Taurus TX22 Review: Can-Ready Rimfire

The cost of shooting has gone up significantly in the last few years, so rimfire guns—which are less expensive to shoot compared to center fire pistols—are all the rage. One of my favorites as someone who spends a significant amount of time in the range is the plinking not-so-little pistol, the Taurus TX22.

I originally wrote this Taurus TX22 review back in 2022 but now that I’ve spent some time with it, I understand it better and my opinions on it have changed slightly. So in this updated review, I’ll take a closer look at this popular pistol and let you know if I think it’s worth the squeeze.

Taurus TX22 Background

Rimfire pistols have been a fun but touchy subject for longer than I’ve been around. Likely due to the soft recoil and the commonality of inconsistencies in rimfire ammunition, it has been a challenge to many gun makers to produce a reliable and feature-filled auto-loading pistol.

As a child, I remember shooting my Grandfather’s Ruger MkII pistol. What a party it was for a kid like me to burn through a brick of ammo!

Other manufacturers have tried to create something similar to the MkII and its cousins, but often with hit-and-miss results. I’ve shot several other modern rimfire pistols, which always seemed to leave me just a bit underwhelmed. They often feel like a toy, too small for a man’s hand. They are usually maxed out with a full mag of ten cartridges; worst of all, they are unreliable.

Taurus has a reputation that many would call questionable, I myself swore off Taurus more than a decade ago. But all these years later, I thought I would give them another try after fondling the TX 22 at their booth at SHOT Show a few years ago. My very first impression there piqued my interest in the gun, so I ordered a T&E unit to ride the bull one more time.

Taurus TX22 Features

1 Polymer Frame

Makes the gun very lightweight and comfortable

2 Striker Fired

Hammer-free, just like many full-size pistols

3 Suppressor Ready Threaded Barrel

The TX22 comes from the factory threaded and includes a suppressor collar.

The barrel length is typically 4.1-inches.

4 Picatinny Accessory Rail

Mount your chosen accessories.

5 Adjustable Sights

Fully adjustable to accommodate your preferences, eye dominance, or attempts to sabotage your buddy’s ability to hit a tight group.

6 Ambidextrous Safety

While optional, it is nice to have.

7 Trigger Safety

For an added level of security.

8 16-Round Magazines

This is a big step for rimfire pistols.

Models and Variations of the Taurus TX-22

The TX 22 is available in a variety of models. The frame can be had in Black, Green, FDE, and Purple Wine. The slide is hard anodized black.

You can also purchase the TX 22 Competition model. That variant has a cut slide that is drilled for optical sights. The former model can also be had with a muzzle compensator instead of the bare crown.

Taurus TX22 –  Our Take

When my TX 22 first showed up, I was interested to see if the shine had worn off since SHOT Show. But as I opened the box, I was greeted with the same giddy feeling as before.

I plucked the pistol from the box, and after checking its safe condition, I buried the web of my hand deep into the grip. One of the first things that caught my attention was the feel of the pistol in my hand.

It felt like a real gun, something similar to an M&P. It didn’t seem like a gun made for my daughter to shoot, it filled the palm of my hand and allowed for a proper two-handed grip.

The petite magazine button release rested perfectly under my thumb, requiring little effort to drop the magazine but not so easy as to do so by accident. The square trigger guard houses the trigger, which is where I went next.

Typical trigger safeties use a blade or something to deactivate the safety, but the TX 22 uses a different manual safety design. The entire trigger shoe pivots on applying proper pressure in the right spot. Once it is pushed into place, the trigger can be actuated. The actual trigger pull feels pretty good, with a positive reset. I don’t use the manual safety much on pistols. However, since I was expecting my kids to get some instruction on this pistol, it was convenient.

Running the slide a few times. I was surprised to feel such little resistance.

With the slide open and locked back, I could inspect the chamber and extractor, a claw type. With the slide back, I could see that thread protector on the muzzle. I loosened it with a wrench and pulled the suppressor collar from the box.

Happily, I’d come prepared with a suppressor in my pocket, so I threaded it straight on.

Everything was shaping up very nicely with the little plinker. I could hardly keep myself from going straight out and shooting it.

A few minutes later, I was up on the hill by my house, stuffing the two magazines that had come with the gun. I’d brought a box of Blazer ammunition but had exhausted the whole lot in just a few minutes.

I was having far too much fun to stop that quickly, so I ventured home for more ammunition – and my son. Together we ran a significant amount of other types of ammo through the gun, enjoying both the company and the TX22. The ammo was mainly cheap bulk-packed types of different brands. The majority of my stash was green box Remington and Winchester white box. 

I ran the pistol with three different suppressors, beginning with the SilencerCo Spectre II. Later I used the Dead Air Mask and, subsequently, the YHM Phantom 22.

Suppressed shooting took the fun to another level (as it always seems to do). Let’s just say the can rarely comes off. Aside from a bit of debris coming back at the shooter, I found no change in the pistol’s performance. 

