Taurus is one of the few weapon manufacturers outside the United States that managed to get a good share of the market through top-quality products and a very appealing price. The strong competition with USA-based manufacturers like Glock and Beretta, among many others, meant the company needed to come up with reliable and efficient products. This is the process that led to the creation of Taurus G3, one of the most well-balanced striker-fired pistols in their inventory. In the following paragraphs, we’re offering you a thorough Taurus G3 review with complete information, main specifications, and details on design, performance, components, variations, and pretty much anything you may want to know about this pistol.
Taurus G3 Origins
Taurus is a Brazilian manufacturing company founded in 1939 in Sao Leopoldo. It started as a tool and die forging plant but made its way to weapons manufacturing. Therefore, as early as 1941 they produced their first revolver and started exporting to the US in 1968. Through successive partnerships with Smith & Wesson and Beretta, Taurus continued to improve its products and it all culminated with opening the Taurus USA company in 1984 with a plant in Miami, Florida. The Taurus G3 pistol was launched in 2005 by upgrading the already successful Millennium G2 and G2c versions to create one of the most competitive pistols available nowadays. Now, let’s take a look at the Taurus G3 9mm pistol in more detail:
Taurus G3 In-Depth
| Caliber | 9mm Luger |
| Length | 7.3 inch |
| Height | 5.2 inch including flush magazine |
| Width | 5.52 in. |
| Width | 1.25 inch |
| Barrel | 4 inch |
| Safety | Trigger tab and manual thumb lever |
| Action | Single action / Re-strike availability |
| Sights | 3-dot adjustable sight; rear drift, front fixed |
| Weight | 25 oz with an empty magazine |
| Frame | Black polymer |
| Slide | Black matte stainless steel |
| Capacity | From 10 to 17 rounds |
We continue the Taurus G3 review with a more in-depth look at the features offered by this exceptional firearm. By maintaining the best architecture features of the G2 series, the G3 delivers the same firing system with a slightly bigger frame and an extended slide. And trust us, if you’ve owned a G2 or G2c pistol before, you’re definitely going to love this one.
Design and Components
The Taurus G3 9mm four-inch barrel fits perfectly right between the line separating carry pistols from full-size duty guns, making the Taurus G3 excellent for protection and the firing range. Furthermore, the full-size frame made of polymer offers enough space to even fit double-stacked magazines in it. Standardly, it comes with a 15-round magazine which can be extended to 17 rounds, if needed. It also allows reducing the round capacity of the Taurus G3, which is especially useful for buyers in states that permit no more than 10-round magazines. This is another feature that further extends the G3’s versatility and adaptability. You can get the pistol in a carbon steel or stainless-steel slide while the barrel is stainless as well. Even with the bigger frame and longer barrel compared to the G2, the Taurus G3 weighs only 3 oz more than the G2c.
Shooting Performance
| Load | Velocity (FPS) | ES (FPS) | SD (FPS) | 25-yard accuracy (in.) |
| Remington Golden Saber 124 | 1088 | 33 | 15 | 3.79 |
| Winchester 115 Silvertip | 1162 | 57 | 20 | 3.80 |
| SIG SAUER 147 FMJ | 909 | 47 | 19 | 3.35 |
| Barnes 115 TAC-XPD | 1027 | 31 | 12 | 3.39 |
When talking about shooting performance, one thing we’ve noticed while creating our handguns reviews is that the G3 functions perfectly with both 115 and 14 grain jacketed hollow points and ball ammunition. You can check some shooting results in the table above if you want to go into specifics. However, the overall impression is that you get a very good experience for a 4-inch barrel on a 9mm pistol. If you go a step forward and want to compare 9mm vs .22, you could, but that’s not very helpful for reviewing this model right now.
The grip geometry is impressive and the gun fits very comfortably in the palm. No matter if you’re going for the matte or the stainless-steel version, you can always count on a secure hold. Speaking of recoil, you will feel a pulse that is similar to its competitors. Taurus did a great job designing this pistol for a high handhold which will help you mitigate muzzle flip.
Carry Options
No Taurus G3 review won’t be complete without listing the carry options for this pistol as well. And if you intend to carry this baby with you, there are lots of options for you. When going for concealed carry, you can go with holsters that go inside the waistband or a cloak shoulder holster. Otherwise, if you just go for open carry, the belt and outside the waistband holsters are a great option as well. You can opt for a leg holster as well or even a chest holster if your aim is not to conceal the pistol.
Taurus G3 Variations
Just like the Taurus G3 was developed using the best features of the G2c model to deliver an outstanding pistol, the company used the same process when developing the G3c version. We’re providing a short but thorough Taurus G3c review so you can easily compare the two models. While the Taurus G3c specs are almost identical to what the G3 model offers, there are some slight differences meant to improve the grip and shooting experience. Like all Taurus 9mm pistols that were launched as a C version for the base model, the G3c delivers an improved trigger, better sights, a wider trigger safety lever, and forward slide serrations. If you were a fan of the G3 trigger, you will definitely enjoy the overtravel stop that wasn’t included in previous models. It gives the feeling of a double-action revolver and this is mostly thanks to its restrike capability.
Overall Pros and Cons
Pros
- Comfortable grip thanks to the finishing and stippled areas and frame indentations
- Easy takedown and assembly
- Easy-to-operate thumb safety
- The three-slot rail
- Can go up to 17 rounds with an extended magazine
- Qualitative sights
Cons
- Longer trigger take-up compared to other similar pistols
- The sights could be improved
Conclusions
This concludes our Taurus guns review, in which we closely looked at the G3 model and briefly went into the features of the G3c. So, is Taurus a good gun? Our answer is a definite “Yes”. Its under $300 price makes it ideal for those on a budget while offering plenty of features that can be found on more expensive models. It gets the basics right and it provides a reliable handgun for all types of users. After going through hundreds of other handguns reviews, we can place the G3 at the top of decently-priced models for home defense or carry. We can only hope that this Taurus G3 review 2023 helps you make the best decision when it comes to buying a new pistol and, as always, we wish you won’t have to use it outside the firing range!