[Rollo]

Short version - Would you reccomened this gun to a close friend/relative/etc to defend themselves and their family with?

Long version - I have been a 9mm guy for a long time (Not trying to start a caliber war discussion here, just giving some back ground) My first carry piece was a sigma 9mm. I got rid of it because the trigger was horrible. I picked up a glock 19 which I though was a great gun but found a little bulky to carry. I got rid of the glock and in my search for a small, single stack 9mm with a external thumb saftey I arrived at a taurus 709.

When I first got the gun I was happy with it. However after trying a couple different types of ammo I found that it was light striking and had to send it back to taurus. It came back and functioned fine but was naever as accurate as I wanted it to be. Don't get me wrong, the gun was accurate enough for self defense purposes but not as accurate as I wanted to it to be. That could have been the gun, it could have been me. Regardless I ended up getting rid of it and picking up a S&W 908.

I am extrememly happy with the 908. It's small, light and reliable. It is also one of the most accurate 9mm's I have ever shot. More or less it's everything I could hope for in a 9mm carry gun. Even if it wasn't my primary carry gun it would be a great gun to just take wo the range and do some plinking with.

Latley however I have found myself wanting to carry a .45. Not really sure why but I guess to some extent the "proven man stopper" rhetoric may have got to me a bit but more then likley I'm just looking to justify buing a new gun Anyway, after looking around for the features that I want (small, light weight, fairly thin, adjustable sights, manual thumb saftey) i have once again arived at a taurus product.

The PT145 has all of the features that I want. My only problem is that I am kind of at that once bitten twice shy point with taurus. I had to send my first one back and it was never as accurate as I wanted it to be. However the pt145 for the most part has gotten pretty good reviews. So if it came down to it, if someone you knew wanted a .45 with the features that I listed (and didn't have 800.00 bucks to shell out on a kimber or other compact 1911) would you be comfortable reccomending the pt145?

 

[pcon]

I had a 3rd gen PT140 and was ok with it. It certainly wasn't the nicest gun to have, but it never had a hiccup. I shot all types of brands of ammo through it and it went bang each time. I trusted my life to mine.

 

[C Bennett]

I actually like that series..ive shot all BUT the one you mention but like their ergonomics better than a lot of "pricier" guns. I mean if I could have the equal reliability in a Taurus as a Glock or HK or Sig Id probably take the Taurus based on its design (meaning size,grips,concealability) because a lot of those other makes DONT have anything like the Taurus models size wise.. I mean what other manufacturer has a gun that SIZE with nice grips I know Glocks are chunkier/bulkier Sigs about the same and HK's about the same again...closest that I can think is the Glock 36...and from what ive read on GLOCK boards the Glock 36 is about as reliable as a Taurus....yeah no kidding. Even the Glock guys admit its a hit or miss gun.

 

[Old Marine]

I've carried the pt145 as my everyday carry for a good while now and like it really well! It's never missed a beat and I find that it just fits my needs well. I started carring the 22 but after getting the 45 I grew to like it more. Conceals better and feels better to my hand. Rent one and see what you think! You will get a hundred different opinions as to whether taurus pistols are any good! Some like them-some don't....draw your on conclusion. Good luck.

 

[TrackReady]

I would look elsewhere. A good friend of mine had that exact model and although it worked 95% of the time it never ran good enough for EFC so he sold it. Seem like very few people seem to get them running 100%, and truthfully a gun like that is useless at that point. Plus, another thing to consider is with a barrel that short a 45 really isn't even near its designed velocity range. Although a 45 can't shrink reliable expansion will probably be compromised. IMO if you are looking at a 45 w/ a barrel shorter than 4.0 inches a 9 or 40 is probably a better choice.

 

[Rollo]

I would look elsewhere. A good friend of mine had that exact model and although it worked 95% of the time it never ran good enough for EFC so he sold it. Seem like very few people seem to get them running 100%, and truthfully a gun like that is useless at that point. Plus, another thing to consider is with a barrel that short a 45 really isn't even near its designed velocity range. Although a 45 can't shrink reliable expansion will probably be compromised. IMO if you are looking at a 45 w/ a barrel shorter than 4.0 inches a 9 or 40 is probably a better choice.

Interesting point. I never really took velocity and barrel length into consideration.

