First Handgun: PT 1911 vs S&W 686 SSR

T

Tucker 1371

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So after discussing revolvers a lot recently I'm beginning to reconsider making the PT 1911 my first handgun. That SSR is just so darn pretty (drooling over a pic as I type) and it's hard to argue with a .357 Mag.

Then again, the PT 1911 in my local shop that I'm saving for right now is about $200 cheaper ($650) than the Smith and it's really purdy too, nice reddish wood grips (cocobolo?) and flat (parkerized?) finish. And it just sits so nice in my hand.

I know these guns are worlds apart, revolver vs. auto etc. I would be using them for basically the same purpose, range and HD. I guess it doesn't really matter until I actually have saved up enough money to buy one or the other but I'm already having a mental meltdown trying to decide.

Anyway I wanna know what yall think. Yes I know the major beefs that some people have with both gun makers (internal lock sucks, taurus is garbage yadayadayada) so if that's the angle in your argument don't bother. Taurus' customer service reputation has improved as of late and I'm willing to bet they'll help me if I have a problem. As for the internal lock, I'll keep it on "off"... problem solved... I can't find any daggum pre-lock Smiths anyway.
 
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Taurus' customer service reputation has improved as of late and I'm willing to bet they'll help me if I have a problem.
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That's a pretty big bet to take. I've owned a Taurus NIB M85 that locked up after a couple of hundred rounds. Taurus wasn't real helpful and from what I've seen, that hasn't changed. The reason I bought a Taurus in the first place? I heard their customer service and product had improved as well and the M85 was cheaper than the S&W Airweight. I can tell you that the money I "saved" by buying Taurus was soon gone dealing with their customer service. In the long run, that Taurus cost me a lot more than just buying the Airweight outright would have.

As far as the actual guns themselves. I've read a lot where the PT 1911s seem to run better than a lot of Taurus products. However, it's still a crap shoot with their products and their QA is still pretty hit or miss.

The 686 is one of the finest revolvers out there and S&W has excellent customer service of course there are a few exceptions noted on this site.

In my mind, you can't go wrong with the 686. The Taurus is just too hit or miss for its intended purpose of being HD gun.
 
I own a PT1911-ss with over 2000 rounds through it and have been very pleased with it. It has been flawless and is still entirely stock as I see no reason to change anything on it.

My wheel guns are all Rugers (pair of GP100's - 6" and 4") but I have shot several 686's and they are great guns. I don't really feel the SSR is worth the premium price though. I would be more inclined to go for a standard 4" 686P over the SSR.

Really though it comes down to you, how much you have to spend and what you want.
 
If you can get a .22 conversion kit for the PT 1911, I'd go with that. The thing I'm noticing as a new handgun owner is that I need practice - lots of it - and .45ACP would be murder on my wallet.
 
If you can get a .22 conversion kit for the PT 1911, I'd go with that. The thing I'm noticing as a new handgun owner is that I need practice - lots of it - and .45ACP would be murder on my wallet.
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That's another thing I've been pondering, which of the two will be the cheapest to shoot? I need practice. Of course the 1911 would with a conversion kit but that's extra money. Then again for the price of the 686 I might be able to have the 1911, a conversion kit, and a box of .22lr. If not, how expensive are .38 and .45 ACP range ammo?
 
Ammo is a toss-up. It's a decent bet that .38 Special can likely be had for about the same or less price as .45, and that almost any .357 is going to cost more than the others. Of course, it depends so much on what brand, where you buy, what's available, etc etc etc.

BACK BEFORE November, I would say that all three calibers are quite easy to find, but since then (with all the ammo nonsense going on), .38 Special is probably a little easier to find than the other two. .45 is probably the most popular of the three these days.

If you see yourself ever getting in to reloading in the future, a .357 Mag revolver is one of the best things you can own, especially as a beginner. You can craft ammo that runs the full spectrum between "mouse fart" and "thunderball." And while getting started is a large investment, it's not "hard" for most people.

Given your choice between the two, I would absolutely go with the S&W .357 Mag revolver. And if money becomes the issue, I see no reason in the world why a good, USED Smith & Wesson wouldn't also be a terrific purchase.
 
