Frame crack on the PT-145

denfoote · November 18, 2001, 12:37 AM

Yes, it's true!! The frame of my Taurus PT145 is cracked. The crack starts at the top corner of the beavertail right below the serial number. It is approx 3mm in length. I was alerted to this by my gunsmith, who has seen several cases all in the same spot or on the other side of the frame. I even saw one that he had that was cracked on both sides!!! My advice is to check your pistols and cease shooting them if you detect any damage!!!! My Taurus is toast!!!!

It's a good thing I have my G36 to fall back on!!! My next step is to see if my FFL won't give me a refund, because it was him that alerted me to the problem!!!

Blackhawk · November 18, 2001, 12:47 AM

Well, I've had quite a PT-145 experience -- vicariously! Are you going to replace it with another PT-145 or what?

denfoote · November 18, 2001, 12:54 AM

No, there seems to be a materials problem with the polymer Taurus is using. (See SkySlash's post on what happened to his PT111) The material is the same. My gunsmith thinks that Taurus might have gotten a bad batch of polymer. I, however am skeptical.

I think I will go for the refund!!!

bastiat · November 18, 2001, 12:58 AM

Denfoote, mind giving me a idea of the serial# range? I recently picked up a pt145 but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. I'm wondering if I'm going to be in the same boat.

Blackhawk · November 18, 2001, 01:19 AM

Good move.

A hangup I had about the PT-145 is the concern that it's basically a ramped up P40, which in turn is a ramped up P9. Making a .45ACP fit in an envelope designed for a 9mm isn't as much of a trick as making it work flawlessly over the long haul.

Redlg155 · November 18, 2001, 01:47 AM

Someone must blaze the trail for us. Kinda stinks that it happened to you, but at least you alerted us to potential problems.

I really hope you get your refund so you can get your next toy. If not a full refund then at least the dealer cost back so you can recoup some of your loss.

Stories like that just make me hug my G30 that much tighter!

Good Shooting
Red

CSAY · November 18, 2001, 01:51 AM

Something told me not to hurry and get one. I was waiting for some "range use" before I was going to try one. Plus, they just seemed a little small for the .45 acp. Doesn't Taurus have lifetime warranties on all of their firearms?

Blackhawk · November 18, 2001, 02:04 AM

CSAY,

Yes, but that's probably limited to fixing or replacing the pistol with the exact model. I doubt that they typically refund your money as readily as they did for SkySlash.

Part of their lifetime warranty purpose, I'm sure, is so they can get feedback on exactly what happens to their products in actual use.

Zundfolge · November 18, 2001, 02:04 AM

*sniff*

*sniff*

*sniff*

Do I smell a recall brewing?

denfoote · November 18, 2001, 03:15 AM

bistiat,
Mine is NUD 44509. I have no idea what the other two that I know of are. They are in the hands of my FFL, as will this one be as soon as I get back there!!

Redlg: Yeah I hugged my G36 today. There is an ironic side note to all of this. One of the "victims" brought his PT145 back into the dealer.(His frame had double cracks!!!) I just happened to be there. Now, I had just completed the deal for trading my G30 for a G36 with the 3.5lb connector plus 4 spare mags and adjustable sights.(I was picking up my mags and having my sights, and connector installed.) My soon to be ex-G30 was sitting in the case and this fellow ended up buying it!!! He was in the final session of the AZ CCW class and needed a good pistol. Well he got it!! G30 with the 3.5lb connector, Agrip, Heinie Slant Pro sights, and three spare 9-round mags. I found out later that he did indeed pass the class with flying colors, thanks in part to my ex-G30!!!

Gusgus · November 18, 2001, 07:55 AM

denfoote,
Thanks for posting the serial #. If the numbers are sequential, mine is 10,000 units newer than yours. Hopefully it was a bad batch of polymer, but I will keep a watchful eye on mine. Thanks for the heads up.

bastiat · November 18, 2001, 12:14 PM

denfoote-

Thanks for the serial#. Mine is almost double that. I plan on calling taurus to see what the serial #'s actually mean as for as date of production.

