I’m quite impressed with how much of a difference a few Taurus TX22 upgrades from TandemKross can make. Despite the popularity and low price of this little .22 LR pistol, I had never gotten around to buying one. Nothing against Taurus – I was just busy with several other platforms.
Then a friend of mine picked one up. Although he loves it, he noted it lacked performance in a few areas, even after adding a couple Taurus TX22 accessories. He suggested the trigger could be improved, but I called it the worst rimfire trigger I’ve ever tried. On top of that, he had some extraction issues. So we reached out to TandemKross for their Taurus TX22 Victory trigger, lightened trigger spring, and Eagle’s Talon extractor. I’ve got no time for unreliable rimfire pistols with mushy triggers, and I wanted to get hands-on with some real Taurus TX22 upgrades.
Quick Answer: What Are the Best Taurus TX22 Upgrades?
The best Taurus TX22 upgrades are the TandemKross Victory Trigger, lightened trigger spring, and Eagle’s Talon extractor. The trigger and spring improve the feel, pull weight, reset, and speed of the pistol, while the extractor addresses reliability by improving extraction. If you only do one upgrade, start with the Victory Trigger and lightened trigger spring. If your TX22 has extraction issues, add the Eagle’s Talon extractor at the same time.
Quick Picks: Best Taurus TX22 Upgrades (In Order)
If you want the best results with the least guesswork, this is the order I’d buy them in. In other words: do the trigger first, then lock in reliability.
- #1 Best upgrade for feel and speed: TandemKross Victory Trigger
- #2 Must-have add-on (don’t skip): Lightened Trigger Spring
- #3 Best upgrade for reliability: Eagle’s Talon Extractor
Want a full competition build (not just the “best first upgrades”)? See my Taurus TX22 race gun build guide here.
Thinking about adding an optic? Check out my TX22 red dot optics guide to see what actually fits and works well.
Prefer irons? I also covered the TX22 fiber optic sight upgrade.
Shop all TX22 parts: TandemKross Taurus TX22 pages
TX22 Upgrade Comparison (Impact vs Cost vs Difficulty)
| Upgrade | Typical Price | What it fixes | Impact | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Trigger | $54.99 | Trigger feel, control, speed | Very High | Moderate |
| Lightened Trigger Spring | $12.99 | Heavy pull weight | High (with trigger) | Easy |
| Eagle’s Talon Extractor | $14.99 | Extraction reliability | High | Easy–Moderate |
Total upgrade cost: roughly $80–$85, depending on sales – a small investment that dramatically improves the TX22.
TandemKross Victory trigger: the best of the Taurus TX22 upgrades
Machined from aluminum, the TandemKross Victory trigger for the Taurus TX22 is everything the OEM trigger isn’t. It has a flat face with good texture, and it’s adjustable for pre and post-travel* (more on that in a bit). Combined with the lightened trigger spring, it drops pull weight by about two pounds. It’s also available in black or red, and it looks about 100 times better than the stock polymer trigger.
If you only had $54.99 to spend on Taurus TX22 upgrades, this is where you should spend it. Just remember to budget another $12.99 for the spring – the combo is what makes it shine.
The lightened trigger spring and Eagle’s Talon extractor for the Taurus TX22
As mentioned, the TandemKross Taurus TX22 lightened trigger spring is only $12.99 and will lower the pull weight by about two pounds. It works with all models of the Taurus TX22, and it’s at its best when paired with the Victory trigger. It deserves better than that terrible polymer trigger – and so do you.
While you’ve got the TX22 apart, do yourself a favor and swap the factory extractor for the $14.99 TandemKross Eagle’s Talon Extractor. It’s EDM-machined hardened steel, and it rips empties from the chamber with authority. I’ve used these in other pistols and rifles. They work great and should outlast the OEM part by a wide margin.
Buy: Lightened Trigger Spring | Eagle’s Talon Extractor
Installation of the Taurus TX22 trigger upgrades from TandemKross
This was one of the more complex trigger upgrades I’ve done, but it was by no means difficult. It does require patience and a light touch when bending some plastic. Overall, it’s just a matter of going slow and paying close attention. The two set screws for the trigger are the key to getting it right the first time. As long as they’re installed correctly, you’re gold. Otherwise, adjusting one of them requires disassembling the pistol again.
This is a bit of a two-for-one. While it’s apart for the trigger swap, it’s easy to replace the trigger spring too. The good news is that there were no surprises and no small parts launched across the room. By following the instructions carefully, the pre- and post-travel were spot-on, so no adjustments were necessary.
Eagle’s Talon extractor: one of the easier Taurus TX22 upgrades
Like the TX22 trigger upgrade, installation looks a little complicated at first, but ends up being simple. The original extractor is easy enough to swap, but it usually takes some vague “wiggling and tapping” to get it out. It’s not difficult – it just doesn’t lift straight out. The replacement needs to go in at a fairly specific angle, and patience is the key.
Range time with the Taurus TX22 upgrades
With all three parts installed and function tested, it was time to hit the range. The trigger felt better in pretty much every way. That mushy plastic shoe won’t be missed. In its place, the aluminum Victory trigger has virtually no pre-travel and breaks crisp around three pounds. Reset is short, and there’s very little overtravel. As much as I would have liked to tighten things further, I’m sure it would compromise reliability. A polymer-framed rimfire just can’t be held to very high tolerances.
