New Taurus 9mm Millennium Pro
Sweet shootin' mini-9 boasts high-tech details galore!

By Charlie Cutshaw

It's not easy to keep up with every new Taurus handgun. The Brazil based company is in the forefront of firearms technology and when it seems that the best some companies can do is introduce yet another variation of some old design under the category of "new," Taurus marches to the tune of its own drummer, developing not only improvements of older designs, but truly new ones specifically for the US market. This is not to disparage classic designs, but the fact is that we have seen very little in the US firearm market in the past few years that can truly be called "new." Most of these new guns are variations on old themes with rare exception. So when something that is actually new comes along, we are very interested in evaluating and reporting upon it. With Taurus, we are rarely disappointed.

The latest offering from Taurus is a new and different line of its successful concealed carry Millennium line of pistols, the Millennium Pro series.  Although similar in concept, the Millennium Pro series is quite different in execution from its predecessors and has completely different fire control mechanisms. The Millennium Pro series does not replace, but rather supplements the original Millennium handguns. The first thing that one notices about the Millennium Pro series is that the pistols appear to be slightly larger than their predecessors. Our 9mm Millennium Pro PT111 was almost identical in dimensions to the earlier pistols, although it appeared to be slightly larger than the original PT111 Millennium. We checked, and the new pistols only look somewhat larger; they aren't. The dimensions of the Millennium Pro and the original are identical. This simply shows how the eye can be deceived.

Gun Details

As mentioned, the new Millennium Pro series supplements the older pistols, but does not replace them. The Millennium Pro will eventually be available not only in 9mm, but in .32ACP,
.380ACP, .40S&W and .45ACP. If the magazine capacity limitation is allowed to expire in 2004, which now seems possible, the smaller calibers will probably be available with magazine capacities of greater than ten rounds.

The controls on the Millennium Pro are much improved over those of the earlier Millennium pistols. The slide release is nearly twice as large to facilitate quick reloads, while the disassembly lever is also larger to ease its turning and withdrawal for disassembly.
The safety is also larger and easier to engage and disengage, although a manual safety on a double-action-only (DAO) pistol such as the Millennium Pro is unnecessary. Legal liabilities notwithstanding, we believe that Taurus should take a lesson from other major manufacturers, tell their lawyers to forget about being involved in gun design, and get rid of the safety on their DAO pistols.

Adding a safety only complicates matters when danger threatens and the adrenaline rush comes. Is the safety on or off? For that reason, when we carry our Taurus PT145, we never use the safety because it is unnecessary. This is our only complaint about the design of the Millennium Pro, but it's only my opinion. Our only other negative comment regarding this and indeed all Taurus pistols is that the guns are shipped with only one magazine. We would prefer to pay a bit more and have two magazines, rather than having to order a spare. Every pistol that has any pretensions towards selfdefense work should be sold with a minimum of two magazines.

The frame of the Millennium Pro is similar to the earlier pistols, but has been improved in several ways. The first of these is the fire control. While the Millennium Pro remains a striker fired pistol, the fire control mechanism is substantially different from the earlier pistols. The trigger has a shorter length of pull and is markedly smoother than the older Millennium handguns. There is slight free travel before meeting resistance.

Once takeup begins, the trigger pull is smooth without any unevenness, binding or stacking. The trigger pull averaged 7 pounds, 12 ounces over ten pulls using a Lyman digital trigger gauge. The highest pull weight we encountered was 8 pounds, 5 ounces and the lowest 7 pounds, 3 ounces. We suspect that the improvement in trigger pull results from different geometry of the trigger bar and the modified striker mechanism. There is a positive firing pin safety within the slide that physically blocks the striker until the trigger is fully retracted. The block is moved aside by a stud on the trigger bar that engages it as the trigger bar moves to the rear. The configuration of the trigger bar is such as it moves to the rear, the forward portion rises to disengage the striker block while the sear at the rear of the bar drops and releases the striker, which then moves forward under spring pressure to fire the cartridge.

A second, almost invisible internal safety is what Taurus refers to as the "Taurus Safety Latch." This is a small hook-shaped pawl attached to the trigger, which physically blocks rearward movement of the trigger bar until the trigger is pulled. As the trigger is pulled, the pawl moves aside, allowing the trigger bar to move to the rear.The Taurus Safety Latch is a very simple mechanism that is completely transparent to the shooter, yet positively blocks any movement of the trigger bar until the trigger is pulled.

The alloy insert that forms the serial numbered portion, or "frame," of the pistol has likewise been modified and improved. The Taurus system uses full length rails on which the slide rides, rather than small molded-in inserts like those of some other manufacturers of polymer framed pistols. The alloy "frame" is a press fit into the pistol grip and is retained in place by two pins.
The "frame" can be removed by simply pressing out the two pins. Thus, if the polymer grip is ever damaged for some reason, the alloy portion that contains the fire control mechanism, upon which the slide moves, can easily be replaced. The polymer grip itself is a dramatic improvement over its predecessors.

