Taurus bills its new T4SA as “a precisely tuned system built to outlast and outperform any duty-rated carbine in its class.” I recently got to put it to the test at the first-ever Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous in Gateway, Colo.
It you have been following Athlon Outdoors on social media, you may have heard about its Rendezvous. Athlon Outdoors brought some 30 industry partners together, with a group of editors and contributors, for a three-day mega shoot. It gave me an opportunity to visit with several companies that I have not worked with before. One of those was Taurus.
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Several companies brought new products that had embargo dates at the time. This meant we got to shoot them and photograph them, but could not share any of the information. Several of the guns were a surprise — one of those being the Taurus T4SA.
First AR Entry
The T4SA is Taurus’ first entry into the AR/MSA market and it was impressive.
I learned that the T4SA is not just another black rifle. It is built to meet all of the government/military specifications found in MIL–DTL–71186A.
The barrel, chambered for 5.56 NATO, is a 1:7 twist. It is built using Chrome Moly Vanadium (CMV). According to the specifications sheet, the barrel has an operational life of 10,000 rounds.
Vince Abrams, Senior Marketing Manager for Taurus, spent some time explaining that Taurus engineers spent considerable time on the gas system. It is a carbine length, low profile system that is “tuned” to produce less fouling and run cooler. This in turn gives the T4SA an advertised MRBS (means rounds between stoppage) of 1 in 10,000 rounds.
Other features include an aluminum Key-Mod free float rail, Melonite MPI tested bolt and bolt carrier group, and Magpul MOE stock and pistol grip. Interestingly, Taurus is offering the T4SA with a commercial length 16-inch barrel, as well as a 14.5-inch and 11.5-inch barrels.
Fire controls are also Mil-Spec and the entire rifle is finished in matt black Cerakote. Other colors include Elite Sand and Jungle.
I noticed our test rifle was without back-up iron sights. Abrams explained that back-up sights are a personal preference and by not including them, Taurus was able to reduce the price of the T4SA. He also noted that, with the reliability of modern electronic sights, many shooters were opting to run their rifles without irons. This is a trend I see other manufacturers also examining.
On the Range
At the Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, I had an opportunity to put several hundred rounds through the T4SA. The test rifle featured a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8X24 optic. This proved ideal for the range we were on.
I was able to engage the close in targets on the lower power and get a feel for the balance of the T4SA. Using the 8x magnification, I was able to get consistent hits, with ease, on steel plates out to 400 yards.
By the time I got to shoot the T4SA, a number of other shooters had already run it hard. While I don’t know how many rounds had been put through the carbine, I do know that it was pretty dirty when I picked it up. Even so, I ran it hard and did not experience any malfunctions.
I also noted that the ejection pattern remained consistent, which is a positive indication of a properly tuned carbine.
Final Thoughts on the T4SA
So what makes the T4SA special?
First, many may be surprised to know that it is made entirely in the United States.
Second, in an industry where many think building an AR is like Legos, Taurus set out to build the T4SA to meet, or exceed, both industry and military standards. This indicates that the company is not only entering the commercial market, but wants to be a player in the law enforcement and government market.
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Finally, the rifle has a MSRP of $1,199 — that makes it extremely attractive to a wide range of customers.
At a time when many companies are pulling back, Taurus is stepping forward to offer a solid, well-built carbine at a very attractive price. From my limited time with the rifle, I was certainly impressed and would consider adding one to the inventory.
For more information, visit TaurusT4.com.
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