Field Test & Review: Taurus GX4 XL T.O.R.O. with Riton Micro Red Dot

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Taurus GX4 XL T.O.R.O. with Riton Micro Red Dot Sight Features

1. Newly Designed & Longer Slide

The longer slide for the GX4 XL adds one inch of length when compared to the GX4 and is 3.71 inches long. This increases muzzle velocity and sight radius, making it easier to maintain accuracy. Both the GX4 and the GX4 XL have the same width of 1.08″. Both versions are 4.40″ in height.

2. Taurus (Red Dot) Optic-Ready Option (T.O.R.O.) Slide

Taurus added a direct thread, no plate system to easily mount and accommodate today’s most popular micro red dot optics, including:

• Shield RMSc
• Holosun HS507KX2
• Sightmark Mini Shot A-Spec M3
• Trijicon RMR CC Red Dot (with adapter plate P/N: 10028170)
• Springfield HEX Wasp
• Sig Sauer Romeo Zero
• Riton MPRD 2 (factory attached and included, as tested)

3. DLC-Coated Stainless Steel Barrel

For more ballistic performance down range, Taurus added a Diamond-Like-Coating (DLC) to the 3.71″ stainless steel barrel. It ensures reduced friction and greater wear and corrosion resistance, enhancing accuracy and overall performance. The standard GX4 has a 3.06″ barrel.

4. New Flat-Face Target Trigger

The Flat serrated trigger helps accuracy and predictability with its crisp, precise sear break and the short and tactile reset for quick follow-up shots. I like its smooth and consistent press.

5. Gas-Nitride Coated Carbon Steel Slide

The new Matte Black slide coating is carry-friendly and maximizes slide surface hardness. Note some claim that the gas-nitrided coating may be an abbreviated process, and the coating may help surface hardness, but not necessarily scratching.

6. Two Backstrap Options

There are two backstrap options: Standard and High-Swell.

The Standard backstrap option has a slight palm swell, while the High-Swell option gives a higher wrist position for natural point-of-aim.

7. Two Steel Magazines Included

Two mags are included with Capacities of 11 rounds-flush fit and 13 rounds-extended for increased versatility and peace of mind. Both have witness holes for round count and a bright yellow follower. There is a GX4 XL version that sells with 10-round magazines. The standard GX4 version comes with 10-round magazines, with 11 and 13-round options.

8. Standard Sight System, in addition to Red Dot

A blackout steel anti-glare serrated, drift adjustable rear sight for windage and a fixed, white dot front sight allow fast acquisition when not running the included Riton MPRD 2 red dot sight.

Taurus GX4 XL T.O.R.O. Micro-Compact 9mm Pistol Specifications:

My Criteria and Considerations

Here are the 10 Criteria and factors I use for evaluating any handgun, so I will use them for the Taurus GX4 XL Micro-Compact 9mm pistol. In addition to my criteria, there are other subjective features that may be appealing for some, like smooth rounded corners, a certain style, mag release location, action, caliber, appearance, number of mags included, type of sights/modifications, bore axis, rail, grip angle, non-porting or porting, included extras like a holster and pouch, customer service, etc. So, I combined these into my last “Miscellaneous” criterion. I must admit that all gun-choice decisions involve tradeoffs, but I really want all of my criteria to be ideally met. I assigned a total possible point score of ten points for each of my ten criteria for a total possible score of 100 points. And a “Recommend” or “Not Recommend” at the end of my review. You can certainly add your own additional criteria, and preferences or subtract any of mine.

Recognize that there are several features, characteristics, pros and cons, and personal criteria to include and consider. You make your own tradeoffs according to your priorities, preferences, goals, defined needs, and use.

Concealed Carry Drill

I use my standard “Col Ben’s Concealed Carry Drill” to test and evaluate any handgun after I initially thoroughly clean it. As a standard, I want to shoot at least 15 total rounds per each trial/stage with 3 rounds fired at each of 5 circles in each string of fire over at least three trials. My Drill is especially helpful at this time since availability and cost of ammo are concerns now.

80% or 12 of 15 rounds on target in 20 seconds is the goal for each Drill. For this pistol Drill, a mag change was involved. You can use my basic Concealed Carry Drill to test and evaluate your handguns. I like the realistic 5-yard, and 7-yard distances best to match common distances for personal defense. At first, I believe it is best to start at 3 yards without timing. However, you can use my Drill at various preferred distances for yourself, e.g., 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20 yards, to challenge yourself and assess skill-level improvements as you progress. At first, do not time yourself but safely practice until you feel comfortable and safe with the Drill. Be certain to use magazine changes as necessary while timing your drills to shoot 15 rounds per drill. I hope my Concealed Carry Drill helps you.

