The rifle tested in this review was graciously provided by the Kentucky Gun Company.
I’ve always been a fan of 9mm carbines for two simple reasons: 9mm is relatively inexpensive and lacks any significant recoil. My HK94s and HK SP89 are my favorites, but these days they are more or less priced out of the plinker/fun-gun market. Ditto for Colt 9mms. I’ve always wanted a Kel-Tec Sub-2000 that uses 33-round Glock mags, but they seem to be vaporware. The Beretta Cx4 Storm carbine is a nice gun, but it can also be hard to find and is kinda pricy once you “upgrade” the plastic fire control group. And then there’s the Hi-Point Carbine. It’s popular, well reviewed and at under $300, very affordable. But I just can’t get past its butt-ugly looks. Given the lack of availability of Sub-2000s and Berettas, I figure the market could support another entry into the 9mm-carbine field. So along comes Taurus with its CT9 G2. Yeah or nay? Make the jump to find out . . .
Good News/Bad News
By the way, that’s Mt. Hood as seen from Lost Lake, Oregon. You gotta have views like that to put up with all the damn rain, uber-lib hipsters and earthy-crunchy hippies we get here in Portland. Anyway, before getting into specifics I’m gonna cut to the chase and give you the bad news on the CT9: it’s a work in progress. There are three major problems:
- The CT9 uses proprietary magazines.
- Currently only 10-round magazines are available – WTF?
- Although not as lame as most thumbhole stocks, the thumbhole stock is still kinda lame.
Want more bad news? Its MSRP is $898 which translates into street price somewhere around $670.
Two of the three issues are very fixable. If you can believe internet scuttlebutt, aftermarket 30-round mags are on the way. If some enterprising soul (Choate, Magpul?) will produce a US-made folding stock for the CT9, the future should be very, very bright. A few 922 compliance parts will be needed as well if you take off the thumbhole stock. But as for now, the question of whether aftermarket parts will be forthcoming is still a wait and see game.
OK, if you got past the bad news, here’s the good news:
- It’s a true military/law enforcement design
- It’s extremely reliable
- It’s extremely accurate when using its preferred ammo
- It’s fully ambidextrous
- It’s easy to disassemble and clean
- Thumbhole stock aside, it’s got good ergonomics reminiscent of the HK MP5 and UMP
- It’s festooned with Picatinny rails
Want more good news? Its MSRP is $898 which translates into street price somewhere around $670.
“Wait a minute,” you say. “I thought the price was the bad news!” Well, yes and no. On the one hand, a $670 to $700 street price may be high compared to the Hi-Point or Kel-Tec Sub-2000. And it’s only $80 to $180 or so less than the Beretta Cx4 Storm. But if you’ve been pining away for a HK94 or a UMP, you’ll think the Taurus is a total bargain. So whether you see value in the CT9 will depend on your expectations.
Whose Yer Daddy?
Before discussing the specifics of the CT-9, it’s worth addressing its bloodline. As mentioned above, the CT9 is a defanged civilianized version of the Taurus SMT. “SMT” stands for “SubMetralhadora Taurus,” which, I am told, translates to “Sub-Machinegun Taurus.”
The SMT was designed by Taurus to meet the needs of the Brazilian military and law enforcement. Brazil fields some of the most highly trained shitkickers military-police units in the world, such as BOPE and COE. And given that the ghettos of Rio de Janeiro and San Paulo are virtual combat zones, these guys are afforded lots of opportunities to put lead into scumbags. In the photo above, the COE military policeman on the left is armed with a SMT in .40 S&W. ‘Nuff said?
Unfortunately for us lowly civilians here in the good-ole USA, we can’t get so much as a semi-auto variant of the SMT. Instead, the BATFE only allows us a “sporter” version of the SMT. Virtually everything that is lame about the CT9 is government-mandated lameness; and isn’t found on the SMT. To wit: The SMT has a folding stock, a shorter fore-end, a shorter barrel, a selector switch and it uses 30-round magazines.
Ironically, when I first handled the CT9, I had never seen (or even heard of) the SMT, but my vision of what the CT9 should look like was exactly what the SMT is. I mentally chopped off 4 to 5 inches of the fore-end and added a folding stock and 30 rounders. Well, that dream is not yet a reality. However, as discussed below, the CT9 still has lots of potential.