I see no reason in the world why a good, USED Smith & Wesson wouldn't also be a terrific purchase.
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I would, but everyone's out to make a quick buck it seems. The only two SSRs (yes I am dead set on that model, it has my heart :D) on GB are 950 and 500 (reserve not met). Idk what the 1st @$$clown is thinking when you can buy them new from Ables for $100 cheaper :rolleyes:. When I've got my money saved up I'll be heading down to my local shop to see what he can get one to me for. Also, for some odd reason there's been a shortage of gun shows in my area so I'm not so sure about finding one there.
 
If you can get a .22 conversion kit for the PT 1911, I'd go with that. The thing I'm noticing as a new handgun owner is that I need practice - lots of it - and .45ACP would be murder on my wallet.
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^You ain't gonna get much better advice than that.^
 
AH, WELCOME TO THE mind melting, decision making, money saving, money spending, making the wife mad, spending some more money, and then spending a little more money, WONDERFUL WORLD OF GUN OWNERSHIP.

id go with an M&P for that price range or glock if you like them. but if your set on those 2 id go with the 686. good luck making it until your purchase.... i know the feeling all too well.
 
i know the feeling all too well.
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torment...:(

I've fired a few older gen Glocks (all from the 90's I believe) and just hate the squareishness (I think I just invented a word) of the grip. Constantly have to fidget with them in my hand and never have shot well with them. No experience with newer Glocks but I don't know if I will be able to overcome my 1st impressions with them. No experience with the M&P but I've heard good things.

The way I see it is the best I've shot with a handgun was with a few different 1911s and one Smith 629 (but I've heard .44 is up to $2/rd so hence the 686). So now it's down to cost of practice, availability of ammo, which one I can reasonably afford (if I can afford both my brain will probably explode trying to decide), and looks (I'm a sucker for a beautiful gun :D).
 
If I was making that choice I would be having a colossal struggle too.

For revolvers, S&W just can't be beat. Yes, the lock is a blemish (to be kind) but the trigger is a dream. Nothing will hold resale value as well. .357 Magnum is a great place to start reloading and is a very versatile cartridge. The only downside for me in that whole scenario is that the L frames are just a bit too big for my hand. And that's why I recently acquired a 20 year old K frame that is just the cat's meow (a nickel-plated 19-6). The price was quite reasonable too.

And then the 1911... The only thing I love as much as a .357 Magnum revolver is a quality 1911. Reloading .45 ACP is pretty easy too. It's a nice big case. My brother has a PT1911SS and I had it stripped down to the bare frame this past weekend. The hammer strut is the worst example of MIM that I have seen so far. The rest of the parts looked ok. The dust cover was not the same thickness on both sides. Plus there were tool marks aplenty. The breech face was not machined flat all the way to the edge so it creases the rim on the ejector side. The rest of the frame seemed right (at least to the naked eye). The barrel was fit well and there was no sign of battering anywhere. It also shot well and had no malfunctions earlier that day at the range. It's a pretty looking gun but a look at the internals of it reminded me why I recently adopted a 15 year old Colt.

So between the two you're considering, I would take the 686. And then I'd save up for better quality 1911 than the Taurus. :-)
 
And then I'd save up for better quality 1911 than the Taurus
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I'm leaning that way too. Not that I think the Taurus is a piece of junk, I don't think it can be beat for the price, but the 1911 I really want is the Springer MC Operator or Lightweight Operator.
 
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What strikes me about this thread is that the SSR and a 1911 are polar opposites. There are literally no similarities between the two except that they're both guns, of course. I'm assuming that you've fired both and are familiar with their respective characteristics. If I had to choose between the two I'd be asking myself: (1) what kind of trigger do I prefer? The difference between a double action trigger and a single action auto trigger is like night and day. One is not necessarily better than the other (personally, I love to shoot revolvers double action) but they are so totally different that one should experience both a fair amount before choosing, if it's a choice one has to make. (2) what caliber do I really prefer to shoot? The difference between firing a .45 ACP from a 1911 and a .357 magnum round from a 4" revolver like the SSR is extraordinary. .45 ACP is a pretty light recoiling round in a full size 1911. My wife fires a 1911 and finds shooting .45s to be pleasant from that gun. On the other hand, a hot magnum round fired from a 4" revolver will rattle the fillings in your teeth and it can be downright painful, depending on your grip/choice of gun grips. (3) What type of operating system do I prefer? A revolver is simplicity in itself. It will work without difficulty in mud, snow, or rain, can go a long time between cleanings (I don't recommend that because I value my guns) and it will fire just about anything you can stuff into the chambers and do so relatively accurately. A 1911 is in some ways a more elegant gun. When it works well it is a joy to handle and shoot. But, 1911s are notoriously finicky about the type of ammunition they can shoot and they need to be maintained, or at least lubricated, if you want 'em to fire reliably.

