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Taurus TX-22 or M&P22 Compact?

22K views 25 replies 17 participants last post by  snapbean 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey folks,
I've got the itch to get a new .22 pistol and am liking the new TX-22 and the M&P22 Compact. Both are light weight plastic pistols with the Taurus holding 16 rounds and the M&P22 holding 10 rounds. I believe the TX-22 is striker fired and I believe the M&P is hammer fired but not certain. I believe that the Taurus is made in the US and I'm pretty sure that the M&P22 Compact is made here also. The slides of both are made of Aluminum alloy, not pot metal. I can get the TX-22 for $331 out the door and the M&P22 Compact in FDE (which I'm liking a lot) for $375 OTD. Those are the facts as I know them. Almost forgot: both are easy to take down for cleaning.

The subjective elements are hard to pin down. I saw the TX-22 at a gun show so there was a zip tie through the barrel so I couldn't really play with the slide or trigger. I've read good things about the Taurus trigger. Not sure about the M&P trigger. I'm feeling like the TX-22 trigger would be the better of the two. But my gut is telling me that the M&P is probably better built. The Taurus is very new on the market so not a lot of history there, but reviews so far have been very good. Reviews of the M&P are very good also. So I'm not sure which way to go.

Any input from you folks would be appreciated. And don't tell me to get both of them. The wife would shoot me :)
 
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#2 ·
The M&P22 Compact and the TX are made in the U.S., unlike the full-size M&P22 which is made by Walther/Umarex. The Compact is not full-size, unlike the regular M&P, but it's not just a shorter slide or grip - it's scaled down to 75% of the regular model. The M&P Compacts have also had some issue with barrel quality.

I almost bought the M&P22 Compact before I bought the TX, but when I handled the M&P I didn't like the smaller size.

Another gun to consider is the Walther PPQ .22 - not the P22. The PPQ is a step up from the sometimes problematic P22.

The PPQ and TX are very similar in performance, so I'd handle both if possible before making a decision.

TX -



PPQ -

 
#7 ·
I have had my TX22 for about a month now. I have never had so much fun & enjoyed shooting a handgun as much as the Taurus. It eats every brand or quality of 22 I throw at it. I can't remember the last time it failed to do anything but run flawlessly. I must have well over 3000 rds fired & it just keeps running better & better. It is very accurate and soooo easy to control while shooting. I have shot a lot of 22's but the TX22 has been the easiest to shoot accurately. It's rivals my PPQ's trigger to the point where I might favor the Taurus's trigger. Mags are available from Taurus online for $22 each, so no breaking the bank there. (Ive already purchased two more) If your looking for a really fun 22 check one out.
 
#10 ·
I got my TX22 a few days ago - price was $303 plus Michigan 6% tax. Shot it for the first time yesterday. A mix of CCI 40 gr. solids, CCI 36 gr. H.P.'s, CCI Std. vel, Aguila 40 gr. solids and TAC22, 200 rounds ignited and launched with 100% functioning.

Many details to cover but will leave that to another post. One area I thought it was lacking in was accuracy and the fact that the rear sight can't be adjusted to point of aim. With the rear sight all the way down it still shoots 1" high at 10 yards and about 2.5-3" high at 25.

While cleaning it today I discovered the possible reason of the accuracy concern - The lands have mega (and I mean really bad!) chatter marks in them I mean it looks like a country dirt road that hasn't been grated in years. I'm gonna call Taurus and see if I can send just the barrel in and not the whole gun.

I D O love the trigger!! For a gun in this price range it's unmatched - my measurements were in the 5 1/4" to 5 1/2" range. The best part is the final break. It's like the proverbial glass rod... maybe not like a S&W model 41, but still great. Another "best part" is the trigger reset... very short.

I did have the S&W compact a few years ago.... worst gun accuracy wise I've ever owned . And I ballpark that number in the 350-375 range. Wish me luck on the barrel!
 
#11 · (Edited)
I have just had my TX22 to one range session, 100 rounds of Munimags fed and fired and expected flawlessly.

Pistol is made of lightweight materials, but feels solid and points and shoots well. Really nice trigger. Grip is great, points well, sights are adjustable.

Not a CZ 75 Kadet, but at 1/3 the price and 16 round magazines, this is a great pistol.

Takedown and reassembly are super easy!

Mine also has chattering in the last 1/4” if barrel on the lands, I’m going to shoot it a bit more before deciding if Taurus needs to see it.
 
#12 ·
Mine also has chattering in the last 1/4" if barrel on the lands, I'm going to shoot it a bit more before deciding if Taurus needs to see it.
I'm not familiar with this term. What is chattering? I just looked in my barrel with light and to my untrained eye, nothing looked irregular. What am I looking for?

I'm planning to try mine out this afternoon.
 
#13 ·
In the lands, there are lines perpendicular to the axis of the barrel. This is where the cutting tool vibrated and caused and uneven surface in the barrel.

If it happened in the mid point of the barrel, it might not affect accuracy at all. At the end of the barrel is the worst possible location.

The image below shows what I am seeing in my barrel. It occurs all the way around the bore, but only in the last 1/4" near the muzzle.

 
#15 ·
I have had both the TX 22 and the M&P 22c, found the grip on the Smith too small and narrow, reason I sold the Smith was because it would eject about 75% of the spent cases back into my face. Like the ergos and performance of the TX better, even thou I feel it's cheaply made. Smith has better build quality.
 
