That's why each of us should thoroughly test our chosen self defense pistol before putting it into service.
Taurus G3 (Good or Junk)
- Thread starter 357smallbore
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I purchased the Taurus Millennium G2 PT111 because I wanted a cheap gun to keep in a Get Home Bag. I didn't want to spend a lot of money for something that was basically just going to sit in a bag most of the time. I wanted something really cheap and not something that I would worry about exposing to the heat, humidity and freezing temperatures of sitting in the trunk of my car, which is where the GHB would be (mostly).
If things got so bad that I already put my GHB on my back, left my car behind and started walking out AND had to draw my firearm... if the magazine and the magazine release button fall out of it, then chances are that I won't ever need my Taurus Millennium G2 PT111 again.
Hugger-4641
Member
Without a doubt, if I experienced a mag fall out, that gun would be sent back. Any gun I buy gets at least a couple boxes of ammo run through it before I trust it enough to throw it in the trunk or carry on my person.
I've got several hundred rds though my G3c with only two minor issues:
1. It has a tighter than normal throat, so I've had to shorten the COAL on my handloads with some bullets.
It occasionally is a little stubborn feeding the first round of wadcutter type bullets. I don't keep it loaded with these anyway, but do practice with them sometimes.
It has never hiccupped on any bullets once chambered. But once in a while I have to jockey the slide a little to chamber the first round of a loaded mag of wadcutters.
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The problem with the Millennium G2 PT111, G2c and G3c mag release failure is not an issue that works itself out with a break-in period. The more you shoot the gun, the more likely it is that the mag release is going to fall out of the gun. The mag release is also the mag catch - it keeps the magazine from just falling out... And its not like the problem manifests after thousands of rounds. Just a few hundred rounds for some guns and the mag falls out and they become one-shot derringers.
Well...if you are that concerned on your pack gun just run a lanyard from the magazine to the the grip. Worked for the Tokarev.
AustinTX
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Taurus does seem to have improved QC to some degree, although I have still seen a high enough volume of complaints to have my doubts about how pronounced the change has been. What's not debatable is that Taurus customer service remains among the very worst in the industry. If I were ever looking to buy a low-end/budget gun, I would definitively rule out Taurus on that basis alone.
I think you kind of roll the dice on any budget guns. I wouldnt do it on something like a spectrum but the G3 is worth the gamble IMO. Much more heavy duty and overbuilt in 9mm compared to others....sccy, fmk etc. More on par with mid range pistols like the SD9VE, Sigma, Dagger etc. etc. I would even choose the G3 over a Ruger Security 9.
AustinTX
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I agree that you roll the dice on such guns, but if I were rolling the dice on a budget gun, I would prefer to have the safety net of good to great CS. But at least it seems that the G3 carries less of a risk of problems than older Taurus designs.
Despite Ruger’s reputation for great CS, I would possibly even consider opting for a G3 over a Security 9, if those were my only two options. The Security 9 is emblematic of everything that I find bizarre and off-putting about Ruger’s direction as a semi-auto manufacturer these days.
Typically on a decent budget gun its more an issue of sloppy or incomplete fitting of parts. As long as the base of the design is sound and the parts can hold up I dont have a problem (never had to send anything back). Something like they sccy is a good pistol for the most part. You might have to tune the extractor or the reset but its a simple enough design that someone like yourself would have little trouble making it function properly. Biggest downfall after that I would say is quality magazines. My biggest concern when looking at a lot of them is the major components... barrel, slide, frame. If you have something like a G3 which has also been done in 40s&w then 9mm is going to be well within what the pistol can handle.
Now if someone is new to firearms and doesnt understand how everything works then .... they buy a pistol on the cheap....get a few malfunctions due to something minor....send the gun back and run to the internet to trash it. Most of the time they work fine but the raw numbers of budget guns sold is si high that ....yes....more are going to slip through. Hand fitted firearms are not the norm in modern manufacturing so expectations are kind of unrealistic sometimes. You are not going to get a Wilson Combat for the price of say a Norinco.
Now something like a spectrum is just a flimsy design IMO. Ruger can make strong firearms as well (p series.... American 9mm) but they seem to be content with doing just enough to get by on a lot of their offerings these days.
