wally said:
I've got the old original DAO (non-Pro) model ... Be careful, there is a design flaw in the Millennium Pro models Taurus refuses to acknowledge -- if you apply the thumb safety with the trigger not fully forward the gun will fire if the trigger is pulled even though the safety is on!
wally, I just read through the linked thread and checked my PT145 (yes, I performed all the operations listed in the thread) BUT I think there are some things that need to be clarified for everyone's benefit (This is THR after all and we should be spreading facts and not "internet rumors").
Since my PT145 has SA/DA trigger, I cannot speak for older DAO trigger models.
To actually test whether the pistol would fire, I made a modified dummy round with a bullet, no powder charge but a live primer.
1. I chambered the modified dummy round from the magazine to repeat the operations listed in the thread. Because the pistol's trigger went to single-action (SA) mode when the slide was racked (Green arrow striker in the slide is held back to be released by lowering of striker release - green arrow on the frame), when the safety was engaged with the trigger partially pulled back, the striker
would not release.
2. The only way the striker can be released on my PT145 with the safety on is by partially pulling the trigger in double-action (DA) mode (Red arrow points to trigger part that pulls back on the striker and releases striker). So with an empty chamber, I pulled the trigger to engage the DA mode and partially pulled back on the trigger while applying the safety.
= Drum roll please =
But because the chamber is empty, being able to release the striker with the safety on would not result in a discharge of a bullet. The only way to load a round in the chamber (either hand chambering a round or feeding from the magazine) is to pull back on the slide that would force the SA trigger mode and we are back to situation #1 above. Since the safety also locks the slide, you would have to disengage the safety to pull back on the slide.
3. Another clarification is whether the striker is "actually" able to hit the primer. With #1 and #2, we already established that a round cannot be chambered and fired with the safety on. However, even if that was possible, engaging the safety limits the trigger bar travel that pushes on the striker pin block (at least on my PT145 - see yellow arrows). If the striker pin block is not pushed up in the slide, releasing the striker would only allow it to hit the block and not the primer.
So even if there was a round in the chamber (which the PT145 is not designed to do), there would not be a discharge of a bullet.
Now, if your PT145 with SA/DA trigger does something other than what's outlined in #1, #2 and #3, then I highly recommend that you contact Taurus as your pistol is doing something different than my PT145.
In summary, it is of my opinion that my PT145 with SA/DA (multi-strike) trigger does not have any "design flaw" that would allow it to fire a round with the safety engaged.