The NAA Mini .22 is the smallest firearm that I own; it is smaller than the available .22 caliber copies of the Remington Double Derringer. Capable of holding five-rounds, I think of it as the derringer that keeps on giving. I carry it with four rounds in the cylinder and the hammer down on an empty chamber (you can load five rounds provided you rest the hammer between cylinders in a safety notch). It is difficult for me to shoot this little revolver; it is just too small. It is hard for me to hold, it is hard for me to negotiate cocking the hammer (I used the web of my hand instead of my thumb), and it is hard for me to grip while squeezing the trigger. It is my very last choice for defense.
You may wonder why I bought this revolver. Well, while I am strutting my doughy upper-middle-age carcass on the beach while wearing only a man-thong, sun block, and a smile, it is hard for me to conceal anything else. Go ahead and ask me where the stains on the holster came from.
Before you laugh at the idea of using a NAA Mini .22 for self-defense EDIT: the following link is deadclick here, read the article, and watch the video. Two punks used a knife and their fists to attack an 80-year-old man; on the video, you can tell by the wounds on the man’s face that the punks were vicious. The octogenarian used his NAA Mini revolver to save himself. Why would anyone choose such a modest defense weapon? Perhaps it was all the old guy could afford. Perhaps it was a gift from a well-meaning relative or neighbor. For whatever the reason, the mini-gun was all the man had and he used it to thwart two predators. The NAA Mini is an ultra-minimalist, extreme close quarter self defense weapon, perhaps a step up from a .22 caliber Remington pattern two shot derringer. It isn’t much, but in this case, it proved to be much better than a wish and a prayer. Seriously, after this incident, I hope friends or family saw fit to update the man’s defense hardware a notch or two; he can keep the NAA Mini as a backup.
Click here and Syd Weedon will do a better job explaining the merits of this little blaster.
You may wonder why I bought this revolver. Well, while I am strutting my doughy upper-middle-age carcass on the beach while wearing only a man-thong, sun block, and a smile, it is hard for me to conceal anything else. Go ahead and ask me where the stains on the holster came from.
Before you laugh at the idea of using a NAA Mini .22 for self-defense EDIT: the following link is dead
Click here and Syd Weedon will do a better job explaining the merits of this little blaster.
Good post, as always!
ReplyDeleteBought one for my sister.
ReplyDeleteI invested in the folder grip which a) covers the trigger spur and makes it that much safer
and b) gives you a lot more to hang on to.
It takes a lot of the "snap" out of each shot, stings the hand less.
It also prints like a pocket knife.
James Rummel, as always, many many thanks.
ReplyDeleteJ, I've seen pictures of the folder and wondered how it would work out; now I know. Thanks. Printing like a folding pocket knife is a plus.
The ever-indulgent wife has the 'holster grip' on hers, I'm planning to get one for mine.
ReplyDeleteBoth of ours are the better version where we got both a .22LR/.22Short cylinder and one for .22Magnum.
That lets you practice with regular .22 and carry the (somewhat) more powerful .22 Magnum. If nothing else, the Magnum creates a blast similar to a .357 - especially since the barrel is most definitely a 'snubbie'.
Adds greatly to the shock factor of them finding out you do have a gun plus it attracts a lot more attention.
Thanks for stopping in, KCSteve. I've had a few moments of regret not opting for the .22LR / .22 Magnum model. Seems it would be the most versatile...
ReplyDeletePretty good information. I was searching information about my Beretta 418 when I reached here. Good work.
ReplyDeleteLots of folks laugh at using a 22 for self defense, however, in a State where there are no conceal carry laws, it is sometimes the only pistol a honest person can carry without attracting any attention. Of course if we had conceal carry in this State, I would recommend carrying something at least in the 9mm (.380, 9x18, 9x19) category
ReplyDeleteBTW, good article!
If you have an affinity for small guns let me suggest the Charter Arms 32magnum snubbie. I have one of these and it is small, accurate, and well made. I keep it in my bug-out bag because of its reliability.
ReplyDeleteI own two north American Mini-revolvers , one in .22 short only and the other .22 magnum "Black widow" , the .22 short is better than nothing but not too much better than shooting an air-rifle definately not a trail gun as some people have suggested , as who in their right mind would want to defend themselves against a wild animal such as a bear or a mountain lion or even a gang of thugs with a mini-revolver that is a .22 and a single action with no rear sights to speak of ? The min-revolvers are great for a female jogger who carries one of these guns in say a necklace holster , but for real self-defence against humans I personally would pick a small automatic such as a Kel-Tec or the new Ruger LCP if I were looking for a very small handgun . Agaist large wild animals that is a total different storey , I'd carry an S&W .44 magnum mountain gun !
