Thoughts on Taurus PT111 Millenium G2

[ikillbugs]

Having had only revolvers for home SD I recently applied for my LTC (oh the waiting game). I picked up a Ruger LCP to carry but wanted to consider a 9MM as another option. Browsing Bud's Gun Shop I stumbled across a Taurus PT111 Millenium G2 for $210. I haven't given the brand or the gun much thought. I have been thinking about getting a S&W SD40VE - about $320 from Academy but at $210... not much more than a Hi-Point C9.... sounds like a good deal to me! Funny thing though, when I added the Taurus to the cart suddenly the price jumped to $265. I guessed I just happened to jump in right when they did a price change. I thought twice and decided I'll wait. In the meantime I was looking online for reviews on this pistol (I was going to do this before finalizing my purchase anyway). Reviews seemed favorable and even Hickock45 gave it an overall thumbs up. Later I saw my email reminding me about the shopping cart... I clicked on it and the price was back down to $210 so I completed the purchase before they had the chance to change their minds again.

Edit: I failed to mention it came with free shipping too... so $210.12 plus $25 FFL transfer = $235.12 total cost


I was getting ready to post a link to the gun in case others are interested in snatching one up but just then the price is back up to $265! Here's the link anyway just in case. Even at $265 + FFL transfer it's not a bad deal.
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...aurus+111G2+PT111+Millennium+G2+12+1+9mm+3.2"

So, in a few days I will be going to my FFL and picking this up and I am curious what you guys think about this gun and want your insight.

 

[BG1960]

Many will badmouth Taurus, I have 3. None are the PT111, so I can't speak to that particular weapon. All of mine have been completely trouble free.

 

[majormadmax]

I have a PT111 Millennium Pro (previous model) that I got in the one and only gun trade I've ever made in my life. This was back during the 2008 Obama gun panic and I found a fellow who wanted the Kel-Tec P3AT I bought off a friend and hated (to be fair, the friend hated it as well and warned me!). At that time you couldn't find .380 if your life depended on it so switching to a 9mm was highly desirable. I asked the other guy several times if he was sure he wanted to go through with the trade, and he was adamant that he wanted a pocket pistol, so we did the deal.

While it is not a carry gun nor one that I shoot much, I have had nothing but positive experiences with my PT111 MilPro! Actually, I love the restrike trigger and short reset; and I'm pretty accurate with it. I've never had a FTF/FTE with it, and about the only issue I had to deal with was one of the mag lips was bent when I got it (the guy trading it told me about it). I contacted Taurus and they told me to send it in. A week or so later, I got a brand new mag in the mail. I obviously wasn't the original owner, but Taurus never even questioned me about the pistol, they just told me to send in the mag. That impressed me enough to go out and buy a PT709 Slim (single-stack 9mm) and a PT738 (I had to replace the P3AT with something decent). All have been faultless.

I know Taurus had a bad reputation back in the 1980s, I have an old .38 revolver of theirs with isn't anything to get excited about but it was my Dad's BUG so I won't get rid of it. However, with the exception of the Judge, I wouldn't hesitate to add another Taurus to my collection. For the price I have been very pleased with them, and think they are an excellent choice for someone who might not be able to afford a Glock or Springfield Armory firearm...

Cheers! M2

 

[Maverick44]

I own only one Taurus semi auto, and that is the PT92 which seems to be their most reliable semi auto from what the interweb has to say. I did have to send it back for a oversized bore issue, but I'm a bit picky like that. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed since it shot ok. It's a good gun and it's one of my favorites (shoots great now!). I can't speak about the PT111 personally, since I've never handled one. Taurus will pay the shipping (for the first year) and fix the gun for free if you have any issues though.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Taurus got sued and lost $35million in a class action lawsuit. They had problems with the semi autos going off when dropped. People got shot. Supposedly Taurus said they didn't know the pistol had a problem and continued to make them. For years and years. Only recourse.....send it back and they'll inspect for you.

Pt-111 millennium was one in the lawsuit. No model g2 was involved.




That's why folks cuss them.

 

[ikillbugs]

Thanks for the replies. I usually regret impulse buys - and I had no intention of buying a gun today but the $210 price tag was too good to pass up - and well since I was in the market anyway. I'll let y'all know my experience once I get the chance to poke some holes with it.

