Trade in dad's PT111 Millenium Pro?

[mtnbkr]

One of the guns I acquired from my dad's estate (ie mom) is the PT111 he bought as a CCW gun back in the mid 2000s. Back when he bought it, I got to shoot it some at the range. It was reasonably accurate, but very ammo sensitive. Shooting stuff it liked, it was flawless, but if it didn't like a round, it was a total shit show.

I've learned about a recall associated with its lack of drop safety and a weird ability to engage the safety with the trigger slightly pulled, which completely invalidates the safety. I contacted Taurus to see if this gun had been fixed and if not what can we do about it. Turns out it's a "replacement only" situation.

So, I'm faced with keeping my dad's flawed gun (that could eventually find itself left to one of my kids) or trading it in on a newer model. It's not exactly a family heirloom, but I'm still a bit uneasy about it. He didn't keep many of his guns toward the end and he did like his little Taurus.

As far as using it or the replacement, it'll probably be mostly a range toy and sometimes pocket carry pistol when I want a bit more than a 5-shot 38 but don't want to put on the belt holster. It's about the size of a Glock 26...

Thoughts?

Chris

[Duelist]

Sounds like a flawed design. If you want to keep it as a piece of memorabilia for dad, I’d think about removing the firing pin to disable it. If you want a functional safe gun, send it in for the replacement.

[camsdaddy]

I would think if you can trade for something useful it would make more sense. At least then every time you use the replacement you will think of him rather than thinking of him every time you see the current gun sitting on a shelf. Anything can spark a memory and can be used in memory. Maybe they will take it in or trade on one of the newer revolver offerings.

[TGS]

Send it out.

Your grieving process is attaching sentiment to an otherwise unremarkable, generally unreliable, and apparently unsafe firearm. If it were at least valuable or collectible in some manner, I could see keeping it as is and putting it in a shadow box. But it's not, and it's not worth one of your loved ones taking a round to the face if it suffers an impact and discharges.

Unlike an heirloom quality gun or a service pistol carried for a career by a cop, the minor sentimental value you have for it will pass very quickly.

[Moylan]

Here's an alternative way to think about the replacement gun: it's still your dad's gun. Granted, he himself didn't do the recall, but if he had they'd have sent him a replacement gun--and that's what you're getting, is your dad's replacement gun. Might be silly, but that's how I'd think of it.

[mtnbkr]

Thanks all. That pretty much echoes my more logical thoughts on the matter.

Chris

[TOTS]

Take pictures to keep for the sentiment. Then send it in for the fix like your father would have.

[Buckeye63]

One of the guns I acquired from my dad's estate (ie mom) is the PT111 he bought as a CCW gun back in the mid 2000s. Back when he bought it, I got to shoot it some at the range. It was reasonably accurate, but very ammo sensitive. Shooting stuff it liked, it was flawless, but if it didn't like a round, it was a total shit show.

I've learned about a recall associated with its lack of drop safety and a weird ability to engage the safety with the trigger slightly pulled, which completely invalidates the safety. I contacted Taurus to see if this gun had been fixed and if not what can we do about it. Turns out it's a "replacement only" situation.

So, I'm faced with keeping my dad's flawed gun (that could eventually find itself left to one of my kids) or trading it in on a newer model. It's not exactly a family heirloom, but I'm still a bit uneasy about it. He didn't keep many of his guns toward the end and he did like his little Taurus.

As far as using it or the replacement, it'll probably be mostly a range toy and sometimes pocket carry pistol when I want a bit more than a 5-shot 38 but don't want to put on the belt holster. It's about the size of a Glock 26...

Thoughts?

Chris

If you don’t care to post a pic of your PT-111
It may not be part of the recall
Honestly you wouldn’t get much on a trade

Thanks

[HCM]

One of the guns I acquired from my dad's estate (ie mom) is the PT111 he bought as a CCW gun back in the mid 2000s. Back when he bought it, I got to shoot it some at the range. It was reasonably accurate, but very ammo sensitive. Shooting stuff it liked, it was flawless, but if it didn't like a round, it was a total shit show.

I've learned about a recall associated with its lack of drop safety and a weird ability to engage the safety with the trigger slightly pulled, which completely invalidates the safety. I contacted Taurus to see if this gun had been fixed and if not what can we do about it. Turns out it's a "replacement only" situation.

So, I'm faced with keeping my dad's flawed gun (that could eventually find itself left to one of my kids) or trading it in on a newer model. It's not exactly a family heirloom, but I'm still a bit uneasy about it. He didn't keep many of his guns toward the end and he did like his little Taurus.

As far as using it or the replacement, it'll probably be mostly a range toy and sometimes pocket carry pistol when I want a bit more than a 5-shot 38 but don't want to put on the belt holster. It's about the size of a Glock 26...

Thoughts?

Chris

Given the multiple safety issues with the PT111 and other Taurus models of similar vintage you should do the replacement. A modern equivalent replacement will still have a “family story” without being a potential hazard to the family. Plus Taurus current equivalent models are MUCH better guns than the crap they were putting out back then.

Guns don’t have to be “Heirloom Quality” to be a family heirloom but they do need to be safe.

[mtnbkr]

If you don’t care to post a pic of your PT-111
It may not be part of the recall
Honestly you wouldn’t get much on a trade

Thanks

It's part of the recall. I've already initiated the process.

Chris

[medmo]

If it was a vintage S&W or Colt that wasn’t drop safe would you also consider replacing it or keep it as Dad’s memorabilia?

Just a thought.

[Moped]

It's part of the recall. I've already initiated the process.

Chris

Good move!!! Honestly, the replacement will be a much better pistol. I've had two of the G2's now and both are great little pistols. I've not had any issues with either one.

[mtnbkr]

If it was a vintage S&W or Colt that wasn’t drop safe would you also consider replacing it or keep it as Dad’s memorabilia?

Just a thought.

It wasn't just the drop safety aspect, there was a design flaw with the manual safety as well, rendering it non-functional in certain circumstances. One can question the need for a manual safety on a DA pistol, but the fact remains that it was a liability (not necessarily with me, but maybe with my wife, kids, or heirs). I spoke with my mom and brother about it and they both agreed that had my dad known it was under recall he would have sent it back as well.

This wasn't a long-held heirloom with a storied history, it was a gun my dad bought as a CCW piece and carried/shot infrequently for a few years before he got too sick to do such things. From there on, it sat in a lockbox. We (brother and I) have other guns of his that are more "important" to us and dad when he was alive.

Chris