Selection of a duty handgun, whether it’s to be used in the steaming jungle, arid desert, or the mean streets of a big city, requires a rigorous testing process. The “Big Four” areas of consideration are reliability, accuracy, durability, and adaptability. This was the criterion I considered when testing the Taurus TX9.
Testing the Taurus TX9
Number one is reliability. The handgun must go “bang” with every pull of the trigger and feed and eject cartridges with consistency. It must continue to function even under adverse circumstances caused by weather or environmental factors.
Likewise, the handgun must possess practical accuracy so the user can hit his/her target from close-in, out to 25 yards, and perhaps 50 yards or more, based on agency requirements.
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Durability can only be measured by shooting several thousand rounds to see if any breakage, internal or external damage occurs.
The handgun must also be adaptable to users’ needs, hand sizes, physical characteristics, and strengths. This testing can take weeks or months. However, when it is finished, the organization, unit, or agency will have the best handgun for the folks with their “boots on the ground.”
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Digging Into the Details
This new 9mm pistol platform has been engineered by Taurus to meet the needs of professional, defensive, and concealed-carry users. It’s being built in the USA and is designed to meet military and law enforcement requirements worldwide, including NATO specifications. This is not a single-model pistol, but is fully modular and offered in Full Size, Compact, and Subcompact configurations.
This striker-fired pistol has unified controls, T.O.R.O. slides for optics use, and a serialized chassis. The modular system enables end users to quickly swap between the full, compact, and subcompact frame sizes.
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I carried a duty handgun for the better part of 38 years as a law enforcement officer and Army National Guard MP. So, I wanted to evaluate the Full Size, Duty version of the TX9. It is a handgun most likely to be carried by uniformed personnel.
This model has a 4.5-inch barrel, an overall length of 7.75 inches, a height of 5.2 inches, a width of 1.28 inches, and an empty weight of 25 oz. It has an alloy-steel slide with a black gas-nitride finish. The alloy steel barrel is matte black with a 1:16.5 in RH twist. A small port in the breech end serves as a loaded chamber indicator.
It’s equipped with Glock-pattern sights: a white-dot front and dovetail rear sight that can be moved laterally for windage adjustment. Both the front and rear of the slide have aggressive serrations, along with an external extractor.
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The TX9 In Hand
The black polymer frame/grip has a Picatinny rail integral with the dustcover for mounting lights or lasers. Its ample trigger guard is squared in front. Above it, on both sides, is a textured indexing pad for trigger-finger placement.
On the left side of the frame, above the trigger, is the low-profile takedown latch. Behind it are bilateral slide-stop levers, and behind the trigger is a reversible magazine catch. The grip frame is stippled over almost its entire surface area, plus there is a small finger groove below the trigger guard.
Each TX9 comes with 4 interchangeable backstraps to allow the user to properly fit the gun to their hand. Also included are two blue steel Mec-Gar magazines that have polymer bases and witness holes on the rear surface.
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Inside the polymer frame is a stainless-steel inner frame unit that contains the firing mechanism. While there are no external manual safeties, there’s a firing pin block and trigger safety. Beneath the barrel is a captured, concentric recoil spring. Takedown is fast and simple; instructions are in the owner’s manual.
The TX9’s trigger is considered single-action-only and is almost 0.50 in wide; the safety insert is grooved. Pressing the trigger, you’ll find about 0.36 inches of take-up, and my trigger pull gauge showed an average pull weight of 5.85 lbs., with no overtravel.
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Overall fit and finish is outstanding. The TX9 comes in a plastic, foam-lined carrying case with a safety padlock and owner’s manual. In addition, it has a registration form for a limited-lifetime warranty.
Cartridge and Carry Rig Selections
For my Taurus TX9 T&E, I wanted to use five different 9mm loads that are all useful for duty/defense usage.
Alphabetically, the first was Black Hills Honey Badger, which has a 100 gr. solid copper bullet with a fluted nose forming an X-shape; it’s rated as +P.
Next was Federal Train + Protect, a standard-pressure load with a 115 gr. JHP. The jacket is skived all the way back to the bearing surface.
From Hornady were their Custom cartridges with a 124 gr. XTP HP that is cone-shaped with a skived nose.
For another +P load, I chose Remington High Velocity, which carries a 115 gr. JHP with skived nose.
Load No. 5 was some vintage Winchester Ranger LE ammunition, which has a 147 gr. T-Series JHP bullet.
I retired from law enforcement in 2014 and haven’t had on a duty rig since. None of the leather outfits I had would work. So, I cobbled together a duty belt, holster, and accouterments of black nylon from Uncle Mikes and 5.11 Tactical.
I ended up with a 2-inch duty belt, high-ride thumb-break holster, single magazine pouch, cuff case, baton/flashlight ring, and 4 belt keepers. That’s pretty much what we used back in the day. I’m astounded by what all today’s coppers must wear around their waist. Plus, many now wear every day what only SWAT members used to wear.
Glad I pulled the pin a dozen years ago!
My TX9 Testing Protocol
Although the TX9 is “duty rated” per Taurus, I did not subject it to the rigorous testing that might be done by a LE agency or military unit prior to procurement. I basically followed my usual test protocol with a slightly higher round count.
On range day, the first requirement was bullet velocity measurements and a sight alignment check. I decided not to use the T.O.R.O. system and relied on the factory sights.
