This looks interesting. I have a Ruger LCPII, and even with a spring kit from Galloway and Hogue grip (both of which did improve it), and after putting a white stripe on the front sight, it’s still not a gun I’d ever recommend to anyone.
Reliability seems to be on everyone’s mind, but the first thing that came to my mind was barrel length. The Ruger has a very limited accuracy range with its 2.8” barrel. The specs on this Taurus state a barrel length of 2.5”, which was disappointing to see.
I’m still interested in it if for no other reason than I’d like to compare to my LCP II side-by-side. I don’t mind the lack of a safety as it’s not something I’d ever carry for self defense anyway, and my Ruger seems to have the common habit of occasionally engaging the safety on its own when cycling between shots. I know a few guys who have deleted the safeties on their LCP II’s for that reason because it’s very annoying.
Handguns like these are great for practice if you have a micro 9mm or 380. My proficiency with my Sig P938’s improved a lot after shooting my LCP II every morning for a few months. They’re also good for dispatching animals caught in traps around the farm, etc.
Other pros over the Ruger that I picked out right away were the front sight, and what appears to be a big advantage in terms of ease of cleaning. This Taurus model is also made in the USA - big fan of that. The 22TUC is also cheaper than the Ruger. 9 round capacity vs. 10+1? Meh. Not a big deal.
Stainless frame in a polymer grip is definitely not my favorite design but it doesn’t bother me in a small gun chambered for .22lr that’s designed to be dropped in your pocket. It’s a point and shoot gun, not a precision target gun you shoot from a bench. You have to judge something like this based on what it is, not based on what it isn’t.
I love the .22lr round/platform for its versatility and low cost - and it’s just plain entertaining. I could see myself picking up one of these in the future.