Is The Taurus G2C Cheap or an Excellent Value?

A firearm is a big and important purchase. If you’re a cost-conscious buyer, finding a gun that fits your budget is important.

Taurus G2C Review

I’ve recently been testing the G2C compact 9mm handgun, which Taurus graciously agreed to lend me after speaking with them at the SHOT show. I was attracted to the gun because of it’s compact size, magazine capacity, external safety, and general ergonomics. It also didn’t hurt that when I requested an evaluation gun the Taurus rep uttered the 5 words every woman loves to hear… “What color would you like?”

I must admit that when I discovered the retail price of the gun I was, at once,  surprised and more than a little suspicious of the quality of a handgun that cheap. However, seeing is believing, and my instinct was that there is a lot of value in the G2C.

Features/Specs

Caliber: 9mm Luger or 40

Capacity: 12 rounds

Action type/trigger: Single Action with re-strike

Height: 5.10”

Width: 1.20”

Weight: 22oz

Safety: Striker Block, Manual Safety, Trigger Safety, Loaded Chamber Indicator

Price: suggested retail is $271.21, but you can find one for $249.00

Shooting Experience

Shooting the G2C at the range.

Ergonomics

There are several things I love about the ergonomics of this gun. First, my hand fits comfortably around the grip and the finger rests are convenient. I also appreciate the aggressive stippling which only appears on the portions of the grip that are most beneficial for locking the gun into your hand. I don’t have a preference one way or another, but I noticed that the sights are low-profile and similar to the M&P Shield.

Magazine Release

I’ve been frustrated before by magazines that don’t quickly drop when I press the release button; wasting precious time to coax it out with my left hand.  I had no such trouble with the G2C magazine, which ejected quickly with plenty of force. It’s made from metal instead of plastic, which may be a contributing factor.

Slide

The deep and somewhat sharp slide cutouts made it easy to grasp the slide and it felt easy to pull back. This was further validated when I measured the slide tension. You can see the results and how the G2C compares to other popular pistols here: Tension Rankings. (scroll down to see chart).

Recoil

The G2C also has relatively low recoil compared to other 9mm guns of similar size. I’d say it’s comparable to the Glock 43. You can see those comparisons here: Recoil rankings. (scroll down to see chart).

Safety Mechanisms

When it comes to safety mechanisms, the G2C is “loaded”! It has an internal striker block that keeps the firing pin from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled. This prevents accidental discharge if the gun were to be dropped.. The trigger safety keeps the gun from firing if the trigger experiences pressure other than a deliberate pull from the front. A loaded chamber indicator on top of the slide, lets you know without having to open the slide, if there is a bullet in the chamber. And finally, the manual safety on the outside of the gun only allows the gun to fire when it is switched off.

Using a manual safety is a personal preference but I like them. This one is large enough that I can easily turn it on and off with my thumb while gripping or drawing the gun. For more on this topic, check out my blog post, “Should I use a Gun Safety?”

Taurus G2C trigger travel distance vs. SIG P365
Left: trigger pulled up to the pressure wall | Right: trigger travel after pulling through the pressure wall and firing the gun

Trigger

The biggest concern I had with this gun is the trigger. While all other ergonomics felt great, the long trigger pull made shooting this gun a painful experience for me. I had to squeeze my hand tighter than normal, which tired my hand out quickly. You can see in the picture above how the trigger travel of the G2C compares to the SIG P365 and how much further back it must be pulled. The first photos show the trigger at the pressure wall and the second photo shows how far the trigger travels after pulling through the pressure wall and firing the gun. In the second photo of the G2C the trigger is all the way back against the front of the grip. Also, with my hand clenched, the recoil of the gun caused the trigger to rub my finger, which was uncomfortable.

Taping a piece of foam to my finger to move my finger forward in the trigger opening.

I suspected that if the trigger pull stopped in a more forward position, it would be more comfortable for me to shoot. To verify this, I taped a piece of foam to my finger which added enough padding to move my finger forward in the trigger opening. This hack did go a long way to eliminate the discomfort for me but, of course this isn’t a practical solution.

Keep in mind, trying out a gun is like trying on a pair of jeans because everyone is different. When a friend shot this gun, he had no problem.

I prefer triggers that have a distinct pressure wall, with minimal pull required after that point to fire the gun.. I think this helps with target acquisition when firing multiple shots and helps avoid “slapping” the trigger. That being said, there are some positives to the G2C trigger. Even though the pull has a long distance to the pressure wall, it feels very light through that range and the pressure wall is very distinct once it is reached. From the pressure wall there’s little distance to the breaking point.

Re-strike Capability

Finally, the G2C trigger has re-strike capability, meaning if the bullet doesn’t shoot the first time you pull the trigger, due to a light primer strike, you can pull it a second time (or more if you like) to try again.

Concealed Carry Experience

As you can see in the picture above, the G2C is a little larger than my normal carry gun, the Sig P365. When I feel like a gun is bulky or hard to conceal, I’ll often use a holster that compresses the gun close to my body like this bellyband from Can Can Concealment. Because the G2C has a manual safety, I feel confident pairing it with a “soft holster” like this, even though there’s no hard cover over the trigger.

Holster: Bellyband by Can Can Concealment

However, the sharp edges on the slide snagged the material and lodged the gun inside. When I pulled hard enough, it came out, but it made the draw more time consuming, required more strength, and moved my belly band out of place. This is a perfect illustration of why it’s important to practice your draw!

Holster: Made by Eclipse Holsters

Delta Holster (with wing) made by Eclipse Holsters.

My other holster option for the G2C is made by one of my favorite holster companies, Eclipse Holsters. In addition to having great quality, they allow you to customize the holster based on your preference of kydex color, rivet color and type of clip.

Belts and kydex holsters often feel bulky on my petite frame, but this holster has a special attachment to help with that. The piece under the clip is called a wing and it pushes against your belt, which in turn angles the grip of the gun closer to your body. Even though it feels larger than the bellyband, this hard-plastic holster allows for a much more consistent and safer draw.

*Tip -If you have a specific holster brand in mind, I recommend checking with them before purchasing this gun to make sure they build holsters for this model.

Breaking Down the Gun

Taking the G2C apart takes very little strength and is similar to breaking down a Glock, although it can be a little tedious during reassembly. Click here to watch me demonstrate.

Conclusion

My two biggest concerns after shooting and carrying the G2C are discomfort when shooting and snagging when drawing from a fabric holster. The gun performed reliably during my test but I limited my shooting to 500 rounds because of the discomfort. Like I said earlier, my friend didn’t experience any discomfort shooting this gun so I wouldn’t consider it a flaw in the gun. This gun and my hand are just not compatible.  This is an example of why I always recommend shooting a gun before buying to see if it works well for you.  As for snagging, a kydex holster eliminates that possibility completely.

Overall, I think the G2C is a great value because of the features it offers for a very reasonable price - a 9mm,  12 round magazine capacity, four safeties, a railing for a light or other attachment, great stippling, easy operating slide, crisp trigger, trigger re-strike, and a metal magazine with a strong eject.

You may notice that build quality isn’t quite up to the standards of guns twice the price, but that is to be expected. More important than the price of your equipment, is training with the gun you own and becoming skilled with it. If you’re a cost-conscious buyer, you should definitely consider the G2C.