I'm hoping this is just a bad batch of polymer. Because the alternativ would be that taurus doesn't test fire any of their designs for a lengthy period of time, and that would certainly go against their improving reputation for quality.

Snowdog · November 18, 2001, 12:23 PM

Oh, that truely is a crying shame...
I was debating whether or not I should pick one of them up; I suppose I won't be doing that now.

Thanks for alerting us to this problem!

Teufelhunden · November 18, 2001, 01:17 PM

Maybe I've just been lucky, or perhaps my Taurus PT-140 just needs more range-time, but I've yet to see any polymer failures or pin loosening in my weapon. It's probably got about 400 rounds through it, but there has been no sign whatsoever of either of the problems I've seen reported in this forum. The only problem I've had with it was that the slide catch spring wasn't tuned correctly and the weapon wouldn't lock to the rear on an empty mag if you slid the slide back slowly by hand. I just opened the spring up a little and it's worked like a charm since then. One hopes that my problems continue to be nonexistant, but if I come up with anything, I'll add my $.02 to the Taurus Millenium trouble list...

-Teuf

StratfordHoldings · November 18, 2001, 02:04 PM

denfoote,

What's the total number of rounds put through the PT145? I've got 400 through mine and all seems well. When I get home, I'll have to take another look.

Tell me, is the crack something you can see in plain view, or do you have to look for it? Whas he using a magnifying glass to see the crack?

If you have any pictures of the crack, can you send them to me?

Also, SkySlash reads this, please send me your pics as well. I want to post these on my website www.pt145.com

denfoote · November 18, 2001, 04:00 PM

Alas, I do not have a camera, digital or otherwise that can resolve this!!!

Yeah, you can see the crack, if you know where to look. All the frames, as I said have cracked in the same place: right at the top left or right (or both) corner(s) of the beavertail, right below where Taurus prints the serial number. I have 650 rounds of 230gr S&B hardball through mine.

JD Black Label · November 18, 2001, 08:55 PM

Denfoote, I have a PT-145 also, I just had it out today and the left side of the frame broke away and the right side is also cracked. Exactly where you said yours is broke. I have about 300 rounds thru mine.

What did you do? Did the seller take it back for refund or did you have to go thru Taurus. Please let me know I will be contacting both in the morning. My serial number is NUE 50129.

Please keep me posted! I will let you know what happens here.

Thanks!

StratfordHoldings · November 18, 2001, 09:23 PM

Took a really good look at my PT-145 this evening. With the bare eye, I can't really see anything. It looks there might be a crack on the right side. It is so minute and it still feels smooth. It might be a hairline crack but I'm not absolutely sure.

I'm going to have George Hill take a look at it tomorrow. I also used my friends Digital camera and took some pictures. Unfortunately he doesn't have the software installed for me to pull down the pictures.

Once I get those, I'll zoom in. Cameras can catch more information and detail than our eyes can.

blades67 · November 18, 2001, 10:41 PM

denfoote - Where is your FFL located? I'd like to stop by and take a look those cracked frames.

George Hill · November 18, 2001, 11:44 PM

So will a flatbed scanner... the very bright light used to image picks up a lot of little things you can't see.

Seems the whole Taurus Millenium lineup is showing these problems. Each one of these problems seems to stem from the same root cause... Shock Impact. There maybe too much slide velocity and not enough shock buffering.

Navy joe · November 19, 2001, 12:04 AM

You guys are liars

I just saw a gun-rag tonight that said the PT-145 was just the ticket for reliable carry. No way polymer could break either, its WAAAAY stronger than steel.

SkySlash · November 19, 2001, 12:05 AM

Well isn't that peachy...another POS Taurus. The pictures are still linked in that thread I posted on the failure my gun experienced, feel free to use them.

You have no idea how glad I am to have replaced my Taurus with a Glock.

