I get it all guns and customer service not created equal and hate you've had a problem, I've bought four, they were 500 bucks each, treated my two boys to a 9 and 45, chose them over RIA because of the blued finish and put Dawson fiber optics on all four, two years ago I guess purchased these and been great so far, I've been lucky with firearms, only CS ever involved with is Springfield and Armscor, both excellent, I'm sure dealing with an importer who doesn't do repairs in house can be a problem but when I buy a gun I expect it to work and been lucky so far, even something cheap so hope my luck continues knock on wood
Buyer's guide for first 1911s Priced Below $1000
- Thread starter Blackbeard
- Start date
My two picks are not high dollar and will undoubtedly cause some consternation to some, but the SAM (formerly imported by Century, but now with their own import company in the US) is another Philippino company along the lines of RIA. The one I got (basic 1911) had a sheet with it that everyone who touched it had to sign off on, and has the best trigger pull of any 1911 I've seen, including some custom guns. It also worked right out of the box and THAT made me pretty happy as well! NO break in to get everything working, it worked right off! OK, this is a copy of the military 1911, tiny, useless sights, no fancy anything, but it keeps right on going, and going, and going. Now? I'd get the upgraded model that I wanted to, to begin with, but they were sold out at the time, so I got this one, and have not regretted it in the least.
The second gun is the Taurus PT1911. Yes, I can hear the screams of rage now, but the one I bought, a stainless .38 Super w/rail (don't like the rail, I wanted to try a rail to see if I liked it, I don't, not something I am going to blame the gun for), and an excellent trigger pull, that has been a joy, "so far" anyway. I keep hearing the horror stories, but I've been far happier with the PT1911 than with the Kimber Custom I bought. No, not a "custom" 1911, that is what Kimber called the gun, a much better name than "a worthless piece of excrement" if you want to sell them, although no-where near as accurate.
The Kimber needed a total overhaul to replace the extractor that was not cut, the cheap/junk/low-quality grips, the typically useless, junk Kimber magazine, the off the charts/could not be measured trigger pull, the casting flaws it was covered with, the... may need to check the old blood pressure, hmmm..., the meter exploded. Anyway, let's say Kimber was less than thrilled at the thought of getting it back, as in quoting months to do anything with it, so I redid it myself and it is OK Now, but both the Taurus and SAM were good to go out of the box, at half the price, and that is what I'm concerned with, not what a pig's ear can/could be turned into later.
The other thing you might do is go to GUN TESTS magazine and see what they have to say. I don't always agree with their findings, too many of their guns work great out of the box or get repaired and then work great, neither of which seems to happen to me, but I am reasonably sure, for no good reason when all is said and done, that they are fairly honest, or at least more honest than the usual gun rags that never saw, or at least reported on, a gun they didn't like, and yes, somewhere I have a long list of magazines/writers who admit they lied, failed to report problems, overlooked/glossed over, turned a blind eye to, or ignored problems. The next issue (Fed, 2021) will have more 1911s from $350-850 in it.
Don't believe they ignore/lie? Go read GUN WORLD when John Taffen bought the usual junk S&W revolver, returned it to the factory FIVE times, and it came back worse each time! He told them he was a big-time writer, fix it or else! S&W said "Print and be damned!" He did and they threatened to pull their ads out of the rag. "Feel free, WE will publish the honest reviews of what we get/got!" S&W backed down and John got his gun fixed, right this time! All there in print, and no I don't know what issues it all is in now, but should be easy to find if you doubt me.
The second gun is the Taurus PT1911. Yes, I can hear the screams of rage now, but the one I bought, a stainless .38 Super w/rail (don't like the rail, I wanted to try a rail to see if I liked it, I don't, not something I am going to blame the gun for), and an excellent trigger pull, that has been a joy, "so far" anyway. I keep hearing the horror stories, but I've been far happier with the PT1911 than with the Kimber Custom I bought. No, not a "custom" 1911, that is what Kimber called the gun, a much better name than "a worthless piece of excrement" if you want to sell them, although no-where near as accurate.
