Last updated April 2026 · By Nick Hall, who has tested 20+ sub-$400 carry pistols across the budget compact segment and shoots the GX2 platform regularly
Quick take: Taurus added an optics-ready slide to the GX2 and called it the TORO. MSRP is $299.99 and street prices might be even less in the weeks head.
The cut uses the RMSc footprint, which means a Shield RMSc, Holosun 407K, 507K, EPS Carry, SIG ROMEOZero, or Swampfox Sentinel mounts directly without an adapter plate. Capacity stays at 13+1. Barrel stays at 3.38 inches. Weight is 19.04 ounces. Street pricing should land in the $259 to $279 range. The GX2 just became the cheapest serious optics-ready carry pistol on the US market.
- What it is: Optics-ready version of the Taurus GX2 compact 9mm. RMSc footprint, direct-mount, no adapter plate required.
- Price: $299.99 MSRP. Street pricing in the $259 to $279 range based on early dealer listings (Battlehawk Armory, Scheels, Sportsman’s Warehouse).
- Where: Shipping to dealers now as of late April 2026. Available through Taurus’s normal distributor network.
- Why it matters: Optics-ready carry pistols typically start at $400+. The GX2 TORO drops that floor by $100. Cuts the barrier for first-time red-dot carry buyers.
Most “optics-ready upgrades” of budget pistols ship as a worse version of a better gun. This is not that. The GX2 TORO is the GX2 you already know with a milled-and-properly-cut slide. Here is the spec sheet, the optic compatibility list that actually matters, and the question every budget-CCW shopper is going to ask.
Taurus GX2 TORO: The Full Spec Sheet
The TORO ships as a 9x19mm, single-action-only, striker-fired compact. Capacity is 13+1 with the standard magazine. Barrel is 3.38 inches of stainless steel. Overall length is 6.19 inches. Height is 4.89 inches. Weight is 19.04 ounces. Frame is polymer over a stainless steel chassis. Iron sights ship in a Glock-pattern dovetail front and rear, which means the existing aftermarket of Glock-pattern sights is already compatible from day one.
The slide cut is the part worth pausing on. The RMSc footprint (sometimes written as Shield RMSc) is the de-facto standard for compact carry-pistol optics. It is the same footprint Sig uses on the P365 series, the same one Smith & Wesson uses on the M&P Shield Plus and Bodyguard 2.0, and the same one Glock uses on the 43X and 48 MOS. Pistols with that cut accept the Shield RMSc, Holosun 407K and 507K and EPS Carry, the SIG ROMEOZero and ROMEO-X Compact, and the Swampfox Sentinel without an adapter plate.
Direct-mount matters. Adapter plates introduce stack height, add return-to-zero risk under heavy use, and create a wear surface most CCW shooters do not need. A direct-cut RMSc footprint puts the optic 0.05 to 0.10 inches lower on the slide and keeps the original sight picture closer to factory. Buyers shopping their first optics-ready carry pistol should default to direct-cut over plated wherever possible.
What This Does to the Sub-$400 Carry Segment
The price floor for an optics-ready compact 9mm just moved. Going into this announcement, the cheapest serious option was the SAR9C MOD2 at around $349 street, the Canik Mete MC9L at around $399, and the Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield Plus OR at $499 MSRP.
The Glock 43X MOS sits at $599 MSRP. Sig P365 X-MACRO TACOPS sits at $799 MSRP. The Taurus GX2 TORO at $259 to $279 street puts the floor 25 to 35 percent below where it was a week ago. The Springfield Hellcat OSP runs $569 MSRP, nearly double the GX2 TORO.
And the segment that gets pressured first is the upper end of the budget tier. The SAR9C MOD2, the SCCY DVG-1RD, and the Canik Mete MC9 family at around $350 to $400 street all have to justify the delta against a TORO that does the same job for 30 percent less. Some will, on better triggers, on better warranties, or on aftermarket support. Some won’t.
Justin Porlier, Taurus’s VP of Sales, framed it this way in the launch release: “The GX2 reset expectations for what a pistol at this price point should deliver. The TORO version is raising that bar again, adding capability without sacrificing what made it so accessible.” That’s accurate as far as marketing copy goes. The price-to-feature math is real.
Check out the best concealed carry pistols under $300 here.
