Hellcat vs Taurus GX4

Taurus was losing ground after the huge success of the SIG P365, and the Springfield Armory Hellcat. Taurus created the Taurus GX4 in order to compete with high-capacity micro-9mms. Today we will compare the Taurus GX4 to the Hellcat. While these guns may appear similar from afar they have a lot more differences when you get closer. Let’s get into the details about the Springfield Hellcat and Taurus GX4.
Size
Although these guns look very similar in size and weight they can be quite different. Guns this small, even the smallest, can make a big difference. We’ll be covering more details below.
MetricsSpringfield Armory HellcatTaurus GX4Weight w/ no mag (Oz)16.116.6Weight w/ empty mag (Oz)18.2/18.618.6Weight w/ full mag (Oz)23.0/24.223.4Height (top of slide to bottom of magazine baseplate) (Inches)4.034.2Length (Inches)6.035.8Width of grip (Inches)1.020.99Width of slide (Inches)0.87.95Width across controls (Inches)1.071.06Taurus GX4 vs Hellcat Concealed Carry
Both guns can be concealed carried. These guns are small enough to be carried in a pocket. However, most people will carry them in an IWB (inside the waistband).
These two are very small, as you can see from the size chart. They are almost identical in weight and their widths are virtually the same. The Springfield Armory Hellcat is likely to be the concealable firearm. The gun’s height, which is the most important dimension for concealment is approximately three-sixteenths an inch lower than the Taurus GX4.
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Although it may not seem like much, the GX4 vs. Hellcat can make a huge difference for certain body types with guns this small. It won’t matter if the gun is smaller than your body can conceal. If you are small enough or dressed in a way that conceals these guns, less than an inch can make a difference.
These two firearms are identical in weight, so there is no difference. Both guns can hold 11 rounds. The Springfield Armory Hellcat could have a slight advantage, but I doubt it. The Hellcat has 11 rounds and is slightly shorter than the Taurus GX4. However, there are downsides to this system, which we’ll discuss later.
IWB
There is no difference in the guns if you intend to carry it inside your waistband or at your appendix position. The Hellcat may have an advantage if your clothing is affecting the gun’s size. However, 99 percent of times this is not the case.
Carry in your pocket
Every dimension is important if you plan on carrying these guns in your pocket. The Taurus GX4 can be carried if you are wearing baggy pants and large pockets. The Hellcat will come in handy if you’re not wearing very baggy pants with large pockets.
The Hellcat will also have an even smaller profile in the pocket than the Taurus GX4. The width of the grip is slightly wider on the Springfield Armory Hellcat. However, it’s not noticeable enough to be noticed. GX4’s slide width is more obvious. The extra slide width doesn’t make any difference in concealment, despite the slide being wider. The most important dimensions for concealment are the width of your grip and the height the firearm.
They seem to be about equal in inside the waistband carry when you add up the extra length of Taurus GX4 to the Springfield Armory Hellcat.
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Ergonomics in general
When you are looking at a firearm, ergonomics is essential. But what you really need to focus on is the right ergonomics. A gun should feel comfortable in the hand and give you the ability to control it. It is more important to feel good in the hand than to have adequate control and force over the firearm. Sometimes feeling good is a result of proper leverage guns like the CZ P-10 C. Other times, you can get more leverage with firearms like the Glock 19, which may not feel good in your hand but provides leverage in the right places on the grip.
Frame
Although the frames look identical when first viewed, the Taurus GX4’s backstraps will be immediately noticeable. This feature is unique to the GX4. Although removable backstraps are a common feature on larger firearms, they are not available from this micro gun. Taurus offers both a small and large backstrap option when you purchase your Taurus gun.
I have kept the small backstrap as it is, since I don’t think I need the larger. The backstraps can be removed, but they do not change the trigger reach. The trigger reach is the same for all firearms. This is compared to the Hellcat, which has no modularity in the grip. It’s an advantage.
Grip Length
The Taurus GX4 grip feels better than the Hellcat. The problem with the Hellcat grip is its larger circumference and rounder grip than the GX4. The GX4 grips better on distance between the front and back straps. This gives me more control of the firearm.
Another thing to mention: grip length. I can reach half of my pinky with the flush-fit magazine on the Taurus GX4. The Hellcat can only reach the top of my pinky, and even then it’s barely there, so it’s not giving me much leverage. When it comes to gripping a firearm, the pinky is your strongest finger. The Hellcat GX is losing a lot more leverage than the Taurus GX.
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Taurus’ grip is very similar to the CZ P-10 C. I love that it forces your hand high into Taurus, which allows novice shooters to get a good high hold. Taurus did an amazing job designing that part of the GX4. The CZ P-10 C is the closest gun to this Taurus GX4. It is obviously in a larger format than this Taurus GX4.
