Vern Evans
Taurus has made a couple of pocket .22s over the years. The first PT-22s had some obvious Beretta 21A lineage with their tip-up barrel design. They did differ though in that the Taurus pistols were double action only and had a longer grip frame. They used an aluminum frame and also came in .25 ACP as the PT-25. The aluminum frame models were discontinued somewhere around 2017 and replaced with a polymer-frame version, the PT-22 Poly. Well, Taurus is again revisiting the PT-22 concept with the all new .22 LR 22TUC pistol.
The 22TUC
The new 22TUC has the same general size and features as it’s ancestors. It’s chambered in .22 LR and still uses a 2.5-inch, tip-up barrel. The TUC also still has a double-action trigger, which Taurus points out gives you a double-strike capability in case a rimfire round fails to go off. Rimfire ammo has come a long way over the years, but it never hurts to have that feature available. Capacity on the 22TUC is 9 rounds, like the earlier generation PT-22s.
What’s new is the profile and styling. The new TUC has a sleek polymer frame with textured panels and contours molded in. It has a pronounced beavertail for a high grip. The trigger guard is angular, which I presume is just an aesthetic touch. The slide has aggressive cocking grooves, although with the tip-up barrel you really don’t need to manually cycle it to charge the pistol. A manual safety is located on the left side of the frame. The 22TUC has a magazine release located behind the trigger guard in the classic Browning position, as opposed to the low-grip mounted release of the Beretta 21As.
The barrel has an octagonal profile and is fitted a decent sized fixed-front sight, which is equipped with an orange dot. The rear sight is a fixed notch. The barrel and slide on the TUC are made from stainless steel. The gun is available in a matte black finish or matte stainless.
The 22TUC ships with one mag, which isn’t uncommon for a pocket pistol. I still like seeing guns ship with at least two magazines, but I’m not in charge of those decisions. I was always a fan of the tip-up barrel Berettas and had looked at the Taurus PT-22s before, but never picked one up. I may have to give the 22TUC a try. I do wish they came with a threaded barrel, as the sights look high enough to clear most suppressors. It would have made a great companion piece for my tiny Bowers Bitty suppressor if they did. Maybe a later variant will?
The 22TUC is only one-inch wide and just 10 ounces unloaded. It should make for comfortable pocket pistol. It’s not likely a .22 pocket pistol is going to be anyone’s first choice as a defense handgun, but as a backup gun or gun for when you really can’t carry anything bigger, it may be worth checking out.
Ammo has come a long way in recent years. A 22TUC Loaded with 9+1 rounds of something like the Federal Punch round is going to be a lot better than harsh language. By all means use the harsh language, but back that up with some well-placed .22 rounds if need be. If you want to check out the new 22TUC, it has an MSRP of $334 for the matte black version and $349 for the matte stainless model.
Taurus 22TUC Specifications:
Caliber: .22 LR
Capacity: 9 Rounds
Front Sight: Fixed (orange dot)
Rear Sight: Fixed
Magazines Included: 1
Action Type: DAO
Special Features: Ambidextrous Safety
Frame Size: Microcompact
Barrel Length: 2.50 in.
Overall Length: 5.00 in.
Overall Height: 4.35 in.
Overall Width: 1.00 in.
Overall Weight: 10.00 oz. (Unloaded)
Twist Rate: 1:10-in. RH Twist
Grooves: 6
Frame Material: Polymer
Frame Finish: Black
Slide Material: Stainless Steel
Slide Finish: Matte Black of Matte Stainless
Barrel Material: Stainless Steel
Barrel Finish: Matte Black or Matte Stainless
Safety: Manual Safety
MSRP: $334 for Black $349 for Stainless
For more information check out TaurusUSA.
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