If you’re the type who’s in the market for a $200-$300 semi-automatic concealed carry option then you’ve likely shot or at the very least handled a Tuaurs G2c pistol. The Taurus G3c Compact 9mm pistol is the gun made to replace the G2c and it carries with it some new features and welcome upgrades. Taurus sent me out a copy for testing and evaluation and the results quite surprised me.

TFB REVIEW: The Brand New Taurus G3c Compact 9mm Pistol

The G3c isn’t exactly a “new” pistol but just the latest generation of a long line of compact pistols from Taurus. The G3c is the successor to the G2c which was the replacement for the Taurus PT111G2 which in turn was the replacement for the Taurus Millennium Pro. In essence, the internal components of the gun are more ore less the same in many respects.

While the G2c is the successor of the G2C, it is not without some much-needed upgrades. As implied by the name the G3c is the compact version of the full-sized Taurus G3 pistol and the upgrades done to the G3 pistol are passed down to the G3c.

Taurus G3C Specifications

Caliber: 9mm Luger

Capacity: 10- or 12-round

Slide Finish: Tenifer matte black

Operational Controls Finish: Black Teflon coating

Grip/Frame: Polymer

Firing System: Single action with restrike capability

Action Type: Striker

Safety: Manual, trigger safety, striker block

Sights Front: Fixed (white dot)

Sights Rear: Serrated drift adjustable

Slide Material: Alloy steel

Overall Length: 6.3″

Overall Width: 1.2″

Overall Height: 5.1″

Barrel Length: 3.2″ (stainless steel)

Weight: 22 oz. (unloaded with magazine)

Magazines Included: 3x10rounds or 3x12rounds

Packaging Size: 9.8″ L x 6″ W x 1.8″ H

Packaging Weight: 33.20 oz.

Additional Feature: Picatinny Rail (Mil-STD 1913)

MSRP: $305.74

The Trigger

Previous versions of this double-stack 9mm pistols had a passable trigger at best in my opinion. Not bad but not great. One of the worst aspects of previous versions was the trigger blade safety poking your finger when pulling the trigger as it did not sit flush with the trigger.

The G3c not only has the safety sit flat with the trigger but it also is flat-faced when depressed offering up a much nicer feel without too much overtravel. While I generally like the feel of this trigger, I will note that the trigger tends to break much further back than I’d expect or prefer. Not a deal-breaker though, especially for the price.

The last thing I’ll say about the trigger is its odd mechanism. Technically, the G3c is the exact same as all previous versions up to the PT111G2. The trigger is a Double Action/Single Action trigger by nature but it does not have a decocking mechanism. Because of this, it turns the pistol into a single-action striker-fired gun but with a restrike capability if you happen to have a light primer strike.

Personally, I don’t find this feature to be necessary or even very attractive. I have always been taught to rack a new round into the chamber if you get a “click” when you’re expecting a “bang.”

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of the G3c remain pretty much unchanged from the G2c. The gun is generally comfortable to hold in the hand and the aggressive grip texturing isn’t overbearing. The memory pads give you a good place to rest your fingers and thumb and also provide a good physical cue that you’re holding the gun in the right position.

The G3c sits relatively low in your hands which makes for a comfortable shooting experience. With a short 3.2″ barrel, the muzzle flip is noticeable especially with heavier self-defense loads like Federal HST LE 147 grain hollow points.

The controls are all the same as previous versions of the gun and this is a good thing in my opinion. The safety lever on the G2c and the G3c is both large enough to allow you to easily flick the safety on and off. At the same time, the safety lever and slide release lever are both slim enough to the gun to not add any noticeable bulk and the shelf surrounding them prevents me from inadvertently activating it like I have on some smaller pistols with a manual safety.

I know having a manual safety is an important feature for many but on a striker-fired gun, I don’t like them. So while I won’t count the fact that the gun still has a manual safety against it, I will ask when Taurus will pony up and give us an option without a manual safety?

The pistol is not much wider than my Glock 43x or my Glock 48 and it shares about the same overall footprint as the 43X does. This makes for some great concealability with a decent amount of capacity.

Final thoughts

Some other features on the gun like the sights are somewhat standard. Taurus opted to use fixed metal sights with a white front dot and blackout rear sights. Previously they chose to use three-dot sights. This change is a welcome one in my opinion as you now have the option to replace the stock sights with Glock sights – which would give you the option for using tritium night sights.

I didn’t find the addition of forward slide serrations helpful in any way but I can’t fault Taurus for adding them because everyone else is doing it. The gun worked flawlessly with all the ammunition I tested it with. I purposely ran a box of Federal HST 147 grain LE through it as well as a couple boxes of Aguila 115 gr FMJ and two boxes of Federal Syntech 150 grain flat nose.

So as a final thought, if you’re looking for a carry pistol for yourself or a loved one and have a budget of around $300 I would take a serious look at the G3c. It comes with 3 magazines, Glock compatible sights and a much-improved trigger feel over the G2c.

If I could change anything about the gun I would want the option for it to come with a front night sight as well as the option to have no manual safety. However, I could live without the sight upgrade and take the pistol sans safety as the night sight would inevitably make the price go up.

Overall, I feel like this would be a good option for a budget-minded person looking for a compact double-stack 9mm pistol with solid reliability, good features, and pleasant shooting characteristics.

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