Self Defense

Taurus GX2 TORO

By: Dave Bahde

Photos By: Ben Battles & Dave Bahde

The sub-$300 champ

Priced at only $299.99, the G2X TORO has proven to us to be one of the best values going today in a reliable and capable self-defense pistol. Do fuel prices and the general cost of goods have you hawkeyeing your bank account? This is a really good option.

One lesson I learned while working and managing a retail gun store was that high-end sales represent a small fraction of total gun sales. For every customer paying a couple grand for something, there were a hundred or more paying less than a grand, with a large portion buying sub-$500 guns. This remains true to this day. While the media and social media tend to focus on flashy high-dollar stuff, most are buying moderate-to-low-priced firearms for their self-protection needs. Taurus has long led this market segment, providing inexpensive pistols and revolvers for the average consumer. Quality continues to improve, and one of its latest pistols—the ultra-affordable, optic-ready $299.99 GX2 TORO—is a prime example.

Taurus GX2 TORO

The GX2 is a striker-fired polymer pistol chambered in 9mm with a 3.38-inch stainless-steel barrel, 13+1 round capacity, and a manual safety. TORO models add the ability to attach an optic, and I equipped my test pistol with a Holosun SCS Carry optic. The rear sight is dovetailed and serrated, while the front has a white dot; both are, refreshingly, steel. Slightly smaller than a G19, the GX2 has excellent texturing and a flat trigger. It ships with one thirteen-round magazine.

The TORO suffix denotes that this model is optic-ready — a surprising feature given the pistol’s sub-$300 price point. For testing, we mounted Holosun’s (www.holosun.com) excellent SCS Carry green-dot optic. A solid iron-sight system pairs a serrated, all-black, drift-adjustable rear sight with a white-dot front — both made of steel.

Only one 13-round magazine is included with the GX2 TORO, a fact that we can forgive given the pistol’s affordable price point. The heavy taper at the top creates somewhat of a reverse magwell funnel, helping the magazine find its way home quickly and with less drama. Grip texturing is excellent, locking your hands down well under recoil without being overly abrasive against bare skin.

Range Time

First thing I noticed was how comfortable it was in my hand; the ergonomics are very solid. The thumb safety is in roughly the same spot as a 1911, although hard to manipulate consistently. Although striker-fired, it is listed as a single-action-only pistol, making the manual safety of value (even with a trigger-mounted safety). Recoil was surprisingly soft for its size, especially with typical 115-grain practice ammunition. Everything in my grab bag of mixed 115-grain worked fine, locked back on the last round, and suffered no stoppages; reliability is a non-negotiable in a defensive pistol, and the GX2 passed with flying colors. I even purposely dropped the loaded magazine on the deck at Gunsite Academy a handful of times, and all of the rounds stayed put, an early criticism of the pistol. The trigger wasn’t bad at all — in fact, it was downright decent considering the pistol’s price point. The trigger featured a small amount of take-up, followed by a clear, slightly heavy wall and a crisp release, and it allowed for good accuracy at 15 yards. My best offhand group with Fiocchi Defense Dynamics 115 grain JHP measured a couple of inches center-to-center, and out to 20 yards it was plenty accurate for concealed carry. Using Doubletap Ammunition’s Match load, I got easy hits at 25 yards on a six-inch steel target. Holosun’s SCS Carry clearly helped and is one of my favorite carry optics for smaller or mid-sized pistols — especially when equipped with a green dot, as this one was.

All controls functioned well and were appropriately sized for a concealed carry pistol. However, out of the box, the manual safety was somewhat stiff, requiring deliberate, forceful pressure for on/off activation. Operation from the safety-equipped straight trigger was, as the author described, “downright decent considering the pistol’s price point.”

A molded-in Picatinny dust-cover rail handles accessory mounting; Streamlight’s (www.streamlight.com) appropriately sized, multi-fuel TLR-7X 725-lumen weapon light is shown here. Front and rear cocking serrations offered great traction for slide manipulation.

Bottom Line

With the GX2 TORO, Taurus provides a very solid pistol for a retail price of only $299.00 (without optic). It ran great with all ammunition used during testing and provided more-than-adequate downrange precision for defensive use. The ergonomics and trigger reach are both great — working well for both small and large hands — and it’s comfortable to shoot for extended range sessions. Light and slim, it carries extremely well, and if you’re so inclined, you can use the manual safety for AIWB carry. Moral of the story? We can’t think of a more solid option in this price bracket than the GX2 — especially if an optic is on the required list. See the GX2 TORO at your nearest dealer, or contact Taurus USA for more information; Tel.: (229) 515-8464; Web: www.taurususa.com.