The vast majority of handguns sold today are of the semiautomatic, striker-fired variety. These guns are rugged, reliable, and offer impressive capacity for their size. However, many of the "go-to" models in this category like the Glock the Walther, or the M&P, can be priced well out of reach for people who are only able to spend a few hundred dollars. This is where the G3 comes in: it offers all of the features that users are looking for in a modern semiautomatic striker fired handgun at a very reasonable price. MSRP for the G3 is $340 dollars, but can commonly be found for less. I got this one for $250 at Brownells.
The G3 is the successor to the popular and successful G2C, and as such it is an evolution or refinement of the design. While the G2C is a compact handgun in terms of size, very similar to a Smith and Wesson Shield, the G3 is noticeably larger and much closer in size to a Glock 17. It is 7.28 inches long, 5.2 inches tall, and 1.2 inches wide. It has a 4-inch barrel with a 1 in 10 twist, and it weighs about 25 ounces unloaded.
The G3 has a polymer frame, a stainless steel barrel, and a steel slide. The slide is finished in a matte black Tenifer finish that looks very similar to what is on the 856 revolver. The sights that are mounted on the gun are a blacked-out rear sight coupled with a white-dot front post. They are made of steel and not plastic, and they are Glock-compatible so there are a large number of choices if owners want to switch them out.
The frame of the G3 sports a good sized 1913 picatinny rail for mounting accessories, and also these small relieved sections on both sides for thumbs. The slide stop and external safety are only on the left side of the frame, so they are not ambidextrous and not able to be switched to the other side, which is something that left-handed shooters want to consider. The magazine release is also on the left side of the frame; however, it is reversible and can be switched to the right side for the lefties out there. Also on the frame is a polymer trigger shoe with the safety blade in the middle, as well as some generous texturing all the way around the frame.
Disassembly of the weapon is very similar to the Glock: pull back slightly on the slide and simultaneously pull down on the takedown tabs on both sides of the frame. Then point in a safe direction and pull the trigger, and the slide comes off. Inside the frame there is a trigger and sear system that is very reminiscent of the M&P system, where the striker is held at the fully cocked position by the sear back here. There is one notable difference to the trigger action though, which I will talk about in a moment.
Inside the slide also looks very similar to the Glock. The dual recoil springs are captive and ride on a polymer guide rod. The barrel is a tilting design that again looks a lot like the Glock system. To reassemble, drop the barrel back in place, and the drop the recoil assembly into place. The slide then goes back onto the frame, and then test for function.
I mentioned a second ago that there was one aspect to the trigger that sets it apart, which is that the G3 has a second-strike capability. This means that if the shooter pulls the trigger and the round in the chamber fails to ignite, the shooter can pull the trigger again to manually cock and release the striker on that same round without having to cycle the slide. The pull distance for a second strike is longer than a normal pull, and the pull weight is slightly heavier, but it is a great feature to have.
Speaking of pull weights, the G3 averaged about 5.5lbs in "normal" (aka single action) mode, and about 6.25lbs in "second strike" (aka double action) mode.
Now that we've taken a look at the specs and features of the G3, I wanted to talk a bit about what I liked about it, and there were actually a number of things I liked about it. I liked that the included sights were metal and Glock compatible, which gives people options for replacing them. I like the style of the sights themselves, with a blacked out rear and a simple dot front. I like the second strike capability and the relatively light trigger pull weight in "normal" mode, and I like the surprisingly short trigger reset. I love the aggressiveness of the texturing on the frame; it reminds me a LOT of my M&P. I love an aggressive textured frame and the G3 definitely delivers on that. Lastly, I love the short length of pull, or the distance from the back of the frame to the trigger shoe. This distance is notably shorter than in a lot of guns I own, and as a shooter with smaller hands this makes it very comfortable to shoot for me.
Now for some things that I don't like...First is the external safety. I understand why some people would be looking for this, but personally I don't prefer it, and I wish there was an option to get a G3 without an external safety. The second thing I don't like is the very long pretravel for the trigger. I understand that it is a necessary evil for that second strike capability, but I would still like it if it were less somehow. Finally, (and this is the most minor of complaints because I know it's a cost-cutting measure), I do not like the finish on the slide. It just screams cost cutting and it also is great at attracting any sort of dust or lint in the vicinity.
If you're interested in the G3, you can pick one up at Brownells. Coming up we have more articles with the 856 and the G3 in the budget defense series, including mods as well as a direct head-to-head comparison. So if that interests you, go ahead and make sure you've bookedmarked this page! That's all I have for you this time, so until next time, stay safe!