Uggh! So Many choices!

.45 Jones · May 29, 2006, 03:13 PM

Hello folks - new guy here...

Do any of you have any experience with the Taurus 24/7 .45 or Taurus 1911? I am serioulsy jonesing for a good, all around carry gun, and the choices are so inexorable I can't choose - serious. Cost isn't a factor necessarily, but obvioulsy a $500 gun that feels right and WORKS I'll naturally take over a $900 one. But see, there are so many well made guns these days, it's very diffiuclt to choose.

For example - I carried a Beretta 96D daily for years, and obviously made a concession about the weight/size factor, because I could shoot it well.

So now, at the moment, I've narrowed it down to these:
1. Sig 2022 (used to be the Sig Pro) in 357 Sig
2. S&W M&P .40
3. Taurus 24.7 Pro Longslide .45 ACP
4. Springfield XD45
5. Taurus 1911 .45 ACP
6. Ruger P944 .40
7. Beretta Vertec .40

SEE!!!! Oh hell, I should just buy all of them and carry one every day of the week...

Anyway - great forum with great, informative gun STUFF!

Peace!
Robb

glockopop · May 29, 2006, 04:23 PM

I don't have any experience with the 24/7 or the Taurus 1911, but my first gun was a Taurus PT92. It was a great, reliable gun though not super accurate. At $599 MSRP for the 1911, it'd be hard to get burned. That's the same MSRP as a Springfield GI model. The nice thing about a 1911 is that even if it has problems, you can always change out the parts and turn it into a nice gun. From your list, I would recommend the SIG. My 226 has been flawless, and so has the 220 my girlfriend's dad has carried daily for 15 years. To me, the most important qualities in a handgun are accuracy and reliability. While some in your list may equal the reliability of the SIG, none of them will match it's out of the box accuracy, and the only one that has anywhere near as nice of a trigger is the XD.

Bullrock · May 29, 2006, 04:35 PM

I think your carry options are too large for me, for the most part. My very accurate PT-92AR is too large for carry, but a great range & HD gun.

During the winter months I carry my PX4. During the summer a Taurus 85UL .38Spl. +p, or the Taurus PT-145.

Good luck with your quest...

j1132s · May 29, 2006, 05:05 PM

Quote:

So now, at the moment, I've narrowed it down to these:
1. Sig 2022 (used to be the Sig Pro) in 357 Sig
2. S&W M&P .40
3. Taurus 24.7 Pro Longslide .45 ACP
4. Springfield XD45
5. Taurus 1911 .45 ACP
6. Ruger P944 .40
7. Beretta Vertec .40

All your choices above are pretty good firearms and I have heard good reviews on every one except the S&W M&P and the Taurus 1911 (maybe too new).

The thing about the guns you listed is that they are very different. I.e. it's not like you are trying to decent between 2 1911's or the Glock/XD. You've got to try each out. I can tell you right now that the Vertec and 1911 is going to feel _Very_ different than your current 96.

I noticed that you've only included one 1911 (the Taurus 1911) in your list. You mentioned that price isn't necessarily a factor, in that case, if you'll add just $200 more (I know it's 40%, but hey, if you can do it)... a whole new list of quality 1911's are going to be available to you. This list would include 1911's from S&W, Springfield, Kimber, Colt. I'm not saying the Taurus 1911 isn't good. But with 1911's, you have to be carefull.

Bullrock · May 29, 2006, 06:46 PM

Here's a review on the PT1911. For the entire review go to http://www.shootingtimes.com/handgun...05/index1.html

Taurus's PT 1911: A true Testament To The Grand Old 1911

All parts on the PT 1911 are manufactured by Taurus, including the magazines and the custom-style accessories, and they are specific Taurus configurations and not copies of any other brand-name designs. (Of course, all popular Model 1911 accessories, such as beavertail safeties, triggers, hammers, etc., are very similar in appearance.) Even the Heinie sights on the guns are actually fabricated by Taurus, under license and according to Heinie's strict specifications. Most of the small parts are manufactured through metal injection molding (MIM), which is a very precise, cost-effective process growing in widespread use throughout the entire world of precision metal parts fabrication in many high-tech industries. Taurus has become a national leader in MIM technology, and OEMs a large number of parts for other manufacturers throughout the firearms industry.

