Taurus International’s Millennium G2 is an outstanding handgun. An attractive price tag and spotless performance have fueled this compact 9mm pistol’s popularity. The Millennium G2 is at least comparable to similar size handguns from the major makers, and in some cases, the Millennium G2 outclasses the others.
When you think of Taurus, you may remember its extensive line of compact revolvers or the popular PT 92 9mm pistol. Taurus began manufacturing clones of popular designs decades ago, but in recent years it has released fresh designs and modern pistols.
Taurus International’s Millennium G2 is outstanding. Throughout its tenure, an attractive price tag and spotless performance have fueled this compact 9mm pistol’s popularity. The Millennium G2 is comparable to similar-sized handguns from the major makers at a minimum, and in some cases, the Millennium G2 outclasses the others. The pistol is compact, light, and features a 12-round magazine.
Taurus introduced a new version in the past few months with a slimline seven-shot magazine. This pistol bears a similar relationship as the Glock 43 does to the Glock 26. It also competes in the marketplace with the Glock 43, Smith and Wesson Shield, and a few others. However, the Taurus has the advantage of a price tag in the $230 range.
When evaluating a handgun, I like to be certain I get value for the dollar. But performance, accuracy, and handling are more important than the bottom line price tag. If the handgun is going to be a front line defensive handgun, it had best perform. Some handguns, similar in size to the Millennium Pro, are only casually accurate. As an anti-mugger pistol, they are OK, but for longer shots across the parking lot, practical accuracy is lacking.
I look to performance in the worst-case scenario and do not wish to give up either the reliability or accuracy of the service-size pistol. Practical speed, accuracy and recoil control are diminished in a carry gun and compromised to an extent, but the pistol should be as accurate as possible. The new Taurus pistol meets my expectations.
The Millennium Pro G2S (Generation 2, slim) is a polymer frame, striker-fired, locked-breech pistol. The G2S is just over six inches long and weighs but 20 ounces. It is light enough for comfortable day-long carry but heavy enough to moderate the recoil of the 9mm Luger cartridge.
The Millennium is supplied with two 7-round magazines. On that subject, I recommend the magazines be fully loaded and the slide racked. Loading down one round is a good means of ensuring feed reliability and also lessening wear on the magazine spring. It is asking a lot for a spring to go from full compression to almost no compression and continue to feed, but the Taurus magazines have done so for some 300 rounds.
The slide design is attractive, with a dished out section near the muzzle that looks quite rakish. The grips feature roughened spots that give the shooter excellent purchase when handling and firing. If your hands are cold or sweaty, you will appreciate the adhesion. The trigger action is lighter than expected, at about five pounds and crisp. There is a second strike feature. If the cartridge doesn’t go bang! with the first firing pin strike, the trigger may be pressed again.
The trigger is set by racking the slide and after that by the slide’s reciprocating action during recoil. If there is a deadfall, and the slide doesn’t reset the striker, the subsequent true double-action trigger press is much heavier at about nine pounds. That being said, the only second strike I like is a revolver. Press the trigger again and a fresh round is brought up.
However, in the case of the self-loader, you are striking the same primer again. In my experience most of the time dud rounds stay that way. On the other hand, striker-fired handguns do sometimes give light strikes, particularly if not maintained. This handgun never failed to crack off factory rounds or handloads. The second strike harms nothing, but practice clearing a dud round and mastering immediate action drills is well advised.
The sights on the Taurus pistol are particularly good examples of low profile sights that give a good sight picture. I feel that a compact handgun needs good sights as much as any other handgun, perhaps more so. The short sight radius of a compact handgun makes for a greater chance of misalignment when firing. A set of bumps on the slide just do not make the grade.
The Taurus Millennium Pro G2 has good sights. The rear sight is adjustable to an extent, but the point of aim and point of impact agreed with the majority of loads, so the piece was left as issued. The pistol features a positive firing pin block or drop safety. There is a lever in the face of the trigger that prevents lateral discharge. From the muzzle to the tang, the pistol is free of sharp edges. The grip is smooth and the muzzle and slide are as smooth as possible. This makes for greater comfort in carrying the pistol and less danger of the pistol printing its outline on the covering garments.
An important feature that I like very much is the manual thumb safety. I realize that double action only pistols without a safety are popular. However, I also feel that the lack of a safety abrogates many of the advantages of the self-loading pistol. The safety falls under the thumb easily and there is no loss of speed on the draw. This is an advantage in safety in handling and perhaps even a life saving feature if the gun falls into the wrong hands.
The safety is positive with a strong indent. The slide lock and magazine latch are well designed for rapid manipulation. For the price, the Taurus Millennium G2 is a rule beater in today’s market. Yet, the pistol outshoots many of its competitors.