Just a reminder: you should always wear glasses when shooting, no matter what. 

The adjustable sights were easily adjusted with a small screwdriver. I never really needed to adjust them other than an obligatory try for review purposes.

The pistol was accurate to my taste, accurate enough to take several squirrels from the forest that never knew what a suppressed 22 pistol sounded like. 

I also added a Surefire weapon light to the front rail, which made the TX 22 a perfect weapon for running an evening trapline. Or just to take out unwanted vermin around the campsite.

The first few trips out with the little Taurus perhaps accounted for nearly fifteen hundred rounds fired, which made the pistol foul up over time. However, I don’t recall a single malfunction during those first thousand or so rounds fired. 

That is acceptable for a pistol that is essentially for pure recreation.

If you’re not ready to pull the trigger (see what we did there?), and you’d like to see how the TX-22 stacks up against other rimfire pistols, check out our complete guide to the best 22lr pistols.

Taurus TX22 Pros and Cons 

FAQs

How’s the rear sight of Taurus TX22?

The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation, providing flexibility in aiming.

Does it have an optic cut for a red dot?

No, the standard TX22 doesn’t have an optic cut, but there are aftermarket options for those interested.

Is it suitable for self-defense?

While primarily a training pistol, it could serve for self-defense due to its reliability and accuracy.

Are there suppressor accessories available?

Yes, it comes with a thread cap for the threaded barrel, and there are aftermarket suppressor adapters available.

Does it come in different versions?

Yes, there’s a compact version available for those looking for a smaller, more portable option.

Taurus TX22 Starter Pack

Are you considering the purchase of a Taurus TX22? If so, you’ll need more than just the gun to make it safely go bang. You’ll need proper protections, extra mags, and something to clean it with at the end of a long day at the range. Here are our recommendations:

• Gun Cleaning Kit: Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box on Amazon or build your own personalized cleaning kit with premium components.
• Shooting Glasses: All it takes is one piece of rogue hot brass, and you’ll learn the importance of shooting glasses. But not all glasses are built the same. See our recommendations for the Best Shooting Glasses.
• Hearing Protection: Firing a gun without wearing proper ear pro can be very dangerous and detrimental to your hearing. Find out the best hearing protection for you in our full-length review.
• Storage: Check out our article on the Best Biometric Gun Safes
• Targets – If you’re wanting a great resource for shooting practice or zeroing your optics on your optics rifle or pistol, download our FREE Sighting in Targets below.

Taurus TX22 Accessories

The obvious choice here is a suppressor; my favorite of the three mentioned above is the Yankee Hill Machine Phantom 22. But any good rimfire suppressor will probably work well for you.

I did find that the TX 22 fit in holsters for a Glock 26, which came in handy for shooting from the retention holster. I used a Blackhawk Serpa. You’ll want to perform your due diligence before deciding on a rig for your own use, particularly in the case of a weapon you intend to carry/use defensively (unlikely with this pistol, but possible).

The Surefire weapon light I used was also very handy, the A300U-B model fits perfectly.

Taurus TX22 Accessories

1. PHLster Floodlight Universal Holster (WML)		Fits to the weapon light geometry of the gun, not the weapon Switch weapons between rigs as long as they’re using the same light Available in IWB and OWB versions Easily changeable from right-hand to left-handed shooter	Check Price
2. Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs		Great In-Ear option Custom molded – super easy and comfortable NRR: 31	Buy on Amazon
3 Streamlight TLR-1 HL		Excellent mix of candela and lumens Affordable but durable design Constant, Momentary, and Strobe modes Compatible with the Streamlight version of the PHLster Floodlight	Buy on Amazon
4 Pineworld K3 Biometric Handgun Safe		Reliable Biometric Scanner Sturdy and Well Built Cheaper Than Most Biometrics	Buy on Amazon

Taurus TX22 22LR Ammo

I put a bunch of different ammunition types through the TX22, but the best one, in my opinion, was the CCI Subsonic 1050 FPS. As you can see, we killed quite a few rabbits with it. Most every ammunition I tried functioned fine other than the very slow subsonic cartridges.

Taurus TX-22 vs Other Rimfire Pistols

If you’re considering purchasing a TX-22 pistol, you’ve also been looking at other rimfire pistols. If you haven’t yet, you really should!

Here are some quick comparison specs between the Taurus TX22 vs other rimfire pistols.

If you’d like to see the full breakdown about how it compares (and which 22 lr handgun might be right for you), you should check out our 22 lr pistol “best of” guide and our best 22 pistols for defensive use.

Taurus TX22 Maintenance

A reliable handgun requires regular maintenance and cleaning. We’ve found a great video on breaking down and cleaning your plinker. Check it out below!

Suggested Resources For You And Your Taurus TX22

Looking for some more information on the Taurus TX22 and 22lr cartridge? Check out the links below.

• Care and Maintenance of the TX22
• TX 22 Video
• Active Response Training: Testing .22 Caliber Defensive Ammunition