 

[majormadmax]

Taurus got sued and lost $35million in a class action lawsuit. They had problems with the semi autos going off when dropped. People got shot. Supposedly Taurus said they didn't know the pistol had a problem and continued to make them. For years and years. Only recourse.....send it back and they'll inspect for you.

Pt-111 millennium was one in the lawsuit. No model g2 was involved.

That's why folks cuss them.

Not quite, the lawsuit was recent (the past year or so), and people have been badmouthing Taurus long before that. Most have never owned one, and are merely repeating what they heard or read on the Internet.

And if you won't buy a gun from a manufacturer that has been sued and/or involved in a recall, you aren't going to have small choice to choose from!

Lastly, since you are so knowledgeable on the topic, tell me exactly how many Taurus firearms discharged after being dropped? And if you do your homework, you'll find that Glock has been subject to more similar lawsuits for dropped weapons going off than any other manufacturer. Springfield Armory also had to issue a recall with its XD-S not long ago after one owner experienced a “slam-fire” with his pistol during loading.

If you prefer the government impose more safety requirements on handguns sold in this country, we'll just keep going down this road where owners blame their firearms for their mistakes. Gee, holding people accountable for their actions instead of inanimate objects...where have we heard that argument before?!?

 

[TexasBrandon]

I'll just leave this here. It's why I won't ever buy a Taurus again. Second extractor and its sheered again...1911 Taurus.




Now I understand they have apparently come a long way but this extractor was replaced awhile ago and the gun is from 2009. So from 2009 - 2015ish, their extractors, at least for the 1911 are shit. I'm ordering a new one from a third party that won't break.

 

[Maverick44]

Not quite, the lawsuit was recent (the past year or so), and people have been badmouthing Taurus long before that. Most have never owned one, and are merely repeating what they heard or read on the Internet.

And if you won't buy a gun from a manufacturer that has been sued and/or involved in a recall, you aren't going to have small choice to choose from!

Lastly, since you are so knowledgeable on the topic, tell me exactly how many Taurus firearms discharged after being dropped? And if you do your homework, you'll find that Glock has been subject to more similar lawsuits for dropped weapons going off than any other manufacturer. Springfield Armory also had to issue a recall with its XD-S not long ago after one owner experienced a “slam-fire” with his pistol during loading.

If you prefer the government impose more safety requirements on handguns sold in this country, we'll just keep going down this road where owners blame their firearms for their mistakes. Gee, holding people accountable for their actions instead of inanimate objects...where have we heard that argument before?!?

I have to agree with this. People have been badmouthing Taurus for years, long before that recall. I'd say a good 90% of the badmouthing comes from people who "knows a friend of a friend", and even people who are just repeating what they've heard online. Those greatly overshadow the comparatively few legitimate (first hand) complaints about Taurus and their guns.

 

[seeker_two]

I owned a few Taurus pistols in the '90's, and I was a big fan. S&W quality without the higher price was a good thing. But, in the 2000's, their QC took a dive, and I wouldn't take one from that era if you gifted it to me. I'm glad to see Taurus is turning it around. I may have to try one....

 

[ikillbugs]

I owned a Taurus revolver once. Never had a problem with it... but then that's why until very recently I have been strictly a revolver guy... revolvers will never have feed/ejection problems and if they do, the gun is seriously messed up. I don't have a Glock budget so I have been zealously reviewing and scouring the internet for budget-priced options in the semi-auto realm.


When I decided to go for my LTC, I wanted an inexpensive entry to qualify with (and to familiarize myself with semi-autos). Turns out while at the gun store, the dealer informed me the law had changed and I could qualify with a revolver and still carry a semi-auto. No more SA or R endorsements. Still, I was itching to get a semi-auto. I decided on the Hi-Point C9. General consensus was it's ugly, cheap and clunky but it will go bang every time. I found one online for cheap and called my local dealer and asked if he could come close to the price. He did advise if I was going that route (cheap) then he recommended I get a Jimenez JA380 or JA9 vs Hi-Point. Just his personal observation as he stopped selling Hi-Points due to the high number of dissatisfied customers, but not so much with the JA's. I looked at the JA380 and the Ruger LCP. The JA380 was $100 less and believe it or not I liked the weight and it fit my hand like a glove. I cheaped out and went with the JA380 and took my LTC with it. I had 2 FTEs during the course but so did 3 others had FTF/FTE issues with their "quality" handguns. Heck, one guy had a Colt 1911 that was so bad he ended up finishing the course with the instructor's Springfield 1911 (probably hadn't been cleaned in forever). So by then I was still not dissatisfied with the Jimenez. A few days later I ran it through its paces at the range and yes, I discovered I did NOT want to trust my life on that thing and I did not want to become a backyard gunsmith and "fluff & buff" my gun. I spent more time at the range clearing FTEs and pounding the magazine against the table to get it to work than I did shooting. I opted instead to trade that JA 380 in on the Ruger LCP I should have bought in the first place. Yes I lost some money but it was a lesson learned.


