Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact 9mm Pistol 3.4 in. 10+1 Black – Superb Optic Ready Carry Gun

Description

The Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact is the smallest frame in the TX 9 family and the one built squarely for carry. Model 1-TX9SC431-10 runs a 3.4 inch barrel, holds 10+1, and comes in at 6.62 inches long, 4.5 inches tall and 21.7 ounces empty. Two magazines are in the box.

What makes it worth attention at this price is that Taurus did not strip the small gun to get there. The Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact keeps the T.O.R.O. optic cut, the ambidextrous slide release, the reversible magazine catch and four interchangeable backstraps. Those are the features that usually get cut from an entry-level carry pistol, and they are the ones that decide whether you can actually shoot it well.

It is a striker-fired, single-action-only pistol with a firing pin block and a trigger safety, and no manual thumb safety to forget under pressure. The sights are in industry-standard dovetails, so upgrading them is a normal job rather than a hunt for a proprietary part.

Features of the Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact

• 3.4 inch alloy steel barrel with a matte black finish
• 10+1 capacity with two magazines included
• Alloy steel slide with a gas nitride finish, serrated front and rear
• Taurus T.O.R.O. optic cut, ready for a micro red dot
• Removable white dot front sight and a drift adjustable rear, both in industry-standard dovetails
• Four interchangeable backstraps
• Ambidextrous slide release and a reversible magazine catch
• Picatinny accessory rail on the dust cover
• 6.62 inches long, 4.5 inches tall, 1.28 inches wide, 21.7 ounces unloaded

Taurus TX9 Sub Compact 10 Round: what the capacity actually buys you

• Ten rounds in a 4.5 inch tall grip is a fair trade, and the flush magazine keeps the printing down under a shirt
• The Taurus TX9 Sub Compact 10 Round is also the version that stays legal in states that cap magazines at ten
• Two magazines ship in the box, which is two more than some competitors at this price manage
• The reversible magazine catch means a left-handed shooter is not reaching across the frame
• If you want more rounds in the same frame, Taurus builds a 13+1 version of this pistol

Taurus TX 9 Sub-Compact specifications

• Model: 1-TX9SC431-10
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 10 rounds, two magazines included
• Barrel: 3.4 inches, alloy steel, matte black
• Slide: alloy steel, gas nitride finish
• Frame: stainless steel, with four interchangeable backstraps
• Front sight: removable, white dot
• Rear sight: drift adjustable
• Optic: Taurus T.O.R.O. system, optic ready
• Action: striker fired, single action only
• Safeties: firing pin block and trigger safety, no manual thumb safety
• Overall length: 6.62 inches
• Overall height: 4.5 inches
• Overall width: 1.28 inches
• Weight: 21.7 ounces unloaded
• UPC: 725327640172

The Taurus TORO optic system and mounting a dot

The Taurus TORO optic system is the company name for its direct-mount optic cut, and the slide arrives cut and covered with a plate. Taurus supplies mounting plates for the common micro red dot footprints, which means the dot you already own is very likely to mount without a gunsmith. On a barrel this short the sight radius is genuinely limited, so a red dot does more for practical accuracy here than it does on a full-size gun.

The irons underneath are worth keeping. The front is a removable white dot and the rear is drift adjustable, and both sit in industry-standard dovetails rather than a proprietary cut. That matters because it means night sights or a fiber front are an ordinary parts purchase.

Why an optic ready sub-compact pistol is the right shape for carry

An optic ready sub-compact pistol asks you to accept a shorter grip and a shorter sight radius in exchange for a gun you will actually carry every day, and the red dot gives back most of what the short sight radius takes away. At 21.7 ounces this one sits at the heavier end of the class, which is not a bad thing: the extra few ounces settle the muzzle and make 9mm recoil noticeably softer than it is in a 17 ounce polymer micro.

The four interchangeable backstraps deserve a mention of their own. Grip fit is the single biggest variable in whether someone shoots a small pistol well, and most guns in this bracket ship with one size or none. Take the time to try all four before you decide how the trigger feels.

Ammunition for a ten round 9mm carry pistol

For a ten round 9mm carry pistol with a 3.4 inch barrel, load selection matters more than it does in a duty gun, because many hollow points are designed around the velocity of a longer barrel. We would point you at Speer Gold Dot Carry Gun 135 grain, which is built specifically to expand from short barrels. For practice, CCI Blazer Brass 115 grain is the sensible working load and we carry it very deep.

A note on +P and +P+. Taurus does not publish a +P+ rating for this pistol, and +P+ is not a standardized pressure level at all. On a 21.7 ounce sub-compact we would not run it, and we are not going to recommend it to you just to move a box of ammunition. Standard pressure and SAAMI +P defensive loads are the sensible range here.

The rest of the TX 9 family

The TX 9 Sub-Compact TORO at 13+1 is the same pistol with a longer magazine, and the TX 9 Compact TORO at 15+1 with a 4 inch barrel steps up a frame size. Taurus publishes the complete specification on the official TaurusTX9 Sub Compact 10 Round page.

Why this firearm earns its place

• The T.O.R.O. optic cut, ambidextrous slide release and reversible magazine catch at an entry-level price
• Four interchangeable backstraps, which is what actually decides whether a small gun shoots well for you
• Two magazines in the box rather than one
• Standard dovetails front and rear, so sight upgrades are an ordinary parts purchase
• 21.7 ounces gives this pistol noticeably softer recoil than the lightest guns in the class

This suits the everyday carrier who wants a red dot without paying twice for the privilege, the shooter in a ten-round state, and anyone with small or large hands who has struggled to find a sub-compact that fits. It is not a range toy and the short grip takes practice, but it is an honest carry pistol.

Every firearm we ship goes to a licensed dealer in your state for the transfer and the background check. Call us if you need help finding a shop near you that accepts transfers.