OT: Mouse Guns, the Taurus PT-22

[Old No7]

Please... We can skip the debate on stopping power...

We all know that a .45 is better than a .40, which is better than a .35/9, which is better than a .32, which is better than a .25 or a .22... But there are times when a .22 is better than a knife -- or than having nothing in your hands at a knife fight! And that's the reason I recently picked up a l'il pocket semi-auto, the Taurus PT-22.

My buddy has a Beretta .22 with the tip-up barrel and he really likes it. He carries it all the time when anything larger would be too big, plus he carries it as a backup piece while off duty. I wanted one for when I wasn't carrying my larger/heavier Ruger SP101 in .357 Mag. The little PT-22 slips easily into a front or back pocket using the pocket holster I got, or it fits inside the waistband quite comfortably in an IWB holster. The one I got is in their satin-nickel finish and it's a sharp looking little -- key word "little" -- pistol.



The Taurus, as compared to the original Beretta (the Bobcat, I think...), is double-action-only and the hammer is not cockable, but I'm OK with that. Somewhere I found some .22 snap caps and between using those in the cellar and firing live ammo at the range, the trigger pull on mine really has smoothed up some, although it's still too much for my RCBS trigger-pull scale to register. The best news is, I've had 100% reliability with this piece so far, even during the break-in period.

Anyway, I'm really impressed with the groups that I got at 7 yards earlier today, given the shiny/silver diminutive sights that are on this gun. And the shots on this target were all fired pretty quickly too, using a 2-hand hold. Not too shabby I think...



As mentioned at the start, sure, I'd much rather have a major-caliber piece when the $#@& really hits the fan, but for those times when I want the "backup insurance" to totally disappear so just I know it's there, this little piece is just fine for me.

There may be those out there who will still question the effectiveness of the lowly .22 rimfire as a self-defense round, but as one of my fraternity brothers on the NH State Police tells me, "So far, no one who has ever said that has offered to step in front of my backup .22 and take a double-tap to the head or heart".

And this will work on legless snakes, just as well as the 2-legged kind too...

Tight groups!

Old No7

[reo]

I carried a Beretta Model 21 through the academy time, back and forth and on the street for a bit. I never felt under gunned. I shot it every weekend for 6 months, 200-1000 rounds. I usually shot at the abundant empty shotgun shells in a row at 5 yards like bowling pins, competing left hand vs. right. I also shot at 2 liters at 25 yards and targets in between. After several thousand rounds I was very confident in my ability and the gun. Easy to do with inexpensive 22 and fun. Very accurate little guns.

[GANJIRO]

My very first handgun was a mouse gun, a gift from my dad a month after I got married since I lived in a low-rent neighborhood with shady looking neighbors (who turned out to be good people) . It was a Sterling Arms model 302 in stainless steel. This little pistol went everywhere with me to Idaho and back and the various Hawaiian Islands I have lived. I still have it and it is 100% reliable with the right ammo. One thing that I would like improved is the 9 pounds trigger pull but I have lived with it for 27 years so probably can live another 27 years like that. I love my mouse gun for the same reasons you stated, plus the novelty, but especially the sentimentality. Thank you Dad.



That's a cool little Taurus you have, I wish mine was DA. I used to lust after the tiny Budechowsky (sp?) mouse gun when I was younger. My kid sis in Florida carries a Beretta Tomcat in 32 ACP and she shoots it well.

[pharmseller]

I bought a Beretta Bobcat a few months ago at a pawn shop. Very small, very dependable. First shot is double action (unless I manually cock it) and subsequent shots are single action. It fits in the front pocket of my dress slacks w/o printing. Not a big bore by any means, but better than nothing.
I can shoot a BG in the forehead from 15 feet every time. Try to recover from that!

Quinn

[mescalero1]

I take a lot of !@#$ for my mouse gun.
Rossie .32 long, I load it with 85 grain hollow points and a nice load of 700X.
I milled out the top of the top strap & put in a S&W adjustable sight,
Built up the front sight with weld, shoots good.
Back when the Phoenix phone book was two books, it would just make it through both & expand reliably to .60 caliber perfect "mushroom".

