Got me a Taurus G3C

[FergusonTO35]

Picked up a Taurus G3C yesterday, for a sub-300.00 pistol I'm quite impressed. Comes with 3 mags, Glock sight compatible, and trigger pull is quite competent. Took it out for a test drive and it is dead on with factory 115 grain FMJ. Tried my usual 3.8 grains HP-38/.357 134 grain RNFP load that my Glocks like and accuracy was not as good, also saw some mild leading in the barrel. Function was 100% with either load though. Upon cleaning I found this thing has a really tight throat. I recently bought a bunch of Berry's .357 plated truncated cone slugs and they chamber just fine in my Glocks OEM and Storm Lake barrels even seating them out really far, like 1.070. I found that they have to be seated to where the case mouth is even with the beginning of the ogive for them to chamber in the Taurus, like 1.005, which sounds like a recipe for high pressure to me.

Factory rounds chamber no problemo so I think this is just how these guns are made and the accuracy is quite good. So, should I ship the barrel off to Doug Guy for some of his magic? Or try a few hundred jacketed slugs to see if it will break in. I'm planning to use exclusively lead and plated in this pistol.

[Wayne Smith]

PM Doug and ask him. He knows most manufactures from his work so he can give you the best advice.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks. He said to go ahead and send it in so Ill do that. Planning to put a few more rounds through it first though!

[Forrest r]

Guess I was lucky when the g2's 1st came out I looked at them and saw the the bbl was throated so I bought it.

Been 1 heck of a ccw pistol!!!

I have yet to find a load, bullet, oal that it doesn't like and in 5000+ rounds down the tube I have yet to have a ftf or fte.

Saw the g3's and was debating picking up a 2nd ccw 9mm. If I do I'll take a couple minutes and throat the bbl myself.

[358429]

I wonder if your Taurus Barrel throat is designed specifically for 124 grain ball. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210806/5e7e2995acfe09c8ad1779267b7d1294.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210806/97824be95e085f677f4eb25bf437bbde.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210806/96201bbd6eda6d80dfc42c7672920ba5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210806/74ff5f4e9d31fcd2f92ae8a660ef965e.jpg

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[FergusonTO35]

Mebbe so. Strangely, my lead boolit rounds chamber much more easily than plated. Anyhoo, the barrel is on its way to NC for Doug to work on. Look forward to getting it back, Im really liking this pistol so far.

[358429]

357 134 grain RNFP. Is that a bullet you cast yourself or do you buy it commercially?

Pictures are showing the barrel throat for my Cz pistol.

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[243winxb]

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?417387-Lee-356-120-TC-Ogive-is-into-the-rifling-COL-seems-to-Short-1-030-quot

Bullets need sized to .356" to .3568" , no larger for my G3C. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/albums/9mm-luger-taurus-g3c-lee-356-120-tc.317/

[DougGuy]

Bullets need sized to .356" to .3568" , no larger for my G3C.

Ferguson will be able to size for his Glocks and the G3C will happily fly through mags of the same fodder at whatever diameter he loads for the Glocks.

[FergusonTO35]

357 134 grain RNFP. Is that a bullet you cast yourself or do you buy it commercially?

Pictures are showing the barrel throat for my Cz pistol.

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Arsenal Molds 358-130-RF. They average out 134 grains with my lead, I size 'em to .357.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks Doug. I use .357 in everything 9mm.

[FergusonTO35]

Doug did his magic on the G3C barrel for me and I was able to try it out yesterday. It is shooting great, every round plunks and the fouling is minimal. Only thing I don't like about this gun so far is the trigger. It breaks way far back and my fat fingers seem to catch the frame while trying to squeeze it. Otherwise this pistol is coming along quite nicely. Went ahead and ordered the Ameriglo tritium front sight for it, as the small dot on the existing sight is kind of hard for me to focus on.

[243winxb]

Tested .3562" compared to .357" Not much difference in group size. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/testing-bullet-diameters-3562-and-357-taurus-g3c.4003/full

My gun is not very accurate. It seems to print 2 groups, 1 higher then the other. Tried 3 other powders, no help.


Very reliable, close range gun, never a jam

[FergusonTO35]

25 yards might as well be rifle distance for me. My numb and arthritic fingers can do 15 max on a good day.

[FergusonTO35]

The Ameriglo tritium front sight came in today. Had to drill out the screw on the old one, it was super tight. That done, the new one went on quite easily. The sight picture is way better, the bigger front dot matches the rear notch quite well. Hopefully I can try it out tomorrow.

