I'd go for the Grand Power, PPX or SR9 off that list long before I ever bothered with an NP22.
The Norinco CZ knockoff is a better gun, and the 1911s in .45 are also done pretty well in terms of function, but you don't want to look at .45 obviously.
If you shoot two matches, you'll have covered the spread between an NP22 and a Glock.
Also consider this: if you want to compete, you'll need magazines. The Norinco mags are garbage, so you'll be out the cost of two mags right off the bat. And the Sig mags don't necessarily work well in the Norinco, which incidentally should be a massive red flag: it means the frame is not dimensioned correctly. And it means replacement mags may be just as lousy as the ones it came with.
If you want a steel TDA gun that's not expensive and the rough DA pull of an NP22 didn't seem like a deal breaker, look at the Bersa Thunder 9 Pro from Tactical Imports. The DA pull is heavy, but the reset is very nice, and the SA pull is short and crisp. The DA pull can probably be worked out with some effort.
And it's a very accurate pistol, essentially a Walther P88. It's about the only "cheap" steel pistol I'd really recommend.
But if you're not specifically interested in a metal gun, look for a used SR9/9e from IRG, or maybe an SD9 if IPSC is allowing those. Both under $400, both real guns, not gun-shaped objects partially milled out of unpredictable steel and/or iron by chinese pseudo-engineers who once measured up a P226 with a pair of equally made-in-china calipers.