by Prepper Ralph
I was looking for a 9 millimeter subcompact that would not break the bank but would also make a good carry gun for my wife and I. We looked all over the place from the Kahr CM9 single stack 9 millimeter to the Kel-Tec P11, and even used a SCCY CPX-2 for about 6 months. The new Glock 43’s were nice, but we really wanted a double stack that would fit in either of our hands, and also be comfortable. My wife has never enjoyed a Glock 26 so that was out of the question. I wanted something that wouldn’t break the bank or my wallet. That eventually lead me to my local gun shop where I ran across the Taurus Millennium G2 in 9mm. A lot of you may remember the old Taurus PT-111 Pro’s… this is the Gen 2 of that weapon.
First Impressions…
My initial shock was the fact that this weapon was sitting in the glass case at a meager price of only $199.99! I was stunned that someone would put a tag like that on a handgun and expect it to function. More on that later. I asked to hold the gun so the salesman pulled it from the case. I was amazed by how it felt in my hands. The grip has a texture unlike anything on the market that I could think of; almost like sandpaper, but nicer. It also fit in my hand like it was made for it. I have large hands, and wear a large sized glove, and this felt great – almost like it was glued into my palm due to the texturing. FYI, though the texture is rough, it isn’t painful, or too abrasive. I never knew what the perfect texture was until I held the G2. It’s light weight, a subcompact, and was double stack just like we wanted. Another thing I noticed was the attractive and modern lines of the G2. It’s rounded in the rear of the slide/frame for comfort while carrying, while slightly wedge shaped in the nose for holster insertion. The front of the slide also has a “scallop” on both sides to lighten the gun which I also found attractive. The finish on the slide seemed to be as good as any higher priced weapon on the market with no blemishes. Machining was perfect in my opinion, with zero tool marks to be found. As always, I had some research to do before I took the gun home finally so I handed it back over to the salesman.
Specs…
Taurus’s website has the specs on the G2 at http://www.taurususa.com which is where I did my research. MSRP of the G2 is listed at $301.52 though I’ve seen it as high as $250, and as low as the price I paid: $199. I found that the gun was 6.24” long with a barrel of 3.2”. It weighs 22oz. without the 12+1 rounds in it. Did I mention that it came with 2 magazines? That was a shocker to me. Both have a high gloss bluing and drop freely from the gun when the mag release is pressed. It holds 2 more rounds than a Glock 26, with the G2 weighing .29 ounces more. Since I’m comparing it to the Glocks, it’s roughly the height of a 19, but roughly the length of a 26 if that helps. The barrel is stainless steel, as well as the slide. Frames of G2 handguns are polymer as is typical of modern handguns with one other color option that I have found: desert tan. Sights are the typical 3 dot system, though the rear is adjustable. Both front and rear sights are polymer. Taurus has placed several safeties in the G2 which include a Loaded Chamber Indicator on the top of the slide, a thumb safety on the left (up is safe, down is fire) Taurus’s iconic Security System that utilizes a key, as well as a Trigger Safety. I’m not a fan of all that, but I can say that the thumb safety was easy to get used to and it reassured my wife since I carry with a loaded chamber. The chamber indicator never gets in that way, and when sighting along the slide it is below the sight plane. Lastly, the G2 carries another Taurus icon; the double/single action trigger. The initial trigger pull is SA, and if a dud is in the chamber, you can release the trigger and pull a second time in DA. Basically, it allows a second strike capability in times of high stress. The SA is slightly mushy but with a fast break/reset, while the DA is long with a definite breaking point that is easy to feel when firing.
Reliability and Accuracy…
The Taurus Millennium G2 has proven to be highly reliable and accurate since I went back and picked up one for my wife and I each. With the adjustable rear sight, hitting a 6” plate at 25 yards becomes routine with easily 10/12 hits on target. Within 7-10 yards (typical gun fighting distance per FBI) it’s easy to place all 12 rounds in about a 2” pattern. Hostage drills, El Presidente, and target shooting are great with the G2. I found with our particular examples that they would not reliably chamber hollow point ammunition. I’ve tried Hornady, Winchester, Remington, and even some cheaper discount brands such as Independence and ZQI. I did find one self defense round that would work all the time. Those are the 100 gr FTX® Critical Defense® Lite from Hornady. They work all the time, every time and are polymer tipped in pink for the ladies.
The G2’s have had zero problems running round nose ball ammo. I’ve not had a stove pipe, FTF, FTE, light strike, or magazine malfunction. For $199, that’s a lot of reliability for such an inexpensive price.
Final Thoughts…
The Taurus Millennium G2 9mm has proven to be an inexpensive though high quality handgun. It’s lightweight, accurate, and what we were looking for. Though it has had issues using other brands of HP ammunition, the Hornady rounds have proven to be 100% reliable. Between both guns, we’ve placed several hundred rounds through them. If you are a new shooter, on a budget, or small statured, then this will make a fine weapon that you can carry with confidence. I know many people that have them including my friend John Rourke, my father, as well as several other friends and family members. Everyone I’ve talked to who has a G2 love the guns, and have minimal complaints. Most people who get on G2 tend to go back to their local dealers to pick up one or two more. One guy I heard from the salesman I picked ours up from stated that a man walked in and bought one, then the next week obtained 4 more for his family because of the price and reliability.
Prepper Ralph
Images used were sourced from the manufacturer’s websites. Article is original content by Prepper Ralph.
