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Any Experience Out There w/ Kahr P45 or Taurus PT145

7K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  rawdawg1217 
#1 ·
I carry a Beretta PX4 9mm full size, BUG is a .38 special J Frame. I would like a more concealable smaller weapon but with higher capacity than my 5 shot. Anyone have experience / preference with the Kahr or Taurus with respect to reliability,carry-ability, ease of use, sights, accessories. Kahr seems terribly concealable but it's twice the price of a comparable Taurus. You get what you pay for ....but only sometimes. The other times you just pay more. Appreciate you experienced hands sharing your insights.
 
#2 ·
I have an older model first generation PT145 that had major issues about 4 years ago, but since it came back from Miami, its been great. The Taurus does pack a lot of firepower into a very small package.....I haven't found anything that even comes close. I have no experience with the current production models of the PT145.
If you like the Kahr but don't like the price of the P45, try the CW45. Same gun with standard rifling in the barrel, pinned front sight instead of a dovetail and less machining done on the slide than the P45. For the price differential the CW45 makes the most sense. P45/CW45 is a single stack 6+1 very thin pistol, and may be easier to conceal than the Taurus.
You won't find a whole lot of love for Taurus firearms on this forum as most of us that own them or did own them have sent them back to Miami for repairs at some point. Reliability and quality control seem to still be an issue at Taurus.
Lots of members here have and carry the CW45. Very good gun, and can be had at Davidsons for around $420 and Buds Gun Shop.com for $365 which is where I got mine. A superb value.
 
#4 ·
I have a PT145 Pro with about 3K rounds through it. It is very easy to conceal in the right holster - I use a Pure Kustom Black Ops Pro. The only issues I have had are 1) it will not reliably fire S&B ammo. I have not had problems with any other brand. 2) I have 1 Taurus mag, purchased separately from the weapon, that is not reliable to the point that a tap rack drill will not get it running again. The other three mags work fine and I have marked the offending mag as range only.

I also have a G30 and it conceals just as well in the same brand and model holster. It shoots all ammo and all my G30/G21 mags work with it.

As much as I like the PT145 Pro, because of the issues noted above, particularly #1, I don't tend to carry it as much as the G30. If I was looking to buy a small .45ACP for concealed carry, I would use the G30/G30SF as my standard.

FWIW, I think the firing pin spring is on the way out on the Taurus. Either that or it is not speced to be as strong as the one in the Glock. It is the only gun I have that has balked at firing factory rounds.
 
#5 ·
No experience with a Taurus, but I had a Kahr P45 with Mepro nightsights, (which are excellent), that I bought as a potential carry gun. It is a very accurate pistol, but I was unable to shoot it quickly due the recoil, especially with anything near a +P round. The gun is very light and I had a hard time controlling it. Now, that's all on me, admittedly so, but IMHO, it takes a very solid grip to get the full use out of a Kahr 45. It isn't exactly a tiny gun as many BUGs tend to be, certainly not a pocket gun, nor suitable for ankle carry.
 
#6 ·
Thank you all for the information. Seems like, of the two, Kahr might be the thing to look at. I'll get down to the range and see if I can handle the weapon comfortably and accurately. Might wind up changing my mind entirely if my experience is anything like ripley16's. I have never been a Glock fan but I'll take a look at the G30 and the Kahr CW45. The range will let me know I suspect. I appreciate your time and the fullness of your reponses gentlemen.
 
#7 ·
The P45/CW45 is one of those "carry a lot/shoot it a little" guns, if you're confined to factory ammunition. As noted above it is NOT fun to shoot with full power ammunition. I reload, and developed a bunny fart combination that functions the action yet doesn't beat me into submission after 50 rounds- or less.

If you intend to practice a lot with the gun, the G30 is the one to get (of those you mentioned). It is the largest of the three, but carries easily on the belt- either OWB or IWB- with just a bit of thought regarding holster selection. Uber-reliable, and it won't pound you into the range deck during a practice session.

As for Tauri (plural of Taurus :smile: ), I have this saying... "Friends don't let friends buy Tauri".

This annoys faithful Taurus owners, but I have simply seen too many of them with issues to trust one for an EDC piece.

.
 
#8 ·
Been off line for a while, but here's my input. I now carry a PT145 MilPro as my normal carry gun. First and foremost, I have a couple of thousand rounds through it of all types of ammo - from Blazer and Wolf to WWB, to Federal Hyra Shok and so on. Not a problem with the gun. Not one. And this is not hearsay or "my friend's friend's father in law's mother has one and it's a POS." I'm sure that will disappoint a few die hard gun snobs, but hey, I'm not concerned too much about that. I have a choice of a number of guns including a semi-collectors Randall Raider. I carry the 145 for a number of reasons: 1) It's reliable, 2) it's not an expensive gun, 3) it's a .45 which I like, 5) it doesn't weigh as much as an Abrams tank. In reference to #2, if I need my gun for defense, whether it's a good shoot or not, the LEO's are going to take my gun until such time as it's proven a good shoot or whatever. If I never get the gun back, I'd much rather give up a $400 gun (please refer to #1) than a $1000 1911. So, that's my story. As for the Taurus bashers, flame on - My choice, my gun, my life. YMMV, Void where prohibited. And no, LSP972, your opinion does not annoy me. It's your opinion to which you have a right. And your opinion has very little influence on any decision I might be making now or in the future.

Merry Christmas to all.
 
