There are many people who strongly desire to have a well-made and reliable pistol that is also available on a budget. Those who are seeking a pistol that has both of these qualities will be glad to hear that they have many options available. One of these options is the Taurus Millennium series.
The Millennium is a series of compact pistols that are small enough to be concealed but also large enough to defend oneself with properly as you can get a full firing grip over the weapon. For size reference, the PT111 G2 (the primary version of the Millennium series) is larger than a Glock 26 but smaller than a Glock 19. The PT111 is small enough to be concealed carried in an inside-the-waistband IWB holster in your pants and under your shirt, but it can be carried in a concealable outside-the-waistband OWB holster as well.
The PT111 Millennium G2 was released in 2013 as the successor to the earlier Millennium Pro pistols, and has since gone over two major revisions with the release of the G2C and more recently the G3C. However, for all intents and purposes the difference between the G2C/G3C and the PT111 Millennium G2 are mostly cosmetic.
In this review, we’ll go over the Millennium series and what they have to offer.
Millennium Pro Pistols
The original Millennium Pro pistols were introduced by Taurus in the early 2000s as concealment or backup pistols for the US civilian and law enforcement market.
There were numerous Millennium Pro Pistols released in a wide variety of calibers, including .32 ACP, .380 ACP, 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. The most popular Millennium pistols were the PT-111 in 9mm and the PT-140 in .40 S&W.
The early Millennium Pro pistols were manufactured using an injection molded polymer frame with slides that were made out of stainless steel, blued carbon, or titanium depending on the model. They also came with numerous safety features, including positive firing pin blocks, a frame mounted safety, and a safety lock.
However, the Millennium Pro pistols also came rife with problems, with many reports that the Pro pistols could even fire on their own without the trigger being pulled (which led to recalls). Back in the early 2000s, Taurus was known for being a budget gun manufacturer, but at the expense of quality in comparison to other gunmakers.
In the early 2010s, Taurus came under new management who sought to remedy Taurus’s reputation by making higher quality firearms while still maintaining a budget price point. As part of this renovation period for Taurus, the Millennium Pro was updated into the…
PT111 G2 Millennium
The Millennium PT111 G2 was introduced in 2013 as the second generation of the Millennium pistols. The PT111 G2 came with numerous improvements over the Pro series. Most importantly of all, the PT111 G2 gained a quick reputation for being much better made and more reliable than the Pro pistols. The gun was released as part of the ‘renovation period’ for Taurus as the company sought to drastically improve the quality of their products.
The PT111 G2 is available in the 9mm Luger, with a 12 round magazine that comes with a yellow follower. Its .40 caliber version is the PT140, which holds 10 rounds. The pistol became an instant success for Taurus, thanks to its low $200 to $250 price point and the fact that it earned a positive reception in the firearms world as a ‘quality on a budget’ firearm that was also small enough to be concealed easily.
The specific upgrades of the PT111 G2 over the Millennium include:
- Redesigned appearance
- Much improved reliability
- Improved ergonomics
- Aggressive stippled texturing on the grip
- Glock-style pulldown tabs to disassemble the weapon
- Adjustable 3-dot white sights
- Rated for +P loads
Overall, the PT111 G2 has been a major success for Taurus and has helped directly contribute to the company boosting their reputation in the United States. The PT111 G2 has never had the same issues as the earlier Pro pistols that led to them being recalled.
Taurus G2C
In 2017, Taurus released the Millennium G2C, which is essentially the same exact gun as the PT111 G2 with only one major difference: the G2C eliminates the safety lock feature that had come standard on previous Millennium pistols.
Safety locks on firearms are designed to help keep the pistols safe from unauthorized access, such as burglars or children. A key is shipped with the firearm, and when used to activate the safety lock, the entire gun is rendered inoperable until the gun is unlocked.
The main arguments against safety locks, however, is that they can do more harm than good in an emergency. What if you have to use your firearm quickly in a life-or-death emergency, only to forgot that you had locked it up? You would have to fumble around trying to find the key to get the gun unlocked, and this would be made even worse if you lost the key.
The safety lock feature kept many people from purchasing the Millennium PT111 G2, so the G2C was released to satisfy gun buyers who didn’t desire this feature.
Taurus G3C
The latest iteration of the Millennium series is the Taurus G3C. The G3C is essentially an updated version of the G2C, which itself was a Millennium PT111 G2 without the safety lock. As with the G2C, the G3C lacks the safety lock feature as well.
The differences between the G2C and the G3C are almost entirely cosmetic and are as follows:
- A window has been cut into the left side of the frame so the user can view the serial number on the trigger
- An enlarged Glock-style safety tab has been added to the trigger so it is easier to engage
- Front serrations have been added to the slide
- The polymer sights of the G2C have been upgraded to steel sights
- The loaded chamber indicator on the top the slide has been removed
The G3C is the current version of the Millennium PT111 G2 pistol, and will likely serve as Taurus’s main offering in the Millennium G2 line for the next several years.
Conclusion
The Millennium series of pistols from Taurus represents an excellent value. While the initial Pro series had issues, the renovated PT111 G2 has earned a reputation for quality on a budget. It’s affordable, reliable, has a decent magazine capacity of 12 rounds of 9mm, and small enough to conceal carry and yet large enough to fight with.
If you want to purchase a PT111 Millennium pistol now, the G3C is the current iteration.