[Blaine]

I LOVE my mouse gun: A S&W 317 AirLite, JFrame 8 shot .22.....maybe 12 oz loaded......When I hold down and left a bit, it's golf ball or grouse accurate and I could empty it in the BGs chest in a couple seconds....... The only drawback is a very heavy double action pull and it's hard to decock with it's tiny bobbed hammer.......I'll never sell it, though.....22s rule!!

[gamekeeper]

To someone like me, who can't even carry a squirt gun for self defense,those mouse guns look a whole lot better than a pair of fists!

[tman]

if i were law enforncement or military, i would always carry a larger handgun. there's a big differeence to me between the glock 27 & keltec .32acp. it may not be the best choice, but 8 rounds in a centered mass is better than a .40 left in the glove compartment.

[centershot]

When situations dictate that I can't carry my Star PD .45 ACP you'll find my Beretta M21A in my pocket. Small caliber? Yes! But, better than a sharp stick or fists! Lightweight, 100% reliable with CCI Mini-Mag HP's, and it absolutely disappears in my front pocket, gotta' love it!

centershot

[Pete44ru]

You might want to wring it out a bit, at least 200-300 rounds worth, before you carry it for protection - since your life might depend on it's dependability.

I had bought a new PT-22, the blued version with the rosewood grips and gold trim, about three years ago - and initially it worked flawlessly.

I thought I was "good to go".

It turned out that it was a good thing that I never had to depend on it for my life, since during a practice session, roughly 100 rounds into it's young life, it started to stutter.

As the round count increased, so did the stuttering, escalating to stoppages & an occasional failure to fire.

I sent it "down the road", tuit suite.

.

[Old Ironsights]

Hows a come youse guys carry such big hideouts?





60gr SJHP @ aprox 1000fps from that gun.

[rjohns94]

here is mine, a full size 9mm cartridge in a diminutive package - Rohrbaugh. for years I had a Berreta .22 with the tip up and it was quite the performer. Nice looking pistols, one and all.

[Blaine]

I worry about all the little automatics jamming...they always seem to do that.

[Old Ironsights]

I worry about all the little automatics jamming...they always seem to do that.

Never had a problem with my Guardian.

It is also a hammer-DAO rather than striker fired.

[Blaine]

Several have said that...I may try one....Them Furrin Bullets seem pretty good, too.

[mescalero1]

BlaineG,
We are in the double action revolver minority,
Hey!
Why am I never in the majority?

[Old Ironsights]

BlaineG,
We are in the double action revolver minority,
Hey!
Why am I never in the majority?

My daily CCW is an SP101. My NAA is my BUG/Swimming-trunks gun.

[2ndovc]

My mouse gun.

NAA .22lr Buntline (auction photo from when I bought it).


An older fellow I know that used to be a police officer used to carry a
small .22 as a back up. He told me that even though the .22 wouldn't
be his first choice in a fight but if he'd had to use it the guy he was
beating the snot out of would already have five or six holes in him!

[mescalero1]

Thank you OI,
but that does conjer up a strange visual

[Doc Hudson]

Unlike Masaad Ayoob, who's mantra is: "Friends don't let friends carry mouseguns." My opinions is: "Better a reliable mousegun than no gun at all!"

I've often told folks who wanted carry gun advise and were determined to carry a .22 that they should practice with their .22 until they could empty the magazine into the sinus cavities of a B-27 target at five yards in less than 3 seconds. It won't have better stopping power than a .357 Magnum or a .45 ACP, but it is effective.

Thanks for the review of the Taurus PT-22. I've long been fond of the Berreta M-21 design, and if I didn't already have two Iver Johnson PT-22's I'd be tempted by Taurus' version of the Berreta .22 LR .

[AndyM]

I have the Kel-Tec .380 and feel this suits most of my needs. This .380 sure beats fists and or my Cold Steel knife. The next step up for me is my Glock 23 in .40 S&W, but the .380 gets to go along more much more than the Glock becasue of it's overall size.

If I was in the market for something new - I would sure look at the new Ruger .380, although basically it is a total knock-off of the highly successful Kel-Tec

[2ndovc]

I have the Kel-Tec .380 and feel this suits most of my needs. This .380 sure beats fists and or my Cold Steel knife. The next step up for me is my Glock 23 in .40 S&W, but the .380 gets to go along more much more than the Glock becasue of it's overall size.

