If you have been following my reviews, you know I’m a big fan of the Taurus G2C. As one YouTube reviewer stated, it is the gun that brought credibility back to Taurus. If you missed my 500 round review on the G2C, here’s a link to that article.
When I first heard that Taurus was coming out with the full sized version of this gun (the G3), I was glad to hear it. I like to see gun companies who have disappointed the public in the past correct and right the ship. When a gun company goes under, or produces inferior products, it undermines the industry as a whole. Guns can be a life or death tool.
Shoddy customer service, poor quality control, bad or nonexistent warranties are not acceptable with an item that can significantly impact life or death situations. I’m glad to see a huge international manufacturer, like Taurus, begin to regain public confidence. A healthy gun company is a contributor to a healthy gun industry. A healthy gun industry is the biggest protection for the 2nd Amendment.
Following up on the best bang for the buck in the industry is the right way to reinvest in the trust of the public. We acquired a test sample of the G3 last week, but it was delivered too late for us to take to the field for testing. But as luck would have it, we scored the Hellcat for this weekend for testing, and we knew we had to take the G3 along and put it through its paces. Because it is new and in demand, we couldn’t put it through the “first 500” testing and beat it up. We were able to get through approximately 192 rounds.
All testing was done with Mag Tech, S&B, and Wolf 115 grain ball ammunition. We only used standard pressure ammunition. I could not find anything on Taurus’ literature concerning the use of Plus P ammunition for this gun, and it’s not ours to beat up. AGAIN, A BIG SHOUT OUT TO BYRON FOR LOCATING IT, AND MMP GUNS FOR LENDING IT TO US FOR EVALUATION.
Fit and finish on the G3 is what one might expect to see on a gun in this price range ($349 MSRP). It is a flat Matt black finish with no bells and whistles. It comes equipped with 2 magazines, a 15 round and 17 round magazine. Like its little brother, it does come with an external safety, and it has 2nd strike capability. The slide has serrations on the front and rear. It has the same grip texture, and pattern as the G2C. As a matter of fact, aside from the slide and grip being longer, it’s nearly identical to the G2C.
The biggest difference between the two guns is the trigger. The G2C trigger had a long travel before the break. It looks like Taurus listened to the public. The long travel has been taken out, and the break is crisp. The reset is short, and allows for a quick follow up shot. The sights are nothing special, and most likely will be replaced by anyone who will carry this gun for EDC. The upgraded trigger makes this gun an immediate winner.
Joe, Chis and I ran through 2 each of the 17 and 15 round magazines. The gun did not have any failures of any type, and the magazines locked back each time when empty. The G3 is nearly identical in size to the G19. The ergonomics if the gun were perfect for me. Chris was most impressed with the trigger performance. Joe was the least enthusiastic of our group, but still considers it a great value.
With today’s technology and the simplicity of striker design polymer guns, it’s not incredibly difficult to come up with a Glock clone and have it work well. What is difficult to do is to make that happen at the price point that Taurus does with their guns. There really isn’t much to cover on the mechanics or technical innovations of the G3 because there aren’t any. Then again, there isn’t much to mention on a Glock review either. Glocks haven’t changed much if any since the first one rolled off the production line in 1982.
The general consensus of all three shooters was that the G3 will pick up where the G2C left off. If you prefer a gun that has a longer sight radius, a MUCH IMPROVED TRIGGER than the G2C, a larger magazine capacity, and just as reliable as the G2C, the G3 will not disappoint. MMP Guns has this gun marked at $259.
Glock 19s are around the $500-$550 mark. I’m definitely not drawing comparisons about the quality of a G19 and the Taurus G3. We know Glocks can last up to 25k rounds as per some military requirements. While there are high milage Taurus G series guns out there on YouTube, I haven’t seen anything approaching 25k rounds. However, how many people will need to take their gun to combat and subject them to battlefield conditions for a minimum of 25k rounds?
At half the price of the G19, and the same short term reliability (there are 1-2k round Taurus G2Cs, still under going testing out in the gun community), one could afford to have one for the home, and one for carry for price of one G19. One could also afford to arm oneself, and have one for the spouse.
Like it or not, economics play a large role in gun ownership. I would rather be able to arm myself, and have my significant other armed as well while I’m away from home. Just because you have a blue collar gun budget, shouldn’t mean you can’t have affordable and reliable protection. Your life shouldn’t have to depend on your W-2 status.
Look for the shooting review video on the next podcast!
