Taurus shooting impressions: 1911 and Curve.

[Brad Johnson]

New local range had their Grand Opening yesterday complete with a host of facory reps and plenty of hardware to try. Two boomsticks stood out for their impressions so I decided to share. Both are from Taurus.

1911:
I give it a solid "Meh". Metallurgy seems ok. Overall fit and finish are about what you'd expect from a sub-$500 (street price) 1911. Accuracy was quite good for the price point though the sights were definitely not the best. The trigger, well, calling it abysmal is being generous. To begin with there was a good 1/8" of slop before it enganged. Once engaged the pull was long, gritty, notchy, and generally just plain awful. The notchiness was so bad that several times during the trigger travel it felt as if the sear had tripped without the hammer falling. It's the first SA trigger I've ever seen that actually stacked up at the end of the travel! At the end it requiring what I guesstimate to be a 7 or 8 lb final press to fire. Why Taurus sent a gun with this bad a trigger as a shootable marketing sample is beyond me. However, aside from the terrible trigger the gun is a decent shooter for someone wanting a budget 1911.

Curve:
A resounding "no". I can appreciate the concept, but in real life there's simply no reason for buying this gun unless your ONLY form of carry is IWB. In terms of size it's huge compared to other guns in that market segment. It's roughly the same overall size and dimensions as my Ruger LCP while in its holster (a DeSantis Nemesis). The integral laser sight may be cool but it fuglies up the gun and makes it a blocky, chunky brick compared to other pocket 380s. The trigger opening is way too small for anyone with even modestly thick fingers. The trigger pull is decently smooth and typical pocket DAO long and heavy but it stacks severely right at the end of the travel, adding several lbs to the pull. The trigger travels deep into a recess in the frame before the sear trips, so deep that my finger was bottoming on the frame before the trigger reached full pull. The only way around it was switching from finger pad to fingertip trigger technique. The strange design results in less grip length than even my diminutive LCP. This, combined with the long trigger pull and strange finger-blocking trigger recess, makes controllability a problem. Overall there's just no reason for this gun to exist save one very narrow carry type, and even then an LCP, TCP, or P3AT with a side clip would be dimensionally smaller and likely just as comfortable.

Brad

[Boomhauer]

I think one is better off with an Armscor than a Taurus 1911

[BlueStarLizzard]

The Curve is about the stupidest thing I've seen in a long time.

I seriously don't get why the gun boards and such were so full of various praise on this one. I'm usually all for innovative and new, but the the Curve was just so gimmicky and badly thought out that I was like "oh, this is going to get SLAMMED"

And it didn't.

[Boomhauer]

why the gun boards and such were so full of various praise on this one.

Because many gun boards are full of 'tards. Gun counter commandos and the like, and there is a perverse love for Taurus out there. I don't know why.

[lee n. field]

Taurus autos have never much interested me.  OK, maybe their pocket .380 in the bumblebee yellow and black color scheme.  If I could find one. If I didn't already have an LCP.

My one Taurus revolver is on me as I write.  Never had a single reason to complain about it.

Because many gun boards are full of 'tards.

Ding ding ding ding!  Winnah!

I'm getting cynical.  I should mention that to the dr.  Wonder if it's a side effect of the lupron.

Gun counter commandos and the like, and there is a perverse love for Taurus out there. I don't know why.

And unreasoning mouth foaming hatred. 

Too bad TaurusUSA sacked their president who wanted to fix their customer service rep.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Because many gun boards are full of 'tards. Gun counter commandos and the like, and there is a perverse love for Taurus out there. I don't know why.

No, it was even people who are generally not so dumb on these things. The "voices of reason" were even like "well, that looks interesting. I'm pleased to see Tarus being so innovative"

It was almost like they were scared to say "yeah, that looks like some dumb *expletive deleted*it."

[lupinus]

Others are always welcome to of course use and like what they like, but Taurus is firmly in my don't even bother looking at it list when I go gun shopping.

[freakazoid]

Because many gun boards are full of 'tards. Gun counter commandos and the like, and there is a perverse love for Taurus out there. I don't know why.

Is there? I don't think I have ever read anything but hate for them. Like ever.
I shot a Raging Bull, don't remember the caliber, that my friend had and it seemed nice. Still pretty farely new to shooting what was out there though so I had nothing to compare it to.