Fast forward to today. The LCP is absolutely amazing when it comes to concealability and EDC comfort. I have 125 rounds through it (100 FMJ and 25 HP). Not one failure to do anything. I just got the bug now so I want to expand my options with a 9mm.


I get that there are many who have a bad taste in their mouth for Taurus but (not having personal experience) from what I can tell, read, and view, this G2 PT111 seems to be Taurus's redemption. On that note, I know an elderly gentleman who had a bad experience with a Ford in the early 60s and vowed never again to buy a Ford. To this day he's a GM guy because of a bad experience 50 years ago.


If you're still reading this, I don't know why I got off onto a long diatribe. I do this when I get sleepy. Goodnight, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[ikillbugs]

Well here she is.


I was thinking since Taurus did an across the board price drop some time ago this would ship with only one mag but it included 2
Feels great in the hand, slides smooth and I can't wait to be able to shoot it.

 

[Byrd666]

I have been planning on getting one as a F-around gun when I get a few bucks left over I can use for it. Other, higher, priorities always keep sneakin' in though. Let us know how it goes when you do get a chance to try it out.

 

[CJ7nvrstk]

I had a gen 1 PT111. Didn't go bang on a regular basis. Sent it back to Taurus for repair. Cost me $90 for shipping. Did the same thing when I got it back. Sold it after that and won't buy that brand again. My nephew had the same problem with his. My brother had good luck with his but recently started doing the same this as well! Hopefully they fixed the problem with the G2. Picked up a SIG P250c and it is now my carry gun. Goes bang every time. I'm not willing to bet my life on a low cost gun.

 

[Maverick44]

I had a gen 1 PT111. Didn't go bang on a regular basis. Sent it back to Taurus for repair. Cost me $90 for shipping. Did the same thing when I got it back. Sold it after that and won't buy that brand again. My nephew had the same problem with his. My brother had good luck with his but recently started doing the same this as well! Hopefully they fixed the problem with the G2. Picked up a SIG P250c and it is now my carry gun. Goes bang every time. I'm not willing to bet my life on a low cost gun.

If you ever need to ship a handgun, have your FFL do it for you. They can use USPS and it will save you a fortune. I shipped a gun back for repairs a few weeks ago for under $15. It fit in a medium flat rate box.

 

[Drewski_43]

I've owned the G2 for a few months now and haven't had any problems with it. It is mainly my vehice gun..Not a bad little gun to shoot, and the price was awesome - take it to the range 3x a week with my walther and Sig P239. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine! I read quite a few bad reviews about Taurus but decided to take a chance. Didn't regret it.

 

[Fairfax]

I purchased a PT111 G2 a few mo ths back. Extraction problems, so I sent it back. Still had extraction problems - last time I shot it it was 5-6 FTEs per mag. No more for me...but I have kicked around the idea of getting a used 908/940/945. We'll see.

 

[45tex]

I have my well used 709 Slim that has been a pleasure to shoot, even after the pups gnawed on it.
I kept it only because the dogs chewed any resell/trade value out of it. So over time I have shot it
quite a bit. Neat little gun. Use it as a house gun, meaning its never my only choice.
Have had enough Tauruses new that failed, that I doubt I'd ever buy another new one.

 

[nlghthawk]

My thoughts

So I chose to put up a video about this topic. I have been impressed with the one I bought.

 

[ikillbugs]

Well this topic has turned into a moot point for me. Gun's gone and I never had the chance to shoot it. I have about 400 rounds of mixed ammo to run through it but been too busy to take the time to go to the range. Not to bore anybody with details but I had to make an emergency trip from Texas to North Carolina for a death in the family and really could not afford to make the trip. I ended up selling it while I was in NC because it was a source of some quick cash that I desperately needed. It is what it is. I will probably get another one though. It sucked but I don't regret it. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.