Taurus G3

Everything you need at a nice price
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On the day Taurus officially announced their new G3 pistol, one of my grandsons was turning 16 and put together a shooting adventure with some of his buddies to celebrate. My role was more than just Granddaddy — I was the chauffer, guns and ammo supplier and Range Safety Officer. A friend from church had offered use of his at-home gun range and the weather was perfect.

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Picking A Winner

My grandson Josh came over the night before and went through the safe, picking the guns he figured he and his friends would want to shoot. One of those was the Taurus G3 I had been reviewing prior to release. I now had the freedom to share it with others.

We set up a table behind the firing line and unpacked all the guns. I didn’t do an exact count, but I believe there was something like 22 to 25 handguns there for the guys to shoot. As it turned out, the girls who had been invited were diverted by a conflict, leaving us with all experienced shooters. I watched as they did a number of drills they had been taught during a previous trip to this range when a BSNF Railroad Police trainer was there to provide range safety. These guys were having fun!

For each drill, they were free to pick the gun they wanted to use. Josh has always favored my P226 and for this very reason, I left it behind, wanting him to try some of the other handguns. I was delighted when he kept coming back for the Taurus G3 and asked him why. He said his dad has a Taurus PT 24/7, and he loves shooting it. He especially likes the trigger. “This G3 has the same trigger, only smoother,” he told me. I think there is more improvement than just the trigger but it does speak well of the heritage of the Taurus striker-fired pistols.

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The G3 (above) builds on the Millennium G2 (below) by adding capacity and features.

Goals

Taurus has a number of semi-automatic pistol offerings: the Model 92 series, which are essentially Beretta 92s with a few tweaks; full-size and Commander-size 1911s; the hammer-fired TH series; and the made-for-concealed-carry Spectrum. The Millennium G2 series; has been a hot commodity and the National Sports Shooting Foundation reports it to be one of the leading sellers in gun stores across America. But their full-size striker-fired guns, once represented by the PT 24/7 series, has been out of the lineup for the past couple of years. Maybe you’ve not had a chance to experience what these guns have to offer. I think if you tried one, you’d be in for a nice surprise.

The stated objective for the G3 was to take the features of their very popular Millennium G2 series and morph them into a larger gun with more capacity. I have a G2 I frequently carry — it’s close in size to single-stack nines like the GLOCK 43, Smith & Wesson Shield and Springfield XDS but it’s a double-stack gun with a 13-round capacity. The G2 was around $200 retail and it’s a lot of gun for the money. Now Taurus is offering more — a better grip, longer sight radius, two to four more rounds, and an improved trigger for what will probably turn out to be $300–$325 at the gun store.

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From The Beginning

The gun weighs in at 25 oz., is less than 8" long and just a little over 5" high. With a width of 1.25" and a capacity of 15 or 17 rounds, it’s the perfect size for many of us when it comes to a carry gun.

Let’s start with the grip and frame. It has several unique features designed for comfort and to push the shooter toward a correct and accurate handhold. It starts with a palm swell, forcing the shooting hand high on the grip. Complementing the shape of the grip are textured panels on the sides, front strap and back strap to help the shooter maintain a secure grip even with sweaty palms. Thumb shelves are integrated into the frame on either side of the grip, which place the index finger in position for a straight pull on the trigger.

Integrated into the frame above the trigger guard, Taurus “Memory Pads” offer a natural location for indexing the trigger finger when not actively engaging the target. These Memory Pads have been around since the PT 24/7 I bought 15 years ago and are located on both sides to accommodate left- and right-hand shooters. It also has a Picatinny MIL-STD-1913 accessory rail for lights.

David found the Taurus G3 accurate and reliable with all the ammunition he tried.

Moving Along

The G3’s stout polymer frame is topped by the choice of carbon steel or stainless-steel slides. The Matte Black slide is subjected to an oxi-nitrocarburizing process creating a strong, case-hardened surface. G3 barrels made of stainless steel are 4″ in length and rifled using a broach cut process. The recoil system utilizes a steel guide rod and spring assembly with the spring specially tuned to deliver an easy recoil pulse.

The slide is tapered in front for easy holstering and snag-free operation around clothing. Front and rear serrations are designed for a no-slip grip when operating the slide. The sights are the familiar three white-dot arrangement and the rear sight is adjustable.

The trigger exhibits a smooth take-up with a crisp 6-lb. break and a short reset which is both audible and tactile. It’s easily one of the best triggers you’ll find on a handgun at any price. Since it is a striker-fired pistol, it becomes a single action as soon as a round is chambered. But unique to Taurus striker-fired pistols is their second-strike capability. If the gun doesn’t fire when the trigger is pulled, the shooter can reset and pull the trigger again to restrike the primer.

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Safety First

The G3 has several safety systems. First is the trigger safety, which is designed to prevent the trigger from being pulled unless the shooter’s finger is positioned over the trigger shoe firmly and the trigger safety is pressed. A striker block prevents the striker from moving forward until the trigger is pulled rearward. A manual safety lever just above the thumb rest adds to the safety systems.

A loaded chamber view port lets the shooter know if a round is chambered. It’s tiny and only works in bright light. I hope Taurus engineers take note of this and open it up a bit more on future versions.

Disassembly is very similar to the GLOCK — there are slide removal tabs on each side
of the frame and you need to pull the trigger before the slide will disengage.

No Hiccups

Prior to the birthday shooting trip, I had taken the G3 to a range twice. I shot a wide assortment of 9mm ammo, trying to find something the G3 didn’t like. I didn’t find it. I put at least 300 rounds through the gun with not a hiccup of any kind. Although I’m not always the world’s greatest shot the G3 made me look good. It’s not hard to hold and shoot for an extended range session and as long as you do your job of aligning the sights and moving the trigger smoothly rearward through the break, the G3 will place rounds where the gun is pointing. Josh and his friends had the same experience.

The Taurus G3 proved accurate, reliable and is backed by a lifetime guarantee. I don’t believe you would ever regret adding one of these to your arsenal, even it if it’s an arsenal of one. MSRP is $345.

For more info: www.taurususa.com

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