[Idaho45guy]

Tested .3562" compared to .357" Not much difference in group size. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/testing-bullet-diameters-3562-and-357-taurus-g3c.4003/full

My gun is not very accurate. It seems to print 2 groups, 1 higher then the other. Tried 3 other powders, no help.


Very reliable, close range gun, never a jam

I've had the same luck with my Taurus G2c. Acceptable at 10 yards and under, but opens up to around 4" at 25 yards. Still don't regret buying it brand new for under $200. Not a bad little pistol.

[FergusonTO35]

If I could accomplish 4" at 25 yards with any pistol I would be a happy man for sure. The G3C is coming along nicely. Shoots jacketed and plated quite well, point of impact is right on top of the new front sight. Boolits don't group as well, but I suspect that will improve as the bore gets broken in. I think I am getting used to the trigger pull, I used fine sandpaper to smooth out some areas on the trigger guard where my finger was dragging.

[jonp]

Thanks. He said to go ahead and send it in so Ill do that. Planning to put a few more rounds through it first though!

I hand delivered a Blackhawk and watched him work on it one Saturday morning. Great guy and superb work.

[FergusonTO35]

Ok, the G3C is getting lined out nicely. I tried an old favorite load, the Lee 356-120-TC over 3.5 grains Bullseye at 1.068 OAL. Clocks 950 fps in most pistols and is accurate. Turns out the G3C really likes this load. Point of impact is neatly on top of the front sight and is as accurate as anything else I have tried at 10 yards. I think I will feed it this one from now on!

[DougGuy]

You might chrony some of those loads, see if you are getting the same velocity after throating. It's perfectly normal to see a slight drop, 25-30 fps because there is a lot less resistance at the throat now, so it will build less pressure because of the new throat, and pressure makes velocity. You could bump up your powder charge a bit to make up for it, and if you are shooting soft enough alloy, which I would recommend, you would get some obturation of the boolit upon firing that would fill out the throat a little tighter than your .357" sized boolits. You may notice less fouling doing it this way, you could always try some sized at .358" up to about .3588" whatever the largest size you can get to plunk. I use a 35 caliber rifle reamer to throat 9mm with, it has a slightly larger freebore and a more laid back leade in so there is some grace there you could fill up with boolit diameter, just see if it likes it or if it goes the other way. Won't know until you try.

[FergusonTO35]

I did chrono 8 shots, they are clocking 918.8 fps average out of the G3C. So we are basically getting .38 Special +P power level here. The Glock 26 gets around 950 with this load, the Glock 19 around 980. The Taurus has the shortest barrel of the 3 which I'm sure impacts it as well. Gonna try the Arsenal 358-130-RF in it next. Also going to try the Lee 356-120-TC as cast with a coat of LLA.

[FergusonTO35]

Been shooting the Taurus more this week and it really likes the Lee 122 grain bullets. Groups open up with the heavier slugs and the same powder charge, maybe more powder would help. Given that it shoots so good with the Lee slugs I see no reason to worry about it. Another thing I like about this pistol is that it seems to strike primers with authority. I have been using a hard batch of old Remington 1.5 primers that produce light strikes in my other guns and the Taurus sets them off every time. For under three bills I think the G3C is a winner.

[ACC]

Picked up a Taurus G3C yesterday, for a sub-300.00 pistol I'm quite impressed. Comes with 3 mags, Glock sight compatible, and trigger pull is quite competent. Took it out for a test drive and it is dead on with factory 115 grain FMJ. Tried my usual 3.8 grains HP-38/.357 134 grain RNFP load that my Glocks like and accuracy was not as good, also saw some mild leading in the barrel. Function was 100% with either load though. Upon cleaning I found this thing has a really tight throat. I recently bought a bunch of Berry's .357 plated truncated cone slugs and they chamber just fine in my Glocks OEM and Storm Lake barrels even seating them out really far, like 1.070. I found that they have to be seated to where the case mouth is even with the beginning of the ogive for them to chamber in the Taurus, like 1.005, which sounds like a recipe for high pressure to me.

Factory rounds chamber no problemo so I think this is just how these guns are made and the accuracy is quite good. So, should I ship the barrel off to Doug Guy for some of his magic? Or try a few hundred jacketed slugs to see if it will break in. I'm planning to use exclusively lead and plated in this pistol.

