A friend of mine came into the range yesterday with a bag full of new guns. Among them a Taurus GX4. Taurus's entry into the sub compact 9mm pistols that hold a bazillion rounds in those small mags.

He asked me to try it and I expected to be underwhelmed. I am not a Taurus fan having dealt with customers pistols malfuntioning and breaking over the years at the range. But I will say, over the last 5 years, Taurus has stepped up its game. The last few 9mm models they have introduced run and run well. But the Taurus trigger on those left a lot to be desired. Long with a funky break. Somewhat spongy, to me.

NOT on this GX4! The trigger was smooth, with a crisp let off. Not too much takeup. The grip felt good in my hand - BUT - the two mags my friend had were flush fitting and my pinkey finger dangled under the baseplate. THAT is my only complaint with the GX4. And my friend told me someone is making new baseplates with a finger rest that also add one or two rounds. He has two on order.

Accuracy was startling, to me. I fired 3 rounds of Federal 124 grain ball at 5 yards, just to get a feel for the GX4 and see where it printed. First round was at 11 o'clock to POA. Not off by much. Next two rounds went through the same hole, just a little high of POA. I was amazed!

We moved the target out to 7 yards and I fired a.....10 round?.....maybe 11 round mag. I can't remember. Anyways it dumped them all into a 1.75 inch ragged hole! A lot of gun for the money.

Having shot all the entries into this genre, 365, Hellcat, m&p shield 2.0....3 or whatever and all the others, I found the GX4 to have a better trigger and be more inherently accurate than all but the 365. And when you consider that the GX4 is less than $400......you could buy extra mags and ammo with what you save over the competition.

The Taurus GX4 is an impressive little pistol. Don't laugh! Try one! Regards 18DAI

Not laughing. Objectively how would you rank it in the crowd of micros out there? G43, 365, Hellcat, etc. You liked it but based on prior experience would you buy it? It’s cheaper but would you save a hundred bucks and get this over alternatives?

I have a G43 and a 365. Both guns are great and basically fill the same niche for me. 365 just carries more and came from factory with better sights.

I am a Taurus hater. Not because I want to be but because they have so many issues over time and their CS seems suspect. That being said, I own exactly one Taurus product and it has been perfect and is nicely made. So maybe I’m looking at this all wrong. Lol

Not laughing and no thanks would not consider one. Multiple reports of trigger issues including a delayed striker drop where you pull the trigger and nothing happens and then the striker drops later. One guy almost blew his nuts off which is much more dangerous than "teething issues" like the early P365 breaking striker pins, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/result...h_query=gx4+problems

From past experience Taurus makes good weapons. Where they fall down is their customer service when you do have a problem.

Well, I am a well known hater of striker fired plastic. And as I mentioned, I am no fan of Taurus, having had to deal with malfunctions and breakage of their products over the years at the range.....mostly their revolvers though.

But in fairness, the last series of 9mms they introduced, GX3? have been problem free - at the range. I have shot many of them - due to owners who couldn't shoot claiming the gun was inaccurate or their sights were off. Don't get me wrong, those Taurus products were reliable - but their triggers sucked and they did not impress me as "accurate". Most would print a 4 inch group at 7 yards though, with good ammo.

I get the appeal of the sub compact, high cap 9mms. They just don't appeal, to me. Capacity is NOT a primary consideration or concern, to me. Reliability and accuracy are. That said, the 365 is still the top of the heap as far as performance and build quality go. Our range rental 365 went 60K rounds before it broke. IIRC it was a dead trigger that took it out of the case AND the gunsmith is repairing it.

As far as the other manufacturers models, Hellcat, shield, Ruger ect - I found the GX4 to have a better trigger and be far more accurate than ANY of those. Based on my personal experience shooting all of them.....I guess I would put the Hellcat in 3rd place, behind the 365 and GX4. But the Hellcat had an annoying tendency to print at 11 o'clock to POA, with every instructor who shot it. And it lost the fiber optic front sight rod its first month in the rental case.

So, IF I were to buy a striker fired, high cap, sub compact, CARRY GUN - I would buy a 365. But I have no use for those types. I do need an inexpensive, readily available, reliable and accurate striker fired pistol to train newbs with. One that they can go out and purchase after they learn how to shoot. So I did message the range owner to get a couple of GX4s for the rental case. And if they fail, I WILL update my thread. But new shooters want a cheap, reliable pistol that holds a bazillion rounds. The GX4 fits the bill.

I would buy a GX4 before I purchased the other more expensive competitors - except for the 365. I did find it superior to all the rest. And a bargain to boot! Regards 18DAI

Yeah the trigger problems right out of the gate pretty much sums it up for me; no GX4s or any other Taurus for me. I've already been there with that company. Too few years left in my life to want to deal with their potential tripe again.

Not laughing at all - have been looking for a Taurus 942 revolver in .22. One biggish store near Manassas did not have any Taurii in stock yesterday. Guy said any Taurus revolvers they get in sell like hotcakes. I think their US facility is fully up and running.

I don’t trust any manufacturer who lets something like that out into the market.

I went to that video and looked in the comments for a recent update from the poster. I found one.

quote:

Benjamin Hart
5 days ago
I actually just received my replacement pistol from taurus and am very happy. I've put over 1000 rounds through it and it never had a hiccup. Even tossed it into sand, mud, and dry dirt to see if I could get any malfunction and I'm happy to say I didn't!

