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Old March 29, 2013, 10:27 PM   #1
Sarge
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The PT-145: An experiment in Taurus QC

Traded into a Taurus PT145 MilPro... been wanting to try one of these for awhile.



The PT145 comes with two 10 round mag's. It has an odd, but shootable trigger. With the mechanism pre-set you get a long, light take-up, a firm spot and then the break. If the round is a dud, you get another more revolver-like pull that gives it a second strike. Two pounds of pull is required during the take-up and the trigger breaks at six pounds of pull, in SA Mode. The second-strike DA pull requires nine pounds to fire the gun. It has a thumb safety that mimics the 1911A1 in location and operation.

It has the Taurus key-lock on the slide, if you like that sort of thing. In size, it is is shorter than the Glock 23 and roughly comparable to a G27 with a finger extension on the magazine. The PT145's trigger guard is a little larger than either Glock, to facilitate the DA trigger mechanism. Still, Brazilians did an excellent job of shrinking an 11 shot SA/DA .45 Auto into the smallest possible package.

Taurus has a well-deserved reputation for spotty quality control, which manifested itself in the first 20 rounds from this gun. One of the magazines was, politely put, a piece of crap. Luckily, the the dealer had another PT145 on hand and he swapped me out a good mag PDQ. With good magazines, pistol is reliable and it isn't picky about bullet profile. It fed my .45 ACP, 230 lead flat-point reloads slick as a whistle. Early shooting indicates it will keep a magazine on your head at 20 paces.

Internet prattle on the PT145 is ripe with complaints about the sights, which are essentially Heine Straight 8's. I find them a distant 2nd place to Glock OEM sights. Each of the PT145's sights is secured in its dovetail by a set screw. Many users report that their PT145 prints low and this gun bears that out. It also shot a little right, so I set about adjusting the sights with the little allen wrench provided with the gun. I was able to loosen the front sight; but the set screw in the rear sight wouldn't budge. I was able to accomplish windage correction via the front sight alone and I also removed some material to bring the POI up.

The second range outing involved 25 yard shooting from an old folding table, resting my wrists on the range bag. I used Armscor 230 FMJ, my bulk lead-bullet .45 ACP reload* and Winchester USA 230 grain JHP. We are in the spring monsoon here and it was cool and rainy; my shooting probably wasn't at its best. I fired several 3 shot groups with the Armscor FMJ, while adjusting windage, and it wasn't uncommon for those groups to be 2 1/2 to 3 inches. 5 shot groups with all mentioned loads averaged about four inches; but by then I was straining at the sights with visible rainfall between me and the target. So I called off the accuracy evaluation and shot plates/range junk, standing unsupported. At 25 yards, 6" falling plates were pretty well toast and I nailed an old after-shave can several times with the pistol.

Overall, the PT145 is a decent small .45 Auto with a few liabilities. The rifling is very shallow, which may negatively affect accuracy particularly with lead bullets. It should do nicely with snake loads, though. Sights are usable, but could be better. I ran a magnet all over the frame rails and there is no steel to be found, so don't look for the PT145 to enjoy a 50,000 round service life. I think the PT145 is a passable CCW .45 Auto, once an individual specimen is proven for reliability. It is in no way comparable to a Glock 30.

Then there is that 'Taurus QC' thing, which is irrelevant if you get a 'good' one. I think I just may have lucked out and done that.

*Assorted brass, Missourt Bullet 225 grain 'Flathead' and 5.4 grains of W231 with a CCI standard large pistol primer. 1.200" OAL, 840 fps from 5" 1911's.
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Last edited by Sarge; March 30, 2013 at 01:38 PM. Reason: Updated with range report, 03/30/13
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Old March 31, 2013, 10:11 AM   #2
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Carried PT145 for a few hours yesterday under a tail-out T-shirt (my usual summer packin' mode) meaning nothing between me and the gun except my poor old abused and much modified Safariland #27. The PT145 actually carries much nicer than my G23.

But the checkering on the front & back straps was pointy as hell and abrading my tender vittles, especially after a big dinner of fried chicken! THAT got cured ASAP with a little file work and some 400 silicon carbide paper behind it. The gun carries better now and is quicker into a firing grip.
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Old March 31, 2013, 03:17 PM   #3
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...and finally, 10 rounds of Tula 230 FMJ at 50 yards fired standing, unsupported. Dropped one off by the head; if you dig around in the photo, you'll find doubles in the black. I'm OK with this given the size & weight of the gun.

