Taurus TX22 Competition, a .22LR pistol for sport shooting

When we think of .22 caliber rimfire competition pistols in Europe, Pardini, Feinwerkbau, Walther or other brands come to mind, all belonging to the world of academic or Olympic shooting. In the US this is not the case, and .22 rimfire semi-auto pistols are used for recreational shooting and enjoy enormous popularity. Companies like Browning and Ruger have earned millions of dollars from their “plinking” pistols and have dominated a seemingly endless market for years. It's no surprise, then, that nearly every firearms company sooner or later offers a .22-caliber version of one of their centerfire pistols on the American market - with mixed fortunes.

The new Taurus TX22 Competition

The new Taurus TX22 Competition is based on the TX model that in 2019 was voted "gun of the year" by Guns & Ammo. Compared to the previous model, the TX22 Competition features some specific solutions that make it – you guessed it! – more suitable for competitive sport shooting

The first and most obvious upgrade from the original model is the aluminum slide, which has been modified from a shrouded to an open slide design, like the Beretta 92. The new profile of the slide allows mounting a mini-reflex optical base in a relatively advanced position, more or less in correspondence of the ejection port. The gun is sold complete with two double-sided plates that allow the user to mount different mini-reflex sights; at this time the choice includes the C-More STS2, Leupold Delta Point, Bushnell RXS-250, Trijicon RMR, Holosun 407, Vortex Venom, Docter/Noblex, Burris Fast Fire and Sightmark Mini. An adjustable rear sight and a fixed front post, both equipped with white markings, are standard on the gun.  

As by now mandatory on guns equipped with mini-reflex optics, the slide grip serrations are also machined near the muzzle, so that the pistol can be cocked keeping the hand away from the area where the optic is located. The dust cover features a Picatinny rail for additional accessories. The 5” match quality barrel has a threaded muzzle protected by a hex machined ring.

The Taurus TX22 Competition is a striker-fired single action, with an interesting automatic safety on the trigger: in fact, the ‘real’ trigger is inside the frame and the one on which the shooter applies pressure to fire is the safety lever that in striker-fired pistols is usually located in the center of the trigger, so if this is not pressed intentionally the gun does not fire. The other controls on the frame are the safety lever and the disassembly button, both ambidextrous, while the slide release lever is present only on the left side. The magazine release button is easily reversible. The Taurus TX22 Competition can use 10- and 16-round magazines, and the gun is delivered with three magazines.  The whole package is sold in the US for $484.85.

The safety lever and the disassembly button are ambidextrous, the magazine release is reversible. The hold open is  on the left side only.

Taurus TX22 Competition specs and price

Watch the video here: the NEW TaurusTX 22 Competition 

To learn more, visit the microsite dedicated to the  Taurus TX 22 Competition

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