Preface
I’ve been around the firearms market for all of my adult life, and its been very refreshing to see some brands turn their ship around. While I’ve seen both the good and bad, as well as even some ships sinking outright. Today we are looking at one of the happy stories. Taurus firearms had been considered sort of a bargain product, and their performance would sometimes leave much to be desired. It seems at least to me that Taurus USA has turned a page, as I have now had four new products from the manufacturer that have surpassed my expectations. Despite my good experiences, they still maintain a very affordable price. Today I bring you one of them, a review of the Taurus USA GX4 pistol, chambered in .380ACP.
The Taurus GX4
The Taurus USA GX4 seems to follow the same pattern as several other polymer framed striker fired pistols made in their Bainbridge Georgia facility. Besides the GX4, I have also recently reviewed the GX2, and the TX9 pistols. All of them have some commonality, such as divorced frame and trigger/sear pack. I expect this helps keep manufacturing the pistols cost down, and in some cases allows you to change the frame and swapping in the trigger/sear pack.
Additional modularity is incorporated into the GX4 design, using an interchangeable grip backstrap. Allowing you to customize your grip feel. Also like the others, the GX4 is optics ready using Taurus’ Optics Ready Option (T.O.R.O). This allows drop in fit for Holosun K series and similar optics, which I was sure to do.
Other neat little features like a loaded chamber indicator, accessory rail for weapon lights, and 15-round capacity make it handy for a concealed carry enthusiast. I was also intrigued as they left as many things as possible out, like a manual safety, and even a disassembly lever. Making the frame of the GX4 less obstructive with fewer things to snag while drawing.
Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Caliber | .380 ACP / .380 Auto |
| Action | Striker-fired |
| Capacity | 15+1 rounds |
| Barrel Length | 3.70 inches |
| Overall Length | 6.56 inches |
| Width | 1.0 inch |
| Height | 5.16 inches |
| Weight | 21 oz., unloaded |
| Frame | Polymer |
| Backstraps | 3 interchangeable |
| Trigger | Flat-faced, serrated |
| Front Sight | Fixed white-dot |
| Rear Sight | Fully adjustable |
| Optic Ready | Yes |
| Optic Cut | T.O.R.O., Holosun K-series footprint |
| Accessory Rail | MIL-STD-1913 |
| Magazines | 2 × 15-round |
| Slide Finish | Gas nitride |
| Barrel Finish | Satin black DLC |
| MSRP | $340.99 |
Unboxing and Setup
Lifting the GX4 from its polymer case, I felt that familiar grip texture like my other Taurus pistols. My immediate impression was that the grip felt a little square, something I could remedy to some degree changing the backstrap. This was easily done by pushing out a pin and lifting the backstrap from the bottom.
With the GX4 came two 15-round steel magazines made by magazine giant Mec-Gar, which gives a nice sense of confidence. Because this pistol is a .380 Auto, there is a small spacer at the rear of the magazine to space the cartridges forward.
I decided to mount both a red dot and for some purposes a weapon light. Removing the two screws that hold the polymer optics footprint cover, I found a clean spot to mount my Nutrek Optics Blade red dot sight. The rear sight has a very slight occlusion with the red dot housing, which required a tiny bit of Dremeling to allow it. I don’t cast that at the feet of either Taurus or Nutrek, sometimes things are a bit different. But after that it mounted perfectly using the two anchor pins in the slide, and the included screws. I expect the issue depends on the red dot used. For carrying in the dark, I would also use the Streamlight TLR-8 light laser combo.
All that was left was getting a few boxes of ammunition. for that I grab a few boxes from Winchester, Fiocchi, and PMC featuring 90 and 95-grain bullets. This is actually the first .380 I’ve ever owned, so I was interested in the old power discussion about whether the little 90’s would do when it mattered.
On the Range with the Taurus GX4
My testing of the GX4 would involve carrying the pistol daily between various range trips of my own as well as with my kids. All my children grew up shooting the Taurus TX22 which has been a home run of a product, so when they see another Taurus they just assume it will be the same way.
Shootability
I got used to grip of the GX4 pretty quick, the squareness feeling I mentioned didn’t seem to affect my shooting or opinion of the gun. I initially thought I would prefer the GX4 in 9mm versus the .380, and the jury is still out on that at the moment. But one thing is for sure, my kids and wife all found the GX4 much easier to operate than other compact 9mm pistols with their stiff recoil springs. The GX4’s spring is surprisingly soft.
The trigger safety is simple and effective, and the trigger feel overall is good. Predictable breaks without too many jumps or bumps in the pull. Shooting with my red dot gave a great sight picture without loosing the factory sights.
I did find with a full mag you need to make sure the mag is well seated, as it fell out on us more than once for not being seated fully.
Reliability
We had no malfunctions during testing of the Taurus GX4. The only concern I had was that it seemed a little weak on ejection, throwing brass right at you feet almost. But it never skipped a beat.
Disassembling the Taurus GX4 does require either a tool or some improvisation. Since there is no take-down lever, you’ll need either a screwdriver or something similar to rotate the take-down cam. Not a big deal but needs to be said.
I also noticed that the pistol incorporates a magazine safety. Locking out the trigger unless the magazine is seated. I understand some folks like these safety features, for me I think I’d rather not have it. But to each as they desire.
Accuracy
A good CCW pistol needs to hit where you aim, and I didn’t seem to have any trouble hitting my targets. Typical groups from 10-yards averaged around 2-3 inches. Nothing to win any competitions or anything, but suitable for many purposes.
The factory iron sight that come on the GX4 are adjustable for both elevation and windage. The rear is a serrated type to reduce reflection, and the front is a simple white dot.
Ergonomics
I already mentioned the convertible grip of the GX4, but I hadn’t mentioned the undercut trigger-guard. And there is also a single finger rib on the front, and the whole grip area features a nice texture similar to a sandpaper feel.
The magazine release is fairly small, and low profile. But I had no issue finding and pressing it during reloads. This is nice to prevent accidentally releasing the mag while carrying or manipulating it. Releasing the slide was a touch stiffer than I expected but not bad.
Value
Again I feel a bit crazy saying this, but for as little as $260 you can get into one of the Taurus GX4 pistols. And I must say it feels like a good buy to me. It shoots well, cycles without issue, and is just plain fun to shoot. For the 9mm version you will pay a little bit more, but I am quite happy with the price to performance ratio of the Taurus GX4.
Pros and Cons
| Very affordable | Red dot fitment on footprint |
| No malfunctions experienced | Magazine safety (maybe its just me) |
| Configurable grip | |
| Simplified controls | |
| 15-round capacity | |
| Optics ready | |
| Loaded chamber indicator | |
| Adjustable sights |
So should you buy a Taurus GX4?
When compared to other pistols like the S&W Bodyguard or the Ruger LCP Max, the GX4 has a little competition. While it is significantly cheaper than the Bodyguard or the Glock 42, it is very comparable in price to the LCP Max. However, the GX4 offers better capacity than all the others mentioned. And to be honest, I like the looks of the GX4 better than the LCP by a hefty margin.
The Taurus GX4 .380 offers a step-up in capacity over most compact .380ACP pistols. And it both shoots and handles well, allowing smaller framed individuals an easily operated option. Its also a blast to shoot, so if you are looking for all that in a .380 pistol, you should consider this one.