Micro-9 Under Glass
I was contacted a month ago about the new variant of the ergonomically superb Taurus GX4 11-shot 9mm pistol. About the size of the GLOCK 43 (smaller than the G43X), it’s a double-to-single stack magazine and, while very small, it’s become known as a very solid 9mm pistol.
The new gun is the GX4 T.O.R.O. – Taurus Optic Ready Option. I wasn’t surprised that Taurus made this happen; the trend to optics on service pistols has become optics on compact and micro-compact guns. How relevant is that?
Some reluctance to optics on concealment guns revolves around bulk. With the micro-pistol, the added ‘footprint’ is still smaller than the so-called compact service pistol. And, as the smaller pistols have become “a thing,” the optics designers have continually made the electro-sight smaller without compromising battery life, options and – to some extent – durability.
Our use of the mini-Taurus was documented here, here and here. That created high hopes for the latest variant.
As supplied and fitted, for my testing, the Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. was fitted with the Holosun HS507K X2 optic. This is my first hands-on experience with Holosun optics.
When first activated, I saw the “circle around the dot” reticle – a 32-MOA circle with a 2-MOA centered dot. I figured that would work for me. The gun was about the same as the Taurus GX4 that arrived earlier in the year, except it was supplied with an eleven round magazine and a thirteen-round magazine. It also came with the “Taurus tool” keychain (which didn’t accompany the first gun) and other odds and ends. It was in the OD Green plastic box, like the original.
As with the original GX4, I installed the larger palm-swell backstrap. I found it made the nicely sculpted frame a better fit for me.
I took the new gun to the range the month before the public release. Beginning with the long magazine — I find the GX4 to be a bit short for precision shooting – and using Hornady 124 grain XTP +P ammo, I sought to rough-in a zero on the optic. Shooting from a seated rest at fifteen yards, I found the group was exactly two inches left of point-of-aim of the optic. I cranked the 1MOA adjustment right and tried with another five rounds on the same target. The group was nicely centered. Without my induced low flier, four of the bullets hit into 1 3/8”. With the flyer, it was a three-inch group, which made me sad. But the trigger is different from other guns – I can’t really explain how – and I hadn’t been to a range in around five weeks.
I tried Federal Syntech Defense 138 grain “SJHP” ammo next and found that five hits went into 2 ¼”. The best three of five rounds fired crowded into 1 3/8”. With Federal Premium Personal Defense “Punch” ammo – featuring a 124 grain JHP – I put five hits into 2 3/8” with three going into 1 ¼”.
Going back to the Hornady 124gr. XTP +P, I worked on singles, pairs, and one-handed shooting from seven yards. I induced a premature lock-back and a failure to carry-up using the long magazine.
Swapping guns, I used the 11-round magazine with the non-optics GX4 and had no stoppages. I’m thinking it was the way I held the gun with the longer magazine. I had to sort that out on another trip.
As with the original GX4 – which performed so well – I tried the GX4 T.O.R.O./ Holosun HS507K X2 combination on a ‘LEOSA’ type course of fire. I concentrated on stages requiring me to “find the reticle” from the holster and from low-ready.
I used the recently received Galco Corvus synthetic holster. Using it outside-the-waistband – getting used to a new gun, pistol-mounted optics and a new holster at the same time was stacking personal challenges, not helping me evaluate gun and optic – I was able to shoot a short 25-round qual course, firing singles and pairs at distances from 3 yards to 25 yards, dropping a single point. All hits were on the IALEFI-Q ‘bottle’ — all in the maximum scoring inner ring except one. It was inside the outer ring.
I wanted to see if I could duplicate the stoppages of my first range trip. I mixed Hornady Critical Defense Lite 100gr. FTX and Critical Duty 124gr. +P ammo in each magazine. I incurred no stoppages.
On a third range trip, I tried the new gun on the close-quarters standards I’d cobbled together. They include the ‘high percentage’ close range course, my take on the second stage of the handgun qualification from the Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement and the Bakersfield PD/Mike Waidelich standards from years ago. The course was shot on the IALEFI-Q target with each string timed and recorded.
The course is tilted to accuracy over speed. As the “par times” are “suggestions” – we deduct a point for each quarter of a second over time – the 80/100 required to pass requires 100% shot accountability-zero misses on the silhouette.
With the GX4 T.O.R.O. and Holosun optic, I added the excellent Galco Corvus belt holster and shot retail-purchased Norma Range & Training 124 gr. FMJ ammo.
My times weren’t optimum; the gun is little – as is the magazine – and trying to fumble them into performing standard range drills was a chore. My only score penalty was on the first ‘high percentage’ shot which I dragged just outside the scoring ring. All the other losses were on time.
The ‘high percentage’ drill, single shots to the smaller scoring area (4” circle) from the holster (start with hand in a firing grip on the holstered handgun), saw two of the five attempts go over time. The worst included the dropped point and was just short of a quarter second over. I finished with three on-time/in-time. The best effort was a .95 second.
The FDLE Stage 2 features a start from a ready position (I’m aimed in at the dirt below the target stand) and requires a pair of hits in the maximum scoring area in one second. All three efforts delivered the hits in the “X” and the times were from .77 second to .99 second. At my age, I’ll take it. As the gun started in hand and I didn’t have to acquire a grip, it was simple enough.
The Waidelich qualification features pairs from ten feet, twenty feet and sixty feet. At thirty feet, there’s a pair followed by a slide-lock reload and another pair. I went over time on three of the four stages – the reload was a disaster. There’s not enough magazine to get at in a hurry. The hits were all inside.
As to the first two elements, the composite (including penalties) was 97%. The final score on the Bakersfield course was a 90/100. The gun/optic combo is certainly capable enough up close – and it works well at distance.
I had four rounds left over. After taping the target, I stepped back to fifty yards and fired carefully. I hit off to the right side of the silhouette – and I don’t believe it’s the zero on the optic. The gun, even with the large backstrap, is small enough that a minor grip/trigger issue is enough to throw you off. At that, the gun hit nearly point of aim for elevation, putting four hits in 4 3/8” – the best three of the four went into 2 ½”.
I was stunned by the group. Had I just held a little left …
There were no stoppages on this, the last range trip. I’m impressed with the handling and accuracy of the new gun. The optic is remarkable. I seem to have a vast preference for the “circle-dot” type of reticle. Up close, I use the circle for coarse aiming. At fifty yards, I centered the circle onto the IALEFI silhouette with the dot hovering over the scoring rings. I’d say there’s more than enough precision built in. Add to that, the ammunition from all makers worked very well.
Congratulations to Taurus – and to Holosun. The combination puts ‘legs’ on the micro-gun. If it’s the only gun you use, you’ll find your ability to get a ‘good enough’ grip with a little practice. Dry practice, like with the MantisX system (like Laser Academy), pays dividends.
