We take a quick look at the Taurus GX2, a pistol that the company says will set a new standard for affordable, entry-level self-defense firearms.

Taurus has just announced the GX2, a 9mm self-defense pistol that’s being marketed toward first-time and entry-level shooters. Between its good reliability and affordable price, the GX2 is aiming to make personal protection more easily accessible to all law-abiding citizens.

The Taurus GX2 doesn’t have any fancy tricks hidden up its sleeve, and, in fact, it’s pretty basic as far as polymer-frame 9mm self-defense guns go. But that’s not a bad thing. For personal protection, a pistol really only needs to be reliable, shootable and priced within the prospective buyer’s means. By most standards, it seems that the GX2 hits all three.

Chambered for 9mm, each pistol will ship with two 13-round magazines. Its polymer frame is compact and lightweight yet durable, and the 3.38-inch Sharpshooter barrel keeps it easy to carry concealed while helping to enhance accuracy. Other features include a manual thumb safety as well as a trigger safety, replaceable white dot sights, front/rear slide serrations and an accessory rail for a light or laser. As for the GX2’s reliability, Taurus tested it at a Gunsite Academy event over three days. In the end, the company described the thousands of rounds put through the pistol as “trouble-free.”

An entry-level pistol also needs an entry-level price. The GX2 has an MSRP of $309.99, but they’ve already started to be listed for sale online at almost $70 less than that. For a reliable, no-frills self-defense pistol, that seems pretty good.

For more information, visit taurususa.com.

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