-SS

StratfordHoldings · November 19, 2001, 02:05 AM

Here is the pic of my gun. It's not the best quality pic, but it shows what might be a possible hairline fracture. You can barely see it with the naked eye but the camera reveals extra. I tried looking at it with a magnifying glass but couldn't tell if it was a scratch or a crack.

By the way, my SN is NUG72995

http://www.pt145.com/problem.htm

George Hill · November 19, 2001, 02:09 AM

Hosed.
I suggest rapid replacement. This is just unreal... I can't believe this is going around. The problem is either shock, poor materials, or both. I'm thinking both.

StratfordHoldings · November 19, 2001, 02:12 AM

You still want me to drop by and show you the pistol or is this all you need? Like I said before, I had to really look for it with my bare eyes.

November 18, 2001, 12:37 AM	#1
denfoote Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 1999 Location: Buckeye Arizona Posts: 5,526	Frame crack on the PT-145 Yes, it's true!! The frame of my Taurus PT145 is cracked. The crack starts at the top corner of the beavertail right below the serial number. It is approx 3mm in length. I was alerted to this by my gunsmith, who has seen several cases all in the same spot or on the other side of the frame. I even saw one that he had that was cracked on both sides!!! My advice is to check your pistols and cease shooting them if you detect any damage!!!! My Taurus is toast!!!! It's a good thing I have my G36 to fall back on!!! My next step is to see if my FFL won't give me a refund, because it was him that alerted me to the problem!!! __________________ Ich bin kein Nationalsozialist!!!!!! Ich bin Republikaner!!!!!!!! Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset. Arizona: Flush the Johns!!!

November 18, 2001, 12:54 AM	#3
denfoote Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 1999 Location: Buckeye Arizona Posts: 5,526	No, there seems to be a materials problem with the polymer Taurus is using. (See SkySlash's post on what happened to his PT111) The material is the same. My gunsmith thinks that Taurus might have gotten a bad batch of polymer. I, however am skeptical. I think I will go for the refund!!! __________________ Ich bin kein Nationalsozialist!!!!!! Ich bin Republikaner!!!!!!!! Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset. Arizona: Flush the Johns!!!

November 18, 2001, 12:58 AM	#4
bastiat Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2001 Posts: 1,771	Denfoote, mind giving me a idea of the serial# range? I recently picked up a pt145 but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. I'm wondering if I'm going to be in the same boat. __________________ Flashbunny.org - Pro-Freedom Propaganda Politically Incorrect & Pro-Gun Stuff To Buy

November 18, 2001, 02:04 AM	#9
Zundfolge Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2001 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 1,749	sniff sniff sniff Do I smell a recall brewing? __________________ "There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws...you create a nation of law-breakers â€“ and then you cash in on guilt." Ayn Rand

November 18, 2001, 03:15 AM	#10
denfoote Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 1999 Location: Buckeye Arizona Posts: 5,526	bistiat, Mine is NUD 44509. I have no idea what the other two that I know of are. They are in the hands of my FFL, as will this one be as soon as I get back there!! Redlg: Yeah I hugged my G36 today. There is an ironic side note to all of this. One of the "victims" brought his PT145 back into the dealer.(His frame had double cracks!!!) I just happened to be there. Now, I had just completed the deal for trading my G30 for a G36 with the 3.5lb connector plus 4 spare mags and adjustable sights.(I was picking up my mags and having my sights, and connector installed.) My soon to be ex-G30 was sitting in the case and this fellow ended up buying it!!! He was in the final session of the AZ CCW class and needed a good pistol. Well he got it!! G30 with the 3.5lb connector, Agrip, Heinie Slant Pro sights, and three spare 9-round mags. I found out later that he did indeed pass the class with flying colors, thanks in part to my ex-G30!!! __________________ Ich bin kein Nationalsozialist!!!!!! Ich bin Republikaner!!!!!!!! Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset. Arizona: Flush the Johns!!!

November 18, 2001, 12:47 AM	#2
Blackhawk Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2001 Posts: 5,040	Well, I've had quite a PT-145 experience -- vicariously! Are you going to replace it with another PT-145 or what?