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Old March 31, 2013, 03:25 PM   #4
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I can shoot mine pretty darned good. Had to drift the front sight a little when I first bought it but it's a great little gun. (Though I haven't shot it outside 10-12 yards.)
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Old March 31, 2013, 04:19 PM   #5
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Nice review Sarge.
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Old March 31, 2013, 07:30 PM   #6
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Thanks Krezyhorse. I hunted around some and found some archived articles, but almost no end-user shooting reviews of the PT145. I figured it might be useful to the next guy or gal looking to buy one.

Thanks to the other contributors of this thread.
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Old March 31, 2013, 08:15 PM   #7
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Sarge,
Pick up one yesterday. A friend had 2 of them and wanted to get rid on one. I am waiting to take it to the range this week to see what it does not like to eat then I will judge the gun.

Like the size and fire power of the gun. From what I have read, either people love the gun or hate the gun.
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Old March 31, 2013, 08:27 PM   #8
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KnotRight-

I think the love or hate thing results, at least in part, from Taurus' hit or miss QC. Most guys who buy a pistol aren't armorers or hobby gunsmiths; so when they get a gun that won't run, they are rightfully PO'ed.

This pistol is a case in point. If it had been sold to someone else and they tried to shoot it with the bad magazine, many would have been cussing it on every internet resource they have access to. Others would have read their complaints, repeated them and still more would have been negatively influenced. That magazine was difficult to load from Round 1, it choked at least every other shot and it was difficult to unload live rounds from. The company 'batted 500' on magazine quality, with this particular gun... great for baseball, but not great for generating satisfied firearms customers.

I hope your PT145 is as good as this one appears to be.
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Old April 1, 2013, 04:27 PM   #9
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Sarge, check you PM
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Old April 1, 2013, 10:09 PM   #10
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It is a damn shame that Taurus won't invest the money to get their QC house in order: their designs appear to be well-engineered, and their pistols always feel very ergonomic to me.
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Old April 1, 2013, 10:28 PM   #11
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It's a Good Find

I recently got the PT145 too, and so far it has been flawless. I haven't put more then a box through it yet though because ammo is so scarce. It's light to carry, and holds a good 10+1, which is rare to find in a compact 45. I'm happy with it.
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Old April 3, 2013, 10:35 PM   #12
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Just a few thoughts and updates...

I ended up with a couple of good .45 magazines; perhaps the weak link with the 24/7 and Millennium Pros in that caliber. The Mil Pros are short barreled, short-stroke autos and like all of that breed, they demand perfect mag and recoil springs.

Also, these guns are light-for-caliber and it comes as no surprise that all the recoil-related gremlins feel welcome in it. it requires a firm grip, to support the frame so the mechanism can work. I suspect the lion's share of function problems, not related to magazines, are from the lack of firm support. My wife is an experienced shooter she learned, early on, to grip a pistol like she means to hold onto it. So do I. Neither of us have had a function problem with the PT145. It is a very manageable pistol for its size, weight and caliber.

Another thing I note is a substantial, vertical 25 yard POI variance when switching loads- even of the same bullet weight. For instance, Remington UMC 230 FMJ strikes at least 4" higher than Tula, Armscor or my 225 grain reloads.

The stacked dots of the Heine Straight Eights were causing me grief. I would shoot it well and but the dots wavered, I'd toss a shot. When I blacked out the rear dot, 'shootability' improved instantly. 5 rounds of Tula 230, banged off at 25 yards-



Minor complaints aside, the PT145 is an innovative design. It is growing on me
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Old April 4, 2013, 03:08 PM   #13
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I have been carrying my 3rd gen pt-145 for over 5yrs. Its a reliable gun that is compact and holds 10+1 in 45acp.

Bottom line if it wasnt reliable and accurate I wouldnt be carrying it. Plain and simple. Once you get used to the sights and trigger you are good to go.
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Old April 4, 2013, 05:29 PM   #14
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"...10 rounds of Tula 230 FMJ at 50 yards."