You can download and print “Col Ben’s Concealed Carry Drill” and targets by clicking on the link below from my website at www.FloridaHandgunsTraining.com.

Col Ben’s Concealed Carry Proficiency Drill- with 15 rounds ammo (floridahandgunstraining.com)

Go to my website and click on the “More” Section on far right of the Home Page. Then click on “Carry Drill.” Go to my article on the left side, and at the end of the article, click on “Open in  New Tab.” You can print my Drill on full-size paper. You can also get my Drill by clicking my article at the Link below.

Concealed Carry Proficiency Drill Using Limited Rounds – USA Carry

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FIRST Shots: Taurus GX4 XL 9mm with Riton Red Dot 2 Optic Range Field Test with Various Ammo

For this test, I used the 11-round and the 13-round mags since I always include a mag change in all my Testing and Evaluation Drills. This GX4 XL comes standard with 11 and 13-round mags, so I shot 11 rounds in the first mag and then did a mag change to the 13-round mag and shot 4 rounds out of the second mag, for a total of 15 rounds for each test. Above, you can see my final field test with 14 of the 15 hits in the 5 circles, with only one miss. Since this test was with the second GX4 XL Riton Red Dot 9mm pistol I received from the manufacturer, I used my usual Concealed Carry Drill but did not time it. I wanted to ensure that I could adapt to this new red dot, focus on getting hits on target, make certain the optic was properly zeroed at 7 yards, and that it held its zero this second time. For only the first micro red dot optic, I had Zeroing problems for the red dot at a distance of 7 yards, and it would not hold its zero. Zeroing this second red dot was much improved, it held its zero, and it did perform much better than the first one. I did not use my usual rapid-fire, instead using slow fire to get accustomed to this particular red dot sight. Because I had to zero the red dot sight initially to match the target distance of 7 yards permitted at the range where I performed the test, I used 3 shots repetitively at the target for initial zeroing before the total 15 rounds for each test. It did not come from the factory zeroed for my close distance used for the test. So to be as objective as possible, I took the time to zero the red dot sight for 7 yards for each trial. So, a total of 14 of the 15 rounds hit the target for the final test, as you can see from the above target. There was only one miss out of the 3 shots fired for the 3-inch circle target, and all the other 4 circles each had the required 3 hits on them. Given the current ammo availability, I practiced and shot about a total of 150 rounds for this second pistol tested. This was in addition to the about 100 rounds fired for the first pistol and red dot with the zeroing problem.

As you see in the above target photo, the 14 hits met the goal with slow fire, but I want to shoot it some more for speed using a timer for my 20-second drill challenge. These are decent hits, but I had to work at them with the red dot and slowly. And it took some time to zero the optic at 7 yards. So, a combination of the new pistol, the new red dot, proper zero distance, and the shooter were blended to achieve the hits. I realize that this ole codger must practice more.

For zeroing, I practiced and used reactive splatter targets with mag changes before I shot the above final test target. As you will see in my below criteria results, this 9mm gun handled very well, had great ergonomics, and had a superb grip. I suggest you shoot this handgun and red dot with sufficient timed trials, including mag changes at all distances specified in my Drill, before you decide on this gun for concealed carry and possible deadly-force encounters. This includes meeting the 20-second goal of at least 12 of 15 hits, or 80%, on all targets.

Field-Test Ammo – Thanks to GunMagWarehouse

For field testing the Taurus GX4 XL 9mm, I used five types of various bullet grains and types of excellent ammo, both Full Metal Jacket and Hollow Point, as you can see in the target image above. I want to give a sincere “Thank You” to GunMagWarehouse for supplying a variety of high-quality ammo for this field test.

All brands, weights, and types of ammo were extremely reliable. Every type and weight of the ammo performed great, and I did not have any malfunctions, stoppages, or failure to perform with any of the ammo used. Generally and overall, however, the Taurus GX4 XL seemed to prefer and to perform with better hits with the 115-grain and 124-grain FMJ, non-JHP rounds. It performed well with the Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain FTX, the CCI Blazer 124 grain FMJ, and the Federal Punch 124 grain JHP rounds. I shot about 250 total rounds.