The Basics
So let’s drill down on the specifics. The Taurus CT9 is a shoulder-fired, blowback-operated handgun-calibrated carbine that fires a 9×19mm cartridge out to a maximum effective range of roughly 125 meters or so. The weapon fires from the closed-bolt position and the bolt holds open on an empty magazine. Due to the simplicity of the design and its blowback operation, there isn’t a whole lot that can go wrong with this weapon. As a result, the carbine should prove to be highly reliable.
The CT9 is 36 inches long and weighs in at 7 lbs., 6 oz. (unloaded, magazine installed). Note: Taurus’s website and internet ads list the weight at “6.6 pounds,” but that must be a typo because I checked the weight with two digital scales with consistent results. The owner’s manual sets the weight at 115 ounces without the magazine (7 lbs, 3 ounces) and 125 ounces with an empty 10-round magazine (7 lbs, 13 ounces). Incidentally, that’s almost 1.5 pounds more than the HK MP5K-PDW and more than 2 pounds more than the Beretta Cx4 Storm.
The CT9 carbine is primarily made out of aluminum and polymer. The lower is polymer over steel with steel veneers. Steel is also used to reinforce the lower receiver, and is used to make the barrel, the bolt carrier group, the front trunion, as well as some of the critical small parts in the fire control group. It is ambidextrous, with a left-hander-swappable charging handle and double-sided safety and bolt release.
Those of you who are familiar with the manual of arms for a Heckler & Koch MP5 or UMP will immediately be in familiar territory when handling the CT9. Although the CT9 is not an exact copy of the HK UMP, it’s obviously heavily influenced by the UMP’s design. HKs have traditionally used a non-reciprocating cocking lever on the left side of the upper receiver, and the Taurus follows this arrangement.
Like the UMP, however, the cocking lever on the CT9 is ambidextrous, and can be moved to the right side of the receiver – a nice touch. The cocking lever is made of steel and polymer and features a very ergonomically pleasing design. Rapid mag changes are facilitated by a thumb-activated paddle release located on the bottom of the carbine, just to the rear of the mag-well opening.
One feature I really like about the CT9 is the mag well: It’s designed with ridges and valleys to give dirt and grime a place to go. In the photo above, you can also see the ambidextrous bolt catch and the front receiver pin.
Furniture and Rails
The CT9 features an integral aluminum M1913 Picatinny rail along the full length of the upper receiver. Integral rails are nice because they’re typically much more solid than bolt-on kits. However, on the flip-side, if they’re damaged they are not affordably replaced.
The bottom of the handguard features an integral polymer rail section and additional sections of rail (not included) can be added to the sides of the handguard as well.
The UMP-inspired thumbhole stock , again, is mandated by import restrictions: The BATFE requires imported guns to be primarily suited for “sporting purposes” and apparently the folks at BATFE think that a thumbhole stock is “sporting.” I don’t understand BATFE’s aversion to folding stocks; Aaron Alexis, the Navy Yard shooter, proved that a pump-action shotgun is just as concealable and deadly as any so-called “assault rifle.”
In any event, the thumbhole stock is a mixed bag. On the good side, it’s a full-length stock that gives the shooter a good, solid cheek weld. And when I say “full length,” I mean it: Some may find it to be too long. If you like the NATO length stocks on an AK, you’ll like this. Conversely, if you prefer the “Warsaw Pact”-length AK stocks, you may find the Taurus stock to be too long.
The pistol grip is relatively open as far as thumbhole stocks go and feels comfortable. Compared, for example, to the disastrous thumbhole stock on the HK SL8-6, the stock on the CT9 is downright nice. The bad news is that the geometry of the pistol grip makes it difficult to manipulate the safety with your thumb if you have small hands. Most people can reach the safety with the thumb of their shooting hand, but barely. I have relatively small hands for a guy who is 5’ 10”, so the CT9 safety is not ideal for me. Although I have absolutely no issues reaching the safety with my shooting hand thumb when operating an HK MP5 or an M-16, I can barely reach the Taurus safety with the thumb on my shooting hand when held at low ready, and I can’t reach it at all with the weapon shouldered. Taurus should redesign the safety to make it about a 3/8 inch longer.
