The new Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 answers a question nobody needed government permission to ask: what happens when you give a lightweight .22 LR pistol a rear Picatinny rail, folding stabilizing brace, threaded barrel, red-dot cut and 22-round magazine?
The answer, according to our completely scientific 500-round range session, is that somebody will burn through an entire brick of .22 ammunition while insisting each magazine is the last one.
This Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 review examines its specifications, price, magazines, optics compatibility, suppressor options, accuracy, reliability and possible problems. More importantly, it determines whether the braced TX22 is useful training equipment or merely an efficient machine for turning money into empty rimfire cases.
Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 Specifications
Taurus offers the new pistol in two primary configurations:
- TaurusTX 22 Brace Ready: Rear Picatinny rail without a brace installed
- TaurusTX 22 With Brace: Strike Industries FSA Lite folding brace installed at the factory
According to the official Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 specifications, the standard-capacity model has a 4.6-inch threaded barrel, aluminum slide, polymer frame and single-action-only operating system. It ships with one 16-round magazine and one 22-round magazine.
Specification
Brace-Ready TX22
TX22 With Brace
Caliber
.22 LR
.22 LR
Barrel length
4.6 inches
4.6 inches
Overall length
10 inches
19.5 inches
Unloaded weight
17.3 ounces
24.9 ounces
Magazines included
One 16-round and one 22-round
One 16-round and one 22-round
Optics footprint
RMSc pattern
RMSc pattern
Muzzle
Threaded
Threaded
Rear attachment
Picatinny rail
Strike Industries FSA Lite
Action
SAO
SAO
The full Taurus TX22 With Brace measures 19.5 inches with the brace extended and weighs only 24.9 ounces unloaded. That is remarkably light for something resembling a science-fiction submachine gun left unattended near a shrink ray.
Initial launch coverage lists the Brace-Ready TX22 price at approximately $416.99 MSRP, while the factory-braced version carries an MSRP of approximately $507.99. Actual dealer prices will vary.
Setting Up the Taurus TX22 With Brace
Our pistol arrived with the Strike Industries FSA Lite already attached. The brace folds alongside the receiver, keeping the package compact enough for an ordinary range bag. Extended, it provides considerably more stability than firing the TX22 as a conventional handgun.
A compact RMSc-pattern red dot went directly onto the T.O.R.O. optics cut. The optic sat low enough that finding the dot never became a fishing expedition.
The threaded barrel received a Taurus TTX22 suppressor. Taurus lists the TTX22 as a 5.5-inch, 3.71-ounce titanium suppressor with 1/2×28 direct-thread attachment. It is rated for .22 LR, .22 WMR, .17 HMR and 5.7×28mm, with advertised sound reduction of up to 30 decibels.
The suppressor’s low weight matters. Heavy rimfire suppressors can make a light pistol feel muzzle-heavy, but the titanium TTX22 kept the test gun balanced between the hands.
Once assembled, the pistol had:
- A folding brace
- A compact red dot
- A 22-round magazine
- A titanium suppressor
- Enough Picatinny rail to encourage at least one bad accessory decision
Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 Accuracy
We started at 15 yards from a bench using bulk 40-grain ammunition. The first five-round group measured just under an inch, excluding one shot that was absolutely caused by ammunition, wind, atmospheric pressure or somebody talking during the trigger press.
At 25 yards, the better loads consistently stayed inside roughly two inches when the shooter did his part. The brace made the largest difference from unsupported positions. It reduced movement around the target and allowed faster recovery between shots without making the pistol feel like a conventional rifle.
Steel silhouettes placed at 35 and 50 yards were easy work once the red dot was confirmed. Hits became quick enough that the range officer wandered over, watched one magazine and asked the dangerous question: “Can I try it?”
He fired 22 rounds and then immediately loaded another magazine. This is how rimfire ammunition disappears.
The Taurus TX22 is not a precision target pistol, and a folding brace does not transform bulk-pack ammunition into Eley Tenex. It does, however, produce an exceptionally forgiving plinking and training platform.
