I had a PT-945 years ago and it shot very well! double/single action fun gun to shoot.. never had any problems.. kinda still wish I had it.. but it had to go to make room for my current colt 1911.
Para Ordinance makes great weapons.. their advantage in the 1911 space is their double stack clip and unique frame design. They widened a standard 1911 frame and were (I believe) the first to have a 'hi capacity' 1911 based pistol. Para was also first to design a double/single action configuration (LDA which I believe stands for limited double action but I'm not sure and am too lazy to look).
The Para your looking at is NOT one of these.. it's a standard capacity/single action model. It's thumb safety is standard, and those are irritating when shooting all day. (the tarus your showing has a beavertail which is MUCH more comfortable and kinda saves you from getting kissed by the slide if you have ape hands like me) That said, the Para would be a great platform to start out on. I've not read anything about that gun, but have seen
For the tarus, my buddy has a millinium 24/7 which Ive shot.. it shot fairly well. I wasn't blown away by any means.. but I had just recently purchased a Tactical XD (which you may know about) so I was shooting them side by side.. so it was a little hard to be objective.
The 1911 Taurus looks to have some of the elements of a 'custom' 1911. Its got a forged slide and frame, match grade barrel, checkered front strap, ambidextrous safety, full length Guide Rod, and decent sights! Justins range report isn't super surprising. It is a entry level model. Lots of guys claim solid reliability on those though.. thousand of rounds etc.. I think taurus is a standup company and anyone who's ever had a problem gets taken care of real well (like your rugar lcp)
Knowing you may not want to customize it at all, the taurus might be a good way to go.
You could also consider a Rock Island Armory 1911 or hi standard, in your price range..
lots of good info and pics on here:
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