While I had no difficulty with the 12-round Taurus Millennium G2, the G2S fits the hand even better. Perhaps a bit of speed is superior to a higher capacity. Those with small hands will find the piece fits the hand well. Anyone able to handle the Smith and Wesson Shield or Kahr K9 should find the handle size of the Taurus comfortable.
However, unlike these two pistols, the Taurus features a light rail. I am not big on carrying a gun with the mounted light on my person, but I like a handgun with a light rail beside the bed. With the Taurus, you have the choice. The Taurus is more like a compact service pistol than a hideout gun and it shoots like a service pistol.
The firing tests were pleasant. The size and weight of the gun are ideal for the 9mm Luger cartridge. The pistol is comfortable to fire and use. The polymer frame gives a bit in recoil and the dual-wound recoil spring is designed to handle recoil and limit slide velocity.
The pistol is more comfortable to fire than most compact pistols. Rapid follow-up shots are not a problem. The combination of a light trigger compression, ergonomic grips, and good sights makes for excellent practical accuracy. An accomplished shooter would be well able to defend themselves to 25 yards.
You do not have to fire expensive premium defense loads for practice, and the Taurus has fired a few hundred inexpensive ball loads. The Winchester USA ‘White Box’ line offers real value and good accuracy. Function is good, and with a full powder burn, there is little powder ash to clean. I also used a smaller quantity of the less expensive USA Forged steel-cased ammunition with good results.
The 9mm is dependent upon expanding ammunition for wound potential. There is no shortage of modern JHP loads for the 9mm Luger. Among the loads tested in the Taurus was the Winchester USA 115-grain JHP, a fast opening bullet, and the classic and effective Winchester Silvertip. Neither is rated +P.
The 124-grain JHP is a good choice for those favoring greater penetration. I used a new number, a trademark offering by TV personality Jesse James. Loaded by Ammo, Inc. his line offers a 124-grain JHP at about 1,000 fps from the Taurus. The result is a loading that is easy to control and accurate but which penetrates well and offers modest expansion.
A good service load with an excellent reputation is available to all shooters in the form of the Winchester 124-grain PDX JHP +P. This load demonstrated a full powder burn and good accuracy. It is a bit snappier in recoil but may be controlled with practice. This load clocks 1,100 fps.
I fired a few groups from a solid benchrest at 15 yards. Most loads put five shots into 2.0 to 2.5 inches at this distance, excellent accuracy for this size handgun. Over time, I have also fired the Hornady 124-grain XTP, 124-grain JHP, and Gorilla Ammunition’s 115-grain all-copper JHP. There have been no failures to feed, chamber, fire, or eject.
Packing the G2
An inside the waistband holster rides between the trousers and the body allowing the pistol to be concealed with only a light covering garment. Over the past few years, I have used the Sideguard line of concealment holsters with excellent results. These holsters are custom quality from a respected maker, cut and stitched one at a time. The tanning and finish are excellent. Most importantly, the molding for each individual handgun is first class. I like these holsters a great deal. The Sideguard IWB allows the pistol to be carried at a good draw angle, ready for action, but with a good mix of access and retention. That is all we can ask.
The Taurus PT 111 Millennium G2S is a handgun that has earned my respect. I often deploy mine when weather and local mores demand discreet concealed carry. The pistol has proven reliable, suitable for concealed carry, more than accurate enough to solve most problems, and it handles and carries like a great, concealed carry handgun should. It is worth your time to take a hard look at this pistol.
The images on this particular blog are not showing up on either of my mobile browsers. When I click on the empty location where it appears images should be present, it takes me to a page that reads, “ We cannot complete this request, remote data could not be fetched.”
It would be beneficial to readers to be able to view the images pertaining to this particular blog!
Thank you!
I really liked the Taurus when I went to the NRA Show this past summer in Dallas, but I couldn’t get anyone from Taurus to answer very basic questions like: is it a plastic sight or metal, (aka I have read where they used plastic sights that would frequently break, etc.) and from looking at the posts on their Facebook page am frankly scared to purchase anything from any company that does not provide at least decent customer service…
I have owned my Taurus Millenium 111 G2 for over a couple of years now, and have never had one single failure with it operating as designed. No FTF, FTE, or any other issues. I have used several various manufactures ball ammo, and currently carry it with Hornady XTP ammo.
Of course, the first generation of the Taurus had issues, with possible AD if dropped, even with the safety on. Taurus made it right, which is all you can ask any gun maker. I have owned cars that have recalls, and that in no way demeans the value of the car, it just means that an issue with them was found, and the manufacturer is now fixing it. It really is not fair to blame it on QC, as I doubt that every single gun manufacturer out there, does not drop every single gun with the safety on, to see if they can get it to AD.