50 yards? I couldn't even see the target at 50 yards
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Old April 5, 2013, 04:31 PM   #15
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I've got just almost 600 rds thru mine so far and other than a seating depth issue that was my fault I haven't had a single failure. I've only shot it out to 15yrds and I point shoot without really paying any attention to the sights so they don't effect me much. Still able to hold easy 3 inch groups. It eats my 200gr SWC cast bullets like popcorn. I think next time out I'll take the time to stretch the distance out a bit, may even shoot from the bench. As far as Taurus QC goes, this is my 14th Tauri and I've only had an issue with one. And that was fixed in under 2 weeks at no charge to me even tho I bought it used.
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Old April 5, 2013, 05:57 PM   #16
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What OAL are you using for those 200 LSWC's, Okie?
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Old April 11, 2013, 08:16 PM   #17
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After about 350 trouble-free rounds through this gun, I decided to shoot it at a Dept. qualification today. The course includes yank & blast at 2 yards, double-taps & low ready presentations at 7, and two strings of 10 rounds from both 10 and 25 yards. All but the low-ready stages are from the holster (I used an old Fobus SP11) and under time. I shot a 184/185 with it, exactly what I posted with an issue Glock 22.

I think the PT145 may have carved a niche for itself here.
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Old April 11, 2013, 10:32 PM   #18
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Sorry I lost this thread somehow. Not really sure what my OAL is. I dropped back to where I'm seating just behind the shoulder. Originally my seating die was set up for my old 45acp Contender barrel. I was loading it out to the lands. Too long for the Taurus, they would jam up the mag when you loaded more than 4.
Took it out to the range the other day and tried aimed fire at 25yrds. Managed to keep about 7 of 10 on a paper plate which surprised me. Was shooting about 5 inches low and 4 inches to the left. Took a while to get the set screw backed out but I finally got the rear site drifted so I'm zeroed horizonally but not much I can do about vertical.
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Old April 14, 2013, 06:53 AM   #19
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PT145 'Grunge Report'

Last winter, I was given some cruddy .45 ammo by a guy I know. Turns out to be 43 rounds of turned-black R-P ball and Federal 230 grain HydraShok.



I says “Mike, you’ve got a Glock 21, why don’t you shoot it up?” Nuh-uh. He goes in to tell me the ammo was salvaged from a shed that burnt down and this is what didn’t cook-off. He thinks it was exposed to weather for about six months before the debris was cleared & figured I might want it for the brass. I hate using a bullet puller… so I’ll use it to torture-test a gun.

Didn’t really have anything I wanted to shoot it in, then this PT145 arrives and I’m thinking “Why not?” I just added a Hogue grip sleeve and it was time for another pic, anyhow.



Some of this stuff is too nasty to chamber, so I dump it all in a grease-rag-towel, sprayed it down with CLP and rolled the contents around for a minute to de-crud it.



I headed down in the field and I stapled up a target. I knew I’d be clearing dud rounds, so I repaired to my improv folding table at the 25 yard stake. About half the R-P didn’t fire, even under the awesomeness of the PT’s ‘second strike' feature. When that was gone I turned to the Hydra Shoks and every one of them went BANG. Only hang-up occurred when some really nasty HydraShock hung in the magazine; but a smack with my off hand jarred it loose and it fed on up. This ammo was a mess but it still didn’t shoot too badly.



I figured since the gun was getting dirty anyway, I might as well try a CCI shot load in it. This was from about 12 feet and I believe it will zap a snake just fine. While the PT's shallow rifling insures it is never going to be a target pistol, it makes it a passable mini-shotgun.

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Last edited by Sarge; April 14, 2013 at 06:59 AM.
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Old April 21, 2013, 06:54 PM   #20
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I recently ordered a Houston RP11B for my PT145. I've used these for 1911's and other pistols and I like them pretty well. They are essentially a FOBUS with a little different finish and an integral felt-like lining that quiets the rig down and is easier on the gun's finish. The example I have is like this one and it's a good fit to my 3rd Gen PT145. Retention is a little less than the typical FOBUS but probably sufficient for anything short of SPETNAZ reverse back-flip hatchet throwing drills.The basic, unaltered product.



The Houston holster has a lot of sharp edges that are hard on knuckles and just generally interfere with a smooth draw. They are the seam of the paddle attachment , the area at the bottom of the trigger guard and the exterior of the holster at the top of the grip.