It is important to remember that in spite of the PT 1911 being an "all-Taurus" product, it is nonetheless a true-dimension Model 1911 pistol in all specifications--which means that a shooter can replace any of the gun's accessories or components with any other Model 1911 aftermarket parts for which he has particular preference with only the minor fittings or adjustments normally required for installation. At the same time, however, Taurus spokesmen observe that one of the main reasons they believe the performance of the PT 1911 outstrips similarly featured pistols that cost much more is that other manufacturers assemble their "loaded" guns with off-the-shelf parts from various sources without the unified design and quality-control coordination that makes the PT 1911 a truly integrated product.

Put simply, with the PT 1911 the basic gun and all the bells and whistles were designed, manufactured, and assembled under the same direction under the same roof. It makes a difference. Or as Taurus Vice President Bob Morrison wryly observed when I asked him about parts compatibility, "Sure, the other stuff will fit. But if you have a nicely equipped Mercedes, why would you want to switch its drive shaft with a part from Acme Auto?"

A Real Shooter
With all this pedigree, it's almost anticlimactic to say how the PT 1911 shoots--but it shoots well. Face it; the Model 1911 pistol is such a time-proven design, and all of its manufacturing idiosyncrasies have been worked out for so long, that a gunmaker would have to be really bad to screw one up. I had the opportunity to run five varied commercial .45 ACP loads through the preproduction review sample. Thanks to the Heinie sights and a crisp 3.25-pound trigger pull, my first full-magazine familiarization runs fired offhand at 50 feet with Federal's Personal Defense load printed at about 2.5 inches, which is certainly what I'd expect from any tightly fitted and full-featured Model 1911 pistol. The overall average for all five loads from benchrest at 25 yards was essentially the same.

Mastrogiacomo · May 29, 2006, 06:48 PM

The Vertec is very nice. I never gave the model so much a glance but tried it once when it happened to be in the shop. Fell in love with it and bought it. Bar none, one of the best and easier to grip than the standard model.

Laura

Taurus_9mm · May 29, 2006, 07:34 PM

I'm also interested in one of the Taurus PT1911's and hope to acquire one
at some future point. I've owned many of their products and have seldom
had any problems, none of a serious nature anyhow, with any.

The price is attractive as well.

tex45acp · May 29, 2006, 08:27 PM

If the 24/7 is half the gun my PT-145 is I would highly recommend it to anyone. My Taurus has served me well as a part time BUG/part time primary CCW. Over 3000 rounds of 230gr. cannon fodder without neary a hiccup.

trigger happy · May 29, 2006, 08:29 PM

5. Taurus 1911 .45 ACP
6. Ruger P944 .40
7. Beretta Vertec .40

yomama · May 30, 2006, 09:00 AM

I believe that sig you can also change out the barrel for .40.

HorseSoldier · May 30, 2006, 10:12 AM

I have a 24/7 in .45 that I'd give very high marks to for the price I paid for it (mid-$300s). Nice magazine capacity, compact enough for concealed carry, external manual safety -- pretty good package, with very good warranty/customer service backing it up. And did I mention price? Without getting into a "A is as good as pistol B" sort of invitation for heated debate, I'd just say it's an extremely good price for a polymer framed 45 caliber pistol.

The only complaint I could make about it a long trigger pull, with trigger reset forward enough that there are no shortcuts for follow up shots. Mostly being accustomed to SA or DA/SA pistols, this is not 100% to my liking, personally, though some people do not mind it at all.

RevolverLover · May 30, 2006, 10:19 AM

I didn't think the Taurus 1911 .45 ACP was out yet?

FirstFreedom · May 30, 2006, 09:35 PM

Horsesoldier, sound like you need to swap that one out for a 24/7 Pro, which has a super short reset.

Surefire_U2 · May 30, 2006, 10:44 PM

I think you should consider adding the ruger p345 to your list to try out...

Just_Parker · May 31, 2006, 12:45 AM

Several people including my self have been having HUGE problems with the taurus 24/7 pro in the .45, iv since sold mine and have gone down the XD route others towards the glock. Look at http://www.tacapp.com/?p=8
and you will see it all.

Pointer · May 31, 2006, 10:23 AM

A good rule of thumb is to select the cartridge you like... (I like .45 ACP or .40 S&W)
and then get a gun based on the caliber.

Your selection would then be simple...

It MUST fit your hand.
It should hold at least 6 rounds.
It should be concealable.
It should be lightweight and comfortable to carry...
(or you will begin to leave it home)

I think Springfield is a good brand choice...
Either the XD or their 1911...

