By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
A few years ago, Taurus introduced an ergonomic rimfire handgun that has proven reliable useful and affordable.
The TX 22 has increased the reputation of the company favorably. A teenage shooting team sponsored by a friend has three of the original TX 22 pistols in service. They have served well and won matches.
Not resting on their laurels, Taurus has introduced the TX 22 Compact. Few self-loading rimfire pistols are offered in a compact version. A choice of barrel or slide length is all we have. Few handguns are as filled with features yet easy on the bank account as the Taurus TX 22. The short slide compact features a 13-round magazine versus the full size pistol’s 16-round magazine.
The new compact version features a 3.6-inch barrel. Overall length is a compact 6.7 inches. In simple terms, the Glock 43 is a tad smaller and the Glock 19 a tad larger.
Taurus’ TX 22 Compact offers a handy spot in size and heft. Heft or balance is a high point of the pistol’s design. The TX 22 has more bling and style than the full size pistol. Lightening cuts in the slide top and sides help aid slide velocity and the anodized aluminum slide features forward cocking serrations. While the slide is aluminum, the frame is polymer, making this a comfortably lightweight pistol to carry.
Because of its size and weight, the TX22 is a neat handful easily stored in a back pocket while hiking or engaging in other outdoor activities. At 4.9 inches tall, it may be too large for a coat pocket but ideal for most other uses. The pistol is a straight blowback, meaning the barrel remains stationary while the slide cycles rearward 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. I don’t use a suppressor personally but I am surprised at the increasing number of shooters I observe at the firing range taking advantage of this option.
Overall, this new Taurus compact is well designed and all parts are nicely finished. The lock is single action requiring only that the trigger fire the pistol not cock the action, and the trigger action breaks clean. It features an ambidextrous safety for right or left hand use.
I especially like the sights. Taurus designed this compact with a three dot system featuring an adjustable rear sight and a white dot front. The sights may be replaced with Glock sights from XS or other makers. Many inexpensive .22 pistols are supplied with a fiber optic front sight. My teenage match shooters prefer the white dot setup. I think in time I may add a different front sight to the Taurus.
The TX22 is optics ready and features a light rail for easy mounting of a combat light. There are sporting pursuits including racoon hunting that would beg for this application. Two 13-round magazines are supplied, and the grips features a good balance of adhesion and abrasion.
Disassembly is interesting. Most .22 rimfire handguns feature a fixed barrel, where the slide is released and pulls off the barrel. Taurus makes things easier. Pull a take down lever located in the trigger guard and the slide pulls upward and off. (Be certain the chamber and magazine are cleared first!)
On the Taurus TX22, when the slide is removed, the recoil spring and guide come off the frame along with it. The recoil spring guide and barrel are easily removed from the slide. While field stripped like a centerfire pistol, the TX 22 is a straight blowback design as noted above, so the barrel remains stationary as the pistol cycles. This takedown makes cleaning and maintenance easy enough.
The magazines are easily loaded and proved reliable in operation. I had on hand an original Taurus TX 22. This is a full size rimfire pistol and the early version was not optics ready. I like the balance and natural point of the compact pistol better. Sometimes a compact handgun feels better than the full size gun, but not always.
The TX 22 is a great shooter. I lightly lubricated the test model before firing, and it ran reliably. Most of my rounds were fired at 10 to 20 yards at steel targets, pine cones, and reaction targets. After more than three months and just shy of 1,000 rounds of ammunition, the TX 22 Compact has never failed to feed, chamber, fire or eject. Function finally became sluggish from accumulated powder residue and lead build up at about 900 rounds, so I cleaned the pistol thoroughly.
As for accuracy, the TX22 Compact was fired from an MTM Caseguard K Zone firing rest. This affordable rest is easily set up for rifles or handguns. I like this particular model a great deal and use it often. At 15 yards to 50 feet in several tests, the TX 22 kept most loads in a two-inch group for five shots. Some groups were smaller. The TX 22 is a quality handgun well worth its price.
Ammunition testing
With the ammunition situation getting much better, I was able to test the pistol with a wide range of cartridge choices. Results were good with all loads including some .22 short ammunition I was able to acquire. Of course these low momentum rounds did not cycle the action and had to be loaded one round at a time. This makes for fun single shot shooting at a leisurely pace.
I enjoyed firing the pistol for accuracy results. In the end I was impressed by both the handload and the ammunition.
Load Velocity Group size (15 yards)
CCI Short CB CAP 560 fps 1.5 in.
Blazer RN 40 gr. 1001 fps 2.0 in.
CCI Mini Mag 36 gr 1121 fps 1.7 in.
CCI Stinger 32 gr 1080 fps 2.1 in.
Winchester Wildcat 40 gr. 1020 fps 2.0 in.
Winchester M22 40 gr. 1034 fps 1.6 in.
Winchester Super X 37 gr 1009 fps 1.9 in.