 

[booyah]

I would look elsewhere. A good friend of mine had that exact model and although it worked 95% of the time it never ran good enough for EFC so he sold it. Seem like very few people seem to get them running 100%, and truthfully a gun like that is useless at that point. Plus, another thing to consider is with a barrel that short a 45 really isn't even near its designed velocity range. Although a 45 can't shrink reliable expansion will probably be compromised. IMO if you are looking at a 45 w/ a barrel shorter than 4.0 inches a 9 or 40 is probably a better choice.

Conventional wisdom, isnt always conventional, or wise :wink:

Not saying its the end all/be all, but you may want to take a gander here
45-ACP Velocity vs Barrel Length

 

[j21blackjack]

Who says you need $800 for a good compact 1911? Rock Island compacts can be had for less than $500. They also have a very good track record. I owned a PT145 and it left a pretty big sore spot with me for all things Taurus. I think you would better off with something like an XD 45 compact.

 

[itschuck]

I had a PT140, always went bang, shot well enough for defensive purposes. The trigger I did not like. For a budget weapon its fine.

 

[Divebum47]

Here's my report on my new 145. http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbull...t-taurus-pt145-millenium-pro.html#post1447460

A couple of caveats:

1) The Target - The group is actually a little bigger than what it looks like in the picture. There are portions of the ragged edges of the hole where the paper was not actually removed, but was torn. The reason for this is that the target was overlayed across a COM silhouette. This gave more rigidity to the target. I'm not really that great of a marksman.

2) I have fewer than 400 rounds through the gun at this point. 200 without problems make me 95% confident in a gun as an everyday carry. 400 with no unexplained issues makes me more confident.

3) I own another Taurus - 24/7 DS in 9mm. I have probably 1000 rounds or more through it (dope book is in the gun safe, and I'm too lazy to go get it this early in the morning) with no unexplained problems. (a couple of ftf, but chalked up to using cheap range ammo). Never a problem using my SD ammo.

4) This reply is predicated upon my own first hand experience, and not hearsay, or "my friend's brother's girlfriend's uncle had one 100 years ago and it was a POS" type of information. YMMV.

5) Based upon my own experience, I would not hesitate to buy another Taurus. And based upon my to date first hand experience, I'll probably make the 145 my every day carry piece, replacing a Randall Raider (I've owned that one for close to 15 years and have well over 6,000 rounds through it. Still goes bang everytime I pull the trigger - downside is the over 2 pounds of stainless steel. At my age, it makes me walk like a one sided Green Bay Packer.

6) This reply is not to sway you in either direction. My purpose is the give you first hand information based upon my experience. Ultimately you are the one who has to live with your choice. If you buy a gun and don't like it, regardless of it's performance, it was probably not a good decision. If you buy a gun based primarily upon advice from people with very limited or no firsthand experience, it will be a poor choice.

If you ever need to use the gun in defense of your family or self, you have to have confidence that the gun will go bang, and that the round will go where you want it to go. If that confidence is not there, it was probably a poor choice.

End of sermon.

 

[bladenbullet]

pt111 with several thousand rounds and never a hiccup...run into plenty of pt145s at the range and never heard a complaint....

i can pull up plenty of posts from guys who know womeone with every brand who has had a problem...in my personal experience owning several taurus handguns along with glock and s&w they are as dependable as anything else...

 

[booyah]

Let me also say, while I dont have the PT145, I do have its slightly larger close relative the 24/7 45.

Personally I really like it. Its a fine defensive weapon. Never failed to go bang. I've shot various hollow points, FMJ and reloads without a problem.

I very nearly got the 145 when I was shopping, but I wanted something with a 4" barrel, and got a higher capacity at the same time (12+1)

 

[Rollo]

Who says you need $800 for a good compact 1911? Rock Island compacts can be had for less than $500. They also have a very good track record. I owned a PT145 and it left a pretty big sore spot with me for all things Taurus. I think you would better off with something like an XD 45 compact.

I agree, RIA's a good guns with a good weapons but unfortuanetly they loose out in the weight department for my purposes

 

[ethorman]

As you can see in my sig I own a PT 145 and a 24/7 Pro C in 9mm. Ever single one of them goes bang when I pull the trigger and they shoot good great. I wouldnt want a BG to have one shooting at me they are that reliable. The only down side to the Taurus (both of them) is the trigger, I have gotten used to them and using it as a dual stage, step one taking up the slack and two squeezing the trigger. I would say that is the only "Con" that I have found about them.

 

[Theman9mm]

My pt145 is my best guns next to my pt709..I have NEVER have any problems with any of my Taurus guns