[Hawkmoon]

I think one is better off with an Armscor than a Taurus 1911

Absolutely.

The range where I shoot had a Taurus 1911 as a range rental gun. Last year some time it broke -- the extractor self-destructed. Range owner asked if I had a spare Series 80 extractor, which -- of course -- I did. So I installed it, and it seemed to be okay on the bench. But I didn't actually test fire it.

The first time post-repair that he rented it, the firing pin safety fell out of the slide and jammed up the gun. A call to Taurus led to the discovery that, while their 1911 looks like a standard 1911, some of the internal parts are NOT standard, so you can only use Taurus parts. Such as the extractor.

Okay, send us an extractor.

"Nope -- we have to install it."

The only way any company can sell you $500 worth of extras (from the original Taurus 1911 ads) in a gun selling for $550 (the original price point for the Taurus 1911) is to be selling a $50 pistol with $500 worth of extras. I don't want any part of a $50 pistol.

[lee n. field]

Okay, send us an extractor.

"Nope -- we have to install it."

Thanks for the heads up.  taurus 1911 is a no go.  The one big thing that would attract me about the 1911 is it's "open source" nature.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Is there? I don't think I have ever read anything but hate for them. Like ever.
I shot a Raging Bull, don't remember the caliber, that my friend had and it seemed nice. Still pretty farely new to shooting what was out there though so I had nothing to compare it to.

Freak, Boomhauer just hates Tarus, period.

We had a Judge and it was perfectly decent for what it was. *shrug*

I've never heard anything great about Taruses semi auto's. I've also never heard anything truely damning about their revolvers except from people who have a hard on for Tarus hating.

[Jocassee]

Acquaintance of mine has run CWP classes here in SC for years and years. Hundreds if not thousands of classes. He reported to me that he has never had a single Taurus make it through the course of fire (50 rds) without a failure.

[Grebnaws]

My Taurus tcp .380 has been a very good pocket gun. It's accurate, cheaper and has better trigger than the competition. No thanks on the curve though. It kills everything I love about a small .380. My much older Taurus model 96 .22 revolver is a gorgeous gun, tricking people at the range into complimenting it for a S&W for it's deep bluing and excellent trigger.

A friend owns a Taurus 24/7 in .45 acp for ccw that I put a box through and hated every shot. Couldn't wait to hand it back.

[De Selby]

Guns and ammo mag used to run pieces about how the PT92 was actually better than a beretta, because it was made on some special old italian machines.

Taurus sells bull products alright.  Just not the horns.

[French G.]

Guns and ammo mag used to run pieces about how the PT92 was actually better than a beretta, because it was made on some special old italian machines.

Taurus sells bull products alright.  Just not the horns.

Only Taurus I have shot was a rental PT92 many years ago so I would theoretically know what a Beretta was like. Not so much. I miss my 92FS, no idea why I sold it, I bought it to train for my military carry piece and shot it almost exclusively in DA or da/Sa transition drills. Insanely accurate. I could be competent with the Navy's clapped out M9s. The Taurus felt and shot worse than even those.

[brimic]

The PT92 doesn't even use Beretta mags- a huge negative there if nowhere else.

Never saw the need to look at tauruses (Taurii?), for a bit more, you can buy a Ruger, S&W, Beretta, etc, and have a much better gun, or at least a known quality.

[MechAg94]

I have seen some love for Taurus, but not a lot.  Mostly it was people who had one or two that worked.  Heard lots of people say negatives.  I had heard their quality control had gotten better, but I don't know.  I have a friend who got a Taurus compact 45 pistol (polymer) and it shot okay, but he was never happy with it.  I have an RIA 1911 compact that while heavy, works just fine.  I just always saw Taurus as a cheaper, less reliable gun. 

IMO, Guns last a really really long time if you don't shoot every day.  Most every time I have gone cheap, I have generally regretted it in the long run. 

[brimic]

Guns and ammo mag used to run pieces about how the PT92 was actually better than a beretta, because it was made on some special old italian machines.

Taurus sells bull products alright.  Just not the horns.