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that I dislike very much about the mini-revolvers is the very poor design ! First of all you must pull out the cyclinder pin and pull ot the cyclinder to load this weapon and unless a person has three hands you will have to put the gun frame into your pocket while you load the cyclinder ! The dangerous part is do not drop the cyclinder while you are loading it as dropping the cyclinder on a hard surface of rocks could cause an accidental discharge which I have heard did happen once ! I have written to North American Arms and told them that they should redesign this weapon as either a top break like the H&R revolvers or with a loading gate and ejector rod like the Colt single action type revolvers , as putting a full loaded cyclinder into the frame is an accident waiting to happen !
ReplyDeleteIf any of you buy or own a mini-revolver , it is best to get alot of shooting practice with these little weapons before you decide to carry one for self-defence , when I practice shooting my mini-revolver I do not aim the weapon like I would with a regular full size revolver , I point the weapon like an extension of my finger and I'm able to hit man size targets 10 to 15 feet away ! The one big disadvantage of the min-revolver is it looks like a toy and not a real gun , meaning you may have to shoot your mugger as he may think your "toy" gun is a joke ! A larger gun like a Smith & Wesson revolver gets respect and the mere sight of a weapon like that will scare away most would be muggers !
ReplyDeleteA warning when using the oversized Rosewood grips .I have had a set on my mini revolver for a long time . A friend put a set on his . On the way to try it out he stoped by to see if i wanted to go .I always check a gun out if any changes has been made to it .WE took some 22 shorts pulled the bullet and powder and tryed it out .It did not fire .we pulled the cyl and it had not indexed .WE checked and the index lever was not inguaging . We put the small grips back on . Everything was all right . After checking the oversized grips were not letting the hammer go back far enough . It would lock back but not far enough to let the index lever inguage . A few min with a fine file to relieve behind the hammer and a little buffing everything worked fine and you could not tell it had been worked on .If you install oversixed grips check everything out . I am going to get ahold of NAA monday and tell them .
ReplyDeleteA fine file and some 1500 wet sand paper and you could not tell the cyl had been slightly damaged .I hope this will keep anyone from a mishap .
I own a NAA Mini in .22 LR. It is very hard to hit a target at anything past 10 FT. Its realy a close range last ditch gun. I keep a CCI shot shell in the 1st chamber & the rest are QUICK-SHOCKS Hyper .22 LR. If I need to a blast of shot to a muggers face should do the job. I only carry it occasionaly as a back up or when attending a wedding etc when Im dressing up & do not want anything heavy-bulky on my person.. Glen
ReplyDeleteTo be honest to everyone who comes to this web site , before you buy that mini-revolver save a couple of hundred dollars extra and put the money for a real personal defence gun , a used S&W model 442 or model 60 , or a Taurus model 85 , or a Ruger SP-101 these are real guns with real stopping power that you can carry in your pocket or holster that work all the time , the mini-revolvers are a throw back from the 19th century , single action ! No rear sights and are painfully slow to reload or eject the shells ! Just try loading this gun in a hurry ! Great if you have 3 hands , pull out the cyclinder pin , put the gun frame in your pocket and load the cyclinder , be very very careful as you do not drop the loaded cyclinder because if the loaded cyclinder hits a rock a bullet could discharge ! I own the North American Arms mini-revolver )the Black Widow , after shooting several .22 magnum rounds the cyclinder pin would come loose from the recoil , I had to ship the gun back to for repair ! This from what I have heard is rather common with these mini-revolvers ! There are really so many good pocket revolvers and automatic pistols on the market today I would forget about mini-revolvers !
ReplyDeleteI own a S&W 442 with Crimson Trace laser grips-LOVE IT!! Also a Charter Arms "OFF DUTY" .38 I bought years ago for $160 used Shoots GREAT!! I mostly carry My Keltec .32 With glasers Daily in a pocket holster front pants pocket.I can have the Keltec in my hand ready to go in my pocket without anyone the wiser.. But I still some times carry my NAA Mini.22 as back up as it takes up no room or weight.. GLEN
ReplyDeleteNaa is comming out with a .32 cal MINI REVOLVER in the not to distant future.!! I Definitely would like to purchase this new NAA Mini...GLEN
ReplyDeleteHey Glen, thanks for that information. Let us know if you pick up the .32 mini; I'm curious as to how it would handle.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Zack
I had a problem with the .22 magnum mini-revolver. After two shots the pin worked its way out. I pushed it back in. The next shot it did it again. After three shots the cylinder would not turn. It was because the spent casings were swelled and they kept the cylinder from turning. I was firing Winchester .22 mag bullets. I emptied the gun and reloaded it and the same things happened, pin working its way out. shell casings keeping the cylinder from rotating. Maybe I just got a lemon, but I returned the gun for my money back. I figured it was only good for two rounds tops, and that might cost me my life. Did anyone else have this problem? I was disappointed because it was a nice little gun, but probably won't buy another.