Taurus GX4 XL 9mm with Red Dot Range Results: Opinions and Rating for Each Criterion

After live-fire shooting with the GX4 XL with Riton Micro Red Dot 9mm pistol, here are my opinions and rating for each of my ten criteria for a concealed carry pistol.

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Accuracy and Reliability – Score: 9

The GX4 XL 9mm’s Accuracy was very good and acceptable, but I had to adapt to the longer and harder trigger press, on average about 6.25 pounds, compared to the lighter presses of most of my 1911s that I like to shoot. Of course, this is an anomaly and a personal preference. The hits grouped together nicely on most of my Concealed Carry Drill and splatter targets. But, I had to practice a lot and take more time to get the accuracies I wanted with the more-challenging 5 circles of my Concealed Carry Drill. And I need to time my drills with rapid fire. Of course, the shooter has a lot to do with accuracy, but I did recently have my cataract surgery, and my vision has definitely improved. The reliability of this pistol was very consistent, and I had no complaints at all with it. Very good reliability, with no malfunctions or stoppages for the second pistol with red dot tested. Great premium ammo for this pistol.

Reliability: The first GX4 XL with Riton MPRD 2 red dot sent for my review had cycling problems, and the red dot would not hold its zero after about 100 rounds of quality ammo. Then I received a second pistol with another Riton red dot, and there were NO problems, an inevitable result. It proved to be reliable for the next 150+ rounds I shot through it. For the second GX4 XL with red dot experience, I had no malfunctions, stoppages, or cycling problems at all. But I want to shoot more rounds through it before I make a final decision about carrying and using this gun for self-defense. And any shooter should most definitely shoot sufficient rounds through any gun they are considering. But it should be just fine for carry, but I must check it with sufficient rounds down range and timed trials to prove this to myself.

I like to shoot at least 500 rounds through any gun myself to be confident and comfortable with a gun I use for personal protection and carry. And the more rounds down range, the better, especially for a new gun that is not “broken in.”

Shoot hollow points, which is what most carry for self-defense and what I recommend. Guns handle hollow points and different ammo brands, types, and grain weights differently. Shoot both hollow points and full metal jacket rounds in any gun you are considering. Also, shooters should shoot and evaluate both the iron sights and the red dot optic for any pistol so equipped that they are considering. Incidentally, these iron sights were excellent and reliable. Reliability is probably the most important factor for any handgun used for self-defense and personal protection… to prove to yourself the consistent reliability of the gun and that you can always count on it. After all, self-defense is a life-and-death matter, the fitting denouement. Safety first, always!

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Trigger Press – Score: 8

Out-of-the-box, the Trigger Press averaged 6.25 pounds without modification for the Taurus GX4 XL 9mm, with 10 readings with my electronic trigger pull gauge. I really was hoping and personally prefer that the press for a polymer single-action-only 9mm pistol be a little less than this. Since I am used to shooting single-action 9mm pistols, e.g., 1911s, with around 4.5 to 5 pounds of press. There was, however, a nice crisp break. Again, personal preference and this press was fine. Since this is a new pistol that is not “broken-in” yet, certainly with more ammo down range, the press should improve and be lighter. The somewhat long press caused me to exert more pressure to break each shot, and that extra movement directly affected accuracy and performance some. Certainly, this trigger press will get the concealed carry job done safely, not a major or even minor problem, and will improve after more rounds downrange.

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Trigger – Score: 9

The GX4 XL 9mm trigger overall was consistent and smooth. The trigger was not stiff and was consistently effortless. The GX4 XL’s trigger press weight was slightly heavier than I like compared to my other Single-Action-Only pistols. But, the trigger was pleasant, consistent, crisp, and certainly acceptable to shoot.

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Barrel Length – Score: 10

The Taurus GX4 XL has a longer barrel at 3.71 inches and a longer slide than the GX4. The extended barrel adds increased muzzle velocity, and with the extended sight radius and excellent defensive ammo, this means improved performance. The steel barrel has Diamond-Like Coating (DLC), which protects from wear and corrosion, improves surface durability, and reduces friction for smooth and reliable functioning in various weather conditions.

TIP: For me, this longer 3.71″ barrel compared to the GX4’s 3″ barrel length is an advantage. As a general guideline, an inch less barrel will reduce a bullet’s velocity by roughly between 25 and 50 feet per second. Of course, this varies on powder volume, its burning rate, and other things. Velocity helps a bullet go farther before dropping, which makes it easier to hit your target.

