Taurus Question

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Does anyone have any experience with the Taurus PT22 or Taurus PT22 Poly? Through a long process of elimination, it looks like one of these guns will become the concealed carry weapon for my wife. I would appreciate any input regarding these guns. I know there are better guns/ammo for the concealed carry purpose, but I think it is one of these two or nothing. Please help me decide between the two.
 
I have shot the Beretta version of it. It shot really well, hit point of aim, nice trigger. Sorry I cant help any more. .22LR is coming back in my neck of the woods.
 
I would avoid. The only Taurus semi autos I trust are the PT92/99 which are based on the Beretta 92....or their 24/7 line. If you must choose a 22LR gun for carry....and I highly advice against it since rimfires are less reliable and the round is VERY anemic...then look into the beretta instead.

If I was you I would see if you she could handle something bigger like a 32acp. The Beretta tomcat would be a much better gun than a 22lr Taurus.
 
22 ammo is not a problem for me. I know the drawbacks of 22 pistols, but I am down to the tip up barrels or nothing. I am hoping that someone has had hands-on experience and can give me the benefit of their experience. Thanks for the replies so far.
 
.22LR is becoming more available again. In another 9 months or so I'll bet it'll be easy to find.

I have to personal experience with either of these guns, but I'd be happy to link to some other people's reviews online if you're interested.
 
Thanks, Nate. I have read all of the reviews I can find on the web. I just wondered if the guys on this board had any first-hand experience. I very much respect the input from people on this board.
 
No first hand experience with this particular gun. A few friends have bought Taurus guns, and they have been hit and miss as far as quality. I wouldn't trust one for self defense.
 
I have a Taurus 605 .357 Mag bough way back in 1996 ($230), and girlfriend just bought a new 605 .357 Mag yesterday ($400). My old one never had any reliability issues, and the new 605 looks and feels like it's well made. I don't expect any problems with it. BTW, Taurus has a lifetime warranty if anything does do wrong with the gun due to material or manufacturing defects.
http://www.taurususa.com/repair-policy.cfm

New 605 .357 in stainless.
Taurus 605 .357 Mag
 
Why is the tip up barrel the deciding factor ?

"I have read all of the reviews I can find on the web"

Hmmm IMO the PT22 is close to junk and my quick search on Google backs up "IMO"

What guns started out in your " long process of elimination" ?
 
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The "tip up" barrel is the deciding factor because the wife does not have the hand strength to cycle the slide on any other subcompact semi-auto (tried over a dozen). Above 380, the recoil is too much. The revolvers are too heavy/large for her purse carry. The criteria I have to meet will be different than your criteria because of the difference between people.

Reviews are across the spectrum on this gun. Many are very good, some are bad (just like any other gun I have researched). In addition, which reviews do you trust on the internet? That is why I asked the question here. I usually get good information from you guys. We have been reading reviews, handling guns, and spending time at the firing range for the past several weeks to arrive at this point.

We have not had a chance to actually hold the PT 22 until today.

The trigger pull is acceptable.
The weight is right
The size is right
Recoil will not be a problem
"Racking" the slide is unnecessary
Nine rounds of 22 will slow someone down

Since I have not received any information from people here with direct experience, I have decided to make this purchase. I appreciate all of your inputs. I will let you know in a couple of months if it was a good or bad purchase. Thanks again!
 
The Berettas have a tip up barrel also....which is why i recommended them.

I hope you have good luck with the Taurus. Make sure she puts at the very least 200 rounds through it before trusting it. If it is not reliable....send it back.
 
Originally Posted By: Wingman
The revolvers are too heavy/large for her purse carry.


There are some very small and lightweight 38 revolvers out there. My girlfriend bought a purse with the gun pouch on the front end. Just unzip the end, reach in and it's out ready for action. Actually a pretty slick way for women to carry.
 
IMO, go for it. Taurus's reputation is for iffy quality, but I've also heard that in recent years it's gotten better. And with the lifetime warranty, you've really got nothing to worry about.

And while .22LR doesn't have the "stopping power" of a larger caliber, its lethality is often underrated. Bobby Kennedy was killed by a .22. And many tests have shown surprisingly deep penetration from the little round.
 
Yes Robert Kennedy was killed with a Saturday night special 22. But my nephew...who is anything but a saint...took three of them (one to the chest and two to the head) while trying to rob someone of their drugs. He is still up and walking today...just blind in one eye from the experience.

Just because a round can indeed kill does not mean it will do so quickly and in a self defense firearm being able to stop a threat quickly is a high priority.
 
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Look, a .22 wouldn't be my first choice for defensive use. It's better than harsh language, but it's nowhere near as effective as even .380...but the best round for me isn't the best round for the OP's wife, who can't rack a slide, can't carry a revolver, and needs a defensive gun. If she can't handle anything else, then .22 it is...and the tip-up barrel is easier to load...
 
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Thanks guys. I appreciate all the inputs. I will report back in a month or so and let you know how the gun works out. As Astro said, it is either a 22 or nothing for my wife, and nothing is no longer a good idea. I would have tried a Beretta, but I could not find one to even hold.
 
Originally Posted By: Wingman
Thanks guys. I appreciate all the inputs. I will report back in a month or so and let you know how the gun works out. As Astro said, it is either a 22 or nothing for my wife, and nothing is no longer a good idea. I would have tried a Beretta, but I could not find one to even hold.


If she likes this one and wants to go up a notch in quality and stopping power, atleast you know that there is a tip up alternative to the Taurus available out there in 32acp(Tomacat) and 380acp(Cheetah)
 
I was going to suggest the tip up Cheetah as well, I think it's the model 86, but frankly, I think the odds of finding one are virtually nil.

There is also a .22LR Cheetah, the model 87, but finding one of those at this point would likely be near impossible as well. The 87 is the finest of all the Cheetah's, imo.

I can't speak to the Taurus that the OP has in mind, but I have the Bobcat in .22LR, and mine requires hot ammo to cycle reliably as a self defense weapon. CCI Mini Mags run flawlessly 100 per cent of the time, and the bulk CCI runs pretty reliably, but that's about it in mine. It is amazingly accurate for such a short barreled gun, and a real pleasure to shoot.

I also have a Tomcat, and it runs reliably on about anything, but it is bulkier than the Bobcat, which might not be apparent just from looking at pictures of the two.

I can also say that I have quite a few of the Taurus semi auto's based on the 92/96 Beretta's, and they function every bit as well as the real McCoy's, which I also have. I prefer the frame mounted safety / decocker of the Taurus to the slide mount of the Beretta, personally.

The Cheetah's. of course, have the frame safety, but not all of them implement a decocking function.

edit: Wingman, don't know where you are in AR, but if in NWA, go by the Ozark Armory - they should have new Bobcats and Tomcats.

2nd edit: terrible spelling
 
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