Decisions, decisions.
 
Between the two, I'd get the S&W. .38 Special and .357 Magnum seem to be a bit more available than .45 ACP right now and the S&W will have better resale value should you ever decide to sell it. I quit buying Taurus products not because I had any issues with their quality or customer service (never had to use the latter) but because of their dismal resale value. If you really want a 1911, I'd save up for one from a more reputable manufacturer like Springfield, S&W, Para, Kimber, or Colt.
 
stevieboy:
What strikes me about this thread is that the SSR and a 1911 are polar opposites. There are literally no similarities between the two except that they're both guns, of course..
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My OP:
I know these guns are worlds apart, revolver vs. auto etc.
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Haste makes waste. It's cliche but it's true. Read before you post.


I'm assuming that you've fired both and are familiar with their respective characteristics
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Fired a few Kimbers and one Custom/Homemade 1911 (guy has a machine shop) and know that I shoot purdy darn good with them, better than any other auto. I've fired a 6" 629 (.44Mag) and shot very well with it, just wanted it to be a little shorter and more balanced. The only time I have a problem with a .357 Mag is out of a ported snubby sans earplugs (I couldn't find any and really wanted to try out my grandpaw's new gun, payed the price too) at night... that wasn't fun.

But, 1911s are notoriously finicky about the type of ammunition they can shoot and they need to be maintained, or at least lubricated, if you want 'em to fire reliably.
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I am a gun neat freak, I actually spent an hour and a half completely stripping and cleaning inside and out my cheapo stamped reciever SAR2 AK (Yes an AK!!) because I fired a few more rounds than usual at the range one day. A good bore cleaning is my minimum after any shooting... even just one round. Is that good for maintenance?
 
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I own both of these handguns and I really like them both. I've had the 686+ in Stainless with 4" bbl for a couple of years. Very accurate and easy to shoot well. The only item I'd mention on the 686+ is the ejector rod will loosen up with firing, so every dozen rounds or so, I just check for tightness. If it gets too loose you won't be able to close the cylinder, which may take 100 rounds or so to get that bad. Worth noting, the ejector rod is lefty-tighty, righty-loosy when you adjust.

I've only had the PT a little over a month. I've shot 150 rounds with no problems. Wish I could offer more input... However, the trigger is a dream and so far the gun is more accurate than I am. I would love to shoot both handguns more but I am having trouble here in Colorado finding handgun ammo for anything. Stopped at Wal-Mart on Sunday and they didn't even have .22 which I'd have glady snapped up for my Ruger Single Six .22/.22mag.

Is anyone out there finding pistol ammo? The Wal-Mart clerk said it would take at least a year before supply loosens up. Maybe I should take up reloading?
 
You should take up reloading, 'cause it's fun and a great way to make ammo on your own terms! But unfortunately, it's not going to help you at all right now. While you guys can't find factory range and target ammo, we are having a hell of a time finding primers, and powder is getting scarce as well.

Reloading is terrific, I love it. But if you aren't a reloader and haven't been for like 6 months, trying to start now is just going to mean that you are looking for 6 different things instead of ammo.
 
Stevieboy offered some good thoughts. As did others. From your OP, it sounds like you're smitten with the cosmetics of the SSR, but do you actually like shooting a revolver? To the point, would you actually like shooting a revolver in double action? Otherwise, you're going to be cocking the hammer for every shot, or possibly dismayed at how difficult you might find it to be accurate shooting DA.

FWIW, I own a standard 686 and have shot the SSR. Cosmetics and forged parts aside, there's really not much functional difference. If the price of an SSR is an issue, as Sevens suggested, you could get a used 686, spend a few bucks for an action job, and still spend less than a new SSR and have a better gun. Mike Carmoney, for instance, can "Carmonize" (i.e. race tune) your 686 nicely (he did mine), reasonably and quickly.
 
I think a lot of the above advice is great. I haven't shot a 1911 yet but do truly enjoy shooting my 686P with a 4" barrel.
 
Statesboro is pretty close to Hinesville so c'mon down sometime and visit our local hangout - Mission Essential. He has the best prices in the area and allows you to test shoot whatever you're interested in.

I was looking at a Para GI Expert Monday night and I was pretty impressed and it's a sub $500 1911...
 
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