The Kimber needed a total overhaul to replace the extractor that was not cut, the cheap/junk/low-quality grips, the typically useless, junk Kimber magazine, the off the charts/could not be measured trigger pull, the casting flaws it was covered with, the... may need to check the old blood pressure, hmmm..., the meter exploded. Anyway, let's say Kimber was less than thrilled at the thought of getting it back, as in quoting months to do anything with it, so I redid it myself and it is OK Now, but both the Taurus and SAM were good to go out of the box, at half the price, and that is what I'm concerned with, not what a pig's ear can/could be turned into later.
The other thing you might do is go to GUN TESTS magazine and see what they have to say. I don't always agree with their findings, too many of their guns work great out of the box or get repaired and then work great, neither of which seems to happen to me, but I am reasonably sure, for no good reason when all is said and done, that they are fairly honest, or at least more honest than the usual gun rags that never saw, or at least reported on, a gun they didn't like, and yes, somewhere I have a long list of magazines/writers who admit they lied, failed to report problems, overlooked/glossed over, turned a blind eye to, or ignored problems. The next issue (Fed, 2021) will have more 1911s from $350-850 in it.
Don't believe they ignore/lie? Go read GUN WORLD when John Taffen bought the usual junk S&W revolver, returned it to the factory FIVE times, and it came back worse each time! He told them he was a big-time writer, fix it or else! S&W said "Print and be damned!" He did and they threatened to pull their ads out of the rag. "Feel free, WE will publish the honest reviews of what we get/got!" S&W backed down and John got his gun fixed, right this time! All there in print, and no I don't know what issues it all is in now, but should be easy to find if you doubt me.
Gunflint1
Well-Known Fanatic
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2019
- Messages
- 314
Well explained thanks..
TexasShooter
New Fanatic
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2020
- Messages
- 3
I have an American Classic ll in .45 ACP. Tight fit, no rattles. Smooth and accurate shooter.
Babboonbobo
Well-Known Fanatic
My personal experience is I've only bought three 1911s below the $1k target
First was a Kimber custom II $799 quite a few years back and was my very first 1911, still have it and absolutely no issues to this day.
Second was an Rock Island/Armscor in 22tcm for $579 it is a nice pistol but did go back for an extractor problem that they took care of quickly with no issues. Been 100% ever since. Thing I really like about them is they build everything in every variety and caliber! So if you ever want to try a new caliber or size you can do it with then reliably and at a lower price than about anywhere else. Then if you love the set up buy the $3-4000 pistol
Third was an ATI full size GI style for $399 that I modified with some professional help later on. Bought It just to cut it up and see what I could do! Turned out great for a $400 gun and while it's not DW nice it is very nice plus it has my personal touches and machining that I did to it. I gave it to my son for his birthday a couple years back and while it will never be worth Wilson money on the market I hope it's worth more than that to him.
First was a Kimber custom II $799 quite a few years back and was my very first 1911, still have it and absolutely no issues to this day.
Second was an Rock Island/Armscor in 22tcm for $579 it is a nice pistol but did go back for an extractor problem that they took care of quickly with no issues. Been 100% ever since. Thing I really like about them is they build everything in every variety and caliber! So if you ever want to try a new caliber or size you can do it with then reliably and at a lower price than about anywhere else. Then if you love the set up buy the $3-4000 pistol
Third was an ATI full size GI style for $399 that I modified with some professional help later on. Bought It just to cut it up and see what I could do! Turned out great for a $400 gun and while it's not DW nice it is very nice plus it has my personal touches and machining that I did to it. I gave it to my son for his birthday a couple years back and while it will never be worth Wilson money on the market I hope it's worth more than that to him.