I am actually more concerned with how the company reacts to a known issue, and from what I saw, Taurus did ok on this, especially since it was such a large number of guns recalled. Things like that take time, and cost money, which Taurus stepped up and spent both on.
That this gun is a good one for a segment of the gun buying public cannot be dismissed. It is not a Sig, but the price of a Sig is about 5 times what this Taurus costs.
The 2 magazines that came with the new G2 were defective, causing continual jams and misfeeds. Taurus replaced the magazines and the gun now performs flawlessly.
Anybody know what knife that is in the first pic? I want one.
Steel Will folder.
About time the Millenium got some of the respect it deserves. And to set the record straight, this is actually the 3rd generation, the original, which I owned in .45acp and had the problem with the cracked frames that they ahd in the beginning. Taurus fixed it without question. I sold that to get another gun, wish I still had it. Bought one of the Millenium G2 (second generation) and have put over 3000 rounds through it with absolutely zero issues and it resides in my truck as my immediate action gun. And now this generation, which has not changed much except the lock and some cosmetics, ala Glock. This is a great gun, very soft shooting, fits most hands very well and pretty accurate and the second strike trigger is very cool. The trigger could be crisper but mine breaks between 4 1/2-5 pounds and for a defensive gun that is perfect I feel. Too many people sneer at Taurus because of reputations they heard of from someone else and have never even handled one let alone shot one. And the price point is the kicker, makes this much more attractive than most polymer wonder nines. Try this gun if you have not and if you still don’t respect it then sell it and sneer.
Interesting. I bought one and started by loading it up with some very old Interarms-sourced surplus ammo that I bought – in the ’70’s. Every round was a misfire, including retries, over the first 5 rounds. At that point, I assumed it was the ammo, switched to fresh one, and everything was fine. The old ammo was Berdan-primed, to boot. I decided I would pull the bullets and reuse the bullets and powder with new cases at some point.
Given the comment above about gummed-up striker channels, however, I think I’m going to disassemble the gun and clean as recommended, then retry. If it works, I’ll be back to let people know.
Very poor service from Taurus. I will not do business with them again.
For years i carried a cz52. Great gun, reliable, 7.62×25 is a wonderful round. But not without its limitations.
Then i upgraded to my west german sig 226 in .40. That gun is awesome. But its sentimental and worth $800. I didnt want to sweat all over it all day, or lose it under some circumstances. Plus its a full size, so its nowhere near as compact as other options
Then i got the pt111 stainless g2. 216 bucks. Ive had good experience with the millenium line, in my opinion the best thing taurus ever produced. It is itty bitty, holds good capacity at 12+1 and has nice aggressive stippling. The trigger is excellent, and only one of 2 striker guns that is double and single action with second strike. ( the other is the walther 99 also produced under liscense by smith s&w99 and magnum research mr9 eagle and later copied by canik in the tp9v2) the walther is a better gun, but bigger and it arrives at nearly 3 times the price.
I carry it now. Its been through at least 500roumds withno hiccups. I sweat all over it, it gets dirty, i may drop it at some point and i wouldnt cry over any abuse it sees. It is small and i can pocket carry even if i like. I just tuck it strongside in my cloth holster and it rides comfortably all day waiting to save my life.
No gun is perfect, there are a ton of niches to fill.this one fills its niche near perfectly and can be had for far less than that is worth. Everyone should buy one.
Try to get service from Taurus. It’s a joke; Twice I had my G2 fail and both times it took 12 plus weeks to get the weapon repaired and I had to pay to return it to them. No more Taurus for me. I Will pay more and buy from a proven gun maker.
I agree with Mark Walton. When you get this gun, remove the striker/firing pin assembly and clean it and the channel thoroughly. You will have a whole new trigger. Still long, but 100% smoother. Taurus uses some thick, sticky packing grease from the factory and you need to get all of it out of every crevice.
THANK YOU – finally an article on a line I have carried for 19 years – not this new G2S of course, but Taurus. Personally I carry the PT145 Millenium Pro in (guess what: 45ACP). My son has the G2 stainless and I believe this new slim will be a perfect fit for his future wife who is quite petite but the girl can shoot. Shoots my little 45 without issue and likes the round but hesitant about carry so 9mm and now a slim one.
Again, thank you for this and I’m glad you too have found that Taurus isn’t just a cheap gun maker and copier.
