Taurus 1911
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 127 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.13 kg
- Introduced
- 2007
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Taurus 1911 is a full-size, all-steel, single-action semi-automatic pistol chambered in .45 ACP, built on the classic John Browning 1911 platform. Introduced around 2007, Taurus's entry into the 1911 market was originally designated the PT1911 and offered a budget-friendly alternative to premium 1911 manufacturers while maintaining many desirable features. The full-size model features a 5-inch barrel with a 1:16 twist rate and 6-groove rifling, Novak-style low-profile drift-adjustable sights, an extended beavertail grip safety, lowered and flared ejection port, skeletonized hammer, and an integral Picatinny accessory rail on the dust cover. The steel frame and slide give the pistol a solid 40-ounce (1134g) unloaded weight that helps tame the recoil of .45 ACP. The single-column 8-round steel magazine feeds reliably, and the single-action trigger is noted for its clean, crisp break. Overall length is approximately 8.5 inches (216mm) with a height of 5.45 inches (138mm) and a width of 1.5 inches (38mm). The firing pin block safety, combined with the traditional grip safety and manual thumb safety, provides a comprehensive passive and active safety system.
When Taurus introduced the PT1911 in 2007, it disrupted the 1911 market by offering a feature-rich, full-size .45 ACP 1911 at roughly half the price of comparable offerings from established 1911 manufacturers. The inclusion of Novak-style sights, a beavertail grip safety, lowered ejection port, and accessory rail as standard features at the sub-$700 price point forced competitors to reconsider their own entry-level offerings.
The Taurus 1911 competes with budget and mid-range 1911 offerings from manufacturers like Rock Island Armory, Springfield Armory Mil-Spec, and Tisas. The original PT1911 designation was later simplified to just 'Taurus 1911.' Available in multiple configurations including Commander (4.25-inch barrel), Officer (3.5-inch barrel), and a 9mm variant with a 9-round magazine. The stainless steel variant weighs approximately 42 ounces due to the heavier stainless construction. MSRP for the standard blued model is approximately $699, while the stainless variant lists at approximately $949. Street prices are typically $400-$600. The 1911 uses a standard Government-profile barrel bushing, full-length guide rod, and traditional swinging-link lockup. Taurus includes their Security System key lock in the mainspring housing. The pistol ships with one 8-round magazine and a Taurus Lifetime Repair Policy.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Taurus
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- Brazil
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2007
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 127 mm
- Overall length
- 216 mm
- Height
- 138 mm
- Width
- 38 mm
- Sight radius
- 165 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.13 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 1.28 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Short recoil
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Trigger pull
- 22.0 N
- Capacity
- 8
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 260 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 477 J
- Effective range
- 50 m
- Maximum range
- 1500 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Single action trigger
Locked breech
Tilting barrel
Exposed hammer
Beavertail grip safety
Novak style sights
Drift adjustable rear sight
Extended slide stop
Lowered ejection port
Front slide serrations
Rear slide serrations
Accessory rail
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 128 .45 ACP pistols | 1.13 kg | 1.04 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 129 .45 ACP pistols | 216 mm | 215 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 129 .45 ACP pistols | 127 mm | 117 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 129 .45 ACP pistols | 8 | 8 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Taurus 1911
How much does the Taurus 1911 weigh?
The Taurus 1911 weighs 1.13 kg (2.50 lb) empty and 1.28 kg (2.81 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Taurus 1911?
The Taurus 1911 is chambered in .45 ACP.
How many rounds does the Taurus 1911 hold?
The Taurus 1911 holds 8 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Taurus 1911?
The Taurus 1911 is 216 mm (8.50 in) long overall, with a 127 mm (5.00 in) barrel.
Who makes the Taurus 1911?
The Taurus 1911 is made by Taurus (Brazil). It was designed by John Moses Browning (original design).
When was the Taurus 1911 introduced?
The Taurus 1911 was introduced in 2007.
How does the Taurus 1911 operate?
The Taurus 1911 uses a short recoil action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian Sport Shooters
- United States
- Civilian Self-Defense
- United States
- Brazilian Civilian Market
- Brazil
Provenance
Confidence in this record
85%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/taurus-1911-45' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "taurus-1911-45", "name": "Taurus 1911", "manufacturer": { "id": "taurus", "name": "Taurus", "countryCode": "BR", "foundedYear": 1939, "website": "https://www.taurususa.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "71240218613bda05e45296e8997918c10d23b1d7627e46a424bd7e516e0fdffb" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "BR", "year_introduced": 2007, "barrel_length_mm": 127, "weight_empty_g": 1134, "action_type": "short_recoil"}