The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Semi-automatic Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old January 9, 2007, 07:20 AM   #1
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus PT 1911 - Taurus Replaced It

Just wanted to post the conclusion of the defective Taurus PT 1911 .45 pistol I purchased. Pistol was bulging primers severely. They have elected to replace the pistol and are very "mum" about what was wrong. Guess I'll never know, but I've checked several PT 1911's and the firing pin hole in the breech face was much larger on mine. That, and perhaps head space problems, may have been the cause. That's my un-educated guess. At any rate they thought the pistol dangerous enough to replace - not repair. They told me I should receive a new pistol in about a week. Some posters here took me to task for reporting the problem saying "nothing wrong with the pistol", "stop the panic", "the firing pin hole is normal they chammerfer it" etc.etc. And other childish remarks. Any idiot looking at these primers would have immediatly seen something badly wrong. Actually I'm satisfied with Taurus. Though they should have caught the defect when the pistol was test fired (required by law I think). Someone apparently failed to check the casing. That would be easy as the pistol functioned great. Taurus picked the gun up at their expense on Christmas Eve and now are replacing it. If all goes as I was told by phone yesterday, I'm satisfied.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 9, 2007, 07:29 AM   #2
ShipWreck
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 9, 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,744
Well, glad U are getting another. Are U gonna sell it when U get it or keep it and shoot it?
ShipWreck is offline  
Old January 9, 2007, 09:19 AM   #3
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus

I purchased a Colt Gold Cup National Match .45 to use while Taurus was dealing with the PT 1911. I probably will sell one or the other but will wait to see if Taurus really does ship the new PT 1911 within a week. The Colt is a nice gun but I've not fired it yet. Really not a carry gun though, at least some think it not. I like the trigger and adjustable sights (but they would probably snag/hang up in a regular holster). For carry I might just continue to use the Glock 23 I've carried for years.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 9, 2007, 12:20 PM   #4
westphoenix
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 15, 2002
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 582
You may have received different replies if you had posted pictures of your primers. Pictures are extremely helpful and usually result in more replies and more accurate replies, but not always.

Please give another report of your replacement.
Did you request any accessories or spare parts from Taurus for the hassle?
- I would have
westphoenix is offline  
Old January 9, 2007, 03:35 PM   #5
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus

No, I have not requested anything from Taurus. Might be justified though, as I did purchase a several hundred dollar gun to replace their broken one. I just returned from the range. I used the Gold Cup and I'm impressed. At 22 yards I was able to keep 100% of the rounds within the 4" black off hand. Most were within 2-3 inches. The trigger is quite good, don't know why some think the series 80 pistols triggers are bad. I did have 2 failures to feed but I was using 5 magazines of various makes. Both failures were from the same mag, also both mags of that brand failed to lock the slide back. The blueing on the pistol is flawless, the sights are quite good and easily adjustable. I fired 185 grain jacket hollowpoints, 230 grain ball ammo, and wad cutters. All seemed to shoot about the same place at 22 yards and had no problem putting them into the black. This gun has a "solid" feel and handles well. I like this pistol a lot. This is the first Colt 1911 I've owned and it might just become my favorite semi-auto pistol. The trigger is heaven compared to my Glocks. Best regards and have a great day.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 9, 2007, 05:17 PM   #6
BigO01
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 9, 2006
Posts: 138
Glad to hear it sounds like Taurus will take care of their mistakes , although I am surprised they didn't just send you a completed slide rather than a whole gun .