There are a lot of people who hate the Beretta 92FS because it replaced the 1911 in the armed forces. Pretty much any absurd reason to point out a flaw in the 92FS was done. The reason why a lot of gun scribblers preferred the PT92 over the 92FS is because the taurus had a frame mounted safety/decocker where the beretta had a slide mounted safety/decocker. I might be in the minority, But I prefer the slide mounted decocker by a very big margin in this case. The safety/decocker is swiped to the 'fire' position just by taking a proper grip on the handgun. The PT92 has fire, safe, decocker positions like H und K pistols, some people like that, I don't.

[brimic]

I have seen some love for Taurus, but not a lot.  Mostly it was people who had one or two that worked.  Heard lots of people say negatives.  I had heard their quality control had gotten better, but I don't know.  I have a friend who got a Taurus compact 45 pistol (polymer) and it shot okay, but he was never happy with it.  I have an RIA 1911 compact that while heavy, works just fine.  I just always saw Taurus as a cheaper, less reliable gun. 

IMO, Guns last a really really long time if you don't shoot every day.  Most every time I have gone cheap, I have generally regretted it in the long run. 

I know people who are happy with their tauruses, and others that aren't. If you get a good one, you're golden, if not, you are S.O.L. I just prefer to now gambled $400-500 on an unknown.

[freakazoid]

There are a lot of people who hate the Beretta 92FS because it replaced the 1911 in the armed forces. Pretty much any absurd reason to point out a flaw in the 92FS was done. The reason why a lot of gun scribblers preferred the PT92 over the 92FS is because the taurus had a frame mounted safety/decocker where the beretta had a slide mounted safety/decocker. I might be in the minority, But I prefer the slide mounted decocker by a very big margin in this case. The safety/decocker is swiped to the 'fire' position just by taking a proper grip on the handgun. The PT92 has fire, safe, decocker positions like H und K pistols, some people like that, I don't.

I really like the Beretta. Fits comfortably in my hand and I shoot it really well. It will probably be one of my next purchases.

[dogmush]

There are a lot of people who hate the Beretta 92FS because it replaced the 1911 in the armed forces. Pretty much any absurd reason to point out a flaw in the 92FS was done. The reason why a lot of gun scribblers preferred the PT92 over the 92FS is because the taurus had a frame mounted safety/decocker where the beretta had a slide mounted safety/decocker. I might be in the minority, But I prefer the slide mounted decocker by a very big margin in this case. The safety/decocker is swiped to the 'fire' position just by taking a proper grip on the handgun. The PT92 has fire, safe, decocker positions like H und K pistols, some people like that, I don't.

I really like the Beretta. Fits comfortably in my hand and I shoot it really well. It will probably be one of my next purchases.

I HAVE a Beretta.  Bought specifically so I could practice with my duty weapon.  *expletive deleted*ing safety is backwards.  Unless you are careful when you slingshot the slide, you will wipe the damn safety on. Then miss your next shot because the damn thing won't fire.  It wipes on in a tap, rack, bang drill as well.  Except it becomes a tap, rack, *expletive deleted*ck! drill.  The ONLY thing Taurus did right was fix the safety.

I had a Taurus PT908 back in the day.  Sweet little single stack 9mm.  My aunt CC's a PT145 that she loves, but probably only has 200rds through it.  They can make some good guns, they just don't that often.

As far as budget 1911's go, really, just stop at Armscor.  I have had a couple, and still have two.  Until you break about $900 (or get to Ruger) they are the best value out there.

[MechAg94]

I know people who are happy with their tauruses, and others that aren't. If you get a good one, you're golden, if not, you are S.O.L. I just prefer to now gambled $400-500 on an unknown.

I stopped by an Academy store the other day.  There was a lady asking about a Glock and a Taurus.  She asked what was the difference.  I guess the clerk wouldn't talk down any of their guns and didn't really say anything.  She asked to handle the Taurus.  Being cheaper is a powerful draw for people who don't know the difference.  Most probably don't shoot enough for it to matter. 

[freakazoid]

I HAVE a Beretta.  Bought specifically so I could practice with my duty weapon.  *expletive deleted*ing safety is backwards.  Unless you are careful when you slingshot the slide, you will wipe the damn safety on. Then miss your next shot because the damn thing won't fire.  It wipes on in a tap, rack, bang drill as well.  Except it becomes a tap, rack, *expletive deleted*ck! drill.

I noticed that. Just depends on how you pull back on it.