Taurus GX4 XL 9mm Pistol 3.71 in. Black 11 & 13 Rd. – Superb Everyday Carry Value

Description

The Taurus GX4 XL takes the micro-compact GX4 and stretches both ends of it: a 3.71-inch barrel instead of 3.06, and a grip long enough to get all three fingers on without a magazine extension. What you gain is a longer sight radius, a little more velocity and a gun that actually points, while the width stays exactly where it was.

This Taurus GX4 XL is the standard black version. Black gas nitride finish on the alloy steel slide, a black DLC stainless barrel, black polymer frame with an interchangeable backstrap, and two magazines in the box: an 11-round flush-fit and a 13-round extended.

What the Taurus GX4 XL changes

• 3.71-inch barrel, about two-thirds of an inch longer than the standard GX4, which is worth roughly 40 to 60 feet per second depending on the load
• Longer sight radius, which is the real accuracy gain here and the one people notice first at fifteen yards
• Full-length grip frame that takes a 13-round magazine flush, so you are not relying on a pinky extension to control the gun
• Same slide width as the original GX4 at roughly an inch, so it conceals almost identically under a shirt
• Two magazines included: an 11-round flush-fit for the lowest profile and a 13-round extended for capacity
• Interchangeable backstraps so the grip circumference can be matched to your hand rather than the other way round
• Flat-faced trigger with a short, positive reset, which is not a given at this price

Where the Taurus GX4 XL fits in the GX4 family

• GX4 Micro: 3.06-inch barrel, the smallest and flattest of the three, built for pocket and ankle work
• GX4 Carry: a full-size grip on a short slide, for people who want the hand filled but the muzzle short
• GX4 XL: the long slide and the long grip together, which is the closest the family gets to a compact duty pistol
• Magazines interchange upward, so a 13-round XL magazine will run in a Micro with the grip extended
• This XL has a solid slide with no optic cut. If you want a red dot from the factory, look at the TORO models instead
• No accessory rail on the dust cover, which is the trade for the slim profile

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 1-GX4XL941
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 11+1 and 13+1, one magazine of each included
• Barrel: 3.71 in., black DLC stainless steel
• Slide: alloy steel, black gas nitride, front and rear serrations
• Frame: black polymer with interchangeable backstrap
• Action: striker fired, flat-faced trigger
• Sights: low-profile fixed, drift-adjustable rear
• UPC: 725327938118

9mm Luger is the most thoroughly standardised handgun cartridge in the world, with chamber and pressure specifications published by SAAMI. That is why a pistol at this price can be trusted with everything from cheap range ammunition to serious defensive loads without any drama.

Two honest notes. First, Sports South lists the frame as stainless steel on this SKU. It is not; the frame is polymer with a steel chassis inside it, which is how the gun weighs what it weighs. Second, a longer barrel on a narrow gun does not make recoil disappear. The Taurus GX4 XL is easier to shoot than the Micro because of the grip, not because it is heavy, and it is still a light pistol firing a real cartridge.

Why this pistol earns its place

• Thirteen rounds of 9mm in a Taurus GX4 XL that is still about an inch wide at the slide
• The full grip is the single biggest improvement over the micro-compacts, and the Taurus GX4 XL gets it without adding width
• Two magazines in the box, which is two more than several competitors manage at this price
• A flat trigger and short reset that would not embarrass a pistol costing twice as much
• Black nitride and DLC finishes that hold up to sweat and daily carry
• Backstraps included, so the fit can be adjusted rather than tolerated

Anyone carrying every day who has found a true micro-compact too small to shoot well should handle the Taurus GX4 XL. It is also a sensible first carry gun, because the longer grip and sight radius forgive the mistakes a new shooter is going to make while still disappearing under a jacket.

If you want the same gun with less barrel, the standard black GX4 Micro is the flattest of the family. If you want the long grip but the short slide, the GX4 Carry with its 15-round magazines is the one to compare it against.

For a factory optic cut, look at the GX4 Carry TORO or the TORO Micro in ten-round trim. And if a smaller cartridge suits you better, the GX4 Carry in .380 ACP runs a softer recoil impulse on the same frame.

Every Taurus GX4 XL leaves us with both magazines, the spare backstraps, the factory case, the manual and a lock. Transfers go to your FFL and we handle the paperwork end the same day.