ReplyDeleteYes. Just back from the range. Same pin problem. I will try to exchange. I like it to much to let it go. Pretty accurate.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous : Yes I had the same problem with my North American "Black Widow" shooting the .22 magnum caused the cylinder pin to come loose , sent it back fed-ex for repair , many owners of this weapon have had the same problem , note the newest NAA revolver the "Pug" a different type of cylinder pin , my own opinion ,I think that the small automatics the Kel-Tec , Ruger LCP make much better pocket defence weapons , the mini-revolvers are a throw back to the 19th century , a good little revolver for a female jogger in a city park with the necklace holster but nearly worthless as a trail gun or a pocket self-defence weapon !
ReplyDeleteHaving lived for some time in a country that only allowed civilians to own .22LR handguns and 12ga double barrel shotguns, I can understand the appeal of this little mousegun. Personally, I settled for a Beretta .22 along with some spare magazines and a case of CCI Mini-Mag 40 grain solids. Amazingly accurate, 1.5" groups at a full 25 yds and a full mag went into a single ragged hole at 10 yds. I really miss that one...
ReplyDeleteIm still waiting for NAA to come out with their .32 mini revolver??? I have seen a .32 mini revolver a few times in the past in gun magazines..It was small like the NAA mini,but had a fold down trigger & consealed hammerless set up like the S&W centenial..It was called the CA 2000 (CASSULL ARMS) I wish NAA Would make one like that.....GLEN
ReplyDeleteHi Glen, thanks for stopping in.
ReplyDeleteA .32 in a mini must have a heck of a kick; my Seecamp .32 is pretty jumpy, especially with the hot CorBon loads. If you find one, let us know how it shoots.
Best,
Zack
I have a NAA .22lr that I have carried since the early 90's. I started out with the folding plastic grip (now discontinued), then found the necklace holster one day at a gun show. I have not been able to find another one like it since, but I am looking to replace the one I have. Others would like one as well. I remember that it was made in Bull Shoals, Arkansas. It hangs vertically, not horizontally like the one I have seen on the NAA website. Mine is injection molded plastic in two parts, which are riveted together. It has a portion of parachute chord for the necklace part. The entire assembly is black. The injection molds are such that the pistol can't be inserted into the holster, without first rotating the cylinder and locking it between rounds. Does this necklace holster sound familiar to anyone? Can you direct me to some place where another one can be purchased?
ReplyDeleteLove the little pistol. I call it my "get off of me" weapon.
Thanks!!
An excellent quality .22 revolver that can only be found now a days on the used market is S&W model 34 with the short barrel ! An excellent backup revolver or a self-defence weapon for an older person who dislikes the noise and recoil of the larger calibered revolvers ! The newer made Taurus .22 revolvers are good too but not as good in quality as the S&W model 34's or the model 36 the stainless steel model . The mini-revolvers are just too small for an accurate shot except at arm's length distances , and would you want your life to depend on a .22 mini-revolver against a dope crazed psycho armed with a knife ?
ReplyDeleteTo anonymous of April 5, 2010 : If you lived here in the State of Arizona I would tell you to checkout the Crossroads gun show held at the Phoenix fairgrounds , a couple years back an individual was selling the necklace holster for the mini-revolvers , I'm sure you can find them from time to time at the larger gun shows ! As a side note for what it is worth I heard that an individual used a small pipe cleaning brush pushed down the barrel of his mini-revolver and had a chain or heavy string thru the hole at the top of the handle , wore it around his neck , gun could be pulled out in a hurry and would not fall out !