Anyone have any experience with the Taurus 1911 in .45 acp? I saw it new for $500.
joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
Like many 1911 manufactures of 1911's.. it's a bit of a gamble. They make some pistols that work fine, others may need a bit of tweeking, some may be lemons, you take a chance with a purchase., just like any firearms purchase. Feeling lucky ? Go for it.. They often offer some nice features for a bargain price. Many refuse to buy any Taurus product, due to their reputation. I've owned about 7 of them, & had no issues with the first 6 I purchased , starting back in the early 80's..
I would advise against buying one & then putting a lot of $ in modifying it.. it'll probably never be worth more than you pay for it, despite the amount of $ invested in modifications.
I wouldn't put a lot of faith in their customer service dept., if issues arise. My experience with them wasn't good. Fixed a .22 rimfire revoler's outrageously heavy trigger pull, but left out a pin holding the firing pin & spring in place. 1st time shooting it after their repair, the firing pin & spring fell out. Took it to my gunsmith, he cut a piece of rod, to make a copy of the missing pin, & found a spring in his parts stash that'd work. I found the firing pin after it fell out..but not the spring.
Any way, it works now. Sent a message to Taurus Service dept. about their "repair" & never heard a word back.
I would advise against buying one & then putting a lot of $ in modifying it.. it'll probably never be worth more than you pay for it, despite the amount of $ invested in modifications.
I wouldn't put a lot of faith in their customer service dept., if issues arise. My experience with them wasn't good. Fixed a .22 rimfire revoler's outrageously heavy trigger pull, but left out a pin holding the firing pin & spring in place. 1st time shooting it after their repair, the firing pin & spring fell out. Took it to my gunsmith, he cut a piece of rod, to make a copy of the missing pin, & found a spring in his parts stash that'd work. I found the firing pin after it fell out..but not the spring.
Any way, it works now. Sent a message to Taurus Service dept. about their "repair" & never heard a word back.
I had one for few months, commander size, it shot fine, sold to fund something else, buddy had one for years and loved it, seems like they were one of Taurus's better makes, they seem lot better now all the way around, probably wouldn't be my first choice but if price is right maybe but still probably try and find a RIA, one that comes with upgrades, fiber optics, G10 grips, magwell
My neighbor I have mentioned bought a NEW Taurus revolver it just locked up that was months back last year, he finally sent it back 1 time he got through on a call to them maybe in November that's it no nothing since no returned calls or emails, no revolver. We told him not to buy it but he did and also built a backyard range to shoot it got 2 rounds off I think, the entire ordeal turned him off shooting due to how sick he is for not listening to us and $$$ spent, now he has no revolver, lost funds and no ammo other than a piece box, we tried to advise him and did find him a used S&W 4"66 which after the Taurus, he passed on that just sick of all of it, also told him if he ever gets it back do not fire it but get rid of it, he said he never wished to see it again! Now at least 6 months since he sent it in and nothing. It just mechanically locked up like parts jammed internally an honest paper weight now. He took it back to the store where he got it 1 time and they literally told him they did not want it back if I remember maybe offered him $100 not sure there but not much, we all even the store told him to buy another brand but he went cheap and paid big time for it, also ever wonder why in all the years of pistol matches I have shot why I have only seen 1 shot just ONE! Why do you not see and police with them?
Per post topic you may have waited a tad to long to find what your looking for under $1000 just like those who WERE going to start reloading and put it off.
Just leaving to pick up a ton of bullet metal here casting time coming real soon see all later! Split between 2 of us.
Per post topic you may have waited a tad to long to find what your looking for under $1000 just like those who WERE going to start reloading and put it off.
Just leaving to pick up a ton of bullet metal here casting time coming real soon see all later! Split between 2 of us.
Last edited:
joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
If every Taurus gun was junk, they wouldn't be in business very long.
As posted above, it's a crap shoot..a gamble. I feel the same way with P.S.A. (Palmetto State Armory) products.. many buy their Ar's & they're problem free.
My first had issues, eventually got thru to them via repeated emails & attempts to contact by phone, & it was sent back.
PSA returmned it with no communication / documentaion on their part what had been done.
