When we hear someone talking about a .22 round, we typically think of the popular rim fired .22 long rifle. The .22 long rifle enjoys widespread popularity due to its low cost bulk packaging, zero recoil shooting and the variety of handguns and rifles available chambered in .22 long rifle. When I teach a new shooter how to fire a gun, I typically begin with the soft shooting and inexpensive .22 long rifle.
There is, however, a .22 caliber round that has incredible performance.
The .22 TCM (.22 Tuason Craig Micromagnum) is a center fired round that travels more than 2,000 feet per second. It is a bottle necked and shortened down 5.56 NATO case that houses a 40 grain .22 caliber bullets. Much like the .22 long rifle, the .22 TCM offers no recoil, as the increased velocity creates incredible performance.
Rock Island Armory developed a conversion 1911 that is chambered in both .22 TCM and 9mm called the TCM FS Tac Ultra Combo. The Tac Ultra Combo is equipped with both .22 TCM and 9mm barrels and recoil springs, which offers the shooter a two-in-one pistol. It also comes with two 10 round magazines that fit both .22 TCM and 9mm. The RIA Combo package gives the shooter a quality made, full-size 1911 pistol with the option of shooting .22 TCM and/or a 9mm load.
Here is a video review of this gun:
Shooters who are not familiar with the .22 TCM cartridge are most likely wondering about its capabilities.
I decided to do a range test with the .22 TCM using the Rock Island Armory Tac Ultra. Being that many people are familiar with the .22 long rifle, I used a Ruger MK II to fire it side-by-side with the Tac Ultra in .22 TCM so the viewers could observe the differences. Both the .22 long rifle and .22 TCM use a .40 grain bullet and to be fair, both guns have a five-inch barrel.
At the range, one will notice the .22 TCM is very loud with a huge muzzle flash. It is truly a fun round to shoot. Its velocity travels more than 2,000 feet per second, so I had to be careful what target to shoot at to prevent destroying it. The range test consisted of shooting standard targets, thick wood and a heavy patio block.
The differences between the .22 long rifle and .22 TCM speak for themselves. Watch the range test video and let us know your thoughts of the Rock Island Tac Ultra and the .22 TCM round.
