Taurus PT 745 [.45 ACP] - Tactical Tim

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Taurus PT 745
Pre-Review Comments:
A long time ago, I used to own a Taurus PT 145. This
was a double-stack, 10+1 version of this gun I’m about to
review. Now this PT 145 was a fantastic little gun except
for the fact that every once in awhile the firing pin wouldn’t
hit the primer. I’m serious. It was the strangest thing.
Needless to say, I’m very interested in seeing how this
“second cousin” of the PT 145 stacks up. The other curious
thing about this gun is the so-called “revolutionary single
action / double action trigger. For the life of me, I cannot
figure out how this works. Hmmm... let’s go find out.
Nitty-Gritty Specs:
Caliber 45 ACP
Gun Type Single Action/Double Action
Capactiy 6+1
Height 4.95 in.
Length 6.23 in.
Thickness 1.2 in.
Weight (Unloaded) 1.38 lbs
Weight (Loaded) 1.702 lbs
Concealability Factor 2.864
Barrel Length 3.25 in.
Sight Radius 5.15 in.
Sight Type U-Notch - 2 dot
1st Trigger Pull 5 lbs
2nd Trigger Pull 5.75 lbs
MSRP $436
Street Price (New) $390
Used Price $340
Quality, Fit & Finish:
Taurus guns are the red-headed stepchild of the gun
industry. They just don’t get any respect! Even as I inspect
this PT 745, I have to admit that I’m looking for some kind
of quality defect because... well, “It’s a Taurus!”
But the reality of the situation is that this is the fourth
Taurus I’ve owned and they have all been well-made, good
looking guns. (Well, except for the whole random firing pin
failures on my old PT 145!) Seriously though, this PT 745 is
a nice looking weapon. The fit and finish is simply fantastic.
The magazine fits perfectly into the magazine well and all
The stock sights are
not bad.
Dang, this slide lock
catch is awesome!
The magazine fits beautifully
with the frame.
My initial reaction to this sight
was negative. But after awhile I
grew to kind of like it.
Traditional U-notch with
front and rear dot.
Loaded chamber
indicator. This is kind
of cool... I guess.
The grip on the PT 745 is
very comfortable. Nice
work, Taurus!
I really like this trigger,
but I’m mystified by the
SA/DA status?
Frame mounted
safety. Well, some
will like this.

the metal parts look to be well machined -- no sharp edges
where there shouldn’t be sharp edges.
My only cause for concern is the fit and interface between
the slide and frame. There is a slight side to side wobble
between the slide and frame rails and there is about a .035”
fore-aft wobble when the slide is in full lock-up. We’ll see
how this affects the accuracy of the gun when we shoot it.
Ergonomics & Shootability:
This gun feels as good as it looks. The grip not only
looks good but it fits my hand perfectly. The base plate on
the magazine makes for a perfect place to rest your pinky
finger. There is a slight indentation in the frame right above
the trigger guard on both sides of the frame. This makes for
a perfect place to put your trigger finger when it needs to
be out of the trigger guard. The magazine release buttons
works flawlessly and the mags drop free every time.
My favorite feature of the Taurus PT 745 is the slide lock
catch lever. Dang, they did a great job on this thing. It is
a traditional sheetmetal bracket, but the sheetmetal has a
bunch of linear serrations that make it super easy to release
with your thumb when your slide is locked back. I wish
every gun had a slide lock catch lever like this!
Reliability & Accuracy:
This gun shot really well. The trigger reset distance we
really small. My group ended up being decent but for the
life of me I cannot figure out how you’d ever shoot this gun
in what Taurus calls their “revolutionary double-action”
mode. Hmmm...?
Concealability:
The concealability rating is determined by the formula below. The lower
the number the better! Cfactor = (LxWxTx(loaded weight))/(7*π)
This gun gets a concealability rating of 2.864 which is
pretty good. It seems that the “standard” for single stack .45
ACP handguns is the 6+1 configuration. Taurus does and
excellent job of fulfilling this “standard” yet still offering a
super-ergonomic and lightweight gun.
Conclusion & Summary:
I have to admit... this gun is giving me second thoughts
about my primary carry gun. The grip is certainly more
comfortable than my Glock 36, but comfort is not
everything. I’ll need to run a whole bunch of self-defense
rounds through this gun before I’m willing to trust my life
with it.
Taurus includes an excellent
user manual that includes
a parts list and exploded
assembly view of the gun.
Extra 6 round magazine.
Just like the
one in the gun.
The plastic case
could be used for as
it has a lock hole.
Locking keys and
keychain. (Useless doodads
in my opinion.)
Taurus includes a cheap
cleaning brush which should
be replaced immediately.
Things I LIKE:
¨ I LOVE the slide lock catch lever. This this rocks!
¨ The grip is super comfortable.
¨ The magazine base plate fits nicely into the magazine
well.
Things I DONT Like:
¨ I think loaded chamber indicators are kind of silly.
¨ I also don’t like the slide mounted, lock-out, feature.
(You would NEVER trust this device to actually lock-out
your gun, so why put it there?)

“MOST” of the rounds stayed
within a 2.5” circle. I think I saw
a fly sitting on that ‘4’... so I shot
it off!