Taurus has developed a bit of a spotty reputation from their past designs. It’s a bit unfortunate because some of their guns look good and feel good in your hand. But if it doesn’t run, it’s not a good gun.
But Taurus is looking to turn their reputation around with the Taurus G2C. The G2C is Taurus’s contribution to the polymer frame, striker-fired category of handguns. And it aims to be a legitimate budget concealed carry gun.
But does it meet that goal?
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Taurus G2C 9mm: The Concealed Carry Assessment
Since Taurus markets this as a concealed carry pistol, I used the same criteria I’d use on any gun I was considering using as a defensive tool.
For me, reliability and efficiency come first and foremost. Everything else is optional.
Reliability
Reliability is obviously the most important characteristic to have in a defensive pistol. If it doesn’t work when you need it, it’s not a very good defensive tool.
The G2C pistols I’ve shot have relatively few rounds fired through them. So it’s difficult to assess the longevity side of reliability.
However, in terms of “will it work when you need it most,” the G2C looks promising. I’ve fired a few of them down at the range. And I’ve seen quite a few of them being fired by range customers.
So far, very few malfunctions. I had no malfunctions with the ones I shot. And people don’t seem to have many issues with theirs when they come in to shoot.
However, I’d still recommend putting at least 250 rounds (including 50 rounds of your defensive ammunition) through your G2C before you start carrying it. If it won’t run 250 rounds without malfunctioning, that’s problematic for a carry gun.
Quality control has been a big issue for Taurus in the past. They may have stepped up their game with the G2C. But I’d still recommend verifying that the one you have is reliable before you put it into service.
Efficiency
Efficiency is the next most important characteristic to have in a defensive pistol. The more steps there are in getting your gun to go bang, the less likely it is that you’ll get them all done before you get wrecked.
The main issue with the G2C here is the external manual safety. It just adds a step to the process of using your gun defensively. And it doesn’t truly add any safety. There’s also a fairly glaring issue with the safety lever, which I’ll cover in more detail in a minute.
Anyway, worst case scenario with an external manual safety: you extend the gun to shoot, and it doesn’t fire because the safety is on. That could put you in a very bad position.
However, this is a striker fired gun. So the trigger is consistent and not too heavy.
If you’re the sort that must have an external manual safety, this will fit the bill. But it’s not the most efficient option, since the manual safety adds an additional step to shooting.
Cost
The cost is the last thing I’d consider for a defensive gun, since I’m willing to pay for reliability and efficiency.
However, price still matters. And this gun nails the price. It comes in at around $200, depending on where you shop. That’s a killer deal when you consider that most other polymer guns cost $500 or more.
Also, given the fact that it actually works, it’s an even better deal.
However, I sympathize if the price makes you feel a little wary. The price seems too good to be true, especially when the proven guns cost at least twice as much.
So, yes this is an incredibly affordable gun. But the price makes me feel even more strongly about doing a reliability check before using the G2C as a carry gun.
Design and Features
All the other points aside, how does this gun feel and shoot?
Overall, pretty good.
Grip
I found the grip shape to be remarkably comfortable. It feels similar to a Smith & Wesson M&P, which is one of the most comfortable guns on the market, in my opinion.
And the texturing is actually better than the 2.0 M&P pistols. The G2C grip texture is aggressive. But not abrasive. It gives you a really sure grip. But won’t make your hands sore if you shoot a lot.
There’s also a nice little indention to use as an index point when you’ve got your finger off the trigger, which is a nice feature.
So, in terms of grip shape and texturing, the G2C nails it.
Controls
The magazine release is well placed. I can reach the magazine release almost without shifting my grip on the gun at all. And I have short little gnome thumbs, which means that most people will find the magazine release to be easy to reach.
The slide stop itself is nice. It’s fairly flush. I never rode the slide stop while I was shooting. So it always went to slide lock when the magazine was empty.
But I found that the safety kind of crowded the slide stop. If I needed to lock the slide open, I found it to be tricky because the safety got in the way.
I’m left handed, though. So it may not be an issue if you’re using your thumb to push the slide stop.
But that brings up my biggest issue with this gun: no ambidextrous controls. If it had an ambidextrous safety, it wouldn’t be such a big deal. But not even the safety lever is ambidextrous.
This basically makes this gun a no go for left-handers. There’s just no way to articulate the safety without getting stupid with your grip. And you definitely couldn’t disengage the safety as you extend the gun to shoot, which is the most efficient technique for using a manual safety.
All in all, the controls are pretty good. But making a gun without ambidextrous controls is very un-woke in 2021.
Sights
Anyway, the G2C comes with three dot sights. It’s a very standard sight configuration. And it gets the job done.
This pistol also comes with an adjustable rear sight. This is a neat feature. But I’m not a fan of it, especially on a compact carry gun.
I prefer driftable sights because, once you’ve got them installed accurately, they’re set. You never have to mess with them again unless your sights get loose for some reason. And they usually don’t, if you have them installed properly.
Adjustable sights have always been an issue, in my experience. Eventually, every adjustable pistol sight I’ve seen loses it’s zero. Some go out faster than others. But none of them say on target forever.
To be fair, it takes a lot of rounds to shake the adjustable sights out of zero. But it’s simply not an issue with fixed sights.
Maybe Taurus has found a way to make their adjustable sights wiggle proof. Only time will tell. But I wish they would have just used fixed sights, and spent more time and money on the trigger…
Trigger
Now for the trigger.
Many people have criticized the G2C for having a gritty trigger with a lot of mush in the break. And those people are right. The trigger is pretty mediocre.
There’s a surprising amount of take up. And there’s quite a bit of slop as you push through the wall. It’s worse than a factory Glock trigger.
But the trigger shoe has a nice, comfortable shape. And it still breaks at around 5 pounds. It’s not ridiculously heavy or anything. So it’s not all bad.
But, all in all, it’s a totally manageable trigger, especially for a defensive gun. And what did you even expect from a $200 gun?
No, the Taurus G2C trigger isn’t great. But, if you practice with it, you’ll be able to shoot this gun just fine.
Is the Taurus G2C a Good Gun?
So far, it seems to be a good gun for the money.
Again, I can’t speak to the longevity because I haven’t seen a G2C with tons of rounds through it yet. But it’s reliable from what I’ve seen. And the ergonomics are great (if you’re right handed).
The manual safety is a bummer. But that’s really my only major gripe about this gun (aside from the lack of ambidextrous controls).
Also, the low price comes with a couple bonuses: a lot of people have purchased this gun because it’s so affordable. In response, there are plenty of Taurus G2C holsters and Taurus G2C upgrades on the market.
So you can get what you need if you’re going to carry, upgrade the trigger, or ditch the adjustable sights.
All things considered, I’d say the Taurus G2C is a good gun for the money. It wouldn’t be my first choice. But that’s just because I’m left handed.
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