Two points:
The #1 factor that makes these J-frame size .22Mags a reasonable defense gun is one single bullet: the .22Mag CCI MaxiMag +V TNT. From that 4" tube, you get a 30grain "advanced JHP design" pulling over 1,400fps. Ballistics are on par with a good .32ACP. Five shots of .38Spl +P are still probably more effective overall but the eight hot little .22Mags aren't far behind and produce FAR less recoil. So they're quite possibly one of the best "granny guns" ever built.
If you happen to get one that's "too tight" on the barrel/cylinder gap, REJOICE. I like a gap that's right at .002 to.003 for maximum velocity and reduced gap flash. If your gun is less than that, DO NOT send the gun back to Taurus!!! It's liable to come back at .005" or worse (which is still "in spec"). Instead, take a fine flat file at least 3/4ths of an inch across, swing the cylinder out, lock the barrel in a bench vice using wood blocks as "padding" so you don't scratch anything, and very gently and evenly file the back of the barrel. Take a few light strokes at a time, then re-check. Get it to a hair over .002".
Remember to take all measurements of barrel/cylinder gap with the EMPTY cylinder swung in, and with the trigger fully depressed after hand-lowering the hammer. So long as the trigger is still being squeezed, the gun is in "full lockup" just as it would be upon firing - THAT is when you measure the gap with feeler gauges.
Upshot: if I'm at a gun shop examining Tauruses and have my pick between a .001" (too tight) gap and a .005"/.006" ("sloppy but in spec") I'll take the "tight" one any day of the week, knowing that filing the back of the barrel is one of the easiest gunsmithing jobs possible. The end result is, I'll get max performance and minimal gap flash.