November 18, 2001, 01:19 AM	#5
Blackhawk Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2001 Posts: 5,040	Good move. A hangup I had about the PT-145 is the concern that it's basically a ramped up P40, which in turn is a ramped up P9. Making a .45ACP fit in an envelope designed for a 9mm isn't as much of a trick as making it work flawlessly over the long haul.

November 18, 2001, 01:47 AM	#6
Redlg155 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2001 Location: NW Florida Posts: 2,307	Someone must blaze the trail for us. Kinda stinks that it happened to you, but at least you alerted us to potential problems. I really hope you get your refund so you can get your next toy. If not a full refund then at least the dealer cost back so you can recoup some of your loss. Stories like that just make me hug my G30 that much tighter! Good Shooting Red

November 18, 2001, 01:51 AM	#7
CSAY Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2001 Location: TX Posts: 157	Something told me not to hurry and get one. I was waiting for some "range use" before I was going to try one. Plus, they just seemed a little small for the .45 acp. Doesn't Taurus have lifetime warranties on all of their firearms?

November 18, 2001, 07:55 AM	#11
Gusgus Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2000 Location: Southern New Jersey Posts: 621	denfoote, Thanks for posting the serial #. If the numbers are sequential, mine is 10,000 units newer than yours. Hopefully it was a bad batch of polymer, but I will keep a watchful eye on mine. Thanks for the heads up. __________________ For a calm, relaxing discussion of firearms & firearm related issues, or if you just want to sit back and chew the fat, pull up a log to the fire, and join us at Family, Friends & Firearms [color=royal blue]In loving memory of Bill "Gunslinger" Elliott. I am honored that he called me friend.[/color]

November 18, 2001, 12:14 PM	#12
bastiat Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2001 Posts: 1,771	denfoote- Thanks for the serial#. Mine is almost double that. I plan on calling taurus to see what the serial #'s actually mean as for as date of production. I'm hoping this is just a bad batch of polymer. Because the alternativ would be that taurus doesn't test fire any of their designs for a lengthy period of time, and that would certainly go against their improving reputation for quality. __________________ Flashbunny.org - Pro-Freedom Propaganda Politically Incorrect & Pro-Gun Stuff To Buy

November 18, 2001, 12:23 PM	#13
Snowdog Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2001 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 1,074	Oh, that truely is a crying shame... I was debating whether or not I should pick one of them up; I suppose I won't be doing that now. Thanks for alerting us to this problem! __________________ "What We Do In Life, Echoes In Eternity" -Gladiator- ************************* Brevity Is The Soul of Wit. -Shakespeare-

November 18, 2001, 01:17 PM	#14
Teufelhunden Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 115	Maybe I've just been lucky, or perhaps my Taurus PT-140 just needs more range-time, but I've yet to see any polymer failures or pin loosening in my weapon. It's probably got about 400 rounds through it, but there has been no sign whatsoever of either of the problems I've seen reported in this forum. The only problem I've had with it was that the slide catch spring wasn't tuned correctly and the weapon wouldn't lock to the rear on an empty mag if you slid the slide back slowly by hand. I just opened the spring up a little and it's worked like a charm since then. One hopes that my problems continue to be nonexistant, but if I come up with anything, I'll add my $.02 to the Taurus Millenium trouble list... -Teuf __________________ "We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence upon those who would do us harm." -George Orwell "One hundred rounds do not constitute firepower. One hit contitutes firepower." -Gen. Merritt Edson, USMC

November 18, 2001, 02:04 PM	#15
StratfordHoldings Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2001 Location: Provo, UT Posts: 116	denfoote, What's the total number of rounds put through the PT145? I've got 400 through mine and all seems well. When I get home, I'll have to take another look. Tell me, is the crack something you can see in plain view, or do you have to look for it? Whas he using a magnifying glass to see the crack? If you have any pictures of the crack, can you send them to me? Also, SkySlash reads this, please send me your pics as well. I want to post these on my website www.pt145.com