Barrel
The CT9 is equipped with a chrome-lined, 4-groove, 16.25 inch barrel unit that is free-floated from the front trunion. The barrel has a 1-in-10 inch, right-hand twist. Workmanship and detail work on the barrel are excellent. As discussed below, the long barrel gives the carbine increased muzzle velocity over 9mms in pistol configurations, and provides excellent accuracy if you can master the trigger.
Magazine
As mentioned earlier, the Taurus CT9 is a civilian version of the Taurus SMT sub-machinegun. The SMT uses 30-round curved mags that are very similar in appearance to MP5 mags. Unfortunately, the CT9 uses a proprietary 10-round magazine. Bummer. But it’s a strong design, visually similar to an UZI magazine. It’s possible to fully load bullets into the magazine backwards, which is never good. Also, the lack of curvature to the magazine makes it easy to attempt to load the mag into the well backwards. I watched numerous people who were unfamiliar with the CT-9 attempt this. Once you familiarize yourself with the mags, it’s easy to differentiate the front from the back — both visually and from the feel of the mag. Thus, a bit of training/familiarization is all it takes to overcome these issues. Eventually, a higher-capacity magazine will be a must.
Sights
The CT9 ships with removable polymer aperture sights. The front non-adjustable sight is a virtual dead ringer for the HK UMP sight, right down to the circular-shaped hood design. The front-sight post is rather fat and includes a bright white tip. This type of sight works well in a CQB situation, but proves limiting when trying to shoot for groups on paper.
The rear sight departs somewhat from the HK design. It features an L-shaped leaf sight similar to the sight on an M-1 carbine. Unlike the M1, however, the “short-range” sight is an open pistol-style notch for better peripheral vision; the rationale is that enclosed apertures can give you tunnel vision and make you less aware of nearby threats.
The sights are removable once the rifle is broken open — simply lift up on the retaining pins and slide the sights off the back of the rail. If you don’t like the factory sights, you can easily replace them by installing aftermarket iron sights, such as those from Magpul or Diamondhead, for example.
Trigger
The single-stage trigger on the CT9 is a definite bright spot. It breaks smoothly right at 6 lbs. and exhibits little creep through its 3/8 inch of travel. Granted, it’s not a “target” trigger like you’d expect on a bolt-action rifle. Then again, this isn’t a bolt action rifle. The bangswitch is very well executed and compares favorably to the best sub-gun triggers I’ve fired. I compared the trigger side-by-side with the HK SP89 and the Beretta Cx4 Storm, and the Taurus was the easy winner of the three.
Sling
The Taurus ships from the factory with a three-point nylon sling. The sling seems to have been designed for another gun, as the metal clips don’t interface correctly with the attachment points. Rather, I think you are supposed to tie it to the carbine using the nylon string that came with the sling. The whole thing looked a bit jury-rigged, and didn’t make much sense to me. I did like how the metal clips are shrouded with nylon material to keep them from making noise and scratching up the finish of the carbine.
Note: In talking to the folks at Taurus USA about the sling, they mentioned that they are working on improvements to the design.
Disassembly
One thing I really appreciate about the Taurus CT9 is the ease of disassembly and reassembly. Modern military firearms are designed to have a minimal number of small parts, and must be capable of being field-stripped in a matter of seconds without tools. In this regard, the Taurus passes muster with flying colors.
It’s a very simple design. The upper and lower receivers are held in place by two pins, similar to an AR-15. Unlike the AR-15, however, the front receiver pin is hidden away under the handguard. The handguard is secured in place by a threaded pin featuring a screw-on sling-loop nut (for lack of better descriptive terms). The threaded pin features a hole through which fits an impossibly small cotter pin. This cotter pin is nice to have, as it prevents the nut from loosening. However, a pin that small is guaranteed to get lost if you try to remove it in the field. For this reason, I would venture to say that the handguard is not intended to be removed in the field, and the carbine should simply be broken open using the rear pin.
According to the manual, once the bolt assembly is removed there is no further disassembly recommended. I ended up removing the firing pin, which was not a very difficult operation. Assembly is, not surprisingly, simply the reverse of the assembly. All in all, this carbine is the easiest to clean semi-automatic long gun I have ever worked with.