Turns out the trigger was just fine when shooting versus dry firing anyway. If hitting steel at speed is your jam, this is the way. We ran cheap bulk ammo through it, and it cycled fine with no more extraction issues. That’s a big deal, because the improved trigger makes it much easier to shoot faster without the OEM trigger pulling you off target.
If you decide to move beyond irons entirely, I also put together a guide to the best TX22 red dot optics. And if you want to stick with irons but improve the sight picture, here’s the TX22 fiber optic sights review.
Frequently Asked Questions About Taurus TX22 Upgrades
How much does the Victory trigger improve the pull weight?
The Victory trigger works best when paired with the lightened trigger spring. TandemKross notes that the spring can reduce pull weight by about two pounds, and the flat aluminum trigger gives the TX22 a cleaner, more predictable feel than the factory polymer trigger.
Is the lightened trigger spring necessary?
It is not strictly required, but I would not skip it. The Victory trigger improves the feel of the pistol, while the lightened trigger spring helps reduce the pull weight. Together, they make the TX22 feel much better than stock.
Does the Eagle’s Talon extractor improve reliability?
That was the goal, and it worked in this pistol. Before the upgrade, my friend had extraction issues. After installing the Eagle’s Talon extractor along with the trigger and spring, we ran cheap bulk ammo through the pistol with no more extraction problems.
How difficult is the TX22 trigger installation?
The trigger installation is moderate, not truly difficult. It requires patience, careful attention to the instructions, and proper adjustment of the two set screws. The spring is easy to replace while the pistol is already apart.
Is the extractor easier to install than the trigger?
Yes. The extractor looks more complicated than it is. The original part may need some wiggling and tapping to remove, and the new part has to go in at the correct angle, but it is one of the easier Taurus TX22 upgrades.
Are these parts compatible with all TX22 models?
TandemKross lists the Victory trigger, lightened trigger spring, and Eagle’s Talon extractor for the Taurus TX22 family. As always, confirm fitment on the product page before ordering, especially if Taurus updates a model or you are working with a newer TX22 variant.
Which Taurus TX22 upgrade should I do first?
Start with the Victory trigger and lightened trigger spring. That combination makes the biggest difference in how the pistol feels and shoots. Add the Eagle’s Talon extractor if your pistol has extraction issues, or install it at the same time while you are already improving the pistol.
Conclusion
Before doing this upgrade, I hadn’t handled a Taurus TX22. Sure, I dry-fired it a few times to confirm how bad the factory trigger was, but that was it. With the addition of three parts, it’s almost a different pistol. The TandemKross Victory Trigger really transformed it. Had I tried the factory trigger in the store, it would have been a hard pass for me. Yet with these upgrades, I can see the appeal, and I’d consider adding one to my collection.
TandemKross says they’re all about “making good guns great,” and that’s no lie. They may have even made a mediocre gun great this time.
Acknowledgments
As always, I’d like to thank the folks at TandemKross for providing their Taurus TX22 Victory trigger, lightened trigger spring, and Eagle’s Talon extractor for our testing and evaluation. I’m looking forward to seeing them add more Taurus TX22 accessories as well. Find them and the rest of their TX22 accessories on the TandemKross Taurus TX22 pages.
Want more Taurus TX22 upgrades? Check out the Taurus TX22 Race Gun Build Guide, my TX22 red dot optics guide, and the TX22 fiber optic sights review.
All of these TandemKross upgrades (trigger, spring, extractor) have been tested and function reliably alongside a Taurus TX22 FRT (forced reset trigger).
Great info. I purchased a TX 22 and feel the same way about the factory trigger. Can’t wait to trade out the trigger and what the heck – might as well do the spring and extractor while I have it apart. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the article.
Do it! After this little upgrade, I finally went out and got one for myself. Stay tuned for more TX22 content.
Nice start. For those looking for a little more giddy-up you can find a FRT disconnector. Make sure you get a stainless one, and not super thin. Upgrading the striker housing slide inserts with stainless steel ones (seen some 316 and even 17-4 stainless steel versions) prevents damage from the disconnect while also adding weight to the slide you need to slow it down a tad. Adding a red dot and the Tandemkross Halo slide pull can help with that as well.
Also, the stiker is a weak point… Lakeline sells a upgraded striker made of S7 tool steel.
Gen2 spring assembly is pretty nice upgrade from Gen 1, but you can get heavy stainless steel rod/spring assemblies from Lakeline. I belive gen 2 uses a different spring than the gen 1 models.
Lastly, to control muzzle flip, a cheap weapon light from Harbor Freight is like $50 and is a nearly exact knock-off of the Streamlight TL1.
Freedom Finger Triggers shipped out their FRT, so I’ll be writing about that soon enough. And I’m trying to show some restraint, but it’s quite possible that I’ll end up with another TX22 dedicated to the FRT.
Tandemkross makes a +5 mag extension called the wingman, though there are 3D printed extensions out there for +9 (25rd total). Just make sure to get longer, upgraded springs with them.
There is a 3D printed adapter plate to merge a factory mags with a GSG 110-round drum if you want to try hanging that beast off the bottom of your pistol. :p
If you check my other TX22 content, you’ll see that we’ve embraced the Wingman. Lol. I’d want the Gen 2 with the heavier barrel before I mod a magazine and drum for that capacity. But it’s on my list of things to (maybe) try.