Taurus USA has its roots in Brazil dating back to the 1940s as a toolmaker turned gun manufacturer. But it wasn’t until the late 1960s when Taurus pistols came to American shores. Even Smith & Wesson had their hands in the mix by purchasing a controlling interest in 1970. Although that partnership faded, what came after in the 1980s laid a framework for what is seen today, importing and manufacturing firearms stateside at its Bainbridge, Ga. facility. One of the company’s most recent imports is the TH45. Watch our video above to see the TH45 in use on the range.
Unveiled in 2023, the pistol came with modernized ergonomics combined with an old-school operating mechanism. It is a full-size semi-auto pistol and, as its name suggests, is chambered for America’s big-bore defensive round, .45 ACP. The gun is recoil operated and fitted with a 4.25” stainless steel barrel. It comes with a matte black steel slide and black polymer frame.
As we’ve seen over the last decade, there’s been an overwhelming number of new pistols built around a striker-fired action, however, Taurus took a different approach with its TH-series guns and employed a double-action/single-action (DA/SA) setup with an exposed hammer. This means that the first shot requires a long and heavy trigger pull, but each subsequent shot offers up a much shorter and lighter pull because it will be in single-action mode. This arrangement has been found to be effective in defensive roles and is often a military and police requirement.
Most interestingly, Taurus’ TH45 comes with bilateral slide-catch and safety levers so that left- and right-handed operators will be right at home. In addition, the safety levers serve as a decocking device, which means once activated, the exposed hammer will fall to its rested position without firing off a round. However, this also means the light, single-action mode turns to double-action mode and will require that long and heavy trigger pull again, but a quick stroke of the thumb can put the hammer back into its single-action mode.
As mentioned before, the TH45 is an ergonomically friendly gun. And it has room for modification thanks to replaceable backstraps. The molded polymer frame contains much to talk about, too, from its bilateral and enlarged magazine release buttons to molded-in finger grooves, gripping panels, undercut trigger guard, generous beavertail and even accessory rail up front for accessories—these are all features defensive-minded shooters of the modern era have asked for and we’re happy to see them employed on this full-size semi-auto.
At the range is where these enhancements all come together. The gun is hand-filling, so some folks may find the 9 mm version more accommodating. But the gun functioned flawlessly. It comes with two 13-round magazines, which are a boon to those who want to train and defend. Although an upgrade to the sights could make for better low-light work, they are serviceable with a drift-adjustable rear and fixed post up front. The only other thing we see that could elevate this platform to the next level would be the inclusion of an optic mount and heavier serrations along the slide. In all, the TH45 offers up a solid value and traditional functionality at a time when polymer guns have gone the other direction.
Taurus TH45 Specifications
Importer: Taurus USA
Action Type: double-action, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: .45 ACP
Barrel: 4.25" stainless steel
Frame: black polymer
Slide: alloy steel
Magazine: 13-round detachable box
Sights: drift-adjustable square-notch rear, fixed post front
Trigger: DA/SA with decocker
Overall Length: 7.80"
Height: 5.80"
Width: 1.43"
Weight: 28.50 ozs. (unloaded)
MSRP: $531