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Texture
These guns have a sandpaper-like texture which wraps 360° around the grip. There is no way to tell which gun is better when it comes texture. The Hellcat has some texture between the slide stop and the magazine release, which is not the case with the GX4.
This is a benefit for the Hellcat vs. GX4. It’s not something I can use, however. This feature is not available to me because the gun’s size means that my palm cannot touch the firearm’s surface.
Slide
Both guns have forward- and back-cocking serrations for the slide. When it comes to falls, I prefer the Taurus GX4 to the Hellcat. Both guns have ahead serrations. However, the Hellcat’s serrations are a bit more slick and can be difficult to use if your hands are sweaty.
The Taurus GX4 serrations, however, are not very aggressive. Although I would prefer to see more aggressive serrations on these slides, the main advantage of the Taurus GX4 slide is its slightly more tactile finish. This texture makes it slightly easier to pull back the slide. The slide’s more comprehensive design also makes it easier to grab the slide on the Taurus GX4.
The spring weight of these guns feels almost identical when it comes to racking the slide on the guns. Although this is not a major difference between the Taurus GX4 and the Hellcat, it does give the Taurus a slight advantage in this situation.
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Sights
Both guns come with decent sights. The sights on the Springfield Armory Hellcat have better sights. The Hellcat features a bright yellow luminescent sight as well as a rear unit sight with white ring. These sights are among the best available on a micro-9mm pistol and may be the best out of any out of-the-box.
The Taurus GX4 has metal sights. The rear sight is blocked with small serrations and a square notch. The front, however, has a single white dot. Although the front sight on the Taurus is good, it’s not as sharp as the one on Hellcat. We’ll be discussing the price difference between these two firearms later.
The Springfield Armory Hellcat sight is a better choice if you like to use your sight as a rack for a belt or other object. Both sights can be used for this purpose, but the Springfield Armory Hellcat rear sight has a more aggressive ledge at its front.
When you consider the cost, I can’t really say anything negative about the sights at Taurus.
Aftermarket
Both guns can be customized with tons of aftermarket options. The Hellcat uses a standard SIG-cut, while the Taurus GX4 uses an ordinary Glock. It opens up many options for aftermarket sightings, including the Taurus GX4. This was smart of Taurus. I would likely replace the front sight on the Taurus GX4 with a blacked-out or white night sight if I was to carry it. The rear sight is sufficient for me.
Red-Dot Optics
The Springfield Armory Hellcat currently has the OSP variant. This comes with a red dot optic. This gun can accept any Shield RMSc mount system. This includes, among others, the SIG Romeo Zero as well as the Holosun 407K or 507K.
The Taurus GX4 also has the Taurus GT4 TORO version. This version will accept red-dot sightings. Unfortunately, this version is not yet available on the market, so we don’t know what the optic options for that system will look like.
Controls
Access to these controls is essential for safe firearm use.
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Safety
The Taurus GX4 does not have an external safety. The Taurus GX4 does not have an external safety. However, the Springfield Armory Hellcat has a thumb-mounted safety. It is ambidextrous, very low-pressing, and it can be used with any gun. Although I don’t own one, I have seen them in stores and they are very well made. It’s a well-designed safety, which you can carry with your thumb when shooting.
The Hellcat is your only choice if you need external safety for your firearm.
Trigger
Although I can’t objectively say which trigger is better than another, these triggers are so different that it’s difficult to describe them in detail.
Springfield Armory Hellcat Trigger
The trigger on the Springfield Armory Hellcat is light and you’ll feel just one level creep before you go into a rolling stop. This trigger has an initial hard wall that you must overcome before you can feel the creep.
Although this trigger is quite good, it’s definitely heavier than others. The reset on the Hellcat trigger is fairly short and resets at the original point of the wall we mentioned earlier.
Taurus GX4 Trigger
Like the Hellcat’s Trigger, the GX4’s Trigger has very little light take-up. This take-up is slightly shorter than that on the Hellcat.
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Then you will reach a wall and feel a light, plasticky-feeling release. This one feels lighter than the Hellcat trigger. It’s not a rolling or hard break, but it’s not as heavy as the Hellcat. Taurus has managed to achieve what I would call the best of both worlds. This trigger is something I really enjoy. This trigger reset feels a little quicker than the Hellcat. This trigger resets at the first hard wall.
The trigger shoes are something I forgot to mention. Both trigger shoes have a flatter appearance. Personally, I prefer the feel of trigger shoes on the Taurus to the Hellcat. You can’t take my opinion on the shape of the trigger shoes as gospel.
