If you would have told me a decade ago that a Taurus handgun would become my daily carry, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am, with an optic ready Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. (Taurus Optic Ready Option) holstered inside my waistband. It all started with me evaluating Taurus’ GX4 and finding it a reliable all-day carry gun.
The Optic Ready Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O.
Most who have shot one have been impressed, especially me. When Taurus came out with their GX4 T.O.R.O., I jumped at the chance to try it out. Spoiler alert, I like it and it has replaced the original GX4 as my daily carry.
Gun Details
When you pick the GX4 T.O.R.O. up in your hands, it feels solid, and the aggressive stippling is a very nice touch. Overall, the pistol has nice lines and looks smart. It came with two palm swells, one with a slight swell and the other with a high-swell backstrap. I preferred the high-swell, as it just fit my hands better.
The trigger, I dare say, might be Taurus’ best trigger on a striker-fired handgun. There is a tiny bit of take-up, which is also true of the reset. It’s a quick, short trigger.
Sights consist of a white-dot front and serrated, drift-adjustable rear. Taurus kept this simple to keep the cost down and because most shooters will install the sights they prefer anyway. I was a little disappointed it didn’t have a fiber-optic front, but hey, I can put that on myself.
The 3.06-inch barrel features a satin black DLC treatment, while the slide has a gas nitride coating. The DLC helps reduce friction and wear and increases corrosion resistance, while the slide treatment helps surface hardness. The remaining operational control parts received a Teflon coating.
The capacity of the GX4 as it comes is 11+1, and it comes with two magazines. Taurus will offer an a la carte 11-shot magazine with a finger extension and a 13-shot extended magazine. It will also come with a 10-shot magazine for those who live in restricted states.
Takedown and Availability
The GX4 has no takedown lever, but rather a takedown pin/screw on the right side. With a flathead screwdriver (a 9mm shell rim works, too), turn the pin counterclockwise. Make sure the magazine is removed beforehand and that the pistol is cleared and empty. Press the trigger, and the slide comes off.
The GX4 T.O.R.O. retails for $468. Out of all the current micro-compact pistols capable of mounting a red-dot out there, the Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. is one of the least expensive. Don’t discount it because of its price or that it’s a “Taurus.” Go shoot one. I am willing to bet you will be surprised.
Sights & Red Dots
Because I was going to start carrying the optic ready Taurus GX4 daily, I needed to upgrade the sights. I turned to XS Sights and their DXT2 Standard Dot, which is a perfect fit for this micro-compact 9mm.
The front sight has a glow dot that absorbs light in low levels before it is dark enough to see the tritium. The rear v-notch has a white line with tritium in it, down the middle of the sight, that aids in seeing the sight picture. The combination is quick and intuitive, which is a must-have for those stressful situations. You can find them at xssights.com.
As mentioned before, I was trying out the Holosun HE407-GR X2 and Riton 3 Tactix MPRD 2 on the Taurus. The Holosun features a green dot that is 6-MOA. It has 12 brightness settings with a run time of 50,000 hours on a CR1632 battery.
In addition, It does have a locking function and motion sensor to “wake up” the green dot. It is housed in a 7075 aluminum and is waterproof. Photographer Andy Grossman preferred the Holosun to the Riton. MSRP is about $260 for it, and you can find out more at Holosun.com.
I preferred the Riton 3 Tactix MPRD 2 over the Holosun on the Taurus. I felt it had a slightly larger window, which helped me in finding the red dot. The Riton features a 1-MOA red dot. It has shake-awake, auto-brightness, and auto-off after three minutes.
It takes one CR2032 battery and has a run time of about 50,000 hours and is also waterproof and shockproof. MRSP is $350, and you can find out more about it at RitonOptics.com.
Xecutive Carry
It’s tough finding a good holster for your favorite carry gun in your favorite position. It’s even tougher to find one that’s comfortable. And then it’s almost impossible to find one that can be carried comfortably in various positions—it’s the holster unicorn. I am here to tell you that the holster unicorn does in fact exist, and it’s the new N8 Tactical Xecutive Holster.
What makes this holster unique is its durable Spartech Royalite Holster Grade plastic. It kind of feels soft to the touch and is extremely comfortable against the skin. I usually find AIWB extremely uncomfortably, but the Xecutive changed all that for me. Trust me, buy one or two of them; completely worth it, especially at an MSRP of $50.
N8 Tactical bills the Xecutive as meeting the demands for serious EDC users. It accommodates both micro red-dots and co-witness or suppressor-height iron sights. It also works with multiple options depending on changing apparel needs or carry scenarios, according to N8 Tactical. Likewise, it was a perfect fit for the Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. It is a “match made in heaven.”
Find out more about this unicorn holster at N8Tactical.com.
Lead Downrange
I have put more than 1,000 rounds of 9mm through my optic ready Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. without any malfunctions, red-dot flying off the slide or the pistol locking up. At first, I tried shooting with the standard palm swell. I found myself shooting low, and the pistol just didn’t feel right.
After switching out for the high-swell, I was surprised at how well the GX4 sat in my hand. I found it easier to bring the pistol to target and I wasn’t shooting low anymore.
With the Riton red-dot, I did find myself quicker on target than the non-T.O.R.O. GX4. But my accuracy did suffer a bit. Wondering if I slowed down a bit, my group sizes might improve. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to try that out. Michigan winter weather had other plans.
I did find the serrations on the slide felt more aggressive than the original GX4. When I talked to a rep at Taurus, they mentioned no changes were done to the serrations. Not sure if it is in my head or not, but the serrations on the T.O.R.O. model felt better.
Still In Love
I was super impressed with the original GX4 and I am just as impressed by the T.O.R.O. optic ready model. The GX4 T.O.R.O. has replaced its predecessor as my daily carry. Yes, I am continuing with trusting my life with a Taurus pistol, there can be no greater compliment still than that.
Don’t take my word for it, go out and shoot a GX4 for yourself. In the meantime, check out Taurus’ latest and greatest at TaurusUSA.com.
SPECIFICATIONS: Tauras GX4 T.O.R.O.
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 3.06 inches
Overall Length: 6.05 inches
Weight: 18.7 ounce (empty)
Grips: Polymer
Sights: White-dot front, serrated drift adjustable rear
Action: Striker-fired
Finish: Gas nitride
Capacity: 11+1
MSRP: $468
This article was originally published in the Personal Defense World Concealed Carry Handguns April/May 2022 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.
