Parts interchangeability on new 1911's

[dubber123]

How close to a classic 1911 are the new Tauruses?  I am considering one for a "car gun", and want to know if standard 1911 parts will interchange if I want/need to change anything.  Thanks.

[J-Train]

Have you actually seen a Taurus 1911?  Since they were featured in that Shooting Times article about a year and a half ago, no one has stocked them around here, and no one on this forum has found one, as far as I can tell.  That article stated that all parts would interchange with any standard 1911 parts, but who knows?  I sure would love to check one out myself, but I'm beginning to think the Taurus 1911 was a not-so-funny practical joke.

[Savage]

They are in a local distribitors catalog here. My dealer is trying to order one of the stainless mdls. I should know something in a few days.
Savage

[dubber123]

Yes, let me know what you guys find out, I saw that it comes with alot of the aftermarket goodies on it, and likely comes with a crappy trigger too.  I can fix the trigger myself if it's a regular 1911.  I would also like to swap out the hammer or whatever it is that has the lock gizmo in it.  I don't care for guns that need separate tools to work.

[pab]

Bought one at my local dealers yesterday. He said it was the only one his distributor had. I can't speak for the PI yet but other than that seems like the real thing and comes as advertised. Seems to shoot PMC  ball pretty well, touching holes at 15 yards which is awfully good for me. The Heinie sights seem fine for general shooting and line up well. I do believe this pistol would do very well at target shooting if it had a set of target sights and a 3lb trigger rather than the 5 1/2 that came with it. I paid $440 + 6% sales tax for it and right now I would say it is an exdcellent deal. We'll see as I shoot it more if it ever cools down.

[J-Train]

Congratulations, PAB, on finally obtaining one!  Please keep us posted on how it performs, likes and dislikes, etc.  If it turns out to be as advertised, it might be a great choice for those of us wanting an affordable 1911.  Looks like you're the Guinea Pig for now.

[dubber123]

pab, I would like for you to fire at least 100 rounds a day after work, and a couple thousand each weekend to see if anything goes amiss.  And also, in your spare time, completely disasemmble it to find out if their are any non-regular 1911 stuff in there!  Thanks for the initial info, keep us posted.

[Uncle Ji]

http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus-PT1911.htm

[dubber123]

Good article, thanks for the heads up.  Other than the safety lock, this is starting to look too good to pass up.

[J-Train]

I have finally seen one in person!  I found a couple in a gun shop--overpriced, though.  They were marked $499 for full-size, black finished models.  I handled one of them:  the trigger was a bit heavy, but crisp.  The slide lock was so stiff that I had to use two hands to release the slide (that would probably loosen up with use).  I loved the Heine sights.  For me, they were faster to align than the popular 3-dot setup like my Ruger and most others use.  The black plastic grips were a bit ugly, but that's pretty easy to remedy.  Overall, I was pleased--except for the price.  There were a couple of Kimbers in the next case for only $50 more.