New Taurus GX4 XL Review: Hands On {Video}
August 31, 2022
For those of you who pay attention to the handgun market, you know that Taurus has been on fire, and now, with the GX4 XL, they continue that streak. Taurus has been pumping out handguns at a rapid pace. Every time the market gets a little stale, Taurus launches another pistol. All of a sudden, shooters get excited again. For example, the popular Taurus G3C pistol now has a couple of brothers. The Taurus G3X has the same upper assembly but a longer grip to suit 15-round magazines. Secondly, Taurus launched the G3 XL, which has a four-inch barrel but uses the same lower assembly as the G3C. Interestingly enough, nobody saw the new models coming.
What is the Taurus GX4 XL?
Taurus did it again with the new GX4 XL, and the shooter’s heads are spinning again. In May of 2021, Taurus entered the subcompact double stack 9mm game with their addition to the market called the Taurus GX4. With a redesigned trigger and an MSRP of $392, the CCW market lit up the internet attempting to score one. Just today, August 31, 2022, Taurus is launching the GX4 XL. Taurus took all of the components that shooters love with the original GX4 and lengthened the barrel from three inches to 3.7 inches while keeping the same pattern that made the GX4 a hit, to begin with.
This is essentially the same thing SIG did with the P365 and the P365 XL. It just so happens that the GX4 has the same barrel length as the P365 XL, leaving no question as to who Taurus has their sites set on. However, the Taurus GX4 is slightly lighter, shorter in length and height from the SIG P365 XL, and just a touch thinner.
Taurus GX4 Features
Let’s dig into the specifics of the GX4 XL. I mentioned that Taurus extended the barrel length by .7 inches; however, the overall slide length increased by a full inch. Why does this matter, you ask? A longer barrel delivers increased velocity and, more importantly, better accuracy. When I first took the smaller Taurus GX4 to the range, it took a few mags to see where it was impacting. Not with the GX4 XL. Right out of the case, I was comfortable and on target with the slightly larger pistol. For defensive purposes, velocity matters. Increased velocity equals increased penetration; therefore, the longer barrel has the advantage.
Additionally, Taurus offers two backstraps to fit the shooter’s hand size. The backstrap installed fits my average size hands just fine. Shooters with gorilla-like hands can add the backstrap included in the case, which offers a wider palm swell.
Is the GX4 XL Red Dot Ready?
The Taurus GX4 XL is available with both a standard and optic-ready slide. Taurus calls their optic-ready system T.O.R.O. That stands for Taurus Optic Ready Option. Red dot optics on handguns have become very much mainstream, and Taurus met the demand with most of their handguns. The GX4 ships with an 11 and 13-round magazine. Taurus offers 10-round magazines for those who live in magazine capacity-restricted states. The rear sights are drift adjustable serrated black, and the front sight is a pinned white dot. The sight picture is meaningless for those shooters running a red dot however, for the traditional shooter who prefers iron sights, the sight picture works quite well.
What's up with the trigger?
The Taurus GX4 and GX4 XL stepped away from the single action, double strike trigger on their G3 series and created a flat face trigger that performs great. I measure the trigger weight at 5.25 pounds with a somewhat short trigger reset. It is equipped with a serrated trigger bar safety and does not offer second-strike capability like the Taurus G3 handguns. Personally, I like the trigger on the GX4 XL. I’m not sure if I like it better than the G3 trigger but let’s just say it works great with the GX4 handguns.
Shooting Impressions
As I mentioned, right out of the case, the Taurus GX4 XL shot great. I felt very confident with the pistol after the first magazine. Watch the attached video to judge for yourself how I did. The recoil was easily manageable, and accuracy was pretty fine for a small handgun. You will notice I did a “limp wrist test.” I do that test to measure the reliability of a handgun when a solid and tight grip is not achieved. Throughout the years, the Taurus handguns have performed exceptionally well with the limp wrist test. Many handguns fail it.
Overall, the Taurus GX4 XL is a fine addition to the Taurus line of pistols. I think it will sell very well. It offers a solid build that is slightly larger on a proven GX4 platform. Also, it is priced well below its competition in the sub-compact double stack 9mm magazine market. If you like the Taurus GX4, you will certainly dig the new Taurus GX4 XL.
Key Features: Taurus GX4 XL
Caliber:Â 9mm
Capacity:Â 10/11/13 Rounds
Magazines:Â 1×11 + 1×13
Firing System:Â Striker
Action Type:Â SA
Front Sight:Â Fixed
Rear Sight:Â Â Serrated Drift Adjustable
Safety:Â Striker Block; Trigger Safety
Frame:Â Stainless Steel Frame Insert & Polymer Grip
Grip Material:Â Polymer
Slide Material:Â Carbon Steel
Barrel Length: 3.7”
Overall Length: 6.43”
Overall Width:  1.08”
Overall Height: 4.40”
Weight:Â 20 oz.
MSRP:Â $429
MSRP T.O.R.O:Â $459
Dan is a firearm reviewer and 2nd Amendment advocate. You can catch him on his YouTube channel called TheFirearmGuy. He enjoys sharing his guns and knowledge with the community. He reviews everything he can get my hands on.