Taurus G3

The Taurus G3 is the bestselling budget full-size striker-fired 9mm in the United States. At $300 street, it delivers a 17+1 capacity, 4-inch barrel, full-length steel slide, and a polymer frame with a Picatinny rail at a price that no other full-size 9mm matches. The 24.83 oz unloaded weight sits between Glock 19 (23.6 oz) and Glock 17 (24.8 oz), and the grip texture is more aggressive than either Glock generation out of the box.

The G3 trigger is a single-action striker with restrike capability, which is the meaningful design departure from the Glock pattern. If a primer fails to ignite, the shooter can pull the trigger again without racking the slide, useful for hard-primer Eastern European range ammo. Pull weight is approximately 5 to 6 lbs with a long take-up and a defined wall, comparable to a stock Glock with a connector swap. Aftermarket trigger spring kits from Galloway Precision and M*Carbo drop the pull weight to around 4 lbs for under $30.

Reliability is the G3's best-known weakness from the early production runs, but Taurus has materially improved manufacturing tolerances since 2020. Modern G3 production runs through 1,000 rounds without cleaning in shooter testing. The G3 T.O.R.O. variant adds an optic-ready slide cut to the Shield RMSc footprint, expanding optic compatibility to Holosun 407K / 507K, EPS Carry, SIG Romeo Zero, and Vortex Defender-CCW. For a 9mm platform comparison, see the best 9mm pistols guide.