Run Down on PT1911

Gregory Gauvin · March 18, 2009, 05:30 PM

I just picked up an ever so slightly used Taurus PT1911 (blued). The store owner, a good friend of mine, informed me the gun was sold to his friend's wife and had perhaps 1 or 2 boxes run through it before returned. I did get a great deal on it. As soon as I got it home I gave it the run down.

Here are my chief complaints and concerns, although very pleased with this 1911:
#1: It appears the grip screws are red-loctited, or severely over torqued, as I can't remove them without risking stripping the allen heads. Because the grip holds the right side ambi safety in, I am assuming this may have been a fix to the problem they had with safeties falling out. They just made sure those grips wouldn't loosen up.
#2: The checking under the trigger guard isn't perfect, but then again, this isn't a Wilson.
#3: Mag release feels a little gritty, like there's sand in the gun. It has been thoroughly cleaned.
#4: Front sight was loose. I removed it, found they had used red-loctite. After cleaning, I used blue loctite and re-tightened the locking screw. I tightened to 1/4 turn past the sight having just a wee bit of play. I found that bottoming out the set screw made the sight lift in the dove-tail. The dovetail cut or the set screw hole drilled is not on center. The front sight is off set to the right a few thousandths. To compensate this, the rear sight is drifted to the right slightly.
#5: When the set screw in the rear sight is removed, the rear sight can not be easily drifted, hence, the brass punch mark on the side I had to clean off. I left it where it was set. Let's hope it is on target.
#6: I do not care for the up and down, side to side play in the trigger, pretravel, but then again, the gun is what it is.
#7: Firing pin stop has a little play in it, thus, the extractor exhibits the same.
#8: Series 80 Firing Pin Block. I don't know why it was ever invented.
#9: The cut on the barrel for the extractor fit seems ever so slightly danged up. No damage to the extractor except for a slight ding on the top edge. This does not seem significant enough to compromise reliability or function. *Should I lightly file the rough edges on the barrel when the extractor hit it?

Good points: OD barrel and ID bushing have good tight fit. Measured .001", did not measure slide to bushing fit, but feels solid.

I don't know what they mean when they say a self compensating overtravel. There is a set screw in the trigger. I of course had to go mess with it since it was a bit loose anyways, and since I will carry this gun, I wanted to put a dot of blue loctite on it. I forgot this gun had the stupid series 80 firing pin safety. When adjusting the overtravel, I adjusted so the hammer would fall, another 1/4 turn, checked to feel if the sear cleared by holding the trigger back and pulling back the hammer, adjusted a bit more until no contact was felt, another 1/4 turn...then after getting an awesome feeling trigger I realized the overtravel would effect the firing pin safety. Not wanting light primer strikes, I tied the hammer back with string to the beavertail, held trigger back and used a paper clip to push in on the firing pin safety and adjusted the trigger set screw until no resistance from the pin block was felt. The problem I ran into later on when I was double checking my work - regardless of the overtravel, if the grip safety is not fully depressed, the lever doesn't seem to fully disengage the firing pin block even though the hammer will fall which may result in a light primer strike. Not what I want on a carry gun. I notice that when I grip the gun with my thumb resting on the safety, I don't fully depressed the grip as I would if I didn't rest my thumb there. The hammer always falls, but I fear a light primer strike if I don't feel like holding onto the gun like I would for dear life. That tiny little extra in the grip safety shows more movement in the lever to disengage the firing pin safety when the slide is off. I noticed that after dry firing, then pulling the hammer back and holding it there with perhaps the grip safety 1/2 depressed (this is hard to do at once) and while inserting the paper clip in to depress the firing pin, I can feel the firing pin block and firing pin make some slight contact. Any suggestions?

Gregory Gauvin · March 18, 2009, 06:56 PM

I am also experiencing a FTF with one of the factory 8-round magazines. When topped off, the first round nose dives into the ramp. If I load only 7 into the mag, it works fine. If I load 8 and use the slide release, the round will chamber but hits the feed ramp so hard it causes some set-back. I will try my other factory mag when I get home. Last round chambering is fine.