It just so happens that the rear receiver pin fits snugly into this hole in the stock. I’m not sure if it was designed to do so, but it’s a handy spot to store your receiver pin while you are cleaning the internals.
Workmanship
One area where Taurus has really upped its game is in the workmanship department. The CT9 displays excellent attention to detail in terms of fit and finish. Tool marks are virtually non-existent, both externally and with regard to internal parts.
The only area where the workmanship looks a little sloppy is where the internal steel parts assemblies are “welded” into the polymer lower receiver. The polymer has been heated up in this area and then not refinished as nicely as the work HK does on their UMPs. That’s not a big deal, though, and I mention it only for the sake of completeness.
Performance and Reliability
To test the handling characteristics and shooting ergonomics of the Taurus, I shot it side by side with a SBR’ed HK SP89, a civilian-legal UZI, a Beretta Cx4 storm and a Wise Lite Arms Sterling Sporter. I would have really loved to have shot it side by side with a HK UMP, but alas, I don’t know anyone who owns one and we have had no luck getting HK to send us anything to review.
- Unlike all of the other guns we tested, the Taurus really feels more like a rifle-caliber gun than a pistol-caliber carbine. For virtually everybody who handled it, this was a significant negative factor for the Taurus.
- The recoil impulse of the Taurus is slightly stronger than the HK SP89, on par with the Sterling and Uzi, and less than the Beretta Cx4 Storm.
- Accuracy of the Taurus is better than HK SP89 and the Beretta. (The Uzi and Sterling did not have optics, so we didn’t compare the accuracy of these carbines).
- The Taurus gives an overall feeling of quality, toughness and ruggedness. The Beretta, svelte as it is, has a lot of plastic parts that don’t inspire the same degree of confidence at first glance.
- The Beretta enabled the fastest transitions, whereas the longer and heavier Taurus made it a bit slower than the other carbines.
The CT-9 functioned flawlessly using anything from cheap 115 grain FMJs to 147-grain hollowpoints. We put more than 1,000 rounds downrange over the course of three months and multiple range sessions with absolutely no issues whatsoever.
Accuracy
Accuracy varied from load to load, with heavier weight bullets generally turning in the best groups. The photo above shows two four-shot groups using Blazer Brass 124-grain FMJ at 50 yards. This was my first group after transitioning from 115-grain FMJ to 124-grain FMJ. The first group consisted of four quick shots and was about four inches low. So I brought the scope up approximately 30 clicks on the Bushnell and fired a slowly aimed four-round group. Also note how much difference there is between a 124-grain bullet and a 115 grainer — the rifle had been previously sighted in for the 115-grain bullets, but the 124-grain bullets fired four inches lower at 50 yards.
The photo below shows one of the better 2 inch 100 yard groups using 115 grain FMJ (Winchester white box). Three- to 4-inch groups weren’t that difficult to obtain, but obviously the trigger wasn’t designed for this type of accuracy testing, so trigger-related flyers were understandably somewhat common.
As you can see, like most guns, the Taurus is capable of excellent accuracy once you find the ammo it likes. Note, however, that the groups shown above were achieved with a 6.5-power optic. Obviously, your mileage may vary if you are using the factory iron sites or a 1x red dot.
Side-by-Side Comparison to Beretta Cx4 Storm
I asked five of my experienced shooting buddies (including two prior-service guys) to shoot the Taurus CT9 side-by-side with the Beretta Cx4 Storm and then let me know which carbine they like better. Invariably, everybody who shot both carbines side by side picked the Beretta. I was a bit surprised by this, since as a former military guy myself, I could immediately see the military pedigree of the Taurus. In almost every case, the folks who liked the Beretta noted that the Beretta was lighter and more compact. Admittedly, this is an important characteristic for a pistol-caliber carbine.
