TAURUS G3 9MM EXTENDED MAGAZINE MANUAL

One feature sets the Taurus G3 apart from most other striker-fired guns on the market: second-strike capability. The serrated slide stop, like the safety, balances compact size and functionality.

TAURUS G3 9MM EXTENDED MAGAZINE MANUAL

The safety and slide stop are not ambidextrous, and in addition to the manual safety the G3 also comes with trigger and striker-block safeties. It’s virtually impossible to engage the safety unless done intentionally, and even then it’s simpler to rotate the gun for better control. Serrations provide just enough purchase to prevent the thumb slipping off the safety lever, and the safety sits inside a molded lip on the frame that prevents accidentally engaging it while shooting. Fieldstripping requires pulling down on the tabs that extend through the pistol’s frame. The G3’s controls won’t interfere with drawing yet are easy to manipulate. The safety lever measures about 0.75 inch long and is triangular in cross-section, and it extends just far enough outside the frame that a downward thumb stroke will reliably disengage the safety.

Taurus plays the middle ground with the G3, and the controls are easy to operate yet not so large as to be obtrusive. Very small controls give the gun a streamlined profile and minimal width, but these miniature controls are a nuisance to manipulate under range conditions and even more problematic in a self-defense situation. If the controls are too large, they add bulk, make the gun less streamlined and, depending on carry position, can dig into the shooter’s skin. The dots aren’t particularly large, but they’re visible under most lighting conditions, though shooters with poor sight may find them difficult to pick up as quickly as larger dots.ĭesigning controls for carry pistols is a balancing act. The sights have a noticeably lower profile than many competing striker pistols, so there’s little chance of them hanging up when drawing. The G3’s three-dot sights are basic, comprising a drift-adjustable rear sight that’s screwed into a cutout on the slide and a front sight that is pinned. The sides of the grip are flattened, and the grip surface features textured sections that are easy to grip without being overly aggressive. The Taurus has a flat frontstrap and rounded backstrap that fills the hand and promotes a high hand position. For starters, this gun offers excellent ergonomics. There is a large and growing cadre of four-inch, striker-fired 9mms on the market, so Taurus had to find ways to stand out from the crowd to make the G3 appeal to consumers. Overall height (with the flush-fit magazine in place) is 5.2 inches from the base pad to the top of the sights, about 0.1 inch taller than the Walther or the Glock. The Taurus comes with a manual safety and measures 1.25 inches across the controls, though the slide and grip widths are closer to one inch, and the gun is easier to conceal than the specs may indicate. The overall length of the G3 is 7.3 inches, which is very close to the Glock 19 (7.36 inches) and slightly longer than a Walther PPQ M2 (7.1 inches). That makes the G3 an appealing option for those who prefer a full-size concealed-carry pistol. The carbon steel version I tested featured a matte black finish, and the stainless model comes with a matte stainless slide.Įven with its full-size frame and longer barrel, the G3 weighs just 25 ounces unloaded, which is only three ounces more than the G2c. It’s available with a stainless steel or a carbon steel slide and comes with a stainless barrel. The gun comes standard with one flush-fit 15-round magazine and an extended 17-round mag, but shooters who live in areas where magazine restrictions limit capacity can opt for versions of the G3 with two 15-round magazines or two 10-round mags as required by law. It comes with a four-inch barrel, the dividing line between full-size duty guns and carry pistols, and the full-size polymer frame provides plenty of space to fit double-stack magazines. Enter the G3.īorrowing the best elements of the G2’s architecture, the G3 offers the same firing system with a beefier frame and a longer slide.

Compared to previous models, the G2’s improved ergonomics, build quality and reliability paved a way for Taurus guns to come, and when Taurus wanted a new full-size striker-fired pistol, it already had a successful platform in place. Over the last few years Taurus has been in the process of revamping its striker-fired pistol lineup, a process that began with the G2 and continued with the G2c.

Taurus g3 9mm extended magazine