My Dad recently confronted a burglar and wanted some very small and lightweight. He preferred a semi-auto, but it needed to be able to fit into a robe pocket. Since he is older I worried about his ability to be able to rack a semi-auto slide under stress or late at night. The first pistol I thought of was the Beretta 21a Bobcat because of the tilt barrel making loading/unloading simple. But, I couldn't find one (he can't have mine). He actually wanted a 25ACP. I personally prefer the 22LR but I thought the straight wall cartridge might feed better, especially if the pistol isn't kept clean and well lubricated--something I find that the Bobcat requires. The Bobcat does not like to be run dry.

What I did find him is a Taurus PT-22 Poly. He is already a Taurus fan and a has a Taurus 85. Additionally he likes "features" like the internal lock and safety (on a DAO?) I have to remember it is not for me.

Here are some pics with my notes comparing it to my Bobcat.

• I was genuinely surprised at the PT-22 grip. It is much larger than the Bobcat. The magazine also has an extended base plate that is wide and long
• The PT-22 is a DAO pistol
• The PT-22 has a magazine disconnect safety that also locks the slide
• Both pistols have a locking safety. The Bobcat can be locked cocked and locked or with hammer-down DA
• Disassembly is the same but note that the magazine must be in the PT-22 to move the slide
• The PT-22 is supposed to be .8 ounces lighter than the Bobcat - they feel the same.

Click on pic to enlarge

The PT-22 in the box.

Comparison pic PT-22 (L) vs Bobcat (R)

Bobcat on top - pretty close in size overall

You can see how much wider the base plate is on the PT-22.

PT-22 baseplate lets you get an extra finger on the grip

PT-22's feed ramp (right) is much more extended
The tilt barrel is cool - makes it easy to load/unload and requires no hand strength to function the slide

Bobcat vs PT-22 magazine. Size difference is immediately apparent

PT-22 front sight is taller

PT-22 rear sight groove is also larger. Note that the PT-22 has a bobbed hammer