Can’t believe Real Guns hasn’t been asked to become a reality show. We have all of the required ingredients; colorful and stressful personality, unlimited trite and trivial comments. I think I could fill the role of the irascible old duffer, pretty ladies work here, and we have a tech guy who gives us hours and hours of repartee when asked why projects are taking longer than projected. I could see a camera crew following me out to the range while I check out some handloads by shooting plastic jugs full of water. But then, I’d probably have to shave and change into a spiffier sweat suit. The price of going Hollywood. Until we get the call…
Why we are here, in a non-metaphysical sense?
Part 1 described firearm hardware aesthetics, general operation and assessment of workmanship. Unfortunately, without some live fire and controlled data collection, that information is only useful when determining a firearm’s potential as a thrown weapon. Part 2 follows the expenditure of expensive ammunition, chronograph records of velocity and witnesses assembled to assure targets were appropriately placed, bullet holes were accurately counted and group sizes were measured. In this case, we even compared the Millennium’s 3.2″ barrel performance with a 4.5″ barrel Glock to illustrate the velocity tradeoffs that accompany any compact pistol.
| Ammo Type | Bullet Weight |
Muzzle Velocity FPS 3.2″ |
Muzzle Velocity FPS 4.5″ |
| Federal American Eagle | 165 | 1002 | 1070 |
| Speer Gold Dot | 155 | 1127 | 1321 |
| Remington Golden Saber | 165 | 1131 | 1281 |
| Winchester Target | 165 | 916 | 1005 |
| Remington Golden Saber | 180 | 1017 | 1133 |
| Remington UMC | 180 | 914 | 1000 |
| Speer Lawman | 180 | 859 | 977 |
The 40 S&W is a very effective defensive cartridge. Its ranking within one shot stops based on data from Federal, state and local law enforcement is 94%, compared to 91% for the 9mm Luger and 96% for the 45 Auto. With bullet weights typically falling between 135 grain and 200 grains and loaded, 60 grain to 200 grain and shot as loaded ammunition, it becomes obvious that the 40 S&W sees a good deal of service. The combination of the Taurus Millennium 140 G2 and 40 S&W is a solid blend of concealment and power as illustrated in the table above. Even after shedding a few fps as a result of a shortened barrel, the combination is still making serious power.
Personality
The G2 is a very manageable compact firearm, which is not a common occurrence as many bite or sting when shooting or are little more than point and shoot guns. The Taurus’s grip has enough rear surface to dampen recoil and its more vertical than a Glock grip angle make for a natural point that gets the guns sights quickly on target. Muzzle rise is minimal as is recovery for a second shot.
Shooting from a modified Weaver stance, with weak hand index finger tugging on the front of the Millennium’s trigger guard… a stance which is supposed to be obsolete, resulted in performance where 0.7″ 7 yard groups were the norm. The only ammo that shot significantly larger groups was Federal American Eagle at 1.1″… which is not bad at all.
Seven types of ammo were incorporated into this assessment. All of it fed, all of it cycled, full metal jacket or gaping hollow point. Slide effort for a short barrel 40 S&W is more than reasonable and the Taurus is a comfortable gun to carry and shoot..
The thumb safety is in thumb swipe reach, the trigger is in easy reach and the trigger guard opening is 0.960″ high compared to 0.880″ for the Glock 22. It is enough of a dimensional difference to save me from the distraction of my finger dragging along the bottom of the Taurus’s trigger guard. The stippled grip surfaces really work, providing a terrific non-slip contoured surface.
There are only a couple of things I would like to see changed. Extending the magazine release out 0.030″ or so or reworking the latch so less compression is required for release. The button is far enough down on the grip not to pose an accidental release problem and I really like one hand control without breaking my grip. I would like to see FireSights in the same adjustable form. Taurus did a great job with these sights, but light gathering contrasting colors would be a nice enhancement. Nice pistol. For further information check the Taurus USA site.
Taurus’s Millennium 140 G2 – Part 1
Taurus’s Millennium 140 G2 – Part 2
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