Good thing is these budget guns give such strong competition for sales that they keep manufacturers honest. Seems like the beretta APX has had a price drop. Ruger American as well. XD has also gotten into budget gun territory. Classic XD9 is in the $300-350 range last time I checked which is a very solid value. taurus can be had around $200 if someone looks around and is a little dilligent. That is kind of rediculous for what you are getting. Mecgar Magazines alone are worth around $30 each and it comes with a spare. You are basically paying $150- $170 for the pistol itself which is HI-point territory. Ruger wranglers even sell for more. When I was younger we were happy to get rough/crude Norinco 9mm tokarevs for that kind of money and they almost always needed work. Money was worth a bit more back then as well.
I guess the point I am trying to make is .... got to keep things in perspective. I have been into firearms for a long time and am in amazement at some of the budget gun offerings available out there today. G3 is the best I have seen (maybe ever for the money) but there is a lot of good stuff out there and you dont have to starve yourself or sell plasma to have solid firearms. Many of which are made right here in America (which I usually stick to).
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plumberroy
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After shooting a few, owning 1 and knowing several people who have had them
IMHO
Taurus autos = junk
At the Cincinnati 5th 3rd bank shooting a couple years ago they were able to end the shooting because the shooter was trying to clear a jam in a Taurus G2
(I know an officer that was there)
IMHO
Taurus autos = junk
At the Cincinnati 5th 3rd bank shooting a couple years ago they were able to end the shooting because the shooter was trying to clear a jam in a Taurus G2
(I know an officer that was there)
Buckeye63
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I have a GX4 and it’s my daily carry, well when I don’t carry a j frame. I have about 500 steel cased rounds thru it over the last four months and it’s been flawless. It’s a great design. Only reason I choose it over the G3c was the non ambi safety. Now the G3x is out, and without a safety, I might be in the market for one.
Lefty
Lefty
I bought a G3c a few weeks ago. I am a couple hundred rounds in and it has been good right out of the box, just like my son's G2c. Last time out I loaded mags with mixed ammo -factory ball, hollow points and some of my coated reloads and had zero function issues. Pretty sure I'll be getting a second one for the truck.
entropy
Member
I've had a PT145 for over ten years, put @ 500 rounds through it a year, never had the mag drop out on me. I just picked up a G2c, I don't anticipate it as being a problem with that model either, but I'm withholding judgment until I get more rounds through it. So far, flawless at 50 rounds. (All I had at the time, It's my first 9mm in about 10 years.)
dawei
Member
I have a Taurus® G3C 9mm I bought in 01/2021. At present, I've put 1500+ rounds through it with zero malfunctions. I've shot 115, 124, 147gr ammunition, both FMJ, and JHP in this gun. I've used CCI® Blazer®, Federal®, Fiocchi®, Remington®, Sierra®, PPU, and Winchester®. All 1500 rounds of the various ammunition I have shot have been standard pressure. I have no plans to ever shoot +P or +P+. I am very satisfied with my Taurus® G3C!
gc70
Member
After reading the posts in this thread, I should probably swear off buying any new guns.
My son and I were early buyers of S&W M&P pistols. The early guns had premature mag release wear, resulting in dropped magazines.
My son bought a Sig P250 immediately after the model's release. The firing mechanism went from light strikes to no strikes; Sig replaced the gun with a different model before redesigning the gun.
I bought a new Colt O-1991 (Series 80 version of the 1911) that went back to the factory for a minor problem. The gun was returned with a new slide that was improperly milled, with a ridge between the breech face and breech wall.
My son and I were early buyers of S&W M&P pistols. The early guns had premature mag release wear, resulting in dropped magazines.
My son bought a Sig P250 immediately after the model's release. The firing mechanism went from light strikes to no strikes; Sig replaced the gun with a different model before redesigning the gun.
I bought a new Colt O-1991 (Series 80 version of the 1911) that went back to the factory for a minor problem. The gun was returned with a new slide that was improperly milled, with a ridge between the breech face and breech wall.
I bought a G3 about a year or so ago. I put @ 300 rounds of FMJ through it with one or two failures to feed. I then tried @ 200 rounds of various JHP (147gr HST, 115gr. Sig, 124gr. Hornady, 115gr. Winchester), and had at least 5 FTF's per magazine.
I ran another 300 rounds of FMJ, thinking it would "break in", then tried another 200 rounds of the same JHP rounds. The FTF rate dropped to @ 3 rounds per magazine. Better...but still a piece of junk. This was at the time that FMJ was @ $35/box and JHP was @$70/box. I spent more on ammunition to try and get the gun the "break in" and work then I paid for the gun. I sold it at a loss and disclosed my issue with the buyer.
I've had a late 80's PT92 and a couple of 80's-era Taurus revolvers...zero issues. No way I'll ever buy another modern era Taurus again.