All five 9mm test loads were fired through my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph. The bullets impacted on a Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C B27 target center, placed on the 10-yard line. Point of aim/point of impact (POA/POI) were good, and the bullet velocity data is located in the performance table (below).
For an accuracy potential assessment, I used 7.5 x 5.5-inch oval-shaped targets posted at a distance of 15 yards. I fired three 5-shot groups with each of the 5 test cartridges. All shooting was done from the bench, using a Ransom Steady Rest.
My groups weren’t what I’d hoped they’d be, as the carpal tunnel in my right wrist was giving me trouble. After a few groups, the 5.85-lb trigger pull got progressively heavier. Be that as it may, my best 5-shot group measured 2.41 inches with the Hornady Custom load.
As you can see in the performance table, the Federal and Remington loads were close behind. Group averages ranged from 2.82 to 5.54 inches.
Running Drills with the TX9
As this was a duty gun, I used a LE combat qualification course as a practical shooting exercise. I had on my Uncle Mike’s/5.11 Tactical duty rig, and each stage began with the TX9 in the holster.
The course requires 30 shots, so I loaded both magazines with 15 rounds of mixed test ammunition. A Birchwood Casey B27 silhouette target was used with self-adhesive Shoot-N-C target overlays on the head and center-mass zones.
Shooting began at 5 yards with 6 shots fired with the dominant hand, a mag change, and transition to the support hand, where 6 more shots were fired. The target was moved to 7 yards, and I fired a series of 3 double-taps.
After a mag change, I performed a failure drill with 2 center-mass shots and 1 head shot. This was repeated, then a mag change.
The target was moved to 15 yards, and my shooting bag was used as an impromptu barricade. I fired two shots standing, left-side barricade, 2 shots standing right-side barricade, then 2 shots kneeling, right-side barricade. Between stages, I performed a 360° threat assessment before re-holstering.
For a short reliability test, I loaded both magazines with a full 17 rounds each of mixed test ammo. I sent another B27 target center down to 10 yards, and standing, with a two-handed hold, emptied the TX9 at a steady cadence. Then, I changed mags and again emptied the gun.
I wasn’t going for accuracy. However, I still managed to keep all my bullet impacts within the 8, 9, 10, and X-Ring scoring zones.
The Taurus TX9 Fulfills its Duty-Ready Claim
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, reliability is “Numero Uno.” I’m pleased to report that during the shooting of 164 rounds of 9mm factory ammunition, I did not have a single malfunction. Practical accuracy was satisfactory with an overall group average of 3.07 inches at 15 yards. My combat/qualification score was 286/300; passing is 270, so no complaints about the gun there.
While this wasn’t a torture test, nothing broke or came loose during the test. I left the backstrap installed when I received the TX9 in place, as it fit my medium-sized hand quite well. The stippling on the grip frame definitely helped keep the gun from slipping in the hand while firing. Likewise, it helped keep muzzle-flip under control.
Recoil, even with the +P rounds, was easily managed. At one point, I fitted the TX9 with a Streamlight TLR-7A tactical light in the last Picatinny rail notch nearest the trigger guard. The light’s activation switch was easy to use with the support-hand thumb.
The controls were easy to reach and use, plus empty mags dropped out with no issues. A slight funnel inside the mag well helps with quick insertion for reloads.
My only criticism was the factory sights. While low-profile, they are very small. I’d like to see them increased in size, with perhaps a white square beneath the rear sight notch. I have reservations that these sights would co-witness with an optic and would have to be replaced with taller sights.
Were I still serving as a uniformed LEO, I would have no qualms about packing the Taurus TX9 as my service sidearm.
Taurus TX9 Full-Size Specs
| Mechanism | Locked-breech, semi-automatic, striker-fired |
| Caliber | 9mm Luger |
| Capacity | 17+1 |
| Barrel | 4.5 in |
| Overall Length | 7.75 in. |
| Empty Weight | 25 oz. |
| Sights | Fixed in dovetail rear black – white dot front |
| Finish | Frame black polymer, slide black gas nitride |
| Stocks | Stippled polymer w/ 4 replaceable backstraps |
| MSRP | $499.00 |
Performance
| Black Hills Ammunition 100 gr. Honey Badger Solid +P | |
| Average Velocity | 1210 FPS |
| Best Group | 2.49 inches |
| Average Group | 2.53 inches |
| Ft-Pounds Muzzle Energy | 325 FPE |
| Federal Train & Protect 115 gr. JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 1090 FPS |
| Best Group | 2.44 inches |
| Average Group | 3.54 inches |
| Ft-Pounds Muzzle Energy | 303 FPE |
| Hornady Custom 124 gr. XTP-JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 1092 FPS |
| Best Group | 2.41 inches |
| Average Group | 2.82 inches |
| Ft-Pounds Muzzle Energy | 328 FPE |
| Remington High Velocity 115 gr. JHP +P | |
| Average Velocity | 1220 FPS |
| Best Group | 2.45 inches |
| Average Group | 2.89 inches |
| Ft-Pounds Muzzle Energy | 380 FPE |
| Winchester Ranger LE 147 gr. T-Series JHP | |
| Average Velocity | 954 FPS |
| Best Group | 3.07 inches |
| Average Group | 3.18 inches |
| Ft-Pounds Muzzle Energy | 297 FPE |
NOTE: Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second, 15” from the muzzle by a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, and accuracy in inches for three 5-shot groups at 15 yards.
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