I have enjoyed excellent results with the full size Taurus TX 22 for several years now. I obtained one of the first. Those in the know, working at gun shops, handling returns, and those working public ranges know the lick on reliability. Quite a few handguns the popular press drools over would never be trusted by this shooter for personal defense. Many shooters have commented that they wish all Taurus handguns were as good as the TX 22. I agree. The Taurus TX 22 is a well designed handgun with good features. The TX 22 is an ergonomic rimfire handgun that has proven reliable useful and affordable.
The newest TX 22 is a compact version. The short slide compact features a 13 round magazine versus the full size pistol’s 16 round magazine. Both the slide and the frame are shortened. The result is a remarkably well balanced handgun. The new pistol features a 3.6 inch barrel. Overall length is a compact 6.7 inches. The TX 22 Compact is an especially well balanced handgun. Balance is a high point of the pistol’s design. The pistol features stylish modern features. Lightening cuts in the slide make for a lighter slide. The aluminum slide features forward cocking serrating. The slide is anodized aluminum while the frame is polymer. At 4.9 inches tall the pistol is a nice size for constant carry. In this straight blowback design the barrel remains stationary while the slide blows off the barrel during firing. The barrel is supplied with a 1×28 TPI thread pitch barrel adapter in addition to the supplied thread protector if you decide to mount a suppressor.
The single action TX 22 pistol features dual safety levers for right or left hand use. I especially like the sights. The three dot system features an adjustable rear sight and a white dot front. The sights may be replaced with Glock sights from TruGlo or other makers. Many inexpensive .22 pistols are supplied with a fiber optic front sight. Some prefer the white dot of the TX 22. The trigger action breaks clean. The pistol is optics ready and features a light rail for easy mounting of a combat light. Two thirteen round magazines are supplied. The grips features a good balance of adhesion and abrasion.
The pistol’s take down is interesting. Most .22 rimfire handguns feature a fixed barrel. The slide is released and pulls off the barrel. The Taurus makes things easier. Pull a take down lever located in the trigger guard and the slide pulls upward. The recoil spring guide and barrel are easily removed from the slide. While field stripped like a centerfire pistol the TX 22 is a blowback operated handgun. The barrel remains stationary. This takedown makes cleaning and maintenance easy enough. The magazines are easily loaded and proved reliable in operation. I lightly lubricated the pistol before firing. The TX 22 Compact is a pleasant handgun to fire and use. There were no failures to feed chamber fire or eject. The pistol has been fired extensively with good results. Most loads fired for accuracy would put five rounds into two inches or less at 15 yard. The TX 22 Compact is a neat and useful pistol. The primary goal is marksmanship training. Keeping pests and reptile from invading the property is a proper chore. Many like to have a quality rimfire on hand when hiking and this is a good choice. As for personal defense- I don’t want to use a rimfire for defense but if this is all I had I would have a reliable accurate handgun easy to use well.