March 18, 2009, 05:30 PM	#1
Gregory Gauvin Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2009 Posts: 368	Run Down on PT1911 I just picked up an ever so slightly used Taurus PT1911 (blued). The store owner, a good friend of mine, informed me the gun was sold to his friend's wife and had perhaps 1 or 2 boxes run through it before returned. I did get a great deal on it. As soon as I got it home I gave it the run down. Here are my chief complaints and concerns, although very pleased with this 1911: #1: It appears the grip screws are red-loctited, or severely over torqued, as I can't remove them without risking stripping the allen heads. Because the grip holds the right side ambi safety in, I am assuming this may have been a fix to the problem they had with safeties falling out. They just made sure those grips wouldn't loosen up. #2: The checking under the trigger guard isn't perfect, but then again, this isn't a Wilson. #3: Mag release feels a little gritty, like there's sand in the gun. It has been thoroughly cleaned. #4: Front sight was loose. I removed it, found they had used red-loctite. After cleaning, I used blue loctite and re-tightened the locking screw. I tightened to 1/4 turn past the sight having just a wee bit of play. I found that bottoming out the set screw made the sight lift in the dove-tail. The dovetail cut or the set screw hole drilled is not on center. The front sight is off set to the right a few thousandths. To compensate this, the rear sight is drifted to the right slightly. #5: When the set screw in the rear sight is removed, the rear sight can not be easily drifted, hence, the brass punch mark on the side I had to clean off. I left it where it was set. Let's hope it is on target. #6: I do not care for the up and down, side to side play in the trigger, pretravel, but then again, the gun is what it is. #7: Firing pin stop has a little play in it, thus, the extractor exhibits the same. #8: Series 80 Firing Pin Block. I don't know why it was ever invented. #9: The cut on the barrel for the extractor fit seems ever so slightly danged up. No damage to the extractor except for a slight ding on the top edge. This does not seem significant enough to compromise reliability or function. *Should I lightly file the rough edges on the barrel when the extractor hit it? Good points: OD barrel and ID bushing have good tight fit. Measured .001", did not measure slide to bushing fit, but feels solid. I don't know what they mean when they say a self compensating overtravel. There is a set screw in the trigger. I of course had to go mess with it since it was a bit loose anyways, and since I will carry this gun, I wanted to put a dot of blue loctite on it. I forgot this gun had the stupid series 80 firing pin safety. When adjusting the overtravel, I adjusted so the hammer would fall, another 1/4 turn, checked to feel if the sear cleared by holding the trigger back and pulling back the hammer, adjusted a bit more until no contact was felt, another 1/4 turn...then after getting an awesome feeling trigger I realized the overtravel would effect the firing pin safety. Not wanting light primer strikes, I tied the hammer back with string to the beavertail, held trigger back and used a paper clip to push in on the firing pin safety and adjusted the trigger set screw until no resistance from the pin block was felt. The problem I ran into later on when I was double checking my work - regardless of the overtravel, if the grip safety is not fully depressed, the lever doesn't seem to fully disengage the firing pin block even though the hammer will fall which may result in a light primer strike. Not what I want on a carry gun. I notice that when I grip the gun with my thumb resting on the safety, I don't fully depressed the grip as I would if I didn't rest my thumb there. The hammer always falls, but I fear a light primer strike if I don't feel like holding onto the gun like I would for dear life. That tiny little extra in the grip safety shows more movement in the lever to disengage the firing pin safety when the slide is off. I noticed that after dry firing, then pulling the hammer back and holding it there with perhaps the grip safety 1/2 depressed (this is hard to do at once) and while inserting the paper clip in to depress the firing pin, I can feel the firing pin block and firing pin make some slight contact. Any suggestions?

March 18, 2009, 06:56 PM	#2
Gregory Gauvin Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2009 Posts: 368	I am also experiencing a FTF with one of the factory 8-round magazines. When topped off, the first round nose dives into the ramp. If I load only 7 into the mag, it works fine. If I load 8 and use the slide release, the round will chamber but hits the feed ramp so hard it causes some set-back. I will try my other factory mag when I get home. Last round chambering is fine.