HorseSoldier · May 31, 2006, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Horsesoldier, sound like you need to swap that one out for a 24/7 Pro, which has a super short reset.

If the Pro has a short reset it would be much more to my liking, I'd agree. I'll have to see about having a look at one . . .

May 29, 2006, 03:13 PM	#1
.45 Jones Junior Member Join Date: May 29, 2006 Posts: 2	Uggh! So Many choices! Hello folks - new guy here... Do any of you have any experience with the Taurus 24/7 .45 or Taurus 1911? I am serioulsy jonesing for a good, all around carry gun, and the choices are so inexorable I can't choose - serious. Cost isn't a factor necessarily, but obvioulsy a $500 gun that feels right and WORKS I'll naturally take over a $900 one. But see, there are so many well made guns these days, it's very diffiuclt to choose. For example - I carried a Beretta 96D daily for years, and obviously made a concession about the weight/size factor, because I could shoot it well. So now, at the moment, I've narrowed it down to these: 1. Sig 2022 (used to be the Sig Pro) in 357 Sig 2. S&W M&P .40 3. Taurus 24.7 Pro Longslide .45 ACP 4. Springfield XD45 5. Taurus 1911 .45 ACP 6. Ruger P944 .40 7. Beretta Vertec .40 SEE!!!! Oh hell, I should just buy all of them and carry one every day of the week... Anyway - great forum with great, informative gun STUFF! Peace! Robb

May 29, 2006, 04:23 PM	#2
glockopop Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2005 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 910	I don't have any experience with the 24/7 or the Taurus 1911, but my first gun was a Taurus PT92. It was a great, reliable gun though not super accurate. At $599 MSRP for the 1911, it'd be hard to get burned. That's the same MSRP as a Springfield GI model. The nice thing about a 1911 is that even if it has problems, you can always change out the parts and turn it into a nice gun. From your list, I would recommend the SIG. My 226 has been flawless, and so has the 220 my girlfriend's dad has carried daily for 15 years. To me, the most important qualities in a handgun are accuracy and reliability. While some in your list may equal the reliability of the SIG, none of them will match it's out of the box accuracy, and the only one that has anywhere near as nice of a trigger is the XD. __________________ I've only got two hands, but I've been known to carry three Glocks. RZA

May 29, 2006, 04:35 PM	#3
Bullrock Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 2,554	I think your carry options are too large for me, for the most part. My very accurate PT-92AR is too large for carry, but a great range & HD gun. During the winter months I carry my PX4. During the summer a Taurus 85UL .38Spl. +p, or the Taurus PT-145. Good luck with your quest... __________________ Still Shooting @74

May 29, 2006, 06:46 PM	#5
Bullrock Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 2,554	Here's a review on the PT1911. For the entire review go to http://www.shootingtimes.com/handgun...05/index1.html Taurus's PT 1911: A true Testament To The Grand Old 1911 All parts on the PT 1911 are manufactured by Taurus, including the magazines and the custom-style accessories, and they are specific Taurus configurations and not copies of any other brand-name designs. (Of course, all popular Model 1911 accessories, such as beavertail safeties, triggers, hammers, etc., are very similar in appearance.) Even the Heinie sights on the guns are actually fabricated by Taurus, under license and according to Heinie's strict specifications. Most of the small parts are manufactured through metal injection molding (MIM), which is a very precise, cost-effective process growing in widespread use throughout the entire world of precision metal parts fabrication in many high-tech industries. Taurus has become a national leader in MIM technology, and OEMs a large number of parts for other manufacturers throughout the firearms industry. It is important to remember that in spite of the PT 1911 being an "all-Taurus" product, it is nonetheless a true-dimension Model 1911 pistol in all specifications--which means that a shooter can replace any of the gun's accessories or components with any other Model 1911 aftermarket parts for which he has particular preference with only the minor fittings or adjustments normally required for installation. At the same time, however, Taurus spokesmen observe that one of the main reasons they believe the performance of the PT 1911 outstrips similarly featured pistols that cost much more is that other manufacturers assemble their "loaded" guns with off-the-shelf parts from various sources without the unified design and quality-control coordination that makes the PT 1911 a truly integrated product. Put simply, with the PT 1911 the basic gun and all the bells and whistles were designed, manufactured, and assembled under the same direction under the same roof. It makes a difference. Or as Taurus Vice President Bob Morrison wryly observed when I asked him about parts compatibility, "Sure, the other stuff will fit. But if you have a nicely equipped Mercedes, why would you want to switch its drive shaft with a part from Acme Auto?" A Real Shooter With all this pedigree, it's almost anticlimactic to say how the PT 1911 shoots--but it shoots well. Face it; the Model 1911 pistol is such a time-proven design, and all of its manufacturing idiosyncrasies have been worked out for so long, that a gunmaker would have to be really bad to screw one up. I had the opportunity to run five varied commercial .45 ACP loads through the preproduction review sample. Thanks to the Heinie sights and a crisp 3.25-pound trigger pull, my first full-magazine familiarization runs fired offhand at 50 feet with Federal's Personal Defense load printed at about 2.5 inches, which is certainly what I'd expect from any tightly fitted and full-featured Model 1911 pistol. The overall average for all five loads from benchrest at 25 yards was essentially the same. __________________ Still Shooting @74