I ran another 300 rounds of FMJ, thinking it would "break in", then tried another 200 rounds of the same JHP rounds. The FTF rate dropped to @ 3 rounds per magazine. Better...but still a piece of junk. This was at the time that FMJ was @ $35/box and JHP was @$70/box. I spent more on ammunition to try and get the gun the "break in" and work then I paid for the gun. I sold it at a loss and disclosed my issue with the buyer.
I've had a late 80's PT92 and a couple of 80's-era Taurus revolvers...zero issues. No way I'll ever buy another modern era Taurus again.
sharps59
Member
Not to hijack the thread. But do you like your PT140? I have the PT145. I hate the trigger pull. but like the pistol and how it fits my hand.
CoalCrackerAl
Member
Yes i like it. It has a 5lb pull. My 9mm has a 5lb pull too. The only thing i don't about it is the reset. You have to be sure the trigger fully releases, The 140 it sets better. I have a 709 slim too. It has a 4lb pull. They do fit well.
Terry G
Member
I picked up two budget 9 MM's last Fall because I was so bored with CZ 9MM's. Seriously, I fired my Friends G2C and liked it. I saw a G3 for $279.00 and bought it. (I almost never get a good deal on a firearm). Anyway, I'm 250 rounds into it now and no malfunctions and accuracy is better than I expected. I picked up a S&W SD9VE at a gun show for $300.00 NIB OTD, I had to put an Apex trigger on it for about $25.00 and now I'm well pleased with that one also. You really don't need to spend double the cost of these two pistols to get a decent 9MM self defense gun. If you check around the Forums you will find plenty of complaints on high dollar firearms from respected companies. It happens.Just picked up a G3X. Mec Gar magazines, Glock compatible sights, and nice feel. Was able to put 50 rounds through it tonight behind the barn. It’s a keeper. Will be my tool box pistol when we move.
Shown here wearing a TRL7a and beside my well worn GX4.
View attachment 1062326
Shown here wearing a TRL7a and beside my well worn GX4.
View attachment 1062326
A friend who is on a tight budget bought a G3 and I've shot it several times.
I was really surprised at how well it shoots. It points instinctively and has a light feeling recoil.
The trigger pull is typically long like the rest of the G-series but it is much smoother than the previous generations.
My friend has run various types of ammo through his with no issues.
If I was looking for a large capacity full size 9mm on a budget, the G3 would be at the top of my list.
I was really surprised at how well it shoots. It points instinctively and has a light feeling recoil.
The trigger pull is typically long like the rest of the G-series but it is much smoother than the previous generations.
My friend has run various types of ammo through his with no issues.
If I was looking for a large capacity full size 9mm on a budget, the G3 would be at the top of my list.
I purchased a Taurus Millennium G2 PT111 in 2016 for 184.99 + 12.99 S&H. I haven't put a lot of rounds through it, a few mags per range trip, maybe 250 rounds in an entire year. It doesn't have a high round count that has proven out long term reliability but I haven't had a problem with it so far.
But the way Taurus has handled the mag catch design flaw has turned me off to the company.
The magazine catch would fall out of some of the Millennium G2 PT111 guns and they would drop the mag. Taurus could have fixed that problem with the G2c but they didn't. The magazine catch falls out of some of the G2c guns and the guns drop the mag. Taurus could have fixed that problem with the G3c but they didn't. The magazine catch falls out of some of the G3c guns and they drop the mag.
Taurus could also do a recall on the guns and fix it, but they won't, so owners like myself never know if the next shot will be the shot that drops the magazine and mag catch.
I don't know how anyone could stake their life on a gun like that. I won't. I'm going to replace the Millennium G2 PT111 in my Get-Home-Bag and I'll never buy a Taurus again.
But the way Taurus has handled the mag catch design flaw has turned me off to the company.
The magazine catch would fall out of some of the Millennium G2 PT111 guns and they would drop the mag. Taurus could have fixed that problem with the G2c but they didn't. The magazine catch falls out of some of the G2c guns and the guns drop the mag. Taurus could have fixed that problem with the G3c but they didn't. The magazine catch falls out of some of the G3c guns and they drop the mag.
Taurus could also do a recall on the guns and fix it, but they won't, so owners like myself never know if the next shot will be the shot that drops the magazine and mag catch.
I don't know how anyone could stake their life on a gun like that. I won't. I'm going to replace the Millennium G2 PT111 in my Get-Home-Bag and I'll never buy a Taurus again.
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