Not surprised to hear you love the Gold Cup , those have been considered top of the line 1911's for a long time and probably always will .
BigO01 is offline  
Old January 10, 2007, 01:47 AM   #7
Dreadnought
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 3, 2006
Location: Willy
Posts: 320
x2 to westphoenix's statement, some pics would be great. I thought mine strikes pretty light compared to my friend's HK USP45F and my 9 mm Berettas. BTW, did you get one of the early run PT1911's? How was the finish? Kindly let us know how the finish looks compared with the defective one.
TIA
__________________
"NO YELLING ON THE BUS!"
Dreadnought is offline  
Old January 10, 2007, 05:54 AM   #8
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus

Dreadnaught, I am sure that the firing pin hole on my PT was excessively large. The unsupported primer was "re-inflating" the pin strike so there was little evidence of the strike at all. Taurus tells you nothing and the people that dealt with me did not work on the gun. Maybe mine was the only one made that way, but then again maybe not. In modern maching operations it wouldn't take but a few minutes to "mis-drill" a number of receivers. I hope everyone checks their casings. All this is just my opinion from observation and I'm no gunsmith. The rest of the gun I really liked. It functioned great and was quite accurate. Finish was good but I prefer a polish blue to a matt blue or parkerizing. I don't know where my pistol was in the number manufactured. I suspect my pistol is on it's way back to Brazil to the manufactuering facility. To trace down exactly how it got that way. And how it got out of the factory that way. Some inspector will probably lose his job on this deal. All firearms are supposed to be test fired I think. Anyone looking at a casing from this gun couldn't help but see a problem.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 16, 2007, 02:28 PM   #9
para lda
Junior Member
 
Join Date: November 23, 2006
Location: South St. Paul MN
Posts: 4
I think I am having the same problems. These are some of my cases.


Just got off the phone with Taurus and got someone with some knowledge. He thinks it is the ammo. I am shooting CCI FMJ and he seems to think that they load it hot. Plus he says they use aluminum in the primers. So he told me to try some other loads and see what happens.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg DSCN1044.JPG (132.6 KB, 939 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN1048.JPG (162.0 KB, 756 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN1049.JPG (165.6 KB, 473 views)
para lda is offline  
Old January 16, 2007, 03:13 PM   #10
IM_Lugger
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 27, 2004
Posts: 2,011
para lda, thuse are pretty wierd looking primer marks I'd try other ammo for sure...

mes228 did your look the same?
__________________
"I feel the Beretta is a great character, it's so strong and elegant. The other guns look dumb to me." - John Woo
IM_Lugger is offline  
Old January 16, 2007, 04:32 PM   #11
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus

Yes!! Mines looked like that - but substantially worse. I fired 3 brands of ammo to make sure it wasn't just the ammo. All were varying degrees of that picture, all a little worse. I should have gone straight to the range and fired the replacement pistol but I've just not had time. Now the weather is turning atrocious and quite cold. I'll try to get to the range for a few rounds tomorrow.
Has anyone seen primers do that? Can you see where it's expanding into the firing pin hole - at least thats what it appears to me. Anyone else have a PT 1911 that's "normal", please post pictures of your primer strikes?? I hope everyone checks their casings. Certainly looks abnormal to me.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 16, 2007, 11:13 PM   #12
Dash
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 16, 2007
Posts: 171
Shells from my PT1911 looks like this, i wouldn't know if it is an abnormal pin strike. this is my first 1911 gun.
Dash is offline  
Old January 16, 2007, 11:43 PM   #13
HSMITH
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 21, 2002
Posts: 2,019
That is NOT right and the firing pin hole in the breech face is WAY WAY WAY too large. I don't care what ammo or primers you use, that is just a simple case of a firing pin hole that is EXTREMELY over sized. The primer should blow out completely from overpressure before that happens, there is no excuse other than a slide that was machined incorrectly.
HSMITH is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 05:53 AM   #14
Ralph2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 2, 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 250
I'm wondering if the bolt face is maybe a little thin around the pin hole and they don't exhibit this until a few rounds have been fired? That might explain why they are not seen until the gun has been fired a few more rounds than it would get in inspection and the Maryland spent casing test, if that gets done to this model. Mine was purchased used from a local Range Officer's trade in for a shiny Kimber. It has had a good breaking in period by him and I have not noticed the primers looking like this.

