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Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43
Our Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43 comparison
We’re comparing the Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43. Glock 43 was one of the first micro-nine pistols to reach mass commercial success. It was much smaller than the Smith and Wesson Shield and offered six rounds of nine-millimeter in a tiny pistol.
At the time, it’s a big deal.
Since then, the Sig P365 was introduced, offering ten rounds in a similar size. So Taurus throws his hat in the ring and competes in the small micro nine concealed carry market. Size is significant when comparing the Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43, as you are likely looking at these for concealed carry firearms.
Size
| Metrics | Glock 43 | Taurus GX4 |
| Weight No Mag(Oz) | 16.5 | 16.6 |
| Weight Empty Mag(Oz) | 18.3 | 18.6 |
| Weight With A Full Mag(Oz) | 20.9 | 23.4 |
| Height(top of Slide to bottom of Magazine Baseplate)(Inches) | 4.10 | 4.2 |
| Length (Inches) | 6.26 | 5.8 |
| Width of Grip(Inches) | 0.92 | 0.99 |
| Width of Slide(Inches) | 0.87 | .95 |
| Width Across Controls(Inches) | 1.07 | 1.06 |
Taurus GX4
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Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43 Concealed Carry
When you look at the size of the Taurus GX4 vs the Glock 43, you’ll notice the most significant differences are the width of the grip and the width of the slide. Of course, weight is also an essential factor, but you get an extra five rounds from the Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43 so, I can’t say there’s much of a difference there.
If you’re looking for the most miniature gun you can get, then you’re going to have to give the advantage for the Glock 43. That said, five extra rounds capacity for a gun is just barely bigger is something that you can’t ignore.
If you plan to pocket carry this gun, then again, the Glock 43 is probably going to be a much better option.
The gun has a slightly shorter grip and a smaller slide, and other dimensions mean it will be more minor to pocket. If you’re carrying inside the waistband, the smaller sizes aren’t going to make quite as big of a difference.
Ergonomics overall
Ergonomically, these guns are designed quite differently. The grip on the Glock 43 is a 10th of an inch shorter, and that means I can’t get nearly as much of my pinky on the Glock 43 as I can on the Taurus GX4 when comparing the ergonomics of the Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43, the grip on the GX4 seems much fuller.
In addition, there is modularity built in the Taurus GX4 in that you can switch out the back straps. This is the only pistol of its size class to allow you to do so. As a result, the grip fills the hand much larger, and you also have a longer distance between the front strap and the back strap of the firearm. The Glock 43, on the other hand, feels good, but it feels a lot slicker than the Glock 43.
Some would argue that the Glock 43 might be one of the most ergonomic Glocks out there, but when you compare it to the Taurus GX4, it just doesn’t feel as good in the hand. Something I liked about the Taurus GX4 is that I can just get slightly more of my finger on the Taurus GX4 grip than I can on the Glock 43.
My pinky hangs off barely on both guns, but it hangs off more on the Glock 43, and this is a significant downside. Also, the ergonomics of the Taurus GX4 force your hand higher than the grip, and the ergonomics of the Glock do.
Both guns do this, but the Taurus GX4 does it more than the Glock 43.
Glock 43
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Texture
As I alluded to earlier, the surface is much better on the Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43. You have a sandpaper-like finish 360 degrees around the Taurus GX4. It’s aggressive, but it’s not so bold it’ll chafe your skin when carrying inside the waistband. It’s just a very effective texturing on a gun this size.
The Glock 43, on the other hand, has small little squares and has a Gen4 texture to them. This Gen 4 texture is much slicker than the texturing on the Taurus GX4. The Glock 43 just feels slippery.
Is it usable? Yes, but there is no comparison when it comes to texture on the GX4 vs Glock 43.
Slide
The slide on the Glock 43 is much thinner and does not have forward cocking serrations. It only has rear cocking serrations.
It’s easy enough to rack for myself as a full-size male that handles firearms quite regularly.
The slide on the Taurus GX4 is broader and has forward and rear cocking serrations that are deeper and more aggressive serrations than on the Glock 43. I think it would be tough to make a case that the Glock 43 has a better and easier-to-use slide than the Glock 43.
The Taurus GX4 is just more modern, and they’ve taken advantage of a more contemporary style slide with more aggressive serrations. I like the setup on the Taurus GX4 slide
Sights
From the factory, the Glock 43 typically comes with plastic slot filler sights. These sights should be immediately replaced with a real set of sights.
