Posted: 10/7/2025 8:58:21 PM EDT
[Last Edit: wmagrush][Edited]
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Always wanted a Beretta tip-up .22LR. Found a Taurus PT-22 version at a local pawn shop. Inspecting it, noticed it has no extractor. So wondered about ‘what if’ a misfire happened. So went to cycle the slide. Wouldn’t budge. The safety was off. Guy behind the counter couldn’t cycle the slide either. Other than saying ‘it’s a Taurus’, what would be the most likely problem? Immediately lost interest in pistol, but curious what could be wrong with it. |
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I can’t say what was wrong with that Taurus PT-22 but the pistol is blow back which upon ignition pushes the spent brash case out of the chamber as the slides moves rear ward. The pistol is designed to tip up the barrel for loading/unloading so you don’t have to cycle the slide. The design with tip up barrel doesn’t use an extractor on the Beretta or Taurus. I don’t think the slide will cycle if the tip up barrel is not down in the locked position. If you have a failure to fire it shouldn’t be too hard to pull an unfired cartridge out of the chamber. A failure to eject with a spent case in the chamber might require a short piece of cleaning rod to push the spent cartridge out of the chamber. I polish the chamber of my semi auto 22’s with Flitz polishing compound on a barrel mop spun by a hand drill. I bet polishing the chamber of a PT-22 and using quality 22 LR high velocity like CCI Mini Mags might be required to be reliable. The reliability of the PT-22 gets mixed reviews online. I’ve shot a Beretta or Taurus PT-22 and it is pretty small but it did function. A Friend had a Iver Johnson RX-22 that was a good pistol and just enough bigger to make it easy and fun to shoot at distances further than the PT-22. Again the Iver Johnson got very mixed reviews but IJ were selling these imported pistols and rebranding them. It might be just luck to get any reliable small 22 semi auto. Don’t laugh but I had a Jennings J22 that was reliable and pretty darn accurate for its size. A Friend wanted it so I sold it to him. |
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I can't comment on the probable cause because I've never disassembled one but if you're ok with a Taurus then I suggest you look for an Argentine Bersa Firestorm .22LR as it was the best, inexpensive, DA/SA .22LR pistol I've ever owned. The only negative thing I can say about it is that I believe they only shipped with one magazine. I don't know if they're still available, but they were sold under two different names and there were two tone models and models with different barrel lengths. It resembles a Beretta Cheetah but is smaller. Alloy frame and steel slide, adjustable rear sight, steel mag, take down lever like a Sig P220 series. I would buy it over any polymer .22LR pistol. I hope this info. is of use for someone. |
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I've never messed with a PT-22 but my Beretta 21a slide requires Hulk Hogan strength to cycle by hand. It's a blowback and the tiny slide weighs nothing so the springs are stout as hell. That's what the tip-up barrel is for. |
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I have a PT22 and Beretta 21A. The PT22 has light strikes all the time. And, its DAO. The trigger pull isn't bad, but something is going on with the light strikes. The 21A is nicer in that it is DA/SA, but the sights are terrible. The PT22 sights are far better. I wish I could trade them both for the new 20X Berettas. Those have better sights, American style magazine release, and DA/SA. |