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.

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.