Taurus PT111 GEN2 9MM $199

greenheadcaller

Beginner
Jul 8, 2014
119
0
Never owned a Taurus, never looked at a Taurus, didn't want a "Taurus", heard in the past they had bad quality control problems, knew they made the "judge" 410-45 yrs ago that I rolled my eyes at (no offense intended - not my cup of tea - ymmv), heard they lost a safety related law suit regarding their old models, and then I saw a daily deal blast at Palmetto State Armory and also a sale at Kentucky Gun Co.......both offering this G2 pistol with 2 mags for under $200. PSA currently selling for 199.99 and Kentucky gun co for about the same.

Did a little research and found out new management supposedly worked over quality control, supposedly fixed their issues, and figured out they had to buy their way back into the market to get over brand destruction and lawsuit bad press ..... and supposedly the Gen2's are good to go.

Well ..... I bit the hook. Arrived yesterday ... feels great in the hand, trigger feels bad ... but I expected that from the reviews I have seen.

Here is a link to one such review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH3tJrK2ma4

Kentucky Gun Co Link http://www.kygunco.com/taurus-pt-111-mi ... tic--64002

PSA link http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.ph ... g2-12.html

Figured what the heck.

Will try to circle back around after I get a few hundred through it to report back.

Not expecting much due to bias's ... will see.
 
Yes, that is the one I eluded to in the post regarding lawsuit on some older models. They had been fighting over the alleged issue for a while, and finally settled it apparently....while that was going on, they put out new versions. The recall included many models including the first version (G1 if you will) of the PT111 ... which is why they came out with the G2 a while back to address the concerns and make other changes....or at least that is what has been said. I have to assume at least part of the logic for the recent discounting is to attempt to bring customers back....just a guess on my part.

Thank you for linking the article ... eyes wide open.

As to the pistol review of the Taurus PT111 GEN2 9mm $199

Came in a cardboard box with the pistol, two mags (one in the gun and one in a funny little felt'ish marble bag), along with a little tool on a cheap ring and chain. The tool has a tiny small flat blade screw driver for adjusting the sights, and a small hex used for "locking" the pistol.

I first broke the pistol down and completely cleaned and re-lubed it before shooting.

Then, I sighted in the pistol and ran 225 rounds through it yesterday. I used two brands of cheaper 115 g FMJ, one brand of 124 g FMJ, one mag of +P 124 g Federal HST, and one mag of +P 147 g HST.

I used the 2 mags that came with the pistol. The gun ate all ammo, no malfunctions.

Initial impressions..... I would agree with just about everything Hickok45 had to say in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH3tJrK2ma4

Pro's : The pistol shoots surprisingly well for a 3.2 inch bbl and grip feels really good in the hand for such a small piece, has an adjustable rear sight, and the trigger has a quick reset which I really like (the reset - not the overall trigger). It cycled everything I have thrown at it so far without any malfunctions, and the $199 price point is a positive.

Con: As Hickok45 describes in the video, the con is that the trigger has a long free pull to get to the break, and the break is closer to the palm of my hand compared to springfield XDx's or glocks. This took some getting used to for me, although as I mentioned above, after taking a shot....the reset is actually quicker than what I am used to (which I consider a plus).

Other: While not terribly compelling to me, others might like these three features .... 1) the gun is actually a single/double action striker ... which means, while normally functioning as a single action semi, you can pull the trigger again on a lite struck primer. This "feature" might explain the long free pull of the trigger. (imo - while this might sound like a feature - I can count on one hand the lite struck primers I have had over the years - and I personally would rather wait and eject than try again ... but that is just me) .... 2) Safety - the gun is equipped with a thumb safety - a plus for some - a minus for others = personal pref, and finally 3) the pistol has a little screw on it, which can be screwed with the little hex key provided, and when used, the user can "lock" the gun. When engaged, the pistol will allegedly not do anything ... trigger won't pull and slide won't move. Again, personal pref if this is a plus or minus. While better than nothing, IMO I certainly wouldn't recommend this lock as the only line of safety when not in use - particularly if kids or idiots could potentially get to...personal pref.

I have a six - 6 inch paddle dueling tree that I utilized for the initial run after sighting in on paper. After learning the trigger, this piece has no problem consistently hitting the paddles at 15 yards.

First test conclusion..... I am pleasantly surprised with the thing and am happy with my purchase and would consider it again if it holds up. Seems to be a Great Value for what it is ... but I need to run a lot more rounds through it before I go too far.

If anyone has specific questions, I'll attempt to answer to the extent I can ... my lack of qualifications notwithstanding ....
 
> 700 round update

pistol continues to function flawlessly

Magazine info .... SIG P226 high capacity mags fully function in the Taurus PT111 G2.....at least they do on mine. Nice to have extra capacity at the range or when plate racing.

For example these Mec Gar 20 rounders work in mine http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/84002

As to the Mec Gar 18's http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-MGP22618AFC
And, while not necessarily needed, this grip extension matches up nicely with the 18's and stock grip, leaving you with full sized grip contact if preferred http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/ ... rce=search

at any rate ... saw on the internet and confirmed if you have extra SIG P226 mags around, the bonus is they function in the PT111 G2 as well, including empty lock back on mine. bonus
 
>3000 round update

pistol continues to function flawlessly, this will be the final update, it has convinced me it works lol
 
It is terrific to see a handgunner actually generating a high round-count! I get a lot of students in my handgun classes who think that putting 50 rounds through their gun will make them some sort of expert...

Shooting thousands of rounds is how muscle memory is built, so that when the handgun is needed, the shooter is likely up to the task. Lots and lots of repetitions... Nice.

Good to learn that the little 9mm is serving so well! (y)

Regards, Guy
 
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