Taurus really vibes with their G3 line. The G3 represents their modern incarnation of the polymer frame, striker-fired pistol. The G3 series encompasses a standard model and a compact now. Taurus introduced a mishmash of the G3 series in the form of the G3X and G3XL. The two platforms combine slides and frames to produce entirely different guns.
While I originally saw the G3X at SHOT, the G3XL came as a bit of a surprise and made a range debut at the Gathering 2022. The guys at the Taurus booth were more than willing to show off the features of both firearms and even let me light it up with nearly as many rounds as I wanted. I greedily took their 9mm and sent it downrange into a very small, reduced-sized torso target at about 20 yards or so.
The Taurus G3X takes the slide of the G3C, or compact, and mates it with the frame of the full-sized G3. This gives the gun a full-sized grip with a full-sized magazine. The G3X gives you a hand-filling grip with a shorter barrel. Guns like these are often seen as odd, like the Glock 19X and the G43X. Longer grips, shorter slides, what’s the point?
Well, if you want to carry OWB, these are often the way to go. The shorter barrel and slide make it easier to conceal against the body in an OWB holster. You still get the capacity of 15 rounds, but the shorter slide and barrel don’t poke out from under your shirt and reveal the gun. The longer grip does help control the weapon.
Wikiarms.com Search Engine Results
Want to see your products here? Click this
link.
Product
Price
Store
MPN
UPC
TAURUS G3X
$299.99
Guns.com
and 2 more stores
-
725327626367
See more results
for Taurus G3X on Wikiarms.com
Powered by Wikiarms.com
Once it came time to drop lead into steel, the longer grip of the gun made it easier to control, especially for rapid follow-up shots. The G3X did a fantastic job of being easy to control during rapid fire. The big hand-filling grip ensured I could rapidly place a magazine of 9mm into that tiny steel target at 20 yards.
The XL in G3XL originally had me thinking this would be a long slide version of the G3. However, it’s actually what occurs when you combine the full-sized G3 slide with the compact frame. What we get here is a long slide compact model, if you will. The benefit is the longer slide helps increase the sight radius, which helps increase accuracy.
The longer slide also makes it easier to land shots accurately at a variety of ranges. The smaller frame reduces weight and makes concealment a fair bit easier. This is especially true if appendix or IWB carry is the method of the day.
Wikiarms.com Search Engine Results
Want to see your products here? Click this
link.
Product
Price
Store
MPN
UPC
Taurus 1G3XLSR9041 G3XL Compact Frame 9mm Luger 12+1 4" Matte Stainless Steel Barrel, Matte Black Tenifer Serrated Steel Slide, Black Polymer Frame w/Picatinny Rail, Black Polymer Grip, Right Hand
$215.65
Frisco Guns
and 18 more stores
-
725327626374
TAURUS G3XL
$319.99
Guns.com
-
725327630487
See more results
for Taurus G3XL on Wikiarms.com
Powered by Wikiarms.com
At the range, the G3XL performed well. It’s super easy to shoot and to shoot accurately. I couldn’t miss with the gun. I kept the steel dinging and did so with speed. The longer slide made it easy to track the front sight and to recover and stay on target.
The Taurus G3 series will likely be the flagship of the Taurus lineup for years to come. The G3X and G3XL are two entries into an already very successful line of firearms. Personally, I prefer the G3XL. I like the smaller frame with the longer slide, but that’s my preference, what’s yours?