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Sights – Score: 8

The standard sights for the Taurus GX4 XL are fixed white-dot front sight and a serrated blackout steel drift-adjustable rear sight. They work great. The front sight mounting hole and the rear sight dovetail cut are compatible with common aftermarket sights, so a tritium night sight is possible. This evaluation GX4 XL pistol came T.O.R.O. (Taurus Optic Ready Option) factory-equipped with a Riton Micro Red Dot 2 Sight, 3 MOA. You can get the GX4 XL T.O.R.O. without the installed Riton Micro Red Dot. This T.O.R.O. has a nice direct-thread (no plate) mounting system that accommodates several micro red dots. The first “hot-off-the-press” Riton micro red dot sight did not hold its zero well, but the second Riton one had no problems at all. So, mixed data. This rating of the sights reflects only my experiences and hits with the Riton Micro Red Dot sights attached. Without the factory-equipped red dot, I could probably raise my rating to a “9.”

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Proper Gun Weight – Score: 10

The GX4 XL 9mm’s weight was perfect for carry at 20 ounces, unloaded. Felt recoil was very manageable for this lighter-weight, easily concealable pistol.

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Caliber – Score: 10

The 9mm caliber for this GX4 XL was perfect and what I recommend for carry. Not too light a caliber and not too heavy a caliber, and, of course, with the appropriate self-defense ammo. It was easy, comfortable, and not unpleasant to shoot. My wife and I managed the 9mm recoil well. It has the muzzle energy and muzzle velocity to get the job done without severe felt recoil pain and with sufficient control by the shooter. I prefer the lessened felt recoil and reduced movement for improved accuracy with the 9mm caliber.

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Capacity – Score: 9

The GX4 XL comes with an 11-round flush and a 13-round extended magazine. But, a 12-round flush mag would be better for this writer for carry, just in case there are multiple attackers and other threats. Some comparable pistols have that capacity. Extra rounds can be a very significant advantage in self-defense and concealed carry. There are mag and grip cuts to help in mag stripping, if necessary.

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Ergonomics – Score: 10

The Ergonomics of the GX4 XL 9mm overall were excellent, and I was easily and comfortably able to reach all controls. It is built on the same polymer receiver as the GX4, with a hybrid stainless steel and polymer receiver.

I like that there is a modular grip design with standard or high-swell backstrap options to fit the GX4 XL to the shooter’s hand. I used the standard backstrap. This pistol sat low in my hand, and I had a higher grip. I like the grip angle of this pistol because it helped me get and maintain a high-hand hold of the gun for solid control. The side panels were textured just right for a very comfortable and firm grasp of the pistol. As you can see from the above grip image, the rear backstrap was aggressively textured, but not too much, and helped with a very firm grip.

Other standout features include overall grip texturing just right for optimal firearm control, an ergonomic and reversible magazine release, and a flat-face target trigger with an enlarged trigger guard to accommodate all hand sizes. There are front and rear slide serrations for easy manipulations.

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Miscellaneous – Score: 9

The matte-black finish of the GX4 XL slide consists of a nitride-coated finish on its carbon steel slide. While this is designed to be a hard and durable slide, some say it has the potential to scratch easily. From what I observed, I felt it needed to be a stronger finish for better wear and corrosion, and scratch resistance. This is important for an Every-Day-Carry pistol.

To help with recoil management, the GX4 XL has a dual-captive recoil spring and guide rod assembly to help with felt recoil.

I easily cleaned and field-stripped the GX4 XL before I shot it. The included Operating Manual for the gun itself was very helpful. No problems at all taking it down or cleaning it. A very nice hard plastic case is included, with Operating Manual, Lock, extra mag, red dot description, Allen wrenches, plate, backstrap, and gun keychain. An interesting note many do not recognize is that the included gun keychain’s real use is to help you takedown the pistol. Just insert the notch located at the base of the keychain gun into the takedown slot on the GX4 XL to field strip. The GX4 XL 9mm with the Riton Micro Pistol Red Dot sight included from the factory has a suggested retail price of $549. As always, timely customer service is a consideration factor.

Total Points = 92 out of 100 Possible.