Every manufacturer is bound to get some lemons and unfortunately I think I may have just been the victim this time around.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:
Not laughing and no thanks would not consider one. Multiple reports of trigger issues including a delayed striker drop where you pull the trigger and nothing happens and then the striker drops later. One guy almost blew his nuts off which is much more dangerous than "teething issues" like the early P365 breaking striker pins, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/result...h_query=gx4+problems


[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iXynNHLgI6Y" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
I went to that video and looked in the comments for a recent update from the poster. I found one.

[QUOTE]

Benjamin Hart
5 days ago
I actually just received my replacement pistol from taurus and am very happy. I've put over 1000 rounds through it and it never had a hiccup. Even tossed it into sand, mud, and dry dirt to see if I could get any malfunction and I'm happy to say I didn't!

Every manufacturer is bound to get some lemons and unfortunately I think I may have just been the victim this time around.
[/QU

Yes, but he has NOT received an explanation on why his GX4 malfunction with the randomly dropped striker yet which is what is mot important. That is also in the comments a few days before getting his replacement. I don't consider getting a replacement "resolving the issue".

"The ceo of taurus reached out to me and is resolving the issue! They haven't got back to me on what they found as far as the malfunction goes though."

The trigger/striker issue in the video is disconcerting and disappointing. But the President of the company reached out to him and they replaced his pistol. Unless they only did that because he posted a video, I'd say thats pretty good customer service.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall multiple threads excusing shoddy workmanship and "lemons" from other manufacturers, such as the current company posing as s&w. "Its a mass produced product..." "every company turns out a lemon now and then..." "their customer service will make it right.."

We need to be even handed when discussing pistols and companies customer service. Regardless of the roll marks on the slide. IMHO. Regards 18DAI

These guns are likely flying off the shelves. I'm not hearing more about this trigger problem from other sources. If this were a widespread problem, it would be lighting up all the usual sites. It does not appear to be.

Another GX4 owner having the same issue of delayed striker dropping after the trigger has been pulled and he mentions more that he knows of.

Also a very recent and troubling comment posted to this video.

ron 2 days ago

"I spoke to Taurus and they are aware of this delayed trigger problem. I wanted to send mine in, even though I have not shot the pistol yet. Taurus said they cannot pin point any certain month or time a bad batch may have been released. They told me if I or anyone else notice this problem call them and send the gun back to them. Taurus didn't say how many complaints nor did I ask, just first sign of this problem, get it back to them, they will send a return label"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: grumpy1,

One guy on the innerwebz is not a serious problem. If we get 20, I'll start listening.

Also, I'd treat this gun like any new design gun. It's not worth buying until it's been on the market 6 months to a year. Let the bugs get shaken out by the early adopters. We know that the problematic gun is back at Taurus, and the top level management is aware of the problem. Any fix will get slipstreamed into production. I'm sure there's probably a few bugs in the design that need this treatment. When they're fixed, then it will be worth buying.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
One guy on the innerwebz is not a serious problem. If we get 20, I'll start listening.

I will pass on the GX4, for awhile anyway. I think we have reached the point (regardless of who makes it) where small is becoming too small. It just seems to me we have reached a design for caliber size limit now. Maybe.

There are some questions (see above) as to reliability. But the one thing I hear good things about are its shootability. This is one you should borrow/rent to try it and see if you like it or not. And note that for this class of gun, the GX4 is midpack in size.

I see these microcompacts as a modern replacement for J-frame type guns (of course, I will now here from all the J-framers who consider the J-frame and similar irreplaceable.) If you can and want to carry something bigger, of course a bigger gun will have advantages. But there are a LOT of people who want to carry, who don't want to carry a big gun. Guns like this (and I consider the P365 even better at this than the GX4), give a carrier the maximum firepower in the minimum size.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I will pass on the GX4, for awhile anyway. I think we have reached the point (regardless of who makes it) where small is becoming too small. It just seems to me we have reached a design for caliber size limit now. Maybe.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BBMW,

I replaced my last J-frame with a S&W CS9 years go. I'd much rather have 8 rounds of 147 grain 9mm, better sighs, with a fast reload on tap, in a flat slim pistol, than 5 rounds of anything in a bulkier package.

I've not missed the J-frames. I think the first wave of slim single stack nines put a bunch of nails in the J-frames coffin lid. The 365 and the clones that folowed, nailed it shut IMO. Regards 18DAI

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
I went to that video and looked in the comments for a recent update from the poster. I found one.

quote:

Benjamin Hart
5 days ago
I actually just received my replacement pistol from taurus and am very happy. I've put over 1000 rounds through it and it never had a hiccup. Even tossed it into sand, mud, and dry dirt to see if I could get any malfunction and I'm happy to say I didn't!

Every manufacturer is bound to get some lemons and unfortunately I think I may have just been the victim this time around.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:
Not laughing and no thanks would not consider one. Multiple reports of trigger issues including a delayed striker drop where you pull the trigger and nothing happens and then the striker drops later. One guy almost blew his nuts off which is much more dangerous than "teething issues" like the early P365 breaking striker pins, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/result...h_query=gx4+problems


[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iXynNHLgI6Y" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

I’m calling bull shit on that 1k rounds. You’re telling me somebody who’s buying a Taurus is gonna have the money to burn on 1k 9mm rounds these days? I think not

G43- no safety
P365- no safety
J frame - no safety
Ruger LCP- no safety
Taurus- has a safety, with no option as far as I know , to not have a safety. Deal killer.

I have the G2C by Taurus and it’s junk. Jams and jams. My laps in judgement will not be repeated.