#12 ·
And your opinion has very little influence on any decision I might be making now or in the future.
My opinion was never intended to influence you; or anyone else. I just call it like I see it. I shoot upwards of a dozen different Taurus pistols every week; it is the #3 brand of choice, behind Hi-Point and the S&W Stigma, of the street thugs around here. And not all of these clowns abuse their iron.

Let's just say that a disproportionately high number of Tauri have functioning issues, compared to the various other brands of handgun that comes through the lab.

I'm happy you like yours, and that it works for you. Confidence in one's tools is important.

.
 
#9 ·
Several years ago I bought a compact 24/7 45 - It ran well and was a convenient size. I even liked the DA/SA trigger since I was used to SIGs and HK's. When they came out I bought a 709 Slim on the basis of the 24/7. Bad move - it was never right so I traded it for a CW9. Later, I decided the 709 was a fluke so I bought a PT745, single stack version of the PT145. Oops - Another bad one and Taurus couldn't make it right again so I traded it for a CW45.The fact is that out of three Tauruses, two wouldn't run even after Taurus had a chance to fix them. I've had five Kahrs and never had a problem. Guess who's going to buy a CM45 when they're released to replace a stolen PM45?
 
#10 ·
I think that Taurus has made some marketing and technology blunders. In order to retain market share, they seem to release product before they've done enough testing and tweaking of the product. They also seem to try to fill every niche imaginable. I think that gets them in trouble. They also seem to create products to fill a created or imagined need - case in point the Judge and it's several offshoots. When they stick to a basic firearm and get it right it seems to run pretty well. I have a 24/7DS in 9mm and a PT145 MilPro. Both guns have given me excellent service and have eaten anything I've fed them. I am pretty anal about cleaning and maintenance, so that may help. I also have a couple of 94's in .22 for plinking and they have been flawless. I would never say that Taurus is without fault, and I also know some folks who have had problems. Some of the problems have been a result of shoddy maintenance, others have been a function of poor quality. Perhaps I've been lucky; I don't know, but I do know that I carry my MilPro every day and do so with complete confidence. Believe me, I would not let the lives of my family or my own depend upon something in which I did not have complete confidence. I base my decisions upon personal experience and not hearsay or rumors. When I see a post starting off with, "I've never owned a xxxx, but...." my natural cynicism pops up - whether the rest of the story is positive or negative. One personal experience is worth 10,000 expert opinions in my mind.
 
#13 ·
I carry and shoot a P45 and love it. It has 1K rounds through it without incident and I find the recoil quite manageable. It is thin and light so I actually carry it, and it is more accurate than it should be for such a small piece. Before I purchased, I looked at the PT145 and 745 but decided against them. The triggers were very nice but the fit and finish was not what I like to see, so I went with the Kahr. I also tried the G30 but Gaston and I seem to disagree with what constitutes ergonomics, I am clearly in the minority on that I know, but to each his own.

I like the P45 because I can get my entire hand on the grip and is stays that way during mag changes. I have XL size hands and even though the P45 is small, it fits me quite well.

Good luck.
 
#14 ·
..it is more accurate than it should be for such a small piece.

...tried the G30 but Gaston and I seem to disagree with what constitutes ergonomics...
I am continually amazed at the phenomenal inherent accuracy the polymer Kahrs have. I agree... it just don't "seem right", but there it is.

Also agree on Gaston's Brick. But given the superlative track record that piece has, I had to try one. Its at Bowie's as we speak, getting a grip reduction/stipple/RDS mount make over. A colleague had Robar do their grip reduction on his G30, and while better than stock, I wasn't overwhelmed with their rendition. I have three Bowie G19s, and his reduction makes an entirely different pistol out of that one. I'm hoping the same applies to the G30.

Another colleague asked my why I was experimenting with all these different guns, yet every time he checked I had my old HK on. Of course, this isn't a "gun guy". He's a DNA weenie, so perhaps we can forgive him... but I gave him the standard gun-guy-to-non-gun-guy answer: "If I have to 'splain it, you wouldn't understand.":smile
:

.
 
#15 ·
I had a Taurus 145 and it was a mess with FTF, FTE, etc etc. My Kahr CW45 has been reliable however.

That said, I normally carry my Springfield XD 45 compact because I don't find it harder to carry than the CW45, but it holds 10+1... My wife just bought the new XDm 3.8" 45 compact and its even smaller. What an awesome gun! 9+1 of 45acp. We have never had a single problem with any of the 3 XDs we have...
 
#16 ·
I've had two Taurus firearms...a PT-145, and a 617...both had problems...both were traded off...it was years ago...no more Taurus for me.OMOYMV
 
#17 ·
I have a P45, and for quite a while it was my prefered carry pistol. I had some feeding issues with it at first, but after a trip back to the factory it has been perfect. It is the easiest .45 to conceal I have ever carried, thin and light, and almost disapears in a good holster. The only reason I don't carry it any more is due to developing a little arthritis in my hands, and the recoil in such a light pistol made it difficult to make accurate follow up shots.

I have gone back to carrying my G30, (actually I will carry A G30 as soon as I replace the one that kaboomed, but that is another story)which is easier on the hands for me, and really not that much harder to conceal. I think you can't go wrong with either the P45 or the G30, just be aware recoil will be a little sharper with the P45.

By the way, I have my P45 for sale in the marketplace section of the forum.
 
#18 ·
I have pt145 I love it so much bought my wife the pt111 works great dead shot with it its ok to conceal I also have a small j frame 5 shot revolver as back up love them both you can never carry two many guns but stay away from promags if you want an extra mag hope you pick the Taurus pro
 
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