Range Report: Taurus 24/7 G2 .45ACP Compact

Some of you have read my other posts, I have been looking at getting my first .45 for some time now. I looked at several options based on a certain criteria (not a 1911, minimum 8 rounds, polymer frame, rail, compact enough to reasonably carry in temperate weather), I looked hard at the Glock 30 family, but ultimately decided it was too thick for IWB carry. I have been doing some reshuffling of my gun collection recently and didn't want to go all out and spend $900 on a .45 right now so I wanted something reasonably priced to fit into mu overall arsenal. The purpose for this gun is primarily as a HD gun, range gun, and occasional CCW. As for HD use, it will play second fiddle to my AR-15 and will be fitted with a Streamlight TLR-4 that has been lonely since I sold my M&Ps. For CC use, I will likely limit that to the winter when I have a jacket and can go IWB or OWB or take it in the car as a backup gun. I have experience with Taurus guns in the past and, true to their reputation, mine had been mixed. I have a 740 that has had several annoying but not dangerous problems (slide not locking back, front sight came off) but was impressed by this gun after handling it several times and r3eading generally positive reviews. The 24/7 gen 1 is riddled with problems and no longer made, gen 2 is this gun. It is made in full size and compact versions in 9mm, .40, and .45 ACP. This gun I bought is the .45ACP Compact G2. I paid $439 for the version with the stainless slide (blued is $10 less but I like the stainless look and didn't have another stainless gun right now). The following is written after I took it today and fired 150 rounds of 230gr FMJ.

Initial Impression/Feel:

First off, Taurus have really stepped up their packaging. I know this isn't a big deal, but it kind of shoes that under their new leadership (Kressler, the new CEO was previously with Mossberg and Sig Sauer) they are serious about not being seen as second rate anymore. It comes in a large hard case with the gun (which is as greasy as a slab of bacon to protect it in shipping via sea from Brazil), 2 magazines (10rd flush fit and 12rd extended with X Grip style adapter from the full size, honestly I prefer the 10rd feel), cleaning brush (with actual handle *cough Glock take note cough*), papers, locking keys (internal lock as on all Taurus guns, good but useless for me since no kids are around), and loader.

The gun feels solidly built, much like a Ruger does. The fit of the slide to frame is good, not immaculate like Les Baer 1911, but no gaps. The polymer frame, especially the edges, are devoid of imperfections and I didn't see any parts hanging off from the molds. The Picatanny rail is sharply cut and my TLR-4 snapped on firmly. The magazines both fit firmly into place when seated with a normal amount of force for a handgun and there are no obvious rattles when I shake the gun unloaded. The gun is not light but not terrible heavy either, listed empty weight is 27oz (Glock 30 is 24.5oz for comparison).

Ergonomics:

This gun is not petite, but few .45s are. The barrel is 3.5" in the compact and 5" in the full size, the guns are basically the same except for the difference in length and height, I held a full size but never really considered it, it is a very large gun (roughly the size of a Glock 21). In exchange for the fairly beefy size, the controls are completely ambidextrous all the time, no need to change the mag release of slide release, they are on both sides as is the manual safety. I'm right handed so I don't care that much, but it is nice for lefties. The texture of the grip is a bit rough but not terribly harsh, I may slip a Hogue grip on it, mainly since I'm a huge fan of the cobble stone texture and have them on most of my guns anyway. A nice feature is the "memory pads" on the front of the frame. These are smooth dimples that naturally draw your trigger finger to them while holding a proper shooting grip when off trigger. The safeties are a nice touch for a range of HD gun and easily switch off with a downward sweep of the thumb. Takedown procedure is the same as a Glock.

Range:

Ah yes, the fun part. Took it out today and fired 3 50rd boxes of 230gr FMJ. Unfortunately, with ammo hard to come by I was a bit limited on my brand choices. I had one box each of Speer Lawman, WWB and Monarch Brass (made by PPU). I had one malfunction, and it was a bad primer on a WWB round. Other than that, nothing. Every round went bang as directed. The recoil is stout but not snappy like a .40, it is more like a punch than a snap or pop. The sights are basic white dot (adjustable rear) and I was shooting a bit low it seems. I'm new to .45 so this may be a part of the reason also. I bought a 100 back of WWB tonight and hope to get another 50-100 rounds and head back out on Sunday or Monday to shoot some more. I prefer the 10rd flush fitting mag over the 12rd from the compact but will still use the 12rd for HD.

The trigger is kind of unusual, it is a DA/SA but is striker fired. Basically, if you have the slide forward and gun unloaded, insert mag and rack the slide it goes into DA (10rd) mode, after the first shot it goes into SA (5lb) thereafter. The DA pull is heavy and long, and the SA pull is heavy for an SA, roughly the weight of a stock Glock trigger. You can 'trick' the gun into SA from the start by racking the slide (while unloaded) with the trigger pulled then loading it. I plan to use it in this mode with the safety engaged.

Conclusion:

For the price, I am very pleased so far. I had no gun induced failures at all. The recoil isn't a joke, but isn't unpleasant either. The internal fit and finish is pretty good, it doesn't look like tolerances are rough and crude like on some other guns I have seen. The finish of the frame and stainless slide are a nice brushed non-reflective finish, everything on the gun is either black polymer or brushed stainless steel. The mags are polymer coated steel and have polymer followers with very tight springs. I know Taurus have a mixed reputation, but in my opinion, I got my $439 worth so far. This is a solidly built gun that so far is reliable and fits into the role that I envisioned for it. I am glad I didn't buy a Glock, it wouldn't have been worth it for what I wanted. Keep in mind that this is the .45 version of the 24/7 G2, the 9mm and .40 versions are much more common and may/may not have similar results. Overall, I am glad I bought this gun. Hope you enjoyed my review, thank you for reading, you now owe me $15.