Slide Lock
Comparing the slide locks on Taurus GX4 and the Springfield Armory Hellcat is going to surprise you. I think the slide locks on Taurus GX4 are better. It’s easier to use and is in a better position for my larger hands.
Taurus’ slide design impressed me. It has a low profile, but it is easy to lock the slide back using the slide lock. This slide lock design may pose a problem for those with small hands. It doesn’t seem to be an issue for me, as I have a large hand. The slide lock position for the Hellcat is a bit more back than mine, which I find a little annoying. This design is probably better suited for someone with smaller hands.
The Taurus’ slide stop feel is slightly less sharp than the Hellcat. It would seem less effective than the slide stop on a Hellcat. However, the slide stop is not comparable between the Taurus GX4 and the Springfield Armory Hellcat in real-world use. If you have medium-to large hands, I believe the GX4 is the winner.
Magazine Release
Both guns have a magazine release that can be reversible, so you can mount it either on the left or right side. The magazine releases are very similar. The magazine release for the Hellcat is a little more round and easier to use. The edges of the GX4 magazine release are slightly sharper. Both magazines have the same reach, so there is no difference in how these firearms can be used by larger- and smaller-handed shooters.
Dropping the magazine is going to make the biggest difference. This means that your hand is catching the magazine instead of it falling from your grip. The grip on Hellcat is so thin that I have to break it for the magazine to fall further. My hand doesn’t block the GX4’s grip as much. It has a slightly longer and wider grip. If the magazine falls out of my hand, I can either block it with my bottom or drop it. I don’t need to break my hold and the magazine will come out. This will give me a slight advantage when it is time to reload the Taurus GX4.
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Magazine Well
The magwell of the Springfield Armory Hellcat has a slight angle, while the Taurus GX4 has no such angle.
Both of these guns are relatively easy to reload right now. My hand acts as a magwell when loading the firearm. It is a good idea to extend your hand below the grips of these guns when you need to quickly insert the magazine.
Quality
It’s hard to believe that I’m saying this but I don’t see any difference in quality between the Taurus GX4 and the Hellcat. This is not a criticism of Springfield, but rather a compliment to Taurus. Taurus has improved their quality. You can notice a difference in the quality of pistols such as the Taurus G3C or G2C series compared to higher-priced guns. The GX4 is not much different.
Aftermarket
The Taurus GX4 is a relatively new model on the market. There aren’t many options for aftermarket upgrades. The Springfield Hellcat has many aftermarket options. Given the GX4’s feature set, I expect that aftermarket options will be available soon. Both of these guys offer many sight options, which is likely most people’s main concern.
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Aesthetics
The Taurus GX4 looks better to me aesthetically. These guns are not what you would consider classic-looking firearms. The Taurus GX4 has a bit more style. The gun’s details looked a little more modern and hip. The Hellcat on the other hand seems a little more traditional. Although the lines of the Hellcat aren’t as appealing to me, everyone has their own opinions.
Shooting
I was disappointed in the Hellcat vs. GX4.
The Taurus GX4 has a lower recoil impulse than the Hellcat. It feels more like you are shooting a Glock 43 than a Springfield Hellcat. The latter has a great recoil impulse for such small guns. This is why I have to give the Hellcat the advantage. We’ll discuss price later, which might change things, however, there was a clear advantage to the Hellcat’s recoil impulse. You’ve seen that the Taurus has many advantages over the Hellcat. I was disappointed to see this result.
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Price/Value
The Hellcat’s current price is $525, if you can find one at your local gun shop. My GX4 was $350 when I bought it. These guns are about $50 more expensive than the MSRP. The Taurus GX4 is a great value with a difference of over $175.
Closing Thoughts
The Taurus GX4’s recoil impulse is why I would still choose the Hellcat over it. However, if the Taurus GX4’s recoil impulse could be adjusted slightly, I would definitely choose the Taurus GX4. The Taurus GX4 is a great choice if you are budget-conscious about firearms. This gun is a great value at $350
You can have a great pistol that is comparable to the Hellcat except for the recoil impulse. Spend $50 more to replace the front sight. After that, the returns on your investment start to diminish. The Taurus is the best choice if you don’t mind the recoil impulse. If you’re like me, and are willing to spend $175 to $125 more for a softer impulse then the Hellcat is for you.
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Pros and cons
Springfield Hellcat Pros
Recoil impulseSizeFactory sightsTaurus Pros
PriceGrip lengthSlide stopErgonomicsSpringfield Hellcat Cons
PriceGrip lengthTaurus X4 Cons
Factory sightsRecoil impulseLike…