Taurus G3C Review: A Ton of Value in a Compact EDC

Article, Reviews

By Allen Forkner, GunBroker Publisher

Taurus G3C Review: A Ton of Value in a Compact EDC - GunBroker — *Taurus G3C Review: A Ton of Value in a Compact EDC*

When the topic of concealed-carry pistols comes up, the first question is almost always “What’s the best gun for EDC?” And the answer almost invariably comes down to the brand in the holster of the person being asked. In this article, we’ll review the Taurus G3C to see if it’s right for you.

The best concealable handgun is one that excels in a few areas. Is it reliable and accurate? How about chambered in a self-defense round? Is it shootable (for a longer practice session, not just a few shots)?

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After that, the last variable is how much a person is willing to spend. After all, few would doubt that a custom handgun built to the user’s exact specs and needs, with the ultimate in craftsmanship and materials, would be the best choice. But, like me, most of us don’t have the finances to acquire such a gun.

Luckily, with the numerous makes and models, people don’t have to take out a loan or compromise on a gun.

Taurus: No Longer Just a Value Brand

Enter Taurus. Long known as a price-point product, the fit, finish and quality of past products always kept the brand on the lower end of the selection for a carry gun. If you only had $200 to spend on a carry gun, it was the best at that price.

Now, however, Taurus has upped its game with the latest offerings, including the Executive Series, G4 and a new bolt-action rifle. All are top-notch in both form and function. Now, carrying a Taurus is a decision made on quality and not just price tag. And the shining star of this selection is the Taurus G3 line, specifically the G3C 9mm.

How Much is a Taurus G3C?

With an MSRP of just $340.99, this is an incredible value for the features. Add in the real gun shop price and Taurus’ frequent rebate and incentive programs and you can realistically expect to find this gun much closer to the $300 (or less) price point. That is for a run-it-hard, easy-to-shoot handgun that comes with three, 12-round magazines in free states.

G3C: A Goldilocks Gun

The Taurus G3C is that perfect balance in size, weight, capacity and shootability, with features that bring added value to the basic carry gun.

Smaller than the EDC-gold standard GLOCK 19, the G3C is easily concealed in an IWB holster, including the current trend of appendix IWB.

Larger than the SIG P365, the Taurus provides a full grip, without the need for additional length basepads. The magazines come with a slight pinky finger rest, making the grip sure and strong.

Slightly heavier than the “stack-and-a-half” P365 and Springfield Armory Hellcat, the G3C reduces the perceived recoil with the extra heft. That said, it’s still a lightweight in the carry world tipping the scales at 22 ounces unloaded.

Striker-Fired Consistency

One of the biggest advantages striker-fired pistols offer is a consistent trigger pull, shot after shot. This makes for more accurate opening shots and a shorter training curve. Strikers also eliminate the hammer, which can be a real pain in the side when carrying concealed.

But Taurus has brought more to the table than a single striker pull. With most striker guns, if you drop the pin on a hard primer, you need to cycle the gun to try again. Not with the G3C. Taurus built in a restrike capability, where like a double-action gun, you can simply press the trigger again for a second chance.

Now, most have hard-trained tap-rack-bang drills into our heads, but restrike also allows us to work on dry fire without the need for cycling the gun every time (which can lead to its own training scar) or to modify the gun with a training slide system.

Safety First, Second and Third

Above all else, any gun needs to be safe to carry and the G3C offers a laundry list of safety features. Like most striker-fired guns, there’s a striker block that prevents the pin from reaching the primer unless the trigger is pulled, moving the block.

The trigger itself features a safety tab to prevent accidental manipulation and keep the handgun drop safe should it ever hit the deck.

While most polymer, striker guns stop there, Taurus also added a small manual thumb safety. While I don’t feel it’s necessary on a carry gun with the internal systems of the G3C for normal carry, I am a big fan for a gun that I tuck into an appendix holster.

One small nit, the safety is very small and to be completely transparent, I had examined the gun before realizing it was there. While it’s in the expected and instinctive place under the thumb, it is only set up for right-handed shooters and should be trained hard to make it part of the natural presentation from the holster.

Taurus G3C Review: A Ton of Value in a Compact EDC — *Taurus G3C Review: Compact EDC*

Taurus G3C Has the X Factor

Often, we get caught up in selecting the gun of our dreams for carry and in doing so we forget about the intangibles that come with a carry gun. Spare magazines are a must. Good choices for holsters are another.

Both are plentiful for the G3C. Magazines are affordable and commonly stocked at most shops and online retailers, including on GunBroker. Most of the major holster manufacturers accommodate the G3C, as I found myself with a bit of overload trying to select a holster for the test gun. I eventually went with the DeSantis Slim-Tuk, an affordable, simple AIWB/IWB that stayed with the value theme.

Taurus G3C: Final Thoughts

Add in shooter-friendly features like a serrated, blacked out rear sight and picatinny accessory rail, and the Taurus G3C is a wallet-friendly, reliable as can be, comfortable to carry option for EDC. There’s even an optics-ready T.O.R.O. platform for the use of red dots, which we’ll be testing in a later review.

For less than a used police trade in, you can pick up a NIB G3C, a couple of spare mags, a solid holster and a few boxes of 9mm ammo. Which according to this writer’s calculator, adds up to a good value.