Rifleman Review: Thompson/Center T/CR22 Rifle

by
posted on July 14, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Thompson/Center's T/CR22 carbine is a simple, blowback-actuated design chambered in .22 Long Rifle that draws on the iconic Ruger 10/22 for many of its features, including its 10-round rotary magazine. The carbine joins several similar offerings that look to provide consumers with a utilitarian rimfire carbine with a few features not found in Ruger's classic design.

"Of course, the patents on Ruger's rotary magazine have long since expired, so several companies now are offering rifles that operate from the Ruger 10/22 magazine," said Brian Sheetz, American Rifleman editor-in-chief.

Hands showing a single round of Remington .22 Long Rifle being pushed into the T/CR22 rotary magazine.This affordable T/CR22 offering is stocked in an attractive OD green composite design from Magpul, which features a heavily angled pistol grip, butthook-style stock and M-LOK attachment slots on the underside of the fore-end for attaching a bipod. However, there's much more to the T/CR22 than a simple stock upgrade.

The threaded muzzle and fiber-optic front sight of the T/CR22 shown on a brown background.Each Thompson/Center T/CR22 features a modernized receiver complete with a ramped aperture rear sight that's paired with a fiber-optic front sight. The top surface of the receiver includes an integral Picatinny rail for attaching optics, and there's a pass-through at the rear of the receiver that makes cleaning fast and easy. The bolt carrier is enhanced with an enlarged, textured knob that makes manipulation easy, and T/C's rotary magazine design can lock the bolt to the rear and also hold the bolt open after the last round has been fired.

The steep pistol grip and angular lines of the green Magpul stock displayed on the T/CR22.Mated to the receiver is a 17" barrel complete with a 1:15" twist rate and a 1/2-28 TPI threaded muzzle. The overall length of the T/CR22 is 35", and the gun weighs 4.4 lbs., unloaded. Suggested retail pricing on this base model is $399, and other models are available with different stocks, barrel profiles and other features. The T/CR22 is capable of accepting all Ruger-pattern rotary magazines, however, Ruger-specific designs will not lock the bolt open.

Aiming the T/CR22 downrange. Clearly visible is the enlarged bolt knob and the Leupold riflescope."Overall, the T/CR22 is certainly an homage to the Ruger 10/22, but it's its own gun and T/C has done really well on a couple of features to actually improve upon the original," Sheetz said. "It's a good value, there are a lot of nice features for a 4 lb., 4 oz., 17"-barreled .22 semi-automatic."

To see and hear more about the Thompson/Center T/CR22 carbine, watch our Rifleman Review video above. To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto
Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto

Review: Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto

Following the success of its .45 ACP-chambered LC Carbine, Ruger realized that this platform would go a long way toward making the 10 mm Auto more controllable and fun to shoot, and a new 10 mm version was released in 2024.

The Armed Citizen® July 14, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Favorite Firearms: A Little Stevens From Chicago

"Over the next five or six years, and before I went off to college, I fired hundreds and hundreds of rounds of .22 BB Caps, CB Caps, Shorts and Longs through this rifle."

Preview: Strike Industries T-Bone Charging Handle

The T-Bone from Strike Industries is an ideal fit for suppressed applications, as it can be configured by the user to redirect gas blowback entirely to either side ...

New For 2025: Weatherby Model 307 Range XP 2.0 & Alpine ST Rifles

Weatherby's Model 307 bolt-action rifle opens up a world of aftermarket components to consumers, thanks to its Model 700 receiver footprint, and the company now has two new models for hunters and sport shooters.

Preview: Thunderbolt To The Rebels | The United States Sharpshooters In The Civil War

Author Darin Wipperman provides a tantalizing glimpse into the world of Berdan’s sharpshooters during the American Civil War.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.