Taurus GX4, on the other hand, does come with metal sights. The front site has a painted dot in it, and the rear site is blocked out with a U-Notch in horizontal serrations. As a result, Taurus GX4 has a better sight picture from the factory. I wouldn’t feel bad carrying the sights on the Taurus GX4, whereas I would be hesitant to do so with Glock 43 factory sights.
Aftermarket Sights Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43
Aftermarket options for these guns are identical, Taurus was brilliant, and they used Glock aftermarket sites, Cara Glack Cuts. So the Taurus GX4 will accept any aftermarket sights the Glocks take. So the aftermarket options with the Glock 43 and Taurus GX4 are identical.
Red Dot Optics
Currently, there are no red dot optic options for either of these guns.
That said, the Taurus GX4 is supposed to be released in an optics-ready version soon. I’ve heard the guns are ready.
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They’re just waiting on some parts for the optics mounting system. I suspect this gun will come set up for a Shield style cut, meaning it can take the Holosun 507k, Shield Sig Romeo Zero, and Shield Sights.
Controls
Safety Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43
There is no external safety offered on either of these firearms. We may see it on the Taurus GX4 in the future, but I doubt we’ll ever see it on the Glock. So if you’re looking for some sort of thumb safety, you’ll probably have to look elsewhere as neither of these guns offers it.
Taurus GX4
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Trigger
The triggers on these guns are pretty different. I’m going to go over them in detail below.
Glock 43 Trigger
The trigger on the Glock 43 is your standard Glock trigger. You’re going to feel some light take-up as you disengage the trigger safety, and then you’re going to reach a wall. Once you’re on that wall, you’re going to feel pressure break up, and you’re going to fill a solid break.
This gun has what feels like a hybrid between a Gen 3 and Gen 4 trigger. There’s no real rolling break in it, and it’s just a stiff wall.
It’s a reasonably heavy trigger to pull. If you like a stiff, predictable trigger, then you’re going to like the Glock 43. However, it resets right out that wall when it comes to resetting, and again, you have that stiff break.
Glock 43
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Taurus GX4 Triggers
The Taurus GX4 has a very short and very light take-up. So this trigger sits a little bit further forward than the trigger on the Glock 43. I also really like the shape of the trigger shoe on this Taurus GX4, although that’s something that’s going to come down to personal preference.
Once you’ve taken up the slack and disengage the trigger safety, you’re going to hit a hard wall. At that hard wall, you’re going to hit what I’d call a soft break. This break feels somewhat hard, but it feels lighter than the break on the Glock 43. The gun also resets right at the beginning of that break.
This trigger just feels much better, in my opinion, in the trigger on the Glock 43. It’s predictable yet has the shootability of a rolling brake trigger. I think Taurus nailed it when it came to this feature.
Slide Lock Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43
The slide lock on both of these guns is mounted on the left side of the firearm. There’s no ambidextrous option. The slide stop on the Glock 43 is stamped sheet metal that is rolled over. It’s usable.
It’s relatively easy to push up and engage the slide to lock it back manually, and when it comes to dropping the slide, it’s a little bit slick, but you can still reasonably quickly drop it, and it’s pretty easy to reach. I wish the slide stop had more texturing on it as it would be a little easier to use. There are many aftermarket options for this part, though, if you so desire to switch it out.
Slide stop on the Taurus GX4, on the other hand, is terrific. My favorite slide stop that has ever been offered on a gun. This slide stop is just straightforward to use. It’s molded polymer, so it’s not going to get shiny like most of the metal slid stops you’re going to see on a gun.
It’s not sharp or pointy in any direction, and you can drop the slide very quickly, and it’s also easy to manually lock back the slide. I think Taurus did an excellent option with the slide lock on the Taurus GX4.
Glock 43
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Magazine Release
The magazine releases on these two guns are placed in identical positions, they both have a sharp edge at the top corner, and they’re both easy to reach. The plastic magazine release on the Glock 43 is less authoritative than the metal magazine release on the Taurus GX4.
When it comes to dropping the magazines themselves, your hand will likely keep the magazine on the Glock 43 from dropping free unless you break your grip.
Taurus GX4, on the other hand, magazine drops free about 90% of the time for me without breaking the grip. If you have larger hands, it likely won’t drop free, and if you have smaller hands, it will likely always drop free. I can’t give any advantage to the magazine release itself, but I can say it’s advantageous to have the magazines drop free on the Taurus GX4.
Taurus GX4
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Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43 Magazine Well
When it comes to the magwell of these guns, both of them are about similar to reload. These groups are so short that your hand will act somewhat like a funnel when reloading the magazine for the gun. The grips themselves have no angle on the inside to help aid in reloading the firearm.