It worked better , for awhile. After much use ( probably > 1K rds..) it's reliability improved. I was getting light strikes on primers, & difficulty extracting unfired rds. My gunsmith suggesting polishing the chamber, explained how I could do this. Took several tries, to get extended improvement in the issue.
OTOH, my PSA 7.62 X 39 upper has been flawless, accurate, a delight to shoot & own. Great purchase from PSA
My PSA AR-10 was accurate & reliable, until extraction issues surfaced, damaging brass in the process. Haven't got that addressed, yet.
PSA, like Taurus, sells LOTS of guns. With the internet, any complaint or problem has the potential of being communicated around the country, even
around the world. I'll stick by my suggestion.. take your chances & buy, or play it safer.. buy buying a Colt or Springfield..it'll cost more, be a better investment,
but you MAY still have issues, or even a Lemon.. Customer Service may be better.
As posted above, it's a crap shoot..a gamble. I feel the same way with P.S.A. (Palmetto State Armory) products.. many buy their Ar's & they're problem free.
My first had issues, eventually got thru to them via repeated emails & attempts to contact by phone, & it was sent back.
PSA returmned it with no communication / documentaion on their part what had been done.
It worked better , for awhile. After much use ( probably > 1K rds..) it's reliability improved. I was getting light strikes on primers, & difficulty extracting unfired rds. My gunsmith suggesting polishing the chamber, explained how I could do this. Took several tries, to get extended improvement in the issue.
OTOH, my PSA 7.62 X 39 upper has been flawless, accurate, a delight to shoot & own. Great purchase from PSA
My PSA AR-10 was accurate & reliable, until extraction issues surfaced, damaging brass in the process. Haven't got that addressed, yet.
PSA, like Taurus, sells LOTS of guns. With the internet, any complaint or problem has the potential of being communicated around the country, even
around the world. I'll stick by my suggestion.. take your chances & buy, or play it safer.. buy buying a Colt or Springfield..it'll cost more, be a better investment,
but you MAY still have issues, or even a Lemon.. Customer Service may be better.
taz4712
Well-Known Fanatic
I purchased a Taurus PT92C (4" barrel). It is a copy of the Berretta 92. I have had it over 30 years now. Until recently, because of the ("ammunition crisis") I took it to the range 1-2 X's a month, just for fun. Honestly it looks brand new. The bluing is still perfect, I carried it every day for the first 3-4 years. It has never given me anything but great service. Berretta never made a compact until recently. If you looked at it you would think it was a Barretta. I have put THOUSANDS of rounds through it. I tried a Commander Taurus 1911. I took it to the range 1X and sold it. It didn't malfunction, it just didn't feel comfortable in my hands. Like anything else in life that is mechanical you get good ones and junk. I just got lucky. Peace
Some good some bad but how many you see in matches? Carried by LE? Govt contracts for military? Just not for me to each their own preference, we were not even allowed to carry one off duty or for backup. There has to be a reason I would think?
I have, down through the years, owned some 1911's priced below a grand. However, after I get through adding all the crap I usually do, I'm over the thousand dollar mark. So I usually now go past the middle man and pop for what I want to end up with from the git go.
Pierre
Well-Known Fanatic
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2020
- Messages
- 225
Can't beat a Beretta...I like the Beretta 32s & 380s...perfect size & all metal.
Gunflint1
Well-Known Fanatic
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2019
- Messages
- 314
My experience with Taurus has not been a positive one, and I've had quit a few over the years. Goes back to you get what you pay for. Sure Taurus has a few out there that will work, some even called a bargain. But summing it up, their customer service sucks pure and simple. I've dealt with SIG, Colt, S&W, Ruger all with positive results.
Gunflint1
Well-Known Fanatic
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2019
- Messages
- 314
Kinda like putting lip stick on a pig.....Sorry, it' still a pig.
Pierre
Well-Known Fanatic
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2020
- Messages
- 225
Interesting my experience with Taurus'/Rossie customer service has been outstanding...guess it depends on who you deal with.
