There’s something quietly satisfying about a firearm that just… works. No bells, no whistles, no thunderous recoil—just a consistent bang, a satisfying dot return, and a target that slowly starts to make you look more competent than you probably are. That’s pretty much my experience with the Taurus TX22 Compact after running 500 rounds through it.
This little .22LR wonder has managed to surprise me. Not in a flashy, head-turning kind of way, but in the quiet, dependable way your old coffee maker does. It’s simple, reliable, and asks very little in return—just some dirt-cheap rimfire ammo and a willingness to embrace your inner plinker.
Let’s get the reliability talk out of the way. Out of 500 rounds, I had three failures to fire. That’s it. And frankly, I’m putting that on the ammo. If you’ve ever bought a brick of .22LR, you know you're basically gambling with rimfire reliability. But the TX22 Compact chewed through everything else without complaint—bulk Remington, reliable CCI, even the “mystery box” leftovers in my range bag.
Recoil? What recoil? It’s a .22, so unless you’ve got the wrist strength of a breadstick, you’ll be fine. What’s important is that this lack of recoil makes the TX22 Compact ideal for working on fundamentals—trigger control, sight tracking, grip pressure, the whole body mechanics package. You know, the boring but important stuff we all like to think we’ve mastered until we see our first USPSA stage video and wonder who swapped in our evil twin with bad form and worse footwork.
The compact frame is great for smaller hands and new shooters, but still comfortable enough for someone like me to grip without feeling like I’m trying to operate a Nerf blaster. Controls are intuitive, the trigger is surprisingly crisp for a budget rimfire, and Taurus even had the good sense to make it optics ready.
Now about that—yes, it’s optics ready. And yes, that’s a good thing. But let’s be honest here: at this point, calling that a “feature” is like advertising that your new car comes with seatbelts. It should be standard. Still, I’m glad it’s there, because slapping a red dot on this thing transforms it into a near-perfect training companion.
One of the more clever aspects of this pistol that doesn’t get talked about enough is the magazine design. The TX22 Compact uses mags that feature a built-in thumb assist—basically a little plunger on the side that lets you easily compress the follower while loading. If you’ve ever tried loading .22LR into a standard mag with cold fingers or short nails, you’ll understand why this is such a welcome touch. It’s one of those small quality-of-life features that makes a big difference at the range, especially when you're halfway through a brick of ammo and starting to feel it in your thumbs.
Depending on where you live or what version you manage to get your hands on, the TX22 Compact ships with either 10- or 13-round magazines. Mine came with the 13-rounders, and they’ve been flawless so far. I’ve yet to see a rimlock or feeding issue, which is more than I can say for some other rimfire pistols I’ve owned—or briefly owned before trading away in frustration.
Another thing that makes this gun stand out is how it mimics the size and layout of a carry pistol. While obviously not intended for self-defense in this caliber, the TX22 Compact is almost perfect as a surrogate trainer for your EDC. Drawing from a holster, working reloads — it gives you the chance to reinforce solid technique without burning through your stash of 9mm or .45. If you’ve got a holster system that fits, you can get a whole lot of reps in for pennies per shot.
Is it perfect? No. The slide serrations are serviceable, but could be deeper. And the grip texture is more “comfortably smooth” than “confidently aggressive.” But at this price point, I’m not expecting frontstrap checkering from the gods. I’m expecting reliability, shootability, and the ability to put a stupid grin on my face without my wallet crying—and the TX22 Compact delivers on all three.
Bottom line? The TX22 Compact isn’t going to win any beauty contests or make anyone at the range stop and ask “Whoa, what’s that?” But it doesn’t need to. It’s affordable, reliable (especially for a rimfire), easy to shoot, and cheap to feed. Whether you’re a first-timer, a budget-conscious range rat, or just looking for a no-pressure way to get some trigger time in, this little Taurus earns its keep.
And for what I paid, it’s hard to be mad at it—even when it makes my 9mm range trip look like a money bonfire by comparison.
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