Most of my shooting students buy the G3C. It is an excellent gun. Seems to be well built and will fit in a ladies purse. Shoots everything I have seen shot through it even cheap TulAmmo. It does needed to be oiled every now and then but then so does every other polymer gun.

ACC

[Idaho45guy]

Most of my shooting students buy the G3C. It is an excellent gun. Seems to be well built and will fit in a ladies purse. Shoots everything I have seen shot through it even cheap TulAmmo. It does needed to be oiled every now and then but then so does every other polymer gun.

ACC

Yep, I think they are pretty good guns. A lot of folks have some very strong opinions on Taurus products, and for good reason.

But, it's like car manufacturers; every manufacturer has at least one great model and one absolute lemon.

I have a low regard for GM products as my experience and those of millions of other customers has been less than impressive. But, my 2007 HHR has 212,000 miles on it and doesn't burn a drop of oil, everything still works, and it's still pretty tight and rattle-free.

My brother bought a Honda CR-V and had nothing but trouble with it and now swears off all Hondas and traded it in on a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

I think the G2c and G3c are the rare gems of the Taurus lineup.

[FergusonTO35]

The G2 and G3 are descended from the original Millenium Pro. Taurus has been refining the design for years. These guns and the Taurus snub .38's are their best products.

[FergusonTO35]

Gave the Taurus more exercise yesterday and it is still doing good. This is one of those pistols that will really punish you for a poor trigger pull. Gradually squeeze like you are supposed to and its a laser beam. Jerk it and you're all over the place. I have arthritis and a bit of essential tremor, so this gun really encourages me to use proper technique. The squishy trigger of a Glock is more forgiving in this regard.

[FredBuddy]

I was thinking today about
getting another one !

[FergusonTO35]

They go on sale again and I probably will get another one. A functional compact pistol in a common cartridge is always a useful thing to have.

[Idaho45guy]

They go on sale again and I probably will get another one. A functional compact pistol in a common cartridge is always a useful thing to have.

Definitely! I was hoping they would offer the G3 in .40 S&W with a stainless slide. I would jump on one of those for under $300.

[P Flados]

I was looking at the G2C in 40 just before the G3C came out.

You post prompted me to look again.

There seem to be a few G2C 40s out there and they seem to be going for less than the G3C.

[FergusonTO35]

I really don't think this gun is up to the beating that the .40 would give it, just my opinion.

[Idaho45guy]

I really don't think this gun is up to the beating that the .40 would give it, just my opinion.

What areas concern you? I haven't heard of any of the G2c .40 S&W models failing. Of course, never looked for them.

[FergusonTO35]

Just my own unscientific opinion about my own G3C. It just doesnt "feel" like it would be up for it. The plastic of the frame seems more brittle than others, and might crack. Also, I think the rails are not a part of the frame but pinned in place. Seems to me that a hard recoiling cartridge would eventually break the pins.

[Idaho45guy]

Just my own unscientific opinion about my own G3C. It just doesnt "feel" like it would be up for it. The plastic of the frame seems more brittle than others, and might crack. Also, I think the rails are not a part of the frame but pinned in place. Seems to me that a hard recoiling cartridge would eventually break the pins.

Seems reasonable. I don't trust the Taurus engineers as much as the Glock engineers, and they had issues with their early .40 S&W pistols.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I've had the same luck with my Taurus G2c. Acceptable at 10 yards and under, but opens up to around 4" at 25 yards. Still don't regret buying it brand new for under $200. Not a bad little pistol.

Hang a paper plate out and shoot at that. Good center of mass sized target.

[243winxb]

https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/review-taurus-gx4-micro-compact-pistol/

The new GX4 has poor accuracy like my G3C. But they are not " Target Guns".

2" @ 7 yards. https://flic.kr/p/2myFQnd

[FergusonTO35]

Having compared the two side by side, I would rather have a G3C. The GX4 costs $100.00 more and is just barely smaller. Also it's a new design, and there are probably going to be some bugs in it.

[FergusonTO35]

Still shooting the G3C and loving it. Accuracy has gotten much better as I have become accustomed to the trigger. The single action pull is pretty crisp, which I am not used to in a handgun. Gave it some exercise today before work with Arsenal 358-130-RF/3.8 grains HP-38 and Lee 356-120-TC/3.5 Bullseye. With the Lee boolit load, the G3C will put them all in one hole at 10 yards, the Arsenal load is not far behind. Really impressed with this gun and may add the new G3XL to the battery at some point.