I don’t know if that’s necessary on a gun of this size. It feels much smoother loading the metal magazines in the Taurus GX4 vs. the plastic-coated magazines into the Glock 34. That’s just the nature of the materials you used.
Quality
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the quality of these pistols seems identical. The polymer does seem slightly cheaper on the Taurus GX4, but the quality of the slide also seems better or seems better on the Taurus GX4.
Taurus stepped up their game with the Taurus GX4. Most of their previous pistols like the Taurus G3C seem a lot cheaper than Glocks, Sig, CZs, and other firearms on the market. The Taurus GX4 is undoubtedly an exception to that rule.
Glock 43
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Aftermarket
There’s no doubt there are more aftermarket parts for the Glock 43. It’s been on the market a lot longer than a Taurus GX4. But I suspect we’ll see many more aftermarket options for the Taurus GX4 soon.
For right now, there’s no doubt the clear winner is the Glock 43 vs. Taurus GX4.
Aesthetics Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43
Aesthetically, these guns couldn’t be more different. The Glock 43 has that old-school look. It reminds you of the Gen2 Glock 19s since the front of the gun does not have any sort of light rail. There’s also no light route rail on the Taurus GX4, but the gun is more squared off.
As a result, it has a more modern look. How these looks will stand the test of time, I’m not sure, but if I had to bet, I’d say the Glock 43 is going to look better over the years. That said, the Taurus GX4 looks better now, this time. Taurus GX4 just looks more modern and sleek.
Shooting
Shooting these guns, I was shocked. The Taurus GX4 is an excellent performer and shoots significantly better than the Glock 43. The Glock 43 shot very well for its time, but guns like the Sig P365 put Glock 43 in its place. It had more muzzle flip and was much more challenging to shoot than the newer class of micro nines with a much higher capacity. The Taurus GX4 is no exception. However, it does shoot better than the Glock 43.
Glock 43
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The recoil impulse is slightly easier to handle, and the ergonomics of the grip also aid in taming that recoil. I can’t believe I’m saying this as a Glock guy, but the Taurus GX4 is a solid performer.
When you compare the Taurus GX4 vs. Glock 43 in shooting, I’m going to have to give the win to the Taurus GX4.
Price/Value Taurus GX4 vs Glock 43
With an MSRP of $538, the Glock 43 is considerably more expensive than the Taurus GX4. MSRP on the Taurus GX4 is $399. Both of these guns tend to see about $50 under MSRP at retailers. Dollar for Dollar the Taurus GX4 is definitely more gun for the money.
Taurus GX4
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Pros/Cons
Glock 43 Pros
- History
Taurus GX4 Pros
- Sights
- Capacity
- Ergonomics
Glock 43 Cons
- Capacity
- Price
- Sights
Taurus GX4 Cons
- Shorter Track Record
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7 Comments
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Great article. I have a Glock 43, Mossberg MC1 and the Taurus GX4.
To me the GX4 wins on all counts, they all conceal about the same, except the shorter grip height is more concealable. I would wear a Ruger LCPII in the summer months due to its size under a T-shirt.
I sold the Ruger and now use the GX4. You forgot accuracy; a wee bit better with the GX4.
I have a g2cs it’s been a good gun
You should be drug tested, your tripping
You should mention the Taurus’s stunning ability to fire when dropped. The out dated Glock still needs you to pull the trigger in order to fire. Like you guys said, the 43 was a great shooter “for it’s time”
https://gx4safetynotice.com/
Luckily the gun we reviewed wasn’t affected.
It’s impressive that almost all reviews try really hard to avoid looking at the obvious flaw (to say the least) of an only 6-round magazine. This is unacceptable in 2020s. Glock does this because it knows it’s fame (well-deserved, yes) will topplealmost anything. Back in the day some people were even suspicious about the other micro 9s, something like: “well, if GLOCK won’t make a double-stack micro 9, that’s probably because it’s not possible/safe”. Glock is like Apple, it just knows it can go on delay it’s projects, profiting over simpler designs. You can bet they will release a 9-11 rd micro 9 at some point in time.
Oh and here it is 2024 and hundreds of thousands of Taurus gx4 pistols are being carried every day now and not a single article about someone shooting themselves because they dropped it. The gx4 is a well proven, capable, accurate, quality sub compact gun that has been reviewed and tested extensively now with almost all Uber positive reviews. Taurus is not the Taurus of old Brazil… They are part of a bigger conclomerat now and produce much better stuff with much higher precision, quality and QC. The Glock fanboys will never accept the fact Glock fell behind sitting on their name…. Is Glock a bad gun? Of course not but this is now 2024, not 1999… Time to step up or get out of the way!