ReplyDeleteI can't keep quiet any more, I am so sick of this debate about the lethality of 22 LR 25 ACP or any other small caliber. Has any of you ever had a cow mobile butchered at your place??? The cow story. They walk it over to a grain barrel and when it puts it's head down guess what they shoot it in the head with to to kill it?? 44 mag 357, 338 win mag, 50 cal. NO NO NO NO It's a 22LR. The first time I saw this I asked the butcher why a .22? He calmly said how DEAD does it need to be? Is that not dead enough for you? Also he added that out of safety for others the .22 bullet will not exit to hurt anyone or anything else. WOW SEEMS KINDA LIKE COMMON SENSE. Seems like that would be smart in a defense situation. Not have your 44 magnum exit the bad guy and kill your wife or son. Way to go big guy. How many cows lived 0. How many ran off NONE. How many kept coming at you NONE. What Human thinks their SKULL and hide is as thick as a cow?? Think a .22 to the head won't drop you dead. Think a .22 won't kill or stop? As an experiment have your wife shoot you from across the bedroom in the chest aiming at the heart area. Or get close and have them shoot you in right in the eye socket. See if you would keep coming on an attack? I do practice a little and I know I have a really good chance to hit a human in the chest area from any where inside the house or at close range. Tell all the families who's loved ones have been Murdered by a 22 LR that this a weak ass bullet that can't stop or kill anything. Most self defense type attacks occur at less than 3 feet. Stick a mini .22 .25 acp .32 anything under the chin or into the chest and pull the trigger. That will stop anyone.
ReplyDeleteI have both a 22 cal and a regular 22mag NAA and have never had any trouble with them. At 10 feet I can hit within 4 inches of aim with the 22 mag. I am disabled and that's all I can carry.
ReplyDelete4o years ago I watched a man stand off a very big outlaw motorcycle biker with a 4 shot .22 short derringer. The man defending himself appeared willing to shoot and the biker wanted no part of getting shot with a .22 short.
I would like to carry a Glock 23 but I just can't do that.
Smartasawhip, thanks for your comments; many of us do not have your insight.
ReplyDeleteFolks, let's be totaly honest here. Those of you who have CCW permits, how many of you remember exactly what you were taught in your class? I live in Ohio and can only speak for the CCW rules for my state and as far as I remember Ohio considers self defense with a concealed firearm to be a last ditch effort. In other words, if all else fails or you believed that "behond a shadow of doubt" that you were going to be mamed or killed by your attacker then and only then can you use deadly force to protect yourself. Also the "behond a shadow of a doubt" clause is put on you to prove when it comes time to go to court for shooting your attacker. If the prosecutor can prove you wrong, then what happens to you? Prison? The right to self defense comes from God and our founding fathers and IMHO I don't think it is up to the politicians to say whether or not I have the right to defend my life from a thug. The point I am trying to make here is that is not about caliber size, how many rounds the weapon will hold, how quickly it reloads or how big and shiny your gun is. It's about self defense, not only from the thugs trying to take your life, but from the law also. With the way I have just explained the CCW rules of Ohio, a .22 magnum derringer or a .22 magnum NNA revolver is all you really need to defend yourself. Because you will not be needing that weapon until the attacker is on top of you or is in the process of doing you physical harm and then, at this point, any firearm will be affective. And, believe me, if you want to get the jury on your side, this will have to be the senario, like it or not. And during that trial, when the prosecutor uses your 1911 .45 or Ruger Super Alaskan as exibit A, he will do his damndest to sway the jury to believe that your big, shiny "Hogs Leg" is something akin to an assault rifle. Furthermore, I just recently heard that Texas CCW rules place emphasis on the word concealed. In Texas your weapon has to be concealed at all times. If it can be seen or noticed for any reason you are in trouble with the law in Texas. That is a pretty big request when you are carrying a firearm such as the ones I mentioned above. Plus, shoot an attacker more than say twice and your chances for a fair trial decrease with each additional shot. CCW self defense is only suppose to lessen the threat, not pulverize the threat. So, probably, a ten round magazine fed semi-auto is not a wise choice. Folks, please don't get me wrong. I do beleive that bigger is better in most cases. In self defense I beleive bigger is better too. But, unfortunately, the law, the courts, the prosecutors, the anti-gunners and Sarah Brady do not agree with me at all. Now, please remember that this post is only my opinion, you can take it however you wish. But, please note this. Self defense is a God given birth right and no law makers in my IMHO have the right to go against our creator and dictate otherwise. But they do! So lets not play into their hands. We, the gun owners of America, as much as I hate to say this, have been given something special in that most states now have CC laws that give us the chance to exercise our 2nd Amendment rights on a daily basis. Let us not screw this up. Because that is what the lawmakers and the anti-gunners are waiting for. You can carry any type and size firearm you please, it is your choice, just put a little common sense thought into it when doing so. Your actions could, not only affect you, but also affect all the rest of us good, law abiding gun owners. I own a NNA .22 revolver and I find it to be a fine weapon and perfect for concealed carry. I hope when the time comes to use it and, I pray to the good Lord that I will never have to use it, that it does the job right in both saving my life and saving my life from a prison sentence ( for doing the right thing)where I am forced to spend my years as Bubba's boyfriend.
