Taking the Bull by the Horns: Taurus GX4 Carry
Every year manufacturers attempt to reset the status quo when releasing new products. Each company is trying to vie for market dominance but also attract the interest of its base. The problem is that very few items truly move the needle and reset market trends. But it does happen. Maybe not every year, but every few. We saw this in recent years with the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield and later again with the Sig Sauer P365. In rifles, the most important bolt-action rifle of this millennium may be the Ruger Precision Rifle and what it has done for the precision shooting sports. However, with each new evolution, prices tend to increase. When the Springfield Echelon was released earlier this year it attempted to reshape the duty handgun market. It might very well do that, but its starting price is $649.99—a bit steep compared to others on the market. Sometimes innovation isn’t just creating a better mouse trap. It can also include bringing something to market that is like in quality and feature set as the competition but offered at a more attractive price. Remember, the average consumer emphasizes price and value.
Taurus Goes All In
The GX4 was first introduced in May of 2021. Perhaps it was the ongoing events of the world that many have forgotten about the gun. It entered the market as competition to the Glock 43, Sig P365, Springfield Hellcat, and S&W Shield. And honestly, it stacks up nicely to them. It is smaller than most but still packs an 11-round capacity. Later, Taurus introduced the TORO (Taurus Optics Ready Option) Package giving the GX4 and others the option for mounting a red dot on the slide. However, the best part is the price—it generally hovers between 299.99 and 399.99 depending on sales and options. More importantly, the GX4 was a shift away from the commonly found G2 and G3 line of handguns. The GX4 has styling and ergonomics that are more in line with today’s trends. That makes the introduction of a duty-size gun of the GX4 all that more intriguing.
The Specs
As the standard GX4 fits in the concealed-carry market, the Carry version fits squarely in the duty/defense, market, but could still be used as a carry option. It nestles squarely in the Glock 19 realm. That said, the Carry holds 15 rounds, has a barrel length of 3.7”, an overall width of 6.4”, a height of 5.15”, and is 1.07” wide. For those interested the gun weighs in at 21.51oz or 1.34lbs unloaded. The sights are Glock style and made of steel, with a serrated rear and a white-dot front. This should mean that aftermarket Glock sights can be used. The trigger is flat face—a personal favorite of mine—and uses a blade-style trigger safety. A Picatinny rail sits out front while the sides of the frame protrude outward formulating what Taurus calls the “signature indexing and recoil management pad (RMP)”—essentially a gas pedal for controlling recoil. Furthermore, the barrel is DLC coated, ships with two backstrap options, and has a visual loaded-chamber indicator.
An interesting feature of the pistol is that it has cuts in the grip that aid in the stripping of the magazine. This is important in the event of a failure to feed or extract and the magazine may require additional force to remove. Moreover, the GX4 Carry is relatively lefty friendly as the magazine release is reversible. For wear and tear, the operation parts of the gun are coated with Teflon, which is a nice addition. Finally, the gun can be had with the TORO cut slide. This puts it right in line with other options on the market, but as of this writing, I’m unsure of what optic footprints it accepts.
Final Thoughts
Will the GX4 Carry similarly alter the market as the firearms mentioned above did? Probably not. However, it does something that the others don’t—bring something to market that is feature-rich but is priced right. The base GX4 Carry comes with an MSRP of $469.99 while the TORO package elevates the price to $504.99. Those prices are astonishingly low for the quality of the GX4, and I’d assume will be found for even better prices as holiday sales come in. While Taurus is of Brazilian origin and has made a stake in affordable products, the GX4 series is assembled and quality-controlled at Taurus’s facility in Georgia.
The GX4 Carry will be hitting shelves soon, and for many will be an ideal option in a crowded market.
