My PT 1911 arrived this afternoon, and for the last several hours I have been studying it and arriving at some opinions.
First, I am surprised that I liked the Big Billboard as well as I do. My intent is to cover it over with H&K semi gloss black, but it is more because of the durability issues with the current bluing. I am also surprised at the fit and finish of the gun. It is tight without barrel wobble. There are no exterior tool markings. I would have been delighted to have seen the deep satin black of my FN Hi-Power, but this will beg the issue of duracoating.
I field-stripped the gun several times and I'm surprised how handy the bushing tool is in handling the FLGR (full length guide rod). I have begun to personalize the gun by polishing the barrel. I intend to highlight the frame and accessories by taking them to bright metal and either clear coating, or cover it with stainless steel duracoating. I ultimately want a gun that is close the this...
I removed the grips and found the shipping oil had pervaded everything. The grips were easy to remove with the correct hex head driver (the hex wrench is for the removal of the rear sight only), the grip bushings were in place and had the double notch to allow a screw driver to remove them if you wanted to use stainless. The black plastic grips are an interesting element... they look tacky, but these thin grips would make for a small package for concealed carry. I would not have considered the thin wood grips (I have ordered a set of Packmyer ALS grips), but after handling it with the plastic... it would be a definite consideration.
I even removed the right ambi safety, it required removing the right grip and a thin bladed knife for leverage. Detail stripping the gun will be an easy task. There is a posting in the smithing section http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=1775.0 on the details... hopefully I'll be able to add pictures with that now.
The gun felt tight... no barrel shake when I waggled it with my hand. The trigger felt good... had to guesstimate, however I'll be surprised that it was over 4-5 lbs. This can be taken down with some polishing of the sear and disconnector... and lightening the spring just a tad.
It is a good looking gun, feels solid in my hand and definitely a keeper. This gun begs you to put a bit of yourself into it with the
action, coloring... and "bling" that has become so popular.
I'll post picture tomorrow when I can take it out to shoot...
First, I am surprised that I liked the Big Billboard as well as I do. My intent is to cover it over with H&K semi gloss black, but it is more because of the durability issues with the current bluing. I am also surprised at the fit and finish of the gun. It is tight without barrel wobble. There are no exterior tool markings. I would have been delighted to have seen the deep satin black of my FN Hi-Power, but this will beg the issue of duracoating.
I field-stripped the gun several times and I'm surprised how handy the bushing tool is in handling the FLGR (full length guide rod). I have begun to personalize the gun by polishing the barrel. I intend to highlight the frame and accessories by taking them to bright metal and either clear coating, or cover it with stainless steel duracoating. I ultimately want a gun that is close the this...

I removed the grips and found the shipping oil had pervaded everything. The grips were easy to remove with the correct hex head driver (the hex wrench is for the removal of the rear sight only), the grip bushings were in place and had the double notch to allow a screw driver to remove them if you wanted to use stainless. The black plastic grips are an interesting element... they look tacky, but these thin grips would make for a small package for concealed carry. I would not have considered the thin wood grips (I have ordered a set of Packmyer ALS grips), but after handling it with the plastic... it would be a definite consideration.
I even removed the right ambi safety, it required removing the right grip and a thin bladed knife for leverage. Detail stripping the gun will be an easy task. There is a posting in the smithing section http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=1775.0 on the details... hopefully I'll be able to add pictures with that now.
The gun felt tight... no barrel shake when I waggled it with my hand. The trigger felt good... had to guesstimate, however I'll be surprised that it was over 4-5 lbs. This can be taken down with some polishing of the sear and disconnector... and lightening the spring just a tad.
It is a good looking gun, feels solid in my hand and definitely a keeper. This gun begs you to put a bit of yourself into it with the
action, coloring... and "bling" that has become so popular.
I'll post picture tomorrow when I can take it out to shoot...