Taurus has been quite a bit late to the semi-auto rifle market, after attempting for several years to make the ART556, essencially a 5.56 version of their CT9/CTT40 Carbine, which is a licensed copy of the Chilean FAMAE SAF, itself being a pistol caliber version of the SIG SG540 Assault Rifle, they just gave up and did what sounded natural, making their own AR-15 version, I suspect most parts such as the barrel and BCG are actually manufactured by Diamondback, as in 2013, Taurus Holdings finalized an exclusive global distribution agreement with Diamondback Firearms, the Taurus T4 is sold on the national market in Brasil and abroad, I've seen models for sale in Poland, Thailand, Phillipines and other Eastern European or Southeast Asian countries that have legal access to semi auto center-fire rifles.
Essentially, they are sold in a basic M4A1 style configuration, a 14.5" barrel with a 1:7 twist, the barrels that are generally Nitrided (Melonite) rather than chrome-lined, which in theory allows for better accuracy but with a smaller barrel life, the manual itself says they don't guarantee factory accuracy after 40,000 shots, which led to some controversy with people saying the barrel would be useless after, however that merely implies a warranty-proof disclaimer in case the rifle drops the standard 3-MOA accuracy after that many rounds through it. They are also offered with a 11.5" barrel, with low profile gasblocks featuring a MLOK handguard, and the .300 Blackout versions are offered in 16.5" or 8" barrel variants.

Right after the 2018 elections, in 2019 Presidential decrees from the first pro-gun president in Brasil since at least 1993, the Taurus T4 was the first commercially available AR-15 variant for civilians that wasn't a .22LR or .410 placebo or the awful .380ACP version made locally that vanished in months, it became a huge success in sales because everyone jumped on the opportunity to finally own a modern semi-auto rifle for an "accessible price" (I've paid the equivalent to $2400 in US Dollars for mine in late 2020), it was the first time since 1932 a civilian in Brasil could own a rifle just as, or even more modern and capable than any Federal Armed Forces, directly shipped to your door, I've ordered mine online through Taurus own online shop, the registration process took about 6 days, after the payment order was done, it took 2 days for the paperwork to be done and about 3 days for Taurus to ship it to my doorstep in one mourning through a private courier, something that was surreal for Brasil standards and even better than a lot of US states.

On the top: The sling setup with the FAB Defense Handguard, WML Fenix PD35 and view of the rifle's profile
On the bottom: Comparing the 14.5" barrel size with the CBC 7022/Rossi RS22 with a 18" barrel.

The stock T4 comes with the most basic AR-15 setup, since them I've swapped out parts such as the handguard, stock etc as listed below:

1. FAB Defense Vanguard Handguard in OD Green
2. Magpul CTR Stock in OD Green
3. Ruger Pistol Grip
4. UTG Flip-Up Back Sights
5. Fenix PD35 Tac Weapon Mounted Light
6. Olight WM10 Mount
7. Victoptics S6 1-6x24 SFP LPVO

It ships in a cardboard paper box, with a Taurus branded 3-point sling, two cleaning rods and 5 metal box magazines, they are unmarked, however further research leads me to believe they are E-Lander Israeli magazines, I've bought several Gen2 30rnd PMags and Gen3 20rnd Pmags to use, which are much lighter and feel better quality overall, the E-Lander mags sometimes feel a bit stiff when inserting on the magwell.

How it comes out of the cardboard box, weighting around 3,35kg with a STANAG steel magazine.

Using handloads with 55gr Soft Point and FMJ bullets I was able to get around 3.5-4 MOA groupings at 100 meters, shooting prone or benchresting, which is a fairly accurate for an SBR, at about 250 meters I was hitting a 8" plate with ease, and my maximum range was shooting over 340 meters on a decent sized gong, though it took a few tries shooting prone using my ALICE backpack as a rest.

After swapping out the handguard for a FAB Defense Vanguard and the stock for a Magpul MOE CTR stock, now it weights around 2,95kg without a magazine, then add 0,05kg for the LPVO.


I had no issues with it being an "SBR" with a 14.5" barrel on longer distances, it just felt like the right balance between a more compact rifle, weight and long enough sight ratius and accuracy.

Groupings at around 25 meters shooting from a benchrest, not a big distance but enough to find the best handload for it.

I did noticed the E-Lander mags tend to be very hard to insert when they are full at 30 rounds with a closed bolt on, needing a stronger slap on the bottom to fit in and you hear the magazine catch "click", the same did not happen with most Magpuls, either Gen2s or Gen3s, not sure if it's something about the materials or the paint coat on them.

Now some groupings at 100 meters shooting prone, and a 8" plate at 250 meters.

Overall, the T4 is what would be a "entry-level" AR-15 in the American Market, with the few quirks of being a true SBR and having no chrome-lined barrel, I assume it's not so different from what you should expect from a PSA, Diamondback or a basic M&P15. The only issues I've had with it was using handloaded ammo that would get stuck on the chamber and I had to mortar the rifle to get two of them out, but then again those were cases that I handloaded 3-4 times without trimming them so that's probably the cause.

Considering the prices for imported AR-15s, and you're still getting a true 14.5" barrel instead of 16" imports from the US market due to the NFA, it is probably the best deal when it comes to owning a capable semi-auto 5.56 rifle in Brasil, I'd go with the "older" Milspec model, featuring the detachable carry handle and regular gas block and front post sight instead of the MLOK with a low-profile gas block, mainly because the extra money they ask for those models is just not worthy in my opinion and you can change the gas block later if you really want it or just slap a quadrail or Magpul MOE Handguard on it, the MLOK version also only comes with 3 Taurus-made polymer magazines versus 5 E-Lander mags on the Milspec version, while they are not exactly the best magazines, with proper care and loading 28-29 rounds on them you get more for less.
During the brief time of "conservative" government in Brasil, the T4 was the best and most popular choice for a person to become a rifleman milita and graduate from being a taxpayer slave to a citizen.

On the Left: The Rifle all set up for my DMR Class - LPVO, Handstop, Handguard and Stock.
On the Right: Zeroing my UTG Backup Sights at 30 meters.

Pros

1. Standard issue AR-15, everything you can expect from an entry-level rifle
2. Lots of aftermarket options
3. Comes complete with 5 magazines and a 3-point sling included
4. Accurate barrel with a good barrel twist for it's size
5. Proven design with a history of reliability

Cons

1. E-Lander mags that come with it are not the best quality
2. Supposedly the barrel will "loose" accuracy past 10,000 rounds, but I believe this is very hard to notice or feel for most shooters
3. The 3-point sling that comes with it feels cheap and is a pain to setup
4. Right-hand-only controls from the factory (though easily upgraded)

Cleaning up the BCG, funny enough I ordered this mat because Asuna Ichione's build on the art by FTE is very close to my build.

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