Today we're doing a quick video on optic mounting for the Taurus GX4. I'll do a quick recap of the GX4, then mount an optic on it, and then talk about some things to keep in mind when you go to do this yourself.
The GX4 TORO (or Taurus Optics Ready Option) was introduced in late 2021 as an optics-ready version of the GX4. Its a polymer frame, striker fired pistol that feeds from either an 11 round or a 13-round double-stack magazine. It measures 6 inches long by 4.4 inches tall, and it is right at an inch wide. Weight unloaded according to Taurus is 19 ounces. It has a 3.1 inch barrel with a 1 in 10 twist rate. MSRP for this TORO model is $468, but can be found for $350 and sometimes less. I got this one at Brownells.
Being an optics ready model, the most distinguishing feature of the GX4 TORO is that optic cut. One of the first things to notice is that the factory sights are retained even with an optic mounted, which is good for people like me who want to cowitness iron sights with the optic. The optic cut itself looks to be reasonably deep, which puts the optic nice and low and reduces the mechanical offset between the dot and the center of the barrel bore. The TORO is cut with an RMSc footprint, so it can run any optic with that footprint. One cool feature that's worth it to note is that the two rear locating pins are removable, which allows mounting of optics like the Holosun 407k as well.
For the purposes of this post, we're going to be mounting the new Crimson Trace Rad Micro Pro. This is a micro carry optic with an RMSc footprint that should fit perfectly on the TORO. (I have a full review of this coming up soon on the channel, so keep an eye out for that!)
The tools you're going to need for the installation are a torx driver or set of torx bits, a set of needlenose pliers, some blue threadlocker, a torque driver, and a paint marker.
The first step to mounting an optic on the TORO is to remove the slide and break the weapon down the same way you would if you were cleaning it. When you've got it down to the bare slide, the next order of business is to remove this cover plate that Taurus includes with the GX4. This can be done by using a torx bit to undo thescrews that hold it in.
Now that we have the cover plate off and the pocket all set up, mounting the optic itself is pretty straightforward. The optic is placed in the pocket, making sure that all of the locating pins are engaged, and then the screws are installed to hold the optic in place. Then the slide is reassembled and we're all done.
Now I have some things to consider when mounting your optic.
1) Always make sure your weapon is unloaded when working on it! Safety first.
2) Verify which screws you need to use to mount the optic to the slide. Don't assume the screws holding your cover plate on can be used to mount your optic! Make sure that the screws you're using are the same thread pitch as the threads in your slide, and make sure they're long enough to properly secure the optic to the slide. I used the screws that CT provided with the Rad Micro Pro to mount it.
3) Have some blue threadlocker/Loctite on hand to help secure the mounting screws. These parts are riding on the slide as it violently cycles, and the screws could easily come loose without the added assistance of threadlocker.
4) On a related note, I would recommend against using red or high-temp threadlocker. This stuff is notably stronger than the regular blue threadlocker, and needs to be heated to be removed. This is particularly important if your optic needs to be unmounted to replace the battery, as is the case with thei Rad Micro Pro and most all micro sized optics. So be forewarned, if you use red, you're gonna have a bad time.
5) DO NOT crank down as hard as you can on the mounting screws! Doing so can damage them or strip them out, at the very least make your life very difficult when you need to remove the optic. Use a good torque driver, and always follow recommended torque specs for your optic. That being said I couldn't find any torque specs from Crimson Trace, so I torqued the screws holding the optic to the slide to 18 inch-pounds and it's been rock solid.
6) It can be helpful to make some small witness marks on the screws with a paint marker or something, so that you have an easy at-a-glance reference to make sure the screws are still snug.
After mounting and torqueing everything down, don't forget to zero the optic! Read your manual on how to dial in adjustment, then take it to a range and zero it according to those instructions. There are few things as useless as a weapon with sights that don't work. It'll also give you a chance to get some trigger time in and practice with the optic. If this is your first pistol mounted optic, it might take some getting used to presenting the gun so that the dot appears in your field of view...this is a great time to practice!
That's all I have for you this time, so until next time: Stay safe!