May 29, 2006, 08:27 PM	#8
tex45acp Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2005 Location: The Great State of Texas Posts: 873	If the 24/7 is half the gun my PT-145 is I would highly recommend it to anyone. My Taurus has served me well as a part time BUG/part time primary CCW. Over 3000 rounds of 230gr. cannon fodder without neary a hiccup. __________________ Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick!!

May 29, 2006, 06:48 PM	#6
Mastrogiacomo Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2002 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 856	The Vertec is very nice. I never gave the model so much a glance but tried it once when it happened to be in the shop. Fell in love with it and bought it. Bar none, one of the best and easier to grip than the standard model. Laura

May 29, 2006, 07:34 PM	#7
Taurus_9mm Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2006 Location: Louisville, Kentucky USA Posts: 923	I'm also interested in one of the Taurus PT1911's and hope to acquire one at some future point. I've owned many of their products and have seldom had any problems, none of a serious nature anyhow, with any. The price is attractive as well.

May 29, 2006, 08:29 PM	#9
trigger happy Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2006 Location: Atlanta Posts: 698	I'd narrow it down to these 3..then I'd buy the Beretta 5. Taurus 1911 .45 ACP 6. Ruger P944 .40 7. Beretta Vertec .40 __________________ "You cannot invade mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass" Admiral Yamamoto "You have enemies ? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life" Winston Churchill

May 30, 2006, 09:00 AM	#10
yomama Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2006 Posts: 509	I believe that sig you can also change out the barrel for .40.

May 30, 2006, 10:12 AM	#11
HorseSoldier Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2006 Location: OCONUS 61°13′06″N 149°53′57″W Posts: 1,863	I have a 24/7 in .45 that I'd give very high marks to for the price I paid for it (mid-$300s). Nice magazine capacity, compact enough for concealed carry, external manual safety -- pretty good package, with very good warranty/customer service backing it up. And did I mention price? Without getting into a "A is as good as pistol B" sort of invitation for heated debate, I'd just say it's an extremely good price for a polymer framed 45 caliber pistol. The only complaint I could make about it a long trigger pull, with trigger reset forward enough that there are no shortcuts for follow up shots. Mostly being accustomed to SA or DA/SA pistols, this is not 100% to my liking, personally, though some people do not mind it at all.

May 30, 2006, 10:19 AM	#12
RevolverLover Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2004 Posts: 1,683	I didn't think the Taurus 1911 .45 ACP was out yet?

May 30, 2006, 09:35 PM	#13
FirstFreedom Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,455	Horsesoldier, sound like you need to swap that one out for a 24/7 Pro, which has a super short reset.

May 30, 2006, 10:44 PM	#14
Surefire_U2 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2004 Posts: 196	I think you should consider adding the ruger p345 to your list to try out...

May 31, 2006, 12:45 AM	#15
Just_Parker Junior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Posts: 13	Several people including my self have been having HUGE problems with the taurus 24/7 pro in the .45, iv since sold mine and have gone down the XD route others towards the glock. Look at http://www.tacapp.com/?p=8 and you will see it all.

May 31, 2006, 10:23 AM	#16
Pointer Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2005 Location: Utah Posts: 2,502	A good rule of thumb is to select the cartridge you like... (I like .45 ACP or .40 S&W) and then get a gun based on the caliber. Your selection would then be simple... It MUST fit your hand. It should hold at least 6 rounds. It should be concealable. It should be lightweight and comfortable to carry... (or you will begin to leave it home) I think Springfield is a good brand choice... Either the XD or their 1911... __________________ . BEWARE candidates promising "reasonable" gun laws. It still infringes and it still insults the reason. 30-06 FOREVER