I’m looking to buy a pistol for personal and home defense (and fun shooting) very soon. Have any of you shot any of the pistols from the Taurus Millennium line? I’m particularly interested in concealability and reliability. Specifically, I was looking at either a PT111 9mm or a PT140 .40 caliber. I know that Taurus makes some fine guns, but I’ve never heard anything about this particular line. Any help appreciated.
Can’t help you with the pistols, sorry. I have only ever shot a Colt 45.
But I thought I could kind of bump this a little anway. With any luck you may catch Padeye online, or maybe Uncle Beer. They both know a bit about pistols. Padeye shoots competitively, IIRC.
(plus if they search on their usernames then they’ll find this thread. 
)
Where are you located? Some areas might have a ban on small weapons (“Only criminals would want an easily-concealable gun!”).
In any case, if you’re considering this a “home defense” weapon, I’d recommend something with a lower power, to minimize the risk of overpenetration. However, if you’re going target shooting, get the stronger version. More kick makes the occasion much more satisfying.
The first handgun I ever fired was from the Taurus Millenium line, I believe - or perhaps an earlier series. IIRC, a PT35 9mm. It stovepiped twice in 6 shots, I think, for unknown reason. I switched to a glock 20 to continue my handgun lesson :).
Anyway, Taurus makes solid revolvers, but I’ve heard mixed reviews of their autos. Some people swear by them, others have problems. What’s your price range and requirements? Perhaps I can steer you towards other options to look into.
Pick up a copy of this month’s issue of Guns&Ammo, IIRC, they review the Para Carry .45 (their gun of the year) and the Czech semi-auto’s that appear to be a real bargain.
I’ve had good luck with my Glock of many years. Very reliable except for a bad batch of reloads I shot through it that frequently stovepiped. I have known two folks with Taurus semi autos and they also had mixed experiences. IIRC they had extractor problems on one of the weapons. I unfortunately don’t remember the models they had, so I can’t give you more info than that.
Ogre, are you from Texas by any chance?
Just curious: why do you want a handgun for home protection? I’ve always considered a handgun to be best suited for personal protection when you’re mobile (i.e. on-foot). For home protection, nothing beats a shotgun w/ #4 buckshot, IMO. It’s more accurate, more intimidating, more effective, and the buckshot won’t find its way to your neighbor’s house.
Sorry… I didn’t see where you mentioned personal and home defense. So get a handgun for personal defense and a shotgun for home defense. 
Except a shotgun with 00 buck.
I don’t carry for personal defense, but a 12 gauge shotgun is handy for home defense. I used to say that my German Shepherd dog was my first line of defense and the shotgun was the best “fear factor” sound for home defense. Now my German Shepherd is gone sigh and I’m stuck with the shotgun!
It seems pretty common for Americans to keep firearms for home defence. But I wonder, are attacks by intruders actually that common in the US?
Zorro, do a search on GD with guns or anything like that in the criteria. You will be rewarded with a plethora of threads devoted to that very topic.
By the way Ogre, I’ve got a Taurus 5-shot .38 that I really like, but haven’t heard much mention of their auto-loaders, pro or con.
Not especially. The UK’s home invasion rate is several times higher. But that doesn’t mean we’re defending against a non-existant threat, but rather, the threat doesn’t exist as much due to the willingness and ability to defend.
In any case, yes, check for threads in GD, there are days worth of reading.
No. For the most part, criminals are scared to break into homes when they’re occupied.
And do you want to know why they’re scared?
Because of discussions like this. They’re afraid we might be armed.
And they have good reason to be afraid…
Thanks for the replies, guys!
SPOOFE:
Alabama. The weapons laws here specifically require that the weapon is concealed.
Most likely, I’ll be using a magazine of frangible bullets for home use. Don’t want to shoot through the walls, just through an intruder.
SenorBeef:
Thanks for the warning. That’s really disappointing, actually. I know they make really nice revolvers. I assumed their quality control would apply to their semiautos as well.
As for the price range, I’m voluntarily limiting myself to $500…which’ll still get me a lot of gun, I realize, but if I had my wish, I’d drop the money for a Springfield 1911-A1 ultra-compact.
krisolov:
Glock makes excellent pistols, I know, but I’ve never been able to sight naturally with that big ol’ hamhock-feeling double stack grip. Just doesn’t feel right to me. I wanted to see if the Taurus Millenniums (which are double-stacked as well) felt any different, as I like the idea of having a greater amount of ammo.
Crafter_Man, I have a 12 gauge pump shotgun and a Remington 1100 semiauto, so I have the shotgun angle covered. I commute a long distance every day, and I’ve wanted to have a little security around for quite some time.
BF:
Yeah, my girlfriend actually totes a Taurus Ultralite .38 special, and she loves it. And I’ll make sure to check G&A as well. Thanks.
I would highly recommend you look into Kahr Arms. They cater to those who need to carry a weapon with them. They’re very light, extremely compact, have excellent reliability, and have exceptional balance for a small pistol (well - the only one I’ve handled was unloaded, so the balance may change loaded).
In any case, I’ve never heard anything bad about them, and their reliability is supposed to be top notch. I think some fo their main lines run in for around $500, so it should be in your budget. They make an E series, I believe too, which stands for ‘economy’ - basically, it’s the same as their P series but with a less expensive finish on the gun. Same reliability, features, etc. Rougher finish. They come in for around $400.
And no, I’m not a spokesman for them :). I don’t even own one… I’ve just heard good things about them and was impressed by the ones I handled at a gun shop. If I were looking into getting a concealled carry pistol, I’d definitely check them out first.
From a reviewer:
Now that sounds good!
Any particular reason your considering a Tarus?
Give thought to a 1911 clone, Kimber comes to mind. Glock and sringfields new XP come to mind.
I think those are out of his price range dadman. The Kimber and the Springfield are retailing around $700-800 a piece.