Taurus Releases The Compact 22TUC
The 22TUC from Taurus USA is a lightweight compact handgun that takes advantage of developments in .22LR terminal ballistics to deliver a user-friendly CCW option that is easy to shoot and effortless to carry. I can already hear you guys, “But Darwin, .22LR isn’t an effective defensive round.” I know, I know, but some people still carry pocket pistols, and the best gun in an emergency is the one you have on you.
Topside
The Taurus 22TUC features a 2.5” tip-up barrel, eliminating the need to rack the slide and making the micro-compact easy to load. The stainless steel slide and 6-groove 1:10 twist barrel are finished in either silver or black matte finish with the rear of the slide having aggressive serrations for a positive grip. While racking the slide is unnecessary to chamber the handgun, this is a great feature for clearing malfunctions that I hope you’ll never experience…
Keeping things simple but visible, the Taurus has a fixed blackout rear sight with a bright orange dot up front.
Frame
The black polymer frame of the 22TUC features a nice oversized trigger guard to accommodate gloves. The double-action-only trigger is not mated to any manual safety, however, it mimics that of a defensive revolver, providing a heavy hammer strike to guarantee consistent ignition with rimfire ammunition. Taurus promises a smooth pull throughout the travel.
Since we’re a bit underpowered in a defensive situation with a .22LR, Taurus has built the 22TUC to accommodate a 9-round magazine, giving you a 10-round capacity with one in the chamber.
The Taurus 22TUC is 5” in overall length, 4.35” in height, and just 1” in width, for effortless concealment. With an unloaded weight of just 10 ounces, you may even forget you’re carrying it. Speaking of taking it easy on you, the 22TUC will only set you back $333.99 for the black or $348.99 in silver.
Taurus USA says they are committed to delivering reliable, affordable firearms for personal protection. I think the 22TUC testifies to that. With the first rule in a gunfight being to have a gun, the company states that “the 22 you carry beats the 45 you left at home.” Okay, I can’t argue with that.
My only gripes are that the 22TUC is listed on Taurus’ website as only coming with a single magazine and that they couldn’t squeeze a threaded barrel into the package. While this or any .22LR would not be my choice for a concealed-carry firearm, it does look like it could be fun to shoot, even though it would be more fun if it could be suppressed. Let me know what you think of the Taurus 22TUC in the comments below.
To see the entire line of Taurus firearms and accessories, visit www.taurususa.com