As someone who’s been writing about guns longer than I can remember, I get a fair number of questions from fellow seasoned shooters about firearms that won’t wreak havoc on arthritic hands. For a lot of folks, racking a stiff slide is about as fun as trying to open a pickle jar with greasy hands. So, many of them turn to revolvers. But that’s not the only option. Enter the Taurus 22TUC, a little semi-auto rimfire that just might be the answer.
Now, I could save us all a lot of time by boiling this whole review down to one sentence: “The 22TUC’s barrel flips up, so you can load a round without racking the slide.” Boom, done. But where’s the fun in that? There’s a lot more to this little shooter, so let’s dig in.
Taurus didn’t invent the flip-up barrel. Beretta’s been doing it for ages, with their Tomcat and Bobcat series in .32ACP and .22LR, respectively. And the newest addition to the family is the Girsan MC-14T in .380, a gun that looks like a Beretta after a solid protein shake regimen. People seem to love that one, and I’d tell you more if I could actually get my hands on one.
The point is, if you don’t want to fight with a slide, flip-up barrels are a solid option. No more struggling to rack back a slide that feels like it was designed for a bodybuilder’s grip strength. Just pop the barrel up, drop in a round, and snap it shut. Simple.
The 22TUC isn’t Taurus’s first rodeo in this category. Once upon a time, they had the PT-22, a gun I owned and had a love-hate relationship with. When it worked, it worked well. When it didn’t, well, let’s just say it was about as reliable as a politician’s promise. It was ammo-sensitive, which isn’t unusual for .22LR guns, but it definitely had its moods.
So, naturally, I was curious to see if the 22TUC was the “glow-up” version of its predecessor or if it would have the same temperamental nature. Spoiler alert: It’s a significant improvement.
When summer rolls around and you’re stuck in lightweight shorts, carrying a full-sized 9mm starts feeling like dragging around a brick. That’s where a tiny, 10-ounce gun like the 22TUC makes a lot of sense. Even fully loaded, it’s barely 12 ounces. That’s lighter than most pocket change collections.
Now, I won’t get into the endless debate over whether .22LR is a “real” defensive round. The way I see it, the first rule of a gunfight is to have a gun. If you leave your bigger calibers at home because they’re too heavy or uncomfortable to carry, then something like this makes a whole lot of sense.
If you’ve followed my reviews for a while, you know about my ongoing battle with nature’s little predators. I’m not talking about anything exotic – just good old-fashioned troublemakers like possums, raccoons, weasels, and the occasional hawk. Oh, and let’s not forget the time two juvenile bald eagles got in and decided to turn my chickens into a buffet. (For the record, the federally protected ones get a firm talking-to and a flashlight wave, not lead.)
For those less-than-protected critters, a quick-access, lightweight .22 is ideal. I keep a gun like this nearby, with a loaded mag and an open barrel. When something sets off the alarm, I drop a round in, snap it shut, and it’s ready to go before that possum knows what hit it.
Living in the woods has its perks, but it also means you never know what you’re going to run into. Coyotes, bobcats, and even the occasional out-of-place mountain lion wander through. Now, I’m not saying this little .22 is the ideal tool for dealing with a big cat, but I’d rather have something than nothing. And besides, it’s perfect for those times when you just want to take a casual walk and not feel like you’re lugging around a full-size firearm.
Let’s be real. When you take a featherweight .22 pistol to the range, you’re not expecting match-grade accuracy. At 10 yards, I put it through its paces with a variety of ammo, knowing full well that .22LR guns tend to be a little picky.
The good news? This thing ran like a champ with the right ammo. Sure, I had two failures to feed, but considering how many rounds I put through it, that’s hardly a deal-breaker. It’s not unusual for rimfire guns to prefer specific brands of ammo, so a little trial and error is to be expected.
The sights are another plus. The bright orange front sight stands out, and the rear sight is wide enough to make alignment easy. The double-action-only trigger is on the longer, stiffer side, but it’s nothing you can’t get used to with some practice.
Let’s not kid ourselves – the Taurus 22TUC isn’t going to revolutionize the firearms world. It’s not a precision target pistol, and it won’t be replacing your full-size carry gun anytime soon. But for what it is, it’s a fantastic little tool.
The flip-up barrel makes it accessible for those who struggle with traditional semi-autos. The lightweight design makes it a great option for pocket carry. And if you’re like me and occasionally have to deal with unwanted critters, it’s a perfect little pest control piece.
For under $350, it’s a solid buy. And at real-world prices closer to $300, it’s an outright bargain. If you’re looking for a compact, easy-to-use rimfire that won’t break the bank, you might want to give this one a serious look.