I do look at my brass at each shooting session and I haven't seen this yet.
Ralph2 is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 07:41 AM   #15
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus

Dash, your primers look way more normal than mine or poster "para ida". I could live with your primer strikes I think. But "para ida's" and the one I had something going on thats not "normal". The only things I think it could be is an excessively large firing pin hole in the slide or head space problems. I've never seen excessive pressure balloon a primer as these are. I hope to shoot my replacement PT 1911 later today and I'll post after looking at the fired cases.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 09:41 AM   #16
Dash
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 16, 2007
Posts: 171
Hope the replacement works well for you.
Dash is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 10:20 AM   #17
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus

I was able to fire a few rounds of Winchester White Box 230 grain ball ammo through the replacement PT 1911. All fired casings looked fine to me. There is definitely a problem (in my opinion) with some of the Taurus that have been shipped. I hope everyone that has a PT 1911 checks their fired casings. I would bet that ultimately there will be a recall on some of these pistols. Apparently my original one wasn't the only one that got out. I have no idea why this wasn't caught in the test firing supposedly done at the factory. They may fire the pistols but someone didn't look at the casings.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 10:42 AM   #18
Dreadnought
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 3, 2006
Location: Willy
Posts: 320
Man, I wish all my spent brass wasn't 800 miles away at my parents' house right now. I always checked the primers to make sure they weren't cratering or the pin wasn't hitting on-center, I thought the strikes looked somewhat light, but they never ballooned like those pictured. This gives me a good excuse to head to the range in a little bit.
__________________
"NO YELLING ON THE BUS!"
Dreadnought is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 03:09 PM   #19
IM_Lugger
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 27, 2004
Posts: 2,011
Dash's primers looks 100% normal; that's what they should look like...

I have to say there have been tons of posts on 1911 forum about PT1911 but I've never heard about anyone having the same problem.
__________________
"I feel the Beretta is a great character, it's so strong and elegant. The other guns look dumb to me." - John Woo
IM_Lugger is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 04:06 PM   #20
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus

IM Luger, Look at "para ida's" casings. Yes "dash's" casings are normal. If you think "para ida's" are normal we don't agree on what normal is. I'd go as far to say those casings are dangerous. Hot gases and metal fragments spewed into the pistol or your eyes wouldn't be O.K. to me. A peirced/blown primer might do both. I think he should send it back pronto.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 04:34 PM   #21
HSMITH
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 21, 2002
Posts: 2,019
Dash's don't look normal, there is a big ring raised around the firing pin indent and that is not normal at all. His look better than the others, but nowhere close to right.
HSMITH is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 04:47 PM   #22
mes228
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 19, 2005
Posts: 628
Taurus

Hsmith, sorry - "normal" was a poor choice of words. The raised ring isn't something I've seen either. I re-checked my casings from the new PT 1911 and they are correct, just as any other pistol I've fired. No raised rings/ no ballooned primers so something is different from this pistol and the other one. I still believe the firing pin hole on my first one was larger than it should have been.
mes228 is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 04:47 PM   #23
45reloader
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 20, 2006
Location: PA
Posts: 669
I wonder if we could tell by the serial numbers what machine the guns came off of.

Maybe one of the Taurus machines is out of spec.
45reloader is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 06:49 PM   #24
chris in va
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 26, 2004
Location: Louisville KY
Posts: 13,805
Here's something that spooked me a bit.

Browsing Gander Mountain last week, I saw a PT1911 in the used rack for $450. Now, didn't the gun just come out?
chris in va is offline  
Old January 17, 2007, 10:14 PM   #25
TK6411
Member
 
Join Date: January 17, 2007
Location: San Antonio, Tx
Posts: 18
mes228 glad to hear the problem was resolved with Taurus. I just checked my cases shot last weekend and found they matched the pic of Dash's cases. Being new to 1911's myself I wasn't sure if there was a problem or not with my PT1911. Thanks for the info and I am sure many more will look at their cases and see if they also have any problems. I feel resonably sure that Dash and mine are in the normal range but welcome others with more experience on the subject to feel free and chime in. I love the PT1911 and have been extremely happy thus far. Its always good to learn if there are any problems that may have escaped my own limited knowledge base and experience.

Jim
TK6411 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:41 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.08816 seconds with 8 queries