Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact TORO 9mm 13+1 — Superb Optic-Ready Carry Pistol

Description

The Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact TORO is a thirteen-round 9mm with a factory-cut optic slide at a price where most competitors are still charging extra for the milling. TORO is Taurus’s Optic Ready Option: the slide arrives cut and plated for a red dot, with a cover plate fitted, so mounting a sight costs you an adapter plate and ten minutes rather than a gunsmith bill.

This is part number 1-TX9SC431: a 3.40-inch black nitride alloy steel barrel, a serrated slide, a polymer frame with a Picatinny rail, and interchangeable backstraps. Thirteen plus one in a sub-compact frame is a lot of rounds for the size.

What TORO actually means

• The slide is cut for a red dot at the factory, not milled afterwards
• A cover plate ships fitted, so the pistol is complete and usable on irons out of the box
• A machined cut holds zero through recoil in a way a clamp-on mount does not
• No gunsmith bill and no argument about the warranty later
• Adapter plates for the common footprints are sold separately

Thirteen rounds in a sub-compact frame

• Thirteen plus one is full-size capacity in a gun sized for carry
• A 3.40-inch barrel clears a holster quickly from seated and awkward positions
• Interchangeable backstraps, so the grip can be fitted rather than tolerated
• A Picatinny rail on a sub-compact, which is not universal at this size
• Black nitride on the barrel resists corrosion better than a plain finish

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Taurus
• Part number: 1-TX9SC431
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 13+1
• Barrel length: 3.40 inches
• Barrel: Black nitride alloy steel
• Slide: Serrated, optic ready (TORO)
• Frame: Black polymer with Picatinny rail
• Grip: Interchangeable backstraps
• UPC: 725327638681

Fitting a red dot without spending more than the gun

The reason the Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact TORO is worth a look is the arithmetic. Having a slide milled for an optic typically costs a couple of hundred dollars and takes the pistol out of your hands for weeks. Here it is done at the factory and priced in.

Adapter plates are footprint-specific and not interchangeable, so confirm which pattern your sight uses before ordering. For practice ammunition, CCI Blazer Brass keeps the cost per round low enough to shoot regularly, which matters more with a dot than with irons. Cartridge dimensions and maximum pressures are published by SAAMI.

Getting the grip right

Interchangeable backstraps are not a marketing feature. Grip circumference determines where the pad of the trigger finger lands on the trigger, and that determines whether shots go left or right of where you are looking.

Fit each backstrap supplied with the Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact TORO and shoot a magazine with it. With a firm grip the trigger finger should reach the trigger face without dragging the frame, and the bore should line up with the bones of the forearm.

Carrying a sub-compact well

A 3.40-inch barrel gives up some velocity against a full-size gun, and defensive bullets are designed to expand within a velocity window. Most current designs work from a barrel this length, but not all do, so run a full box of your carry load through the Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact TORO before trusting it.

Beyond that, the holster matters more than the gun. A pistol that shifts in the waistband is a pistol you fumble on the draw, so buy one that holds it in the same place every time and practise until the draw is boring.

Why this pistol earns its place

• A factory optic cut at a price where most competitors charge extra for the milling
• Thirteen plus one in a sub-compact frame, which is full-size capacity for the size
• The Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact TORO includes interchangeable backstraps and an accessory rail
• Black nitride barrel finish rather than a plain blued surface
• Taurus has a lifetime repair policy and a United States service facility

The Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact TORO suits a first carry pistol, anyone who wants a red dot without paying for slide work, and shooters who found single-stack micro-compacts too small to shoot well.

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