Nonetheless, when asked to compare the features, there were aspects of the Taurus that everybody agreed was better than the Beretta. I attempted to summarize the point-by-point breakdown in the chart below (X = advantage, “PP” stands for “personal preference,” with no clear consensus emerging, the “=” symbol indicates similar performance, no advantage. Multiple “XX” marks indicate high degree of difference and importance.
| Taurus CT-9 | Beretta Cx4 Storm | |
|
X |
Accuracy |
|
|
= |
Reliability (lack of jamming issues) |
= |
|
X |
Ruggedness |
|
|
Weight |
XX |
|
|
Carry Ergonomics (compactness) |
X |
|
|
X |
Handling Ergonomics (Manual of Arms, etc) |
|
|
PP |
Shooting Ergonomics (stock length, cheek weld, etc) |
PP |
|
XX |
Trigger |
|
|
X |
“Iron” Sights |
|
|
X |
Location of bolt catch / release |
|
|
X |
Ease of disassembly |
|
|
Availability of High-Cap Magazines |
XX |
|
|
X |
Cost |
Conclusions
Taurus clearly has a winner with the CT9 if … and this is a biggie … the high-cap magazine issue is sorted out. On the other hand, I suspect that the project will flop if no high-cap mags are forthcoming. The availability of aftermarket folding and/or collapsible stocks and accompanying 922r compliance parts would also go a long way towards assuring market acceptance.
Assuming that mags and accessories are just a matter of time, the Taurus CT9 has the potential to appeal to the person who has always wanted an HK 94 or HK USC but didn’t want to pay the price of admission into Club HK. On the other hand, folks who are happy with the lower-end stuff like Kel-Tec’s Sub-2000 or a Hi-Point 995s will probably not be moved to spend double the bucks on a CT9 G2 9mm. Anyone who would otherwise be ready to drop eight Benjamins on a Beretta will have a tough choice on their hands; the Taurus provides serious competition to the Italian carbine.
Best of all, the Taurus has loads of potential for the “modder” (my name for a gun guy who likes to modify and personalize his weapons). For example, the cavernous handguard will accommodate most suppressors; the only modification needed would be to widen out the front of the handguard. I’m seriously contemplating using the CT9 as a platform to build an integrally-suppressed SBR that would have a look similar to an HK MP5 SD. I don’t think it will take that much effort to build a rear trunion that can accommodate a Choate folding stock. Unfortunately, 992(r) compliance may be the tricky aspect of the build. My recommendation to Taurus: start producing US-compliant parts! Or even better, complete the built in the U.S. with the compliant parts already installed at the factory.
Specifications:
Caliber: 9x19mm and .40 S&W
Barrel: Chrome-lined, 4-groove, 16.25″ barrel with a 1:10 right-hand twist rate
Length: 36 inches overall
Weight: 7 lbs., 6 oz. (unloaded)
Operation: Semi-automatic, blowback
Finish: Blued steel, anodized aluminum, polymer
Trigger: 6 lbs., single stage.
Capacity: 10+1, two mags provided
Sights: Polymer and steel removable HK-style aperture sites
Price: $898 (MSRP) about $670 (street)
Ratings (Out of Five Stars):
Accuracy: * * * *
The test rifle was more accurate with heavier ammunition. Not surprisingly, it tended to be more accurate with high-end defensive ammo such as 147-grain Federal Hydro-Shock. 124-grain Blaser brass provided some of the best groups during my testing. Conversely, lighter 115-grain bullets (Winchester White Box, Sellier & Bellot, etc.) seemed to give less consistent performance. Having said that, there was no ammo that gave unacceptable performance and a jackrabbit at 50 yards would be toast regardless of what ammo you used.
Ergonomics: * * * *
The full-sized thumbhole stock is surprisingly comfortable, but this carbine approaches the dimensions of a full-sized rifle. I would like to see Taurus (or some third party) work on making this carbine more compact by adding a folding-stock option and smaller fore-ends.
Reliability: * * * * *
The Taurus chewed up everything I offered it without a hiccup, from 115-grain solids to 147-grain hollowpoints.
Customization: *
The gun is new. so pretty much nothing is available yet. Except whatever you can put on the rails. Stay tuned.
Overall Rating: * * * *
It’s not an HK MP5 or a UMP. But it’s pretty close for a fraction of the cost of an HK. I’ll give it a fourth star on the assumption that the 30-round mags will actually come in time. If I could get a folding stock for it, I’d be tempted to give it the full Omar Bradley.
Editor’s Note: Taurus no longer manufactures the CT9 G2 Carbine in 9mm (or any other caliber) and has discontinued making new magazines for this gun.
More from The Truth About Guns:
Samson’s A-TM Folding Stock for the Ruger Mini-14 and Mini Thirty Rifles