Anyone have a Taurus PT22?

[tjhands]

Getting the girlfriend a birthday gift.....hope she doesn't expect a diamond, cause she's getting a gun! The only caliber she's open to is the wimpy .22lr :barf:

Does anyone have the Taurus PT22? How many rounds have you put through it and how often does it FTF? Is $150 a good price for the no-frills model? Thanks in advance.

 

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

Many folks despise Taurus, but I'm not one of them. HOWEVER... I would recommend NOT buying the PT22 as a first handgun for her. The trigger pull is a VERY long, stout one, The slide is very tight/tough, and it jams constantly (in my experience.) I'd recommend saving a bit more cash and getting something along the lines of a Ruger 22/45, Browning Buckmark, or Walther P22. All of them are much more comfortable to shoot and more reliable to operate, both of which are vital to starting a new shooter out right (and keeping them shooting!)

 

[tjhands]

Appreciate that. Had never shot one, saw their cheap price, and was wondering how the quality was on them. Aren't .22 autos much more likely to jam than a bigger caliber, regardless of brand?

 

[carbine30]

I had posted a thread when I was trying to decide between the pt-22 and a phoenix arms hp22. There seems to be many unhappy taurus owners. I had even called a local gunshop that carries them and they said they were junk. I went with the phoenix and am very pleased. Put 1000's of rounds through it with no problems at all. And it feeds any kind of ammo you throw at it, especially the cheap walmart bulk stuff (which is why I wanted it). Lifetime warranty and half the price of the taurus. Do a quick search on here for it and you will see lots of people that have nothing bad to say about it. Especially if she would like a smaller gun, lots of the .22's recommended are pretty big target pistol looking guns.

 

[dickfunk]

Funny, new2guns, I was actually having the exact same decision a little bit ago. I think I am going to go with the PT-25, though. The centerfire cartridge (.25 ACP) is more reliable with feeding than the .22 LR. I have heard many good things about the PT-25 and some not-so-good things about the PT-22, probably due to it's small size and caliber. I have read good and bad about the Phoenix Arms HP22, also. After I aquire the PT-25, I'll post a review of it.

 

[Flaman]

MY opinion...... I would stay away from the Pt22. I've heard that they are pretty good, but I once owned one that blew up in my son's hand. The latch holding the tip up barell in place broke while he was shooting it. Thank God he didn't get hurt. It's my opinion that the only Taurus pistol worth anything is the full size pt-91/99 in 9mm. Please don't confuse "little" with safe. If you are going to buy your girlfriend a pistol for self defense, than but her a self defense pistol. The worst thing that could happen is that she feel confident in a weapon that isn't sufficient for self defence. If she ever had to pull it out and use it on a "BAD GUY", you'll probably find her dead. A .22 calibre pistol can killl, don't get me wrong. But there are better weapons for self defense. For about $100.00 more than the pt-22, you could buy a S&W j-frame. They're small, light, easy to use (especially in high stress situations), and shoot a proven self defense cartridge such as the .38 special and .357 mag.

 

[Apple a Day]

I own one. I had some failures to feed the first two times I took it to the range/first 200 rounds. Once the gun was 'broken in' it hasn't had any non-ammo-related problems. Once in a while I get a light strike but a second pull on the trigger almost always gets it to fire. If not, I pop out the round, turn it 90 degrees, and pop it back in... it always fires then. I have probably 700 rounds through it total of all sorts. I didn't seem to like Stingers but eats all the cheap stuff.
As a fun gun it's fine. I would hate to have to trust my life on it or any other .22LR mouse gun for that matter. A centerfire would just be more reliable. If she's that recoil-sensitive then go for the .25 caliber, which is darned near the same power but centerfire. If you're looking for a target shooter then I'm with Quickdraw, get something with a longer barrel. Also, I've let a couple of women shoot my PT-22 and they all hated the long trigger pull.
$150 is okay. I got mine for $135.
Luck,
Apple

 

[seeker_two]

I'll go one step further & recommend a .22lr revolver over a semi-auto for her first gun...