November 18, 2001, 04:00 PM	#16
denfoote Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 1999 Location: Buckeye Arizona Posts: 5,526	Alas, I do not have a camera, digital or otherwise that can resolve this!!! Yeah, you can see the crack, if you know where to look. All the frames, as I said have cracked in the same place: right at the top left or right (or both) corner(s) of the beavertail, right below where Taurus prints the serial number. I have 650 rounds of 230gr S&B hardball through mine. __________________ Ich bin kein Nationalsozialist!!!!!! Ich bin Republikaner!!!!!!!! Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoset. Arizona: Flush the Johns!!!

November 18, 2001, 08:55 PM	#17
JD Black Label Member Join Date: November 18, 2001 Location: Jack's Home Lynchburg, TN Posts: 38	PT-145 Frame Broke & Cracked Denfoote, I have a PT-145 also, I just had it out today and the left side of the frame broke away and the right side is also cracked. Exactly where you said yours is broke. I have about 300 rounds thru mine. What did you do? Did the seller take it back for refund or did you have to go thru Taurus. Please let me know I will be contacting both in the morning. My serial number is NUE 50129. Please keep me posted! I will let you know what happens here. Thanks!

November 18, 2001, 09:23 PM	#18
StratfordHoldings Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2001 Location: Provo, UT Posts: 116	Took a really good look at my PT-145 this evening. With the bare eye, I can't really see anything. It looks there might be a crack on the right side. It is so minute and it still feels smooth. It might be a hairline crack but I'm not absolutely sure. I'm going to have George Hill take a look at it tomorrow. I also used my friends Digital camera and took some pictures. Unfortunately he doesn't have the software installed for me to pull down the pictures. Once I get those, I'll zoom in. Cameras can catch more information and detail than our eyes can.

November 18, 2001, 10:41 PM	#19
blades67 Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 1999 Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA Posts: 6,014	denfoote - Where is your FFL located? I'd like to stop by and take a look those cracked frames. __________________ Guns cause crime like spoons cause Rosie O'Donnell to be fat! I hunt, therefore I am.

November 18, 2001, 11:44 PM	#20
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	So will a flatbed scanner... the very bright light used to image picks up a lot of little things you can't see. Seems the whole Taurus Millenium lineup is showing these problems. Each one of these problems seems to stem from the same root cause... Shock Impact. There maybe too much slide velocity and not enough shock buffering. __________________ MAD OGRE

November 19, 2001, 12:04 AM	#21
Navy joe Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2001 Location: VA, USA Posts: 1,804	You guys are liars I just saw a gun-rag tonight that said the PT-145 was just the ticket for reliable carry. No way polymer could break either, its WAAAAY stronger than steel. __________________ FY47012

November 19, 2001, 12:05 AM	#22
SkySlash Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Location: Mansfield, TX Posts: 493	Well isn't that peachy...another POS Taurus. The pictures are still linked in that thread I posted on the failure my gun experienced, feel free to use them. You have no idea how glad I am to have replaced my Taurus with a Glock. -SS __________________ There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

November 19, 2001, 02:05 AM	#23
StratfordHoldings Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2001 Location: Provo, UT Posts: 116	Here is the pic of my gun. It's not the best quality pic, but it shows what might be a possible hairline fracture. You can barely see it with the naked eye but the camera reveals extra. I tried looking at it with a magnifying glass but couldn't tell if it was a scratch or a crack. By the way, my SN is NUG72995 http://www.pt145.com/problem.htm

November 19, 2001, 02:09 AM	#24
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	Hosed. I suggest rapid replacement. This is just unreal... I can't believe this is going around. The problem is either shock, poor materials, or both. I'm thinking both. __________________ MAD OGRE

November 19, 2001, 02:12 AM	#25
StratfordHoldings Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2001 Location: Provo, UT Posts: 116	You still want me to drop by and show you the pistol or is this all you need? Like I said before, I had to really look for it with my bare eyes.