The Question Every Buyer Is About to Ask
Is a Taurus optic platform reliable enough to run a red dot on for daily carry? I have put 500-plus rounds through the standard GX2 across two range sessions and the platform held zero on the irons through ammo brand swaps and a deliberately dirty cleaning interval. The TORO inherits that base. The honest answer is “the GX2 has earned more confidence than older Taurus carry guns, but it is still a Taurus.” The GX2 has been on the market long enough to have a real reliability track record and the early reviews are favorable. The TORO inherits that base. Recoil’s review of the standard GX2 (not the TORO) ran across two range sessions and 1,000-plus rounds without flagging reliability issues. American Rifleman’s TORO review echoes that read on the new variant.
If the GX2 base gun has been running clean for the last year of customer use, the TORO is the same gun with a milled slide. The optic itself is the bigger reliability variable than the host pistol at this point. Pair it with a Holosun 407K or an EPS Carry and the optic will outlast the slide.
For a first-time red-dot carry shopper looking at the GX2 TORO as their EDC platform, the math is straightforward. $279 for the TORO plus $230 for an EPS Carry plus a holster lands you at roughly $550 all-in for a complete optics-ready carry rig. That number is below the MSRP of a single P365 X-MACRO TACOPS without an optic. If the goal is to get into red-dot carry without spending $800-$1,000, this is the cheapest serious path.
Cheap. Direct-cut. Available now. Taurus just set a new sub-$300 floor for optics-ready red dot carry, and the other budget-tier guns just got a problem they did not have last week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Taurus GX2 TORO?
An optics-ready version of the Taurus GX2 compact 9mm. The slide is milled with a direct RMSc footprint cut, which means red dots like the Shield RMSc, Holosun 407K/507K/EPS Carry, SIG ROMEOZero, and Swampfox Sentinel mount without an adapter plate. MSRP is $299.99 with street pricing in the $259 to $279 range.
What red dots fit the GX2 TORO without a plate?
Any optic with the Shield RMSc footprint (also called the SMSc footprint by some manufacturers). That includes Shield RMSc, Holosun 407K, Holosun 507K, Holosun EPS Carry, SIG ROMEOZero, SIG ROMEO-X Compact, and Swampfox Sentinel. The cut is the same one used on the Sig P365, S&W M&P Shield Plus, Glock 43X MOS, and Bodyguard 2.0.
How does the TORO differ from the standard GX2?
Identical specs everywhere except the slide. Same 9x19mm chambering, same 3.38-inch barrel, same 13+1 capacity, same 19.04-ounce weight, same polymer frame over stainless chassis, same Glock-pattern dovetail iron sights. The TORO adds the RMSc-footprint optic cut.
When is the GX2 TORO available?
Shipping to dealers now as of late April 2026. Battlehawk Armory, Scheels, and Darmok Firearms have early listings. Expect broader distributor availability through May.
Is the GX2 TORO reliable enough for daily carry?
The GX2 base gun has been on the market long enough to have a real reliability track record, and the early reviews from Recoil and American Rifleman are favorable. The TORO inherits that base. The optic itself is the larger reliability variable than the host pistol at this point.
What's the cheapest complete optics-ready carry rig with the GX2 TORO?
GX2 TORO at roughly $279 street, plus a Holosun EPS Carry at roughly $230, plus a holster: about $550 all-in. That's below the MSRP of a Sig P365 X-MACRO TACOPS without an optic.
Does the GX2 TORO come with iron sights?
Yes. Glock-pattern dovetail front and rear sights ship installed. The optic mounts above the iron sights. The standard sights co-witness through most low-mounted RMSc-footprint red dots.
Where does the GX2 TORO fit in the budget carry segment?
At the bottom. The previous budget floor for a serious optics-ready compact 9mm was the SAR9C MOD2 around $349 street, the Canik Mete MC9L around $399, and the S&W M&P 9 Shield Plus OR at $499 MSRP. The TORO at $259 to $279 puts the floor 25 to 35 percent lower than it was a week ago.
Sources
- Taurus USA, official GX2 TORO product page and launch release (April 2026)
- Recoil Magazine, Taurus GX2 1,000-round range review (base model, 2025)
- American Rifleman, Taurus GX2 TORO first-look review (April 2026)
- Battlehawk Armory, Scheels, and Sportsman’s Warehouse, early dealer pricing as of late April 2026
Related Reading
- Best Budget Handguns: Tested Under $400
- Best Concealed Carry Pistols
- Best Pistol Red Dots: RMSc Footprint Compared
- Best 9mm Pistols: From Carry to Duty
- Handguns Price Tracker
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