Easier to train....
Easier to maintain...
No ammo sensitivity...
Grips easier to switch out to fit her hand...

If you can find a J-frame-sized gun for her, she may appreciate that more than anything. The K-frames are nice too. If she wants something "cute", look at the NAA Black Widows.

Good luck w/ the gift...

 

[Mike Irwin]

I've got over 2,000 rounds of Winchester Wildcat through my Taurus PT-22 without a single malfunction of any kind.

That said, it's not really a first gun. Get a .22 revolver, a Browning Buckmark, or a Ruger.

 

[Logs]

I like Taurus 9mm's and revolvers. I had a PT 22 and it was aweful. Trigger was too hard DAO and it jammed more than I could count.
Look for a used Beretta .21 in .22 cal or .25. I have the Beretta in .25 and it shoots great for a little gun. I found mine for $125 used at Whittaker Guns in Owensboro, KY.

 

[Concealed*Carrie]

I don't "hate" it... (not "in love" with it either)

Message from a New Person (do with it what you will):

I bought a PT22 as my first gun (almost a month ago) and so far I've only put a 100rounds thru it.

Mind you... I'm new to this (rediculously new!!!)

I had some problems, but nothing major. Just a few minor kinks (but I'm going to credit it to the really crappy ammo that I have to buy at the range-it was darn near "no name").

At any rate... It's my first gun and I'm a 22yo female. I don't "hate" it... but I already feel that I'm ready for a "bigger gun"!!

 

[dasmi]

Check out the .22 revolvers Taurus makes.

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

I've had one for about 9 years. I've never had any problems with it, but at the same time, there are better options for a female. As stated above, the trigger is long and heavy, and the sights are crude. There are better options out there. For me, it's fine, I'm a "big ole boy".

 

[dickfunk]

As I'm venturing to acquire a PT-25, would you say that your PT-22 is good quality?

 

[9x19]

I have a blued PT-22, and its been trouble free. The DAO trigger wouldn't be my first choice as a first gun for a novice shooter.

Better for a beginner, and the same size, would be the Beretta 21A. It can be cocked and fired single action, and mine has also been reliable.

Recoil springs are a bit stiff in both, but the tip up barrel feature means you don't need to operate the slide manually anyway, so that's a moot point.

 

[WESHOOT2]

opening the can (of worms, natch)

IME Taurus guns are the most sporadic of the 'big names'; quality all over the map.

That said, some years back I ran into a couple of LE-types wearing PT22's as "New York reloads", so I was naturally curious. Further investigation led me to buy one, too, as a back-up.

After initial break-in and ammo-finding (W-W Super-X) it has been trouble-free, without a single reoccurrence of woe.
It is the only Taurus I can recommend, but one must be ready to test, and perhaps wait (while it's away for warranty repair).

My wife hates it but wears it (rarely) if she goes someplace she can't secure her S&W.

 

[caegal]

my pt-22 got sent back to the factory three times before I sold it. It was truly the biggest POS that I ever bought. It had a broken bushing, cracked frame, and then finally the barrel release broke off and went flying while at the range.

 

[glock19er]

pt22

caegal....the pt22 isnt a pos!!!!!they do make good door chocks and paper weights.

 

[ScoutinStAugustine]

I've had two PT22's...my mistake. One blew up in my hand and the other would jam in one way or another 1 out of 5 shots, AFTER it was "repaired" by Taurus. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If I'm in a dark alley, a bad guy has me cornered, and at my feet I see a loaded Taurus PT22 and a rock, I'm picking up the ROCK first.

 

[xrageofangelsx]

What about one of thos S&W kitguns I keep hearing about.. ?

I think they are now just called "317" model.

Man, I want one but they're just a lot of coin for a .22lr pistola that is not a target pistol.