I rounded these surfaces, added a smooth angle at the trigger guard and cut away a little material behind it to make room for my middle finger. It made a world of difference in attaining a firing grip quickly.



I chop the paddle off any Houston or Fobus that crosses my path. Make the cut right below the belt hooks and round the corners up. This allows me to just rotate the hooks in behind my belt instead of cramming the whole paddle inside my waistband. I never wear a holster w/o a belt anyway... never trust a man that don’t wear a belt

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Old May 17, 2013, 07:36 PM   #21
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Six Week Summary

Since acquiring this pistol I have fired a wide assortment of factory ball and JHP loads... pretty much anything this side of the premium defense stuff. It's been 100% with factory loads and about 98% with my reloads, which have worked in every other 45 auto we've tried. Oddly, the little PT has a fairly tight chamber; just the opposite of what I expected.

Nothing has broke or fallen off the PT145, yet but it did come with a nonfunctional magazine. I'm lackadaisical about round counts but I'd estimate 650 rounds through this one. I've carried it a bunch in my much-adapted Safariland #27 and the slide shows some finish wear. The finish on the aluminum slide rails is beginning to wear a little.

Accuracy is ho-hum, but of course it's a compact 45 Auto by an also-ran manufacturer. Shooting jacketed bullets improves this marginally. We shoot lead in 45's around here. I'd say the gun is capable of paper plate sized groups at 50 yards. If your sights are zeroed and you hold carefully, you can keep them all in the 8 ring of a B27 at that distance. My 5" plates require a perfect two-handed hold at 25 yards... you'll still miss a few and wonder if it's you or the gun. I can generally hit them at will with a good 1911, using one hand.

Would I recommend the PT145? Probably not. For a beater farm gun it's just OK but it's not really accurate enough to suit me. The Hiney sights are a nuisance and these guns tend to shoot low. I'd say if you want a 45 auto, spend a couple hundred more for a Glock 30 or an M&P Compact.
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Old May 17, 2013, 09:17 PM   #22
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I've got a couple over 1100 thru mine and still no issues. Ran a box of Fiocchi ball thru it and surprisingly it shoots my cast reloads better. I'm more accurate with the pt145 than I was with my Glock 30.
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Old May 17, 2013, 11:30 PM   #23
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RTB issue related to Magazine?

I've got a 2011 PT145 Mil Pro and, when not on me, I keep it in a biometric gun safe with a loaded magazine and an empty chamber (ready, but not wearing out my ejector spring).

When I take it out to carry I load the chamber and flip the safety. I've noticed that when I release the slide, it will not fully return to the front and I have to push it into place with a click.

Now, I switch my 10 rounds of 230gr Remington Golden Sabers between the magazines every Friday to give the springs a chance to breath and I note that on the first 3-5 rounds as I go to push them out of the magazine they slide most of the way and then stop and I have to push a bit harder. I'm not sure if this is a magazine defect or because all of the springs on this thing are big mean bears (or maybe I'm a limp-wristed Frenchman, who knows) but I'm suspecting that's my RTB issue.

I haven't had a chance to put much lead down range only 100rds sighting it in (ok I may not have NEEDED that many to sight it in...I brought two boxes, what was I gonna do? Tell my wife I wasted money buying too much ammo?) but out of that I had probably 5 FTFs (and this was good stuff, Winchester FMJ 230gr, none of that Tula crap). Each FTF situation the slide failed to fully return. The round would show a dented primer but not as severely as a successfully fired round. I didn't have the guts to reload them in and try to fire again, I was on a buddy's land and we were next to a pond so I tossed them in the water in case of delayed detonation.

Any thoughts on dealing with this?
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Old May 18, 2013, 04:41 AM   #24
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Sincerely glad you're having success with yours. By what I've read Taurus' quality is a hit and miss. Bought a new PT145 a few months ago because I really liked the idea of a 45 in such a small format with a 10 round capacity. Mine was junk from the get go. Sent it back to Taurus twice. 1st time for mags dropping out while firing and terrible accuracy (wasn't me had others shoot it as well). 2nd time for the mags still dropping out. Sold it.
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Old May 18, 2013, 10:20 AM   #25
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bamiller,

100% sure you had the mag fully seated? I know with mine when I've got 10rds in it the mag doesn't like to go all the way in. I have to really squeeze to get it to click.
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