Evalutation: Taurus PT-22 Poly

The Taurus PT-22 Poly (22PLY)  is a small, lightweight .22 LR pistol. It holds 8+1 rounds, has a hand-filling grip for its size, and is relatively cheap.

1. Low Price? I surveyed 5 gun stores, distributors, and metasites online for the price of this weapon online on December 14th of this year. They were Buds Gunshop, Impact Guns, Gallery of Guns, Hyatt Guns, and Grab A Gun. Because Galley of Guns (Davidson's website) features prices from gun stores all over the country, I selected the lowest price in my area. The average was $226. That is 13% above the maximum allowable price - for this exercise.

2. New Production? This gun is currently being produced in the United States.

3. Function? The Taurus PT-22 Poly uses rimfire ammunition, which is more prone to fail to fire, because the primer is distributed through the circumference of the rim. I have had about one round fail on the first attempt to fire it per 100 rounds. If I take the round and turn it in the chamber, then the  round will fire, because the priming compound is apparently unevenly distributed in the rim. Because this gun extracts and ejects a spend round - or full cartridge - through blowback action instead of a mechanical extractor, it can be difficult to extract a dud round. But the gun does have a tipping barrel. If you have a bad round, wait 30 seconds (at the range), then push the lever that releases the tipping barrel. The round will fly out of the chamber (which means it is a good idea to have a place to catch that still live round).

This is a lightweight gun that you can have with you almost anywhere. I have forgotten that I've had in my pocket (in a Bulldog holster, of course). And the grip fills my hand, though my hands a small for a man.

The double action trigger is smooth a relatively light, though the curve of the trigger ran be irritating during extended range sessions. And though the recoil of this .22 LR weapon is really light, it is so small that the safety catches to top of my thumb, when I am shooting it right handed. I actually prefer to shoot this gun left handed, though I am right-eye dominant - I just hold it alittle bit gangsta style.

My biggest issue with the gun serving the purpose as self-defense weapon is the ammo. .22 LR is not the most reliable ammo. Also, the feed ramp for the PT-22 Poly is so steep (think El Capitan) that though it functions with Federal hollowpoints (but not CCI hollowpoints) I would stick with roundnose ammo, instead.

4. Cheap Ammo? .22 long rifle rating up to 1250 feet per second. Cheap? On most days, if you can find it. Enough said.

5. Style? The gun has "nifty" style. Parts of the barrel retain casting "grit," and there are some mold marks on the frame. Does it have cheap style? A little. It looks and feels more fragile than anything.

Personal Experience: I have owned a copy of this pistol for about 4 years and have taken it out shooting three or four times. It fits my hand really well. I have forgotten that I was carrying it, because its svelt weight and the minimal space it occupies in my pocket - in a Bulldog pocket holster. I was shocked at how easy it was to field stripped, because it self disassemble in my hands, when I was inspecting it. In other words, don't rack the slide with the barrel tipped up. It is a great little gun for me. It fits my hand really well, and I ignored those who say it is unreasonably wide at the grip. I can hit what I am aiming at, though in lower light I find the sights difficult to acquire. My wife loves to shoot it. Enough said.

Ratings (out of 5):
1. Low Price: 1
2. New Production: 5
3. Function: 3
4. Cheap Ammo: 4
5. Style: 3

Cheap-Gat Criteria

In a relatively unarbitrary way, here are my criteria for reviewing a cheap gat:

1. Low Price. $200 MSRP or less (2015 dollars) sounds good.

2. New Production. There are plenty of used and surplus guns out there for less than $200, and I'll considered them on this blog, but pulling off a sub-$200 gun is more of a feat, if it was made last week - and it's more "cheap" and "gatty."

3. Function. Is it a jam'o'matic or does it function like a, well, functioning firearm? Does it serve the purpose of a gun that is available that can be used for self defense? Many relegate cheap gats to range-toy status, but ...

4. Cheap Ammo. The gun is capable of shooting cheap ammo (2015 prices). And yes the ability to shoot cheap surplus ammo will be taken into consideration, but there will be a preference for new-production ammo.

5. Style. The gun by God and gumption should have some style: cheap style, that is. Even iconic cheap style.

Why Cheap Guns?

I've never owned a cheap gun, but I'm fascinated by them.

Well, I do own an inexpensive gun - and it might qualify as cheap: a Taurus PT22 Poly .22LR.

Well, here's a new journey into the territory of Cheap Gats, which I might have already inadvertently started.