Taurus TX22 Reliability During the 500-Round Test
Our ammunition pile included:
- 200 rounds of 40-grain high-velocity ammunition
- 150 rounds of 36-grain plated hollow points
- 100 rounds of standard-velocity ammunition
- 50 rounds of subsonic hollow points
The Brace-Ready TX22 completed the first 214 rounds without a stoppage. At round 215, a bulk cartridge failed to fire despite a visible firing-pin strike. It discharged after being rotated and tried again.
A second malfunction appeared near round 390 when a badly waxed cartridge hesitated on the feed ramp. A quick tap to the rear of the slide chambered it.
The final count was 500 rounds with two ammunition-related interruptions and no broken parts. The pistol became visibly dirty around the breech face and suppressor mount, but it continued cycling.
That is a strong reliability result, especially for suppressed rimfire ammunition. Blowback-operated .22 pistols become filthy quickly because suppressors increase the amount of debris pushed back toward the action. Anyone buying a suppressed Taurus TX22 should expect more frequent cleaning than an unsuppressed pistol requires.
Taurus TX22 Magazines and Compatibility
The standard-capacity package includes one 16-round and one 22-round TX22 magazine. Both worked with the brace folded or extended, and neither interfered with the shooter’s support hand.
The 22-round magazine was the obvious favorite. It offered enough capacity for long steel-target strings without extending so far that it became awkward. Loading 22 rounds of .22 LR repeatedly does become tedious, so a compatible loading tool would be a sensible addition.
Taurus also lists state-compliant Brace-Ready TX22 versions. Depending on the model, these may use reduced-capacity magazines or omit the threaded barrel. Buyers need to check the exact item number instead of assuming every TX22 package contains the same features.
Brace-Ready TX22 Problems and Complaints
The biggest potential Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 problems are not dramatic mechanical failures. They are practical concerns created by the configuration.
First, the factory-braced pistol is much larger than a normal TX22. At 19.5 inches extended, it is a range-bag firearm rather than a holster pistol.
Second, the brace adds cost. Shooters who already own a standard TX22 cannot assume that every existing frame, holster, chassis or accessory will fit the newly extended Brace-Ready frame.
Third, suppressed .22 LR remains dirty. Carbon, unburned powder and bullet lubricant accumulate quickly, particularly around the chamber, breech face and magazines.
Finally, federal and state firearm rules remain unsettled enough that owners should verify the current law before changing the brace, stock or overall configuration. GarandThumb.com’s guide to buying a suppressor without a tax stamp explains the current federal enforcement policy, Form 4473 requirements and continuing state-law concerns.
The Second Amendment does not contain an exception for firearms that federal bureaucrats consider too short or too quiet. Nevertheless, an owner should understand the law that authorities may attempt to enforce rather than learning it during a roadside conversation.
Is the Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 Worth Buying?
The Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 occupies the entertaining space between a rimfire pistol, compact training firearm and suppressed plinker.
Its strongest features are straightforward:
- Lightweight construction
- Factory rear Picatinny rail
- Optional Strike Industries folding brace
- RMSc-pattern optics cut
- Threaded 4.6-inch barrel
- 16- and 22-round magazines
- Compatibility with lightweight rimfire suppressors
The brace makes the TX22 easier to stabilize, the red dot makes it faster to aim and the suppressor makes it more pleasant to shoot. That combination should appeal to new shooters, experienced handgun owners, inexpensive-training enthusiasts and anyone who believes 22 rounds is the proper magazine capacity for a .22.
The standard Brace-Ready model is the better choice for someone who already owns a compatible brace or wants to choose a different rear accessory. The factory-braced TX22 makes more sense for a buyer who wants a complete configuration without assembling parts.
After 500 rounds, the test pistol had consumed every cartridge on the bench, converted two adults into temporary ammunition hoarders and created an immediate demand for more magazines.
That is probably the most serious Taurus Brace-Ready TX22 problem: buying one may require buying .22 LR by the case.
GarandThumb.com was established on May 4, 2012, to document my experiences trying to become a better marksman.