The Millennium Pro grip has molded checkering and roughened grip panels to improve the shooter's grip on the pistol. In addition, the magazine bumper pad is now integral to the grip, making for an enlarged and improved gripping area. The ideal grip angle of approximately eleven degrees remains as before, while the grip itself has been reshaped for better comfort, recoil management and pointing characteristics.

The Millennium Pro sits somewhat lower in the hand, again a result of the grip redesign, which aids in recoil management and rapid followup shots. The Millennium Pro series all feature slight recesses in the grip and just above the forward portion of the triggerguard that Taurus calls "Memory Pads." These simple, yet clever, recesses provide a natural resting point for the thumb and forefinger, and help ensure a consistent hold from shot to shot. Moreover, they assist in achieving the little pistol's instinctive pointing by giving the thumb a natural and consistent location. With practice, the thumb can be used as a pointing aid and Taurus' latest design takes full advantage of this fact with its "Memory Pads." All in all, the Millennium Pro is a very elegant design. Handling is excellent. The grip angle and pistol's ergonomics are such that the Millennium points naturally.

Because it is a polymer framed pistol with most of the weight above the frame, the Millennium Pro feels top heavy when empty, but this disappears when the magazine is filled. With a full magazine, the Millennium Pro balances extremely well. The rear portion of the magazine release is flush with the grip panels to prevent accidental release, but protrudes slightly at the front so that dropping the magazine is as simple as pressing in with the thumb, but it is virtually impossible to accidentally drop the magazine. For left-hand shooters, the magazine release can be reversed, although all other controls are strictly for right-handers. Needless to say, the magazine drops free when the release is pressed.

We have already mentioned that the striker safety is improved over the older Millennium pistols, but the recoil mechanism has also been improved upon. Instead of separate components, the recoil mechanism is unitary, with primary and secondary springs attached to the guide rods to enhance recoil management while precluding loss of separate springs and guide rods. The slide itself has seven serrations versus the five of older pistols.

These seven serrations are also spread over a larger area to provide the shooter with a longer gripping surface, a real benefit for shooters with large hands like the author's. As before, the Taurus Security System (TSS) integral lock is in the Millennium Pro's slide. When engaged, this lock blocks slide, striker and trigger movement. We are not great fans of firearm locks of any type, but the Taurus is about as good as such mechanisms get. It is there if you want to use it and unobtrusive if you don't. The Taurus lock is convenient to use and provides a visible and tactile indication of its status.

The little Taurus Millennium also has a loaded chamber indicator, again providing both visible and tactile indication of the pistol's status. We do not advise totally depending upon such devices to determine a firearm's loaded or unloaded status, but the presence of such a device is helpful. When a round is in the pistol's chamber, the indicator protrudes and shows a small red line. The Millennium Pro's "three dot" combat type sights have also been enlarged for easier use. Trijicon Tritium sights are available as an option.

The new Millennium series also marks a new direction in the company's production-it's the first major caliber centerfire pistol assembled in the United States. The miniature PT22 and PT25 pistols are assembled and manufactured here, but these tiny pistols are .22 and .25 caliber respectively, not a major handgun caliber. Components are shipped from Brazil and the Millennium is assembled at the company's Miami, Florida facility. Taurus plans to have all Millennium Pro pistols assembled in the United States.

How It Shoots
Shooting the Millennium Pro was about what we have come to expect from Taurus pistols. The little pistol was absolutely reliable with every type of ammunition we fed it and it was quite accurate. Recoil was easily manageable, but the 9mm cartridge is generally controllable in most well designed handguns. The Millennium Pro's design made it easy and fun to shoot. We fired at a distance of ten yards because that is the most realistic range for a compact, short barreled pistol like this; the Millennium Pro isn't designed or intended to be a match pistol. After our formal evaluation, we set up some steel targets and ran speed drills with the pistol. It would probably acquit itself well in IDPA competition.

In the final analysis, Taurus has once again demonstrated the kind of innovative thinking and marketing that has brought the Brazilian firm to the forefront of the firearms industry. The new Millennium Pro series is a significant improvement over the older pistols without making them obsolete. The PT111 Millennium Pro we tested was totally reliable and more accurate than a short barreled "concealed carry" automatic has any right to be. The DAO trigger is excellent-very smooth and crisp. These facts, coupled with Taurus transferable lifetime warranty, make the Millennium Pro a very attractive package. For those seeking a 9mm compact pistol for personal protection, the Taurus Millennium Pro is worth a very close look.

Reprinted with permission from Combat Handguns September 2003 issue.