If I was in the market for something new - I would sure look at the new Ruger .380, although basically it is a total knock-off of the highly successful Kel-Tec

I'm dying to get me hands on one of the little Rugers. Might just have to go
shopping this weekend.

jb

[jnyork]

, but 8 rounds in a centered mass is better than a .40 left in the glove compartment.

Exactly!!

[CBinNH]

Alright, I confess, I like mouseguns. Here is my current favorite. FN USG 5.7X28. Lots of fun. I may even embarrass myself with it this Sunday at my clubs pistol shoot. Fully loaded with 20 rounds, it weighs less than a Glock 17 empty.

[lever-4-life]

I have a soft spot for mouse guns, My favorite is my little colt 1903 .32 automatic. While a .22, .25, or a .32 are not my first choice they do have their place in the carry rotation.

[tman]

read the article in the current nra rifleman. french and belguim used .32acp pistoles as trench sweepers in ww1. again, not my 1st choice as an infrantry weapon, but it makes it battle proven. that's good enough for me.

[Blaine]

read the article in the current nra rifleman. french and belguim used .32acp pistoles as trench sweepers in ww1. again, not my 1st choice as an infrantry weapon, but it makes it battle proven. that's good enough for me.

French battle proven means they don't break when dropped trampled in the stampede

[Old Ironsights]

read the article in the current nra rifleman. french and belguim used .32acp pistoles as trench sweepers in ww1. again, not my 1st choice as an infrantry weapon, but it makes it battle proven. that's good enough for me.

French battle proven means they don't break when dropped trampled in the stampede

My first .32acp was a CZ-50 bought from the Darmstadt Polezi. They were "upgrading" to the 9mm because they found that too many police shootings (the very few they had) were resulting in Zombie Deaths. They wanted 9mms because they were more effective "wounders" with ball ammo, where with the .32 a Stop with ball means a Kill...

Super accurate little gun... best thing for head shots.

[reo]

Love my mouse gun. With the holster I am not constantly fidgeting with it. It also saves my pockets from holes.

[Windjammer]

I have a pt-22 also. It's a fun little gun. I have yet to find any ammo that is reliable. What ammo do those of you use that have no problems? Mine is a jam-o-matic.

[Hobie]

Love my mouse gun. With the holster I am not constantly fidgeting with it. It also saves my pockets from holes.

That's the mag version, right? I remember Paco once "lit up the night" with one...

As for me, I had a Colt Junior .25 Auto that worked but I seldom carried it. When the former owner decided he had erred in selling me his father's gun I sold it back to him for what I paid. I've not seen another I'd spend the money on though. I had a Sterling .22 LR which worked every time, but it has also gone down the road (I must not have been too fond of it, I'd nearly forgotten I'd had it).

[Doc Hudson]

I have a pt-22 also. It's a fun little gun. I have yet to find any ammo that is reliable. What ammo do those of you use that have no problems? Mine is a jam-o-matic.

Have you tried any of the hyper-velocity loads? Some pocket pistols are sort of picky about ammo. My IJ TP-22 likes Remington Yellow Jackets as far as accuracy, but I've yet to find a high-velocity or hyper-velocity .22 load that it would not digest with nary a hiccup.

However, I did once buy a brick of Armscorp Standard Velocity .22 LR's that did not have enough OOMPH to cycle the slide. It was summer time, and I'd read about heated ammo rising in pressure level, so I learned that half an hour on the dashboard of a car under direct sun would raise the pressure enough to work the slide. Those cartridges might have been low powered, but they sure were accurate in my Marlin 39-A, I should have gone back and bought a case of the things.

[KCSO]

There a good gun but they really are a MOUSE gun. I gave mine to my dad who loads it with CCI shot shells and shoots mice in his hunting cabin. So far its Taurus 9, Mouse 0. The floor in the kitchen looks like it was attacked by woodpeckers!

[reo]

Love my mouse gun. With the holster I am not constantly fidgeting with it. It also saves my pockets from holes.

That's the mag version, right? I remember Paco once "lit up the night" with one...

Correct. It is the magnum. Hopefully it will only light up the night on the 4th of July some year when I feel inclined.

[mescalero1]

You guys got me to thinking, I have still never shot my Astra Constable in .22 long rifle