Taurus and I have, well, let’s call it history. For years, the Brazilian gunmaker occupied a niche in my gun safe—affordable alternatives that worked but never felt finished. I say this because the triggers were mushy, the finishes wore quickly, and quality control sometimes felt more like quality suggestions. So, when the Taurus GX4 showed up for evaluation, I approached it with the same enthusiasm I’d have for a root canal.
Fast forward through 18 months of daily carry and over 2,500 rounds downrange, this comprehensive review of the Taurus GX4 points to something I didn’t expect: Taurus might finally be getting serious about making guns that compete against all comers rather than just cost less.
For full disclosure, I purchased this Taurus GX4 with my own money after initially test driving one from among a local dealer’s rental offerings. All testing was conducted with this one pistol, which has been under evaluation since early 2023.
The micro-compact concealed carry market exploded in 2017 when SIG’s new P365 proved you could pack a decent magazine capacity into a concealable package without looking like you’re smuggling a sandwich into a movie. The Taurus GX4 jumped into this crowded field offering 11+1 capacity (13+1 on an extended mag) at roughly half the cost of more top-shelf competitors.
The question worth asking: is this striker fired pistol worth trusting your life to, or is it just another budget carry pistol that looks better on paper than in practice?
By Michael Crites
Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18.
During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications.
His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual.
As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY.
He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).
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