Taurus TX22 at the Shot Show 2019, Magazine Capacity and Light Weight, Concealable

I stopped by the Taurus booth at the Shot Show to see what might be new. Taurus has been a leader in innovative products. I have had good luck with several Taurus revolvers and semi-auto pistols.

The Taurus TX22 is a new, midsized .22 Long Rifle, only 17.3 ounces, with a 16 shot magazine.

The Taurus TX22 pistol will invariably be compared to the new Kel-Tec CP33. They both have raised the bar for magazine capacity in a .22 pistol.

They are considerably different guns, filling different niches. The capacity of the Taurus is 16 rounds, a significant improvement over the commonly available 12 round magazines for some models of Smith &Wesson and Walther. 16 rounds is only half of the capacity of the Kel-Tec CP33. Both guns are new to the market.

The Taurus is a much smaller gun. No one would claim the Kel-Tec is pocket sized. The Kel-Tec CP33 is a standard sized, but lightweight pistol, at 24 ounces. It is 10.6 inches long

The Taurus TX22 has real pocket potential. It is only a bit over seven inches long, and 5.44 inches high. It has a 4.1 inch barrel. The barrel is threaded. The threads are inside the envelope of the slide. An adapter for standard 1/2x28 threads is included with the pistol.

TX22 with 1/2 X 28 adapter

I talked to Jason Pitman, the designer of the TX22.  He explained some of the features.

The barrel of the TX22 is not fixed. It is designed not to move during firing or when the action is cycled.

The take-down is very similar to that of the Glock. Check to make certain the pistol is not loaded. Then the trigger is pulled, the disassembly tabs are depressed, and the slide is pulled forward and off the frame.

It comes with adjustable sights, and what Taurus calls the Taurus Pittman Trigger system. The trigger is about 5 lbs of weight, or a little less. The trigger has very definite staging. A trigger safety is included, but not visible.

I tried the trigger. It was easily usable. It takes a little practice to use the staging well. With some practice, you take up three lbs of pull quickly, coming to the staging. Then it acts much like a two pound trigger. I like the concept.

The slide of the TX22 is a combination of high strength aluminum and hardened steel. The steel is used for the bolt face. I expect it to outlast most shooters.

The magazine has been designed to prevent rim-lock. That is how it packs 16 cartridges into a relatively short magazine. Jason said a magazine loading tool is being considered. It would make loading simpler, and prevent some user error in loading. I cannot speak for Taurus. It seems likely the magazine loading tool will be included in the box, just as the threaded barrel adapter is. 

The Taurus comes with two magazines. I hope that becomes an industry standard.

While the Kel-Tec can be concealed, It is a standard sized pistol. It is concealable, but not for "deep" concealment.

Concealing the Taurus TX22 would be fairly easy. It is close to the size of a model 19 Glock.  At slightly more than one pound, concealment becomes easier.

There are general purpose holsters available. I am unaware of any that are made specifically for the Taurus or the Kel-Tec, at this time.

As a field gun, I would like to see the Taurus TX22 with a five or six inch barrel. That might happen at a later date. Jason told me the tooling and design were made in such a way as to make that possible, without exorbitant expense.

As a general purpose .22 kit gun, it does well. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price is $349, which is $125 less than the Kel-Tec.

The .22 Long Rifle cartridge has outstanding inherent accuracy.  I did not find any accuracy numbers for the Taurus TX22. .22 pistols have a habit of shooting better than most shooters are capable of.

©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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