At the end of 2021, Taurus USA introduced the Taurus Optics Ready Option (T.O.R.O.) version of its GX4 micro-compact handgun, giving handgunners the opportunity to easily add a red-dot optic to the pistol. Watch our "American Rifleman Television" Rifleman Review segment above to see the details on this CCW-friendly firearm.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but there's a new pistol class in town, and this is the micro-compact," NRA Publications Editorial Director Mark Keefe said. "And when we say that, it's usually a 10 to 12 round 9 mm. Typically, under 6" in length, under 4.5" in height. The latest entrant into the entire class, of course, is the Taurus GX4, which is an all-new pistol design."
Built with a 3.06" barrel, the Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. is one of the most compact self-defense handguns on the market. The gun uses a staggered-column box magazine holding 11 rounds of 9 mm Luger, which narrows at the top into a single-stack for easy feeding. Mec-Gar makes these metal-bodied magazines for Taurus.
"The GX4 is unlike other Taurus guns in that it does not have a second-strike capability," Keefe said. "This is a true striker-fired gun, and it has, of course, a blade-in-blade trigger safety here. And it's a little more vertical than we've seen on some of the other Taurus guns. But it takes a slight amount of pressure to depress the safety, then it's about a 7.5-lb. pull. Sometimes it's a little lighter, it depends. I've seen them go as low as six with multiple guns."
At the top end of the gun, the Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. includes five cocking serrations at the front and four at the rear, providing plenty of texturing users can grasp to get the gun into battery. A beveled cut at the front of the slide narrows its profile to make the easier to insert into the mouth of a holster.
"What sets this apart from the previous GX4 is the fact that you can put a red-dot optic on it," Keefe said. "There's not a whole lot of real estate here. We've mounted the small Crimson Trace on this particular example. But a red-dot sight gives you more distance. Even though you have a short barrel, it gives you a single focal plane and allows you to make accurate shots at longer distance. And that's certainly the case with this gun."
On the frame, the GX4 T.O.R.O. includes fine stippling on the frontstrap and backstrap, and the backstrap is also replaceable with different-size inserts to better-fit the pistol to a particular user's hand. Control-wise, the pistol includes a reversible magazine-release button and a slide-stop lever.
"It's really a simple point-and-shoot gun very well executed by Taurus," Keefe said. "One of the most important features on any carry gun is the width, how it prints on the body. And Taurus was able to keep this at right about an inch, 1.04" if you got your calipers out, which makes this gun very carryable. The thing about this gun is it has that 11-round magazine capacity. And it's not too bad to shoot, but the thing that this has got going for it is it's about $150 less than its closest competitor."
Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. Specifications
Manufacturer: Taurus USA, Inc.
Action Type: recoil-operated, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Slide: carbon steel; gas-nitride finish
Frame: polymer
Overall Length: 6.05"
Barrel: 3.05", steel; six-groove, 1:10" RH twist rifling
Magazine: 11-round detachable box
Sights: steel; fixed, white-dot front, drift-adjustable, square-notch rear
Trigger: striker-fired; 6-lb., 9-oz. pull
Height: 4.25"
Width: 1.04"
Weight: 18.5 ozs.
Accessories: owner's manual, slide cover plate, hard case, extra magazine, interchangeable backstraps, lock
MSRP: $425
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