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1. Shot a few Taurus pistols several years ago. Fit and finish was rough, performance was rougher and reliability was horrible. These were all early purchases made by friends as they got into firearms and all had been regulated to “I don’t really shoot that anymore, I should probably sell it” status.

   Fast forward to October of last year. My local Academy had a buy one gun get another free deal. It was for Rossi 22LR rifle and a Taurus G2C pistol. Together the were $269. I had an Academy $60ish refund credit that was going to expire and my intention was to purchase ammo when I saw the flyer. So a quick check on my phone and it looked like the reviews for the Taurus G2C were actually pretty good, in fact pretty good for both of these inexpensive offerings.

   I shot both and felt like both were better shooters than their price point implied. I left the Rossi up at the cabin. Then I decided to really shoot the Taurus G2C. Nearly 1,000 rounds later and not one hiccup. Every bit as good as similar pistols from S&W, Glock, Ruger. All at less than $200.

   Got a used but still serviceable gun belt and a new holster, 2 more mags (it came with 2), some used mag pouches for the belt. Grabbed a .50 cal ammo can and 300 of JHP rounds and tossed everything in. It is now my someone I know and trust has shown up after SHTF and needs a weapon gun. Someone at Taurus has made huge improvements. I hope they keep it up.

   1. Bought a Taurus commander 1911 that rattled like a worn-out colt after break-in. Cerakoted in midnight bronze. The frame isn’t cerakoted, its blued. My mainspring housing was steel. After first shooting I realized the guide rod was bent, the bushing was very loose. Bushing OD was .699 and slide id was .704. Swapped out barrel bushing and realized the barrel was getting deep scratches from softer steel. Trigger was the heaviest trigger I have ever pulled, had to swap ignition components to improve. Grip safety began sticking, realized it was slapping the trigger bar and denting the grip safety bar. Factory hammer was crooked, beavertail was very loose and crooked. Extractor was way too tight. Springs all deformed quickly. Barrel would peen the side of the frame next to the slide stop. I still have no idea how that can happen. Chased jams until I had fully rebuilt the gun. Great shooter after 1000 dollars in upgrade parts. The only thing left that’s Taurus is the stripped frame and stripped slide. Personally, I wish I had just bought a quality stripped frame and slide because Taurus doesn’t deserve to have their name on this gun anymore. Still rattles

2. I had a similar experience with the early Taurus products. As a dealer, customer returns became so high it was eating into profits so Taurus was no longer part of the inventory. The industry felt their company used cast off machinery and substandard labor to produce firearms which was enough for me to stick to ‘made in America’. YMMV.

3. My experience with Taurus products has been different. My family and I have owned quite a few revolvers, PT1911’s, and a few other models of the Taurus line and we have always thought them a great value for the money. The customer service has been excellent also. I will agree though that they have improved as time has gone on. I find the newest revolvers are very nicely finished and accurate. We currently have two older PT1911’s that are great. One rivals my Kimbers in accuracy.

4. “Two men and a boy.”
   Thanks for the morning chuckle. Had a flashback hearing my dad use that phrase.

5. I own a Taurus revolver in .38 special and a early model PT1911 – both always go bang and the accuracy of the PT1911 is amazing. No trigger or safety problems like some folks talk about, but YMMV. I put smooth rosewood grips on my blued PT1911 and it looks, carries and shoots amazing.

6. Taurus does seem to have improved. The Taurus GC2 purchased for only $169.00 is reliable, and a good value. A plethora of You Tube videos will confirm. Of course, it is not the finest available, but what I could afford at the time, and it is adequate for it’s intended role as a back up to a Spring Field XD9. Given it’s compact size, it is better suited for carry in some situations than the XD9. However, if I could, I’d rather have a 1911. There is only one handgun that would encourage me to train, and that is the 1911. Speaking of my own peculiar penchant of course, all others are just a utility, a tool to fight one’s way back to a rifle. If for that purpose alone, then it is best that it is lighter and more compact. What the best handgun? The one that a person is most inclined carry 24/7.

7. I have both a Taurus G2C and the new G3! Fantastic pistols, reliable, accurate, fit and function is perfect! Don’t waste your money on a Glock, as these are just as good for half the price and will not fail you for EDC!

8. “I didn’t have any volunteer shooters to help me with this test, it was just me, and all shooting was one on one afternoon – needless to say, my thumb was sore from loading all those magazines.”

   You seriously need to discover the Uplula mag loaders.

9. Thanks for the informative article. I am currently in the market for a 1911, hoping to find a Sig for a good deal (assuming the wife says ok). I sold a Rock Island compact 1911 that was decent but had feeding issues with both factory and high quality mags. I currently have an older Taurus 45 (Model PT945) that I shot for the first time last weekend. It had a few issues that seemed magazine related, the only mags I can find are from EBay and beat up. I want a reliable sidearm chambered in 45, preferably with ambidextrous safety and accessory rail.

   1. The Sig 1911 in fastback carry size (commander) is efficient. Every bit as comparable as the S&W Performance Center bobbed carry commander. If money is tight, look at the S&W MP45 LEO trade-ins. I picked one up for 3 1/2 bills. It has been flawless. It looks to have been shot very little and came with 3 mags and night sights. They are out there you just have to really stay on top of the websites that handle trade-ins. They won’t last long.

10. Bought a Taurus 1911 9mm a few years ago for $500ish…planned to drop in an EGW hammer and sear and install new sights and use it for Steel Challenge matches. Should have done more homework. Taurus uses a obscure rear sight cut and nobody makes a really good replacement sight and mill work or a new slide would have been too expensive. Lesson learned!

11. I wonder if they dropped the “PT” designation when they got rid of the lock in the hammer. That improvement I bet did wonders for the reliability and function of their 1911’s.

12. Have had a PT1911 in stainless for about 4 years. Cons: the two stock mags don’t hold open when empty.
    Pros: I bought 8 medium priced 8 shot stainless mags on line. A couple needed tweaking to correct feeding issues.
    Since then the firearm has been flawless. I’m an average shooter and during multiple action shooting competitions my shooting was average the pistol had no issues. Fed, went bang and ejected perfectly. I also shot bulls eye comps for a season with it. Also no issues. Please note I shoot factory loads only.

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