I’ll admit, the first thought that crossed my mind when I was told that I was to do a review on the Millennium G2 was, “Is my writing so bad that my editors are trying to kill me?”. As many of you may be aware, the Millennium G2 has a sordid history with a notable event of an unintended discharge, resulting in a severe injury and corresponding lawsuit.

But, I will give props to Taurus. Rather than shuttering the model, and burying the history, they have gone on to not only fix the existing issue, but improve upon the design, adding in some interesting safety features and other modifications.

So, let me briefly discuss the original issue that they had.

In my naiveté, I had always assumed that all “unintended discharges” were actually “negligent discharges” (e.g. the human screwed up). That was not the case here. What actually happened is that the striker block safety mechanism failed to prevent a “drop fire.” The striker block was an internal component whose job was to prevent the firing pin from impacting the primer. A failure of this component caused the gun to potentially discharge when subjected to a sharp impact (such as a drop).

Drop Test

Regardless of the update to the platform, I wanted to perform my own test. Using some extra 9mm rounds with the bullet and powder removed, I loaded up the magazine and proceeded to find a hard surface on which to drop the gun. I did this with both the slide safety and firing block safety engaged while “dry”, and safeties disengaged. I also performed the test with the weapon hot (with the “dummy rounds”).

Let me assure the readers that I did not have a single unintended discharge. I am willing to bet that Taurus did a much more rigorous (and scientific) test than I did. What I bring to the table is the curse of destruction–I break things in new and unexpected ways and, in this case, I did not have a failure.

Construction

The G2 is well put together. The components are tight and there was no rattling or “sloppy” feel to it. I sat on the couch and racked the slide a few hundred times. I ran a dozen dry magazine change drills and had no issues with the magazine dropping free. Reseating a fresh magazine was crisp. There are very few sharp or rough edges (basically the sight components and the ejection port) which makes it easier and more comfortable to conceal.  Also like most polymer framed pistols these days, it has a picatinny rail forward of the trigger guard to install your laser/light/bayonet/etc…

I personally am not a fan of all of the safety mechanisms that seem to get installed on guns these days. I like a gun I can simply pick up and shoot. Having to remember that I have to disengage one or more mechanisms is a “no go” in my combat mindset, and my normal carry weapons do not have them. That said, I do understand the need for additional safeties based on your environment and situation. The G2 has what I would consider a “carry” safety (on the slide) which in my opinion is unnecessary since it is a DA/SA platform.  I found the slide safety challenging to disengage smoothly–it is a bit too small for my liking. The G2 also has a “storage” safety that locks the firing block by means of a key.  Just don’t forget what you did with the key…

The other safety enhancement (which is something I rarely ever pay attention to) is the loaded chamber indicator. I got into the habit of doing a press check when running my pistols and prefer to positively see/feel the brass rather than rely on a mechanical indicator (and I have heard that they can sometimes give a false positive if the gun is dirty).

The Millennium breaks down pretty much like a Glock. Clear the weapon, point in a safe direction, depress the trigger, pull down the forward tabs while gently pulling the slide to the rear, and the slide comes off forward. The gun was super easy to clean as the carbon just wiped right off from the coated surfaces. That and the application of some frog lube…

Shooting

I like to take a gun out a couple of different times for a shoot, for assessment. Once to just blow through some rounds and get a feel for how it functions and operates (usually three to four magazines worth). Then I like to take it a second time on a different day to run some drills (generally in the neighborhood of 12 “el Presidente” drills). I also like to shoot the crappiest ammo I have. I’ve never encountered a firearm that won’t run quality ammo. I have had a number of weapons that do not like “cheap” ammo. I’m not an olympic/competition shooter, so having a firearm in my arsenal that requires a very specific brand and/or configuration of ammo is not something I want.

The first time I shot it, I was not terribly impressed. It did what it was supposed to, slinging lead into my steel target, but it was not really anything new or different. But that is why I go out a couple of times.

The second time, I had a better experience. I found the stippling to be comfortable, and I noticed that the form factor fit my hand a little better than my Kel-Tec (the magazine finger groove allowed me to have a full and normal grip).

As I said, my preferred drill is an “El Presidente”. I have a well documented baseline for myself and I can do a pretty decent test without having to blow through a bunch of rounds. What I lose is the ability to do a “shoot until failure” assessment (unless, of course, it fails in the first 140 rounds or so).

My baseline with my Glock 17 (prior to the stippling) is sub 11.25 seconds (“C” class). I maintained the same rough times via an average of 11.16. My best time was 10.02. With more time and practice (like anything else) I’m sure I could bring that number down.

I found the pistol to be fairly accurate. It was easy to line up the sights, and the G2 offers the ability to adjust the windage and elevation (using the provided safety key/screw driver). The dots are painted on, so don’t get too aggressive with solvents and brushes when you are cleaning it.

Reliability

I did have a light strike on the primer of my 89th round (during the drills). It was not repeated through my following 55 rounds. Since I only fired 12 drills with it (at 12 rounds) I’m going to chalk that up to an anomaly. Taurus discusses in the manual (yes, I actually read the manual) that a misfire due to primer not igniting enables a mechanism that “automatically changes the firing system from single action into double action”, allowing you to pull the trigger again without cycling the slide. Unfortunately I did not test this on the range for two reasons. First, I read the manual AFTER I got home, and second, I’ve had malfunction procedures drilled into me so heavily it is pretty much an unconscious skill (tap the magazine, rack the slide, re-engage). What this feature that Taurus added allows you to do is to practice dry-fire drills without having to rack the slide.

Conclusion

The G2 was actually more pleasant to shoot than I had surmised (and had experienced in my first exposure). The initial trigger pull was crisp though a bit long (arguably longer than on my Kel-Tec PF9). This pistol is actually DA/SA so subsequent shots were pretty quick.

I feel confident recommending this weapon in the sub-compact category. It is a decent firearm, in it’s price point, with a number of features and modifications that make it safer than it’s predecessor.

Pros

Small profile
Smooth rounded corners
Tight manufacturing
Huge capacity for a sub-compact

Cons

Manual safety is challenging to engage

MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS
Model Number: 111G2
Action Type: Single Action/Double Action
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Capacity: 12 + 1
Length: 6.24”
Barrel Length: 3.2”
Height: 5.1”
Width: 1.2”
Weight: 20.8 oz
Trigger Pull: 6 lbs
Sights: Fixed Front, Adjustable Rear (2 dot)
Price: MSRP-$434.59 (street ~$350)

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