The New Taurus TX-22 Pistol is a Winner

 

 I have been shooting .22 Long Rifle revolvers and pistols now for over fifty years.  I have my favorites and have not been impressed with a lot of the new .22 caliber pistols on the market, most are too compact, and have a safety that works backwards or the trigger is terrible.  Several of my old favorites are made of steel and have some weight to them but are not really comfortable to carry all day.  Being a sheep and cattle rancher, I carry a pistol most every day for snakes, predators bent on a free lamb chop dinner and what other varmints I might have to contend with in this day and time. I like to carry something that I forget is on my belt and that I am not constantly having to re-adjust.  I recently got to shoot a new model from Taurus called the TX 22. I was so impressed with the lightness; accuracy and the round capacity of this new pistol that I decided to get one of my own. 

Taurus designed the TX 22 as a budget minded competition rimfire pistol.  I have not shot competition since the mid-nineties so that is of little importance to me.  I do find that competition firearms are often the best for most shooting purposes as they usually have all the bells and whistles right out of the box. The Taurus is a polymer frame constructed gun with an aluminum slide that makes this gun very light to carry.  The barrel and most internal parts are stainless steel.  My gun weighed in at about 17.5 ounces unloaded and just under 20 ounces with a loaded magazine. The pistol came with two magazines that hold sixteen rounds of .22 long rifle ammo plus one in the barrel for a total of seventeen rounds giving this pistol an advantage in firepower over the competitors.  The pistol has ambidextrous safety levers and the magazine catch release can be reversed for those that shoot from the left hand.  The trigger has a hidden safety that I really like without an exposed lever to press down.  It breaks very clean with next to no creep and the trigger reset is very short allowing accurate rapid fire.  The gun is striker fired instead of using a hammer as most other rimfire pistol designs. My pistol trigger feels to be around 4.5 to 5 pounds but I haven’t put a pull scale on it as of yet.  The sights are clean, white three dot sights with the rear adjustable for windage and elevation. It also has a frame rail for adding laser or light aiming devices for those that care to.  The feature of this new pistol that I am most impressed with is the grip.  This is a full size pistol and the grip is very ergonomic and fits my hand very well.  It has a texture that makes it easy to hold on to and also seats in your hand so that when you point the gun the sights are pretty much lined up.  Accuracy of this pistol is very good with one inch groups from a rest at about fifteen steps are pretty much standard if I do my part.  Offhand groups at the same distance ran me from 2.5-3 inches, but then I am not as steady as I used to be. For those that use a suppressor this pistol comes ready to attach one with a simple adapter included in the box.  Also Taurus includes a complete manual and safety lock with the firearm.

I have carried this gun for the last few weeks almost every day here on the ranch while in the truck, while shredding, on horseback and riding around in my two seat Kawasaki.  It is very comfortable and does not pull my belt down while working.  I am now very confident in this pistol as I have put over 500 rounds of bulk .22 ammo through it with no malfunctions. This is simply amazing to me as .22 semi-automatic pistols are known to be finicky.  The disassembly on this pistol is very simple and the least complicated of any semi auto handgun I have owned. I have found two things that bug me a bit but both may be just me.  I have short fat thumbs so it is hard for me to reach the magazine release without changing my grip unless I use two hands.  Those with longer thumbs will probably not have a problem.  The other is that I prefer leather holsters but have not found one built specifically for this gun as of yet. I have been carrying it in a nylon BB gun holster I found in Wal-Mart that cost $6.99 and even had a pouch on it to hold the extra magazine.  It will do fine until I find a leather one I like.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price on this pistol is $349.99 but I have seen them online for as little as $259.99.  You could buy one online and have it shipped to your favorite dealer if they receive firearms and do the paper work for their customers.  Depending on what they charge you to receive and do the background check would determine your final price.  I bought mine from Hilltop Gun Shop here in Lampasas and have been very pleased with the service I get there. Hoffpauir’s Ranch and Supply had them on display at the Outdoor Expo so they most likely have them in stock.  If your favorite dealer does not have one in stock I would bet they can get one for you in just a few days. The really nice thing is until September 30, 2019 Taurus is offering a $50.00 rebate on this pistol making it one of the best bargains out there for this quality of firearm.  I am sure I will be carrying mine for quite some time.