While no one would argue that .22 LR is the best cartridge for self-defense, for a variety of reasons, it may be the best option for some people. Ammunition manufacturers recognize this, with recent offerings of the rimfire cartridge designed specifically for personal protection. Firearms manufacturers are also building quality rimfire handguns designed specifically for self-defense. While Taurus has long built compact .22-cal. rimfires for personal protection, the company is returning to the semi-automatic portion of this market with the new-for-2024 22TUC.
The Taurus 22TUC is a modern, .22 LR semi-automatic handgun designed for personal protection.
In many ways, the 22TUC follows in the footsteps of Taurus’ original .22 LR tip-up barrel handgun, the PT22, which has been discontinued for nearly a decade. A tip-up barrel design, like that used on the PT22 and 22TUC, means that the pistol can be loaded and unloaded without having to rack the slide. Beyond that, the TUC is new from the ground up.
Based around a polymer frame with stainless steel inserts, the 22TUC has modern ergonomics, including an extended beavertail and replaceable grip panels, suggesting additional size, texture and color options will be offered in the future. The action of the pistol is hammer-fired, double-action only with no manual safety, meaning the 22TUC is both quick to use and has re-strike capability.
The tip-up barrel design of the 22TUC allows for the handgun to be loaded and unloaded without racking the slide.
The tip-up barrel has a unique octagonal shape and is released with a lever positioned above the magazine release. Magazines hold nine cartridges and are released via a left-side button, with the tip-up barrel allowing for easy +1 capacity loading. Sights are a fixed notch machined to the slide and a fixed front post with an orange dot on the barrel. The pistol has an overall length of 5” with a 2.5” barrel, a height of 4.35” and is 1” wide. Weight is 10 ozs.
The 22TUC has a nine-round magazine and is sized for concealed carry.
The Taurus 22TUC is offered in two versions. One has a carbon steel barrel and slide with a matte black finish and the other uses stainless steel for its barrel and slide, which is given a matte finish. It has an MSRP of $334 for the version with a matte black version and $349 for the stainless-steel model. For more information, see the company’s website.
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