances but that could just be my pistol. Either way, if you've got a friend who'll pay $500 for a used xd you may as well take him up on that offer. Just make sure you don't want the xd, cause I own both and I would hate to choose between the two

 

[Ala Dan]

You Can't Go Wrong~!

Keep the Springer, and invest in ammo for practice

 

[chris in va]

Yeah sure, why not. If you want a 1911, go for it. I'd love to have one myself.

 

[DerbyDale]

Only you can make that decision.

However if it was me, I wouldn't even have to think about it. Keep the XD! Then save up and get the Taurus 1911 later.

XD is a Higher Cap. double stack vs Lower Cap. Single Stack of the Taurus.
More reliable - In adverse conditions, I would bet the XD would keep on firing when the Taurus 1911 would choke.

The XD has the same grip angle and many of features of the 1911. Which is one of the reasons I got mine. Allot of the 1911 features, upgraded to the 21st century if you will...

 

[lee n. field]

An all metal handgun of classic design, with abundant parts, with warranty support by, well, Taurus.

vs.

A higher capacity plastic framed handgun of thoroughly modern design, with parts and warranty support by (mmmmm--good) Springfield Armory.

If it was me, I'd probably keep the XD, but...

have an XD 45 Tactical that I have shot very little in the past two years. A buddy of mine wants to buy my XD for $500. With that $500 I could purchase a new PT1911 from a local dealer. Would you do it? I

Given that, yes. "XD 45 that I have shot very little in the past two years." Trade off something you don't seem to want well enough to actually use, for something you do.

---edited to add

My reasoning solidifies a decision of my own, to sell off a .380 Makarov that I haven't shot in about 5 years, to fund a Ruger LCP.

You might want to also check into the low end Springfields.

 

[Jim PHL]

Not all of us can be collectors. Some of us are just shooters. I've built a decent small collection over the years but realized long ago I can't afford to own every gun I'd like to own.

I'm all for replacing one gun with another, if you are getting rid of one you're not that interested in for something you really want. I recently had a trade offer posted on a couple of forums just because I wanted something new, couldn't afford to buy a gun outright, so I put something I don't use up on the trade block. I got a lot of "keep what you have and save up to buy the other" responses. Due to lack of funds, that's not always an option for a lot of us. (Especially me )

There are a few I've sold or traded away that I wish I had back, but at the time it was a matter of getting rid of one that I didn't want in order to get one that I did want. One of the things you should always consider is replacement options. In your case, at least these days, a Taurus 1911 or an XD45 is pretty easy to acquire if you have the money. It's not like you're trading away something rare or collectable that would be hard to replace if you decided you made a mistake. Do the deal for now. You get what you want and your buddy gets what he wants. If you decide later on you really need an XD, save up and go buy one...or just make another trade!

 

[mpmarty]

I've had an XD45 for about a year and a half. It was my favorite 45 but since getting my Taurus 1911 it has become a safe queen. Go for it, they are great.

 

[Technosavant]

It's a hard question. The Taurus PT1911 is a good budget 1911, and what I currently recommend on the low end (I even bought one myself, and it is a very accurate gun). The XD45 is also a quality firearm, but if you aren't shooting it and don't love it, there isn't much point in having it. It would strictly be personal preference. I myself tend to prefer the 1911 design in autoloaders, but if I go plastic gun, it would be a hard call between the XD and a S&W M&P.

 

[marksman13]

My dad told me today that he is going to buy me a Kimber Desert Warrior for graduation. Of course graduation is two years away. The XD is gonna stay where it is for now. Once I heard that Springfield was putting an external manual safety on its 2008 model XDs I decided to keep mine. In two years I'll have the best of both worlds. Patience is a virtue I guess.