I bought two of these a few months ago for go bags. I must say, I immediately loved them. Ate all ammo, no issues. Very accurate and comfortable to shoot. However, for one of them, after about 50 rounds, the main spring came through the front of the slide. Hmmm, not so great. Sent it in to Taurus… we’ll see what they have to say in a couple months when and if it comes back. I really like the piece, but QC must be an issue still.
I’ve shot and sold many PT111 Millennium G2 pistols over the last several years as a CCW Instructor and FFL. Neither I, or my customers/students have ever had an issue with the G2. I can only believe that the G2C is just as good (or improved upon). I agree with the confusion in the article regarding G2C vs. G2S, but don’t let it detract from the impressive performance of these feature-rich, value-priced pistols from Taurus. Also, when reading reviews, remember that SOME PEOPLE are just anti- “anything other than Glock”.
This article is about the G2C, but talks about the G2S a few times confusing the reader with back and forth comparisons with other pistol. This should have been a review of the G2C, PERIOD.
I recently bought the G2C and put about 100 rds down range on my first use. So, what do I like about it? Has a very comfortable feel in the hand. Nice grip size and good balance. Goes bang every time and shoots where you point it.. What do I not care for? The trigger, clearly the weak spot in this guns design. It is not terrible, just not nice. The first pull seems very long, to the point that I was surprised when the gun fired. So surprised I was a foot left and a foot low with my first shot. The pull was a bit gritty also. Reset was fairly short and very satisfactory. The trigger by no means makes this gun a bad choice. You will get use to the long pull after a few uses. I suspect the gritty feel will also wear away a bit with use. Hey, this gun cost me $200 at the gun show. For this price point you just can’t go wrong. Buy it, you will be ok with it.
The author should proof read before publishing. First sentence of article and first sentence of third paragraph are missing the latter portion . They just end without finishing the thought.
I have five of these guns, but have only extensively used one of them. With the one I have put through the paces, I have over a 1000 rounds through it and agree with the author. However, 3 of the remaining 4 came with striker channels that were so dirty from the manufacturing process that the triggers seemed to have two breaks. Field stripping the guns and performing regular cleaning does nothing to solve the problem. You must take the striker mechanism out and swab out the channel to solve the issue. It doesn’t bother me, but the casual user will be very perplexed by this. I have carried the G2 for almost two years now, and have no complaints. It’s one of the easiest to carry, double stack guns on the market today for me. It’s a small, 12 round capacity gun, that still shoots like a larger gun.
The reviewer obviously does not have knowledge of modern metallurgy and heat treating processes for firing steel if he believes and propagates downloading a 7 round mag by one round to ensure proper functioning. The only real reason to download a mag is so that it will more easily be seated with a closed bolt ( such as in an AR type weapon).
Taurus semi-auto pistols are “good” as long as you are willing to constantly deal with misfires, failures to feed, and failures to eject. I got rid of mine as soon as I could. Never again.
I can’t even understand the first sentence in this article.
No one PROOF READS anymore.
I have owned a pt111 g2 for well over a year, I paid $189 new, have fired close to 4000 rounds and have not had any issues. I am looking to get the g2c very shortly. Even my son (former army SF) who use to carry a glock, was very impressed with the performance of the G2.
I’ve owned a G2 for two years and it is the best firearm purchase I believe I have ever made. Good price, smooth and dependable operation and very accurate. I highly recommend this pistol!!!!
I’m confined to a wheelchair which makes concealed carry not viable but I carry my G2 in a bag located just under my chair cushion. I have a holster that I can put my pistol into and it also has a place for an extra magazine. The G2 is ideal when it comes to being able to fit into my bag and leaves room for my wallet and other items that I need to carry with me. The price of this pistol is hard to beat.
I’d like to take a second to address one of these pictures. I own several of these pistols and if like to point out that the light you have mounted DOES NOT FIT nor should you use it. There are only 2 reliable companies that make a sight that fits the g2 and they are Osprey Global and Stream light.
“Spotless performance” the G2 may performed spotless but the gun’s history is far from that. I think it is a disservice to the reader to ignore this firearm’s past and the necessity for a second generation.
The G2 Millineum has been a good pistol with very few returns by retailers.
Pretty certain the Glock is in its 5th generation, Colt a similar number, and Smith and Wesson M and P 9mm on SW2.0
I have to wonder about the reviewer’s competence when the G2C becomes the G2S half way thru the review.
You need to re-read this.
The G2 is the original high capacity pistol.
The G2S is the slim line with a single column magazine
You, sir, need to re-read this. The title of the article says the G2C is outclassing the competition, but the author discusses the G2 and the G2S.
I have been quite please by the pistol. I have probably fired around a 1000 rounds through mine with no issues and more than adequate accuracy for its size.