CrossBreed’s Custom Reckoning Adjustable Holster

This fine CrossBreed custom hybrid leather and kydex holster has adjustable retention and allows each shooter to match and customize their holster to their own unique style. It has many features and options, like custom kydex pocket print designs, different leather backers options, and custom cerakoted hardware colors. It also has various add-ons and upgrade accessories, like an accomplice magazine carrier upgrade, a concealment claw, and various clip accessories. In terms of carry comfort and convenience, the Riton red dot optic and the Taurus GX4 XL fit great in this CrossBreed Custom Reckoning holster, as does the GX4 and GX4 T.O.R.O., with or without an optic. This is a perfect combination for carrying the GX4 T.O.R.O. with the Riton (or any) optic or without an optic. This fine custom hybrid holster is available for a reasonable price, and various upgrade add-ons are available. It comes configured for IWB with the Micro Snaplok clips attached, and OWB Wing Clips are automatically included as well. It can be worn Outside the Waistband, as shown above, and Inside the Waistband by adding clips. This custom holster qualifies for a 5-year manufacturer’s defect Warranty, of course, they will exclude cosmetic blemishes or wear. And note that some of the custom patterns are limited in availability and may not be available for Warranty replacement. If your custom print perhaps is not available, a current design or color will be offered. “If your holster ever fails from normal use, you can rest assured that CrossBreed Holsters has your back,” per the manufacturer.

FIND ALL CROSSBREED HOLSTER DEALS HERE

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Taurus GX4 XL T.O.R.O. Review Conclusions

The Taurus GX4 XL with factory-equipped Riton Red Dot 9mm pistol is a very good value-priced pistol package, and I Recommend it. I do, however, suggest you carefully investigate the new factory Riton micro red dot sight included with this version to see if it meets your needs and uses. I want to shoot more rounds down range with this red dot before I use it myself for concealed carry and everyday carry self-defense, if I decide to buy it. The new Taurus GX4 XL with red dot has several nice features and does not sacrifice performance, accuracy, and reliability, especially for the price.

The GX4 XL is built on the same award-winning polymer receiver as the GX4 with a micro-compact profile. Its newly-designed longer slide adds only one inch of length, but it does increase muzzle velocity to help accuracy. And it is easily concealable. The GX4 XL’s hybrid stainless steel and polymer receiver includes a modular grip with standard or high-swell backstrap options for a custom fit, very nice grip texturing for optimal firearm control, an ergonomic and reversible mag release, and a very good flat-face target trigger with crisp, precise sear break and a short reset.

The average trigger press for this new, not broken-in, GX4 XL with red dot I evaluated was 6.25 pounds. I prefer a little lighter press, closer to 5 or 4.5 pounds, but this is my personal preference. The stainless steel barrel is nicely DLC-coated for reduced friction and corrosion resistance. The slide is gas-nitride-coated carbon steel. Two steel mags are included with witness holes and a bright yellow follower. The Taurus (Red Dot) Optic-Ready Option (T.O.R.O.) slide has a direct thread and no plate system to easily mount today’s popular micro red dot optics. Included with this GX4 XL version is a Riton Micro Pistol Red Dot 2 optic for a very reasonable package price.

The quality CrossBreed Custom Reckoning holster for OWB and IWB fits this gun and red dot great, and I recommend this premium quality and custom holster for this GX4 XL. The various, high-quality 9mm FMJ and JHP ammo from GunMagWarehouse also performed outstandingly, with no malfunctions or stoppages. You can trust this premium ammo to be very reliable, and I recommend the brands, types, and this distributor used in this review. This is a very nice value-priced 9mm and red dot package.

Continued Success and Be Safe, my Friends!

Photos by Author.

Contacts:

Taurus USA
229-235-4020
Bainbridge, GA 39817

GunMagWarehouse
1-800-409-9439
Coppell, TX 75019

CrossBreed Holsters
1-888-732-5011
Springfield, MO 65802

* This personal opinion article is meant for general information & educational purposes only and the author strongly recommends that you seek counsel from an attorney for legal advice and your own personal certified weapons trainer for proper guidance about shooting & using YOUR firearms, self-defense and concealed carry. It should not be relied upon as accurate for all shooters & the author assumes no responsibility for anyone’s use of the information and shall not be liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information or any damages or injuries incurred whatsoever.

© 2022 Col Benjamin Findley. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be reprinted or reproduced in whole or in part by mechanical means, photocopying, electronic reproduction, scanning, or any other means without prior written permission. For copyright information, contact Col Ben Findley at [email protected].