#16 ·
$331 is way to high a price for the Taurus. Most dealers (I'm in PA also) are selling them for $285 right now and Taurus is offering a $50.00 rebate through September, which brings it down to $235. I plan on purchasing a second one taking advantage of the rebate. That's $262 out the door, can't beat it for that price.
 
#17 ·
I was looking at both TX22 and M&P(full size) Went with M&P as its better built and has a better reputation.

The Taurus is having barrel problems, saw one cracked slide. Didnt care for the mags as they are plastic. Its a Taurus, that alone kept me away. Warranty is a nightmare.
 
#18 ·
Not my experience. I could not see any difference in build quality between the two, although in many cases, S&W has a better reputation. The barrel in my TX-22 is perfect. But, based on some of the posts here, you may want to do a visual inspection to look for chattering in the rifling and off center chamber. The dealer where I bought mine is the largest LGS in the state and has sold hundreds of TX-22s in the last few months. They said they have only had one returned. Even S&W produces a lemon once in a while. Whatever you buy, check it over thoroughly before laying down your hard earned cash.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I’ve had several different manufacturers 22 auto pistols that unfortunately would not run reliably. Finally after many disappointing guns, a few years ago a friend of mine let me shoot his MP22 Compact and I was amazed at how easily it digested even the crappiest ammo I could find. So I sold all those other guns and bought a MP22 Compact and have fired thousands of rounds thru it. It was the 22 pistol I had always longed for.

Then one day I read about the Taurus TX 22. It had rave reviews all over the internet and with various gun magazines. I was all in but soon after I started hearing about the problems with the barrels. So I was discouraged and did not buy one. But then I heard that Taurus would offer the lifetime warranty on the TX22(make sure you go Taurus.com and register it)and I found one online for $232 including shipping, so I said what the heck and rolled the dice. My TX22 barrel doesn’t appear to be chattered, it barely has any rifling marks at all LOL but it shoots amazingly accurate and does not lead foul the barrel so I am happy. I have over 500 rounds thru it with only one misfire due to bad ammo. I love the ergonomics of this gun. It fits my hand extremely well with just the right amount of grip and the undercut trigger guard makes for an excellent purchase. I shoot the TX22 better than MP22 and absolutely love it. 16 rounds is a blast and I bought two 3 round extension base plates so now I have 19+1. My wife loves it too, so much that I buy her one.

I still love my MP22 and won’t sell it. However, the TX22 is one of those guns that just finds it way into my rage bag. When I hold it and shoot it, it leaves a big smile on my face. Pew Pew Pew
 
#21 ·
As long as their customer service with limited lifetime warranty for original owner stands fully behind their TX22 product, I can't see another reason to get another .22 LR pistol model unless it is getting one that natively supports a red dot. (S&W victory, Ruger Mark IV).

I don't collect guns, I shoot them or I sell them.
 
#24 ·
I purchased the TX22 soon after they came out. I think I paid right at $299 from the LGS. The barrel was chattered a bit, so I sent it back to Taurus in November, right after the Thanksgiving holiday. I just got it back last week; she is now sporting a really nice replacement barrel, and recoil spring assembly.

I have not shot my TX22 since its return, but before I sent it off, I can tell you it was a pure joy to shoot. To me, the best part about the TX22, is how comfortable it felt in my hand... albeit a light weight, the ergonomics are top notch; the palm swell is perfect, and my big paws wrap around the grip quite comfortably.

No "ragrets" ("regerts") regrets purchasing this handgun, I would do it again.
 
#26 ·
I purchased the TX22 soon after they came out. I think I paid right at $299 from the LGS. The barrel was chattered a bit, so I sent it back to Taurus in November, right after the Thanksgiving holiday. I just got it back last week; she is now sporting a really nice replacement barrel, and recoil spring assembly.

I have not shot my TX22 since its return, but before I sent it off, I can tell you it was a pure joy to shoot. To me, the best part about the TX22, is how comfortable it felt in my hand... albeit a light weight, the ergonomics are top notch; the palm swell is perfect, and my big paws wrap around the grip quite comfortably.

No "ragrets" ("regerts") regrets purchasing this handgun, I would do it again.
Like you, I paid $299.00 and at the time they were offering the $50.00 rebate. (Soon after they were selling for $250.00 which didn't surprise me but I had to have it when I bought mine.)

I absolutely love this gun even though I haven't had a lot of opportunities to shoot it other than maybe putting a couple hundred rounds through it. I brought it to a friend's farm and was telling him how he needs to shoot this one. Once he did, he was hooked too saying he wanted to get one for himself.

I had read all of the posts about bad barrels and figured they would make it right if that were the case, even though I didn't think I'd have an issue.

I noticed at the time we shot the gun that some of the holes in the target were keyholed, and when I got home I tried to clean it and the barrel was totally leaded up to a point where a brass brush had difficulty passing through the leaded up area, mostly near the end of the barrel. I finally got it clean, but contacted Taurus the next day. I guess they are getting caught up and are finally moved into their new Georgia facilities, but I called them on a Wednesday afternoon, and expecting the worst, received a new barrel in the mail on Saturday morning. The new barrel looks good as far as I can tell, and I'm impressed with the turn around time. I really appreciate the effort they are making to right the situation, and like I said earlier, I love this gun.
 
#25 ·
The TX22 I believe is hard to beat for the money, is it my best noway does it compare to my Rugers, but it's the most fun to shoot and feels like it just lays in your hand and takes a nap not to mention the 16 round magazine. I did put the Tndemkross front sight on mine which made a big improvement for me and i balckened the rear sight.
 
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