Taurus PT-111 Millennium G2 Compact 9x19mm Semi-Automatic Pistol

by Jeff Quinn

photography by Jeff Quinn & Boge Quinn

April 16th, 2013

 

Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accessory rail.

 

 

 

 

Manual safety.

 

 

Slide lock (top), magazine release (bottom).

 

 

Sights are easy to see, and the rear is fully adjustable.

 

 

Visual and tactile loaded-chamber indicator.

 

 

 

 

A couple of weeks ago on Gunblast.com, we gave away a brand new Taurus PT-111 Millennium G2 semi-automatic pistol. When shooting the video promoting the giveaway, I was really impressed with the looks, feel, and handling qualities of that pistol, but with it being a giveaway gun, I did not want to shoot it, so we ordered in another for review. The pistol is very compact, but is still large enough to make it easy to fire and control.

The G2 is the latest Millennium Series pistol from Taurus, and is an improvement upon the previous Millennium pistols. I especially like the new style texture that Taurus has built into the polymer frame. The trigger action also seems much improved over previous Millennium pistols, but Taurus has stayed with the striker-fired design and numerous safety features of the earlier guns, just mostly enhancing the handling and shooting qualities of the design. The pistol has multiple-strike capability, meaning that the trigger is not dependent upon the cycling of the slide to cock the striker. If a cartridge fails to fire on the first trigger pull, the shooter can simply pull the trigger again for another hit on the primer of the cartridge, with a longer double-action type of trigger pull. The G2 has an internal key lock, to render the pistol inoperable, if desired. The pistol is supplied with two keys, and each key also has a screw driver to adjust the rear sight for windage and elevation correction. The pistol incorporates a striker safety, to prevent the weapon from firing if dropped. It also has a tactile and visual loaded-chamber indicator atop the slide. On the left side is a manual safety, for use if desired. There is no magazine-disconnect safety, so the pistol can be fired with the magazine removed. Each magazine holds twelve cartridges, for a fully-loaded capacity of thirteen.

Critical specifications for the Taurus G2 are listed in the chart below. Weights are listed in ounces. Linear dimensions are listed in inches. Trigger pull is listed in pounds of resistance, as measured with my Lyman digital trigger pull scale. Height includes sights and magazine base. Maximum width is measured across the top of the frame, and includes the manual safety. DA is double-action. SA is single-action.

Chambering 9x19mm
Weight with Empty Magazine 21.3 oz.
Trigger Pull SA 5.2 lbs.
Trigger Pull DA 6.3 lbs.
Magazine Disconnect Safety No
Loaded-Chamber Indicator Yes
Internal Lock Yes
Manual Safety Yes
Barrel Length 3.28"
Barrel Diameter 0.51"
Overall Height 5.1"
Overall Length 6.24"
Grip Thickness 1.1"
Frame Width 0.97"
Slide Width 0.99"
Maximum Width 1.22"
Trigger Reach 2.61"
Magazine Capacity 12
Magazines Supplied 2
Accessory Rail Yes

I fired a variety of ammunition through the G2 9mm over the chronograph to check velocities, with the results listed in the chart below. Velocities are listed in feet-per-second. Bullet weights are listed in grains. JHP is a jacketed hollowpoint bullet. DPX, Buffalo Bore Lead Free, and Double Tap Tac-XP are hollow nose homogenous copper bullets that are made by Barnes Bullets. Guard Dog is a FMJ with a soft plastic core to promote rapid expansion. FP is a frangible, pre-fragmented flatnose bullet. FMJ is a full metal jacket roundnose bullet. PB is Pow’RBall, a specialty bullet from Cor-Bon. Glaser is a pre-fragmented bullet. ME is an homogenous copper bullet, precut to promote expansion. UHD is Remington Ultimate Home Defense. Velocities were taken at an elevation of 541 feet above sea level, with an air temperature of seventy-four degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of thirty-four percent. Velocities were recorded at ten feet from the muzzle.

Ammunition Bullet Weight Velocity
Buffalo Bore Lead Free +P HP 95 1399
Buffalo Bore Lead Free +P HP 115 1197
Federal Guard Dog 105 1107
Double Tap +P Tac-HP 115 1109
Double Tap +P FMJ 147 1028
Atomic +P HP 124 1131
WCC NATO FMJ 124 1014
Fiocchi FMJ 115 1027
Buffalo Bore +P JHP 124 1214
Buffalo Bore +P JHP 115 1252
Buffalo Bore +P JHP 115 1381
Buffalo Bore +P JHP 147 1111
Cor-Bon Glaser 80 1526
Cor-Bon +P JHP 115 1311
Cor-Bon Pow’RBall 100 1298
Cor-Bon +P DPX 115 1176
Cor-Bon +P JHP 125 1235
Stryker FMJ 115 902
Armscor FMJ 124 1034
Lehigh Defense ME 105 1133
Remington UHD JHP 124 1024

The G2 feels really good in my hand, and was very easy to shoot accurately. This being a very compact defensive pistol, I did not try bench testing for accuracy, instead I fired the G2 hand-held standing at targets from seven out to 100 yards. Keeping a magazine of cartridges on a human silhouette target at twenty-five yards was very easy to do, due to the excellent trigger and sights. Functioning was flawless with every type of ammunition tested. Every cartridge fed, fired, and ejected perfectly. No empty cases were thrown back at the shooter. I ran more ammo through this Taurus than I normally do in testing a pistol, partly because I was having trouble getting the “shooter’s eye” camera to work properly, and partly because this pistol is very comfortable to shoot. Even Plus P loads caused no pain in this lightweight, compact pistol.

The Taurus PT-111 Millennium G2 is just the right size for a compact 9mm pistol. It will work as a pocket gun, if you have large pockets, but is better-suited for holster carry. In a good concealment holster, the light weight and thin profile make it a delight to carry, yet it is large enough to fill the hand for comfortable, accurate shooting. The Taurus G2 is accurate, reliable, and is one of the better compact 9x19mm pistols on the market. Also, with a suggested retail price of only $349 US at the time of this review, the G2 is a real bargain.

Check out the Millennium G2 and other Taurus firearms and accessories online at www.taurususa.com.

For the location of a Taurus dealer near you, click on the DEALER LOCATOR at www.lipseys.com.

To order the PT-111 Millennium G2 pistol online, go to www.galleryofguns.com.

To order quality 9x19mm ammunition, go to www.luckygunner.com, www.buffalobore.com, www.doubletapammo.com, and www.midsouthshooters.com.

Jeff Quinn

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Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

 

 

PT111 G2 comes with hard case, two magazines, two internal lock keys, cleaning brush, and instruction manual.

 

 

Internal lock key also serves as a sight-adjustment tool.