ReplyDeleteIm with you !! In most states if your gun is seen & police are called ,you are in trouble even with a permit..I get a kick out of some "experts" that say "Only carry a BIG gun" better said than done. I have tried all kinds of carry over the years & most of the time a larger caliber gun WAS A REAL PAIN!!! Once I bent over to pick up something making my shirt ride up exposing my PPK grip.. My keltec .32 or .25 950 bs in a pocket holster now rides in my front pocket..some times .22 naa for back-up..Glen
ReplyDeleteI have heard stories that undercover cops used to hide the super tiny NAA .22 short revolver on them ,But load them with .22 longs..they did this by cutting off the bullet flush with the case like a .22 wadd cutter & they would fit in the .22 short pistol!!!!"Don't try this at home!!!"..Glen
ReplyDeleteThe .22 is a deadly bullet ! In a book by Colonel Hatcher on handguns he mentions a storey of a young boy who was shot accidently with a .22 short rimfire from a rife from a distance of 500 yards not feet but yards and the child died ! Sometimes using a .22 is prefered over a larger caliber , sometimes there is a situation in which you would rather just wound your attacked or robber rather than take his life ! An example some stupid 17 year old teenage kid who is trying to rob you !
ReplyDeleteAs a kid 65+ years ago I watched my Dad, who ran a butcher shop in a small town, kill a lot of full grown cows and hogs with a .22 rifle using shorts. He shot them between the eyes, usually from about 10 feet away, and they always fell like some invisible rope had pulled their feet out from under them. They kicked a few times and that was it. Of course that doesn't mean that the .22 short is a good all around self defense round, but if a 29 grain .22 bullet fired up close in the right place will do the job on a 600 lb steer it should take the fight out of a 200 lb man as well. The main problem I see with these short barreled little revolvers is putting the .22 slug in the right place, which is the head. Pressing the muzzle hard against the body-trunk area might be another place if that's possible because the burning gas from the explosion will go directly into the chest or abdominal cavity and almost guaranty ending the fight.
ReplyDeleteIf you are ever near Lancaster PA visit the "ARMS MUSEUM " in Intercourse PA. Every thing From The American Revolution To Present..Also Rare O.S.S.Weapons..Glen
ReplyDeletewell i for one love these little gunns both mine are 22mags,never had a problem with sticking or pins working lose,as far as self defense my Dad was a cop and one of his buddys ended up shooting a man with his*backup*22 mag[it was a high standard derringer]killed him,dead.apparently turned his brains to soup.so....but all said and done these guns are just fun to shoot.thanx for putting up this page,i wil check on it again[after i get the *ranger*top break]
ReplyDeleteYep last ditch small caliber ..head shots = stopping power....GLEN
ReplyDeleteI own a NAA MINI in .22 LR & do carry it for special occasions when I want something really small or a back-up piece ..Im thinking of purchasing one in .22 Mag possibly a "PUG" now that Hornady has come out with Critical Defense .22 Winchester Mag with a flex-tip for expansion .. I'm also still waiting for NAA to come out with a .32 Mini revolver..as they had stated they were working on it over a year ago..KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED ..GLEN
ReplyDeleteIf any of you wish to buy a mini-revolver stick with the .22 magnum as the .22 short is pretty pathetic when it comes to penetration, alittle better than one of the high powered air-rifles, aiming with the little mini-revolvers is rather difficult, you point the gun like an extension of ones finger, wht I do not like about these weapons is that the cylinder has to be removed to load or remove the empty shells, dangerous as well as very slow ! Dangerous if you acciently drop a loaded cylinder on a rock ! My own humble opinion, forget the mini-revolvers and buy either a Ke-Tec P32 automatic or a Ruger LCR, the .32ACP and the .380 are much better as self-defence cartridges than the lowly .22 ! Especially in a mini-single action with crappy sights !
ReplyDeletein reality, the 22mag and the .380 out of short barrels, both develop about the same foot pounds of energy. the professional hit men have consistantly used the lowely .22 as a assion round, whether it be a short, long, or long rifle.
ReplyDeletemany people fed themselves very well during the depression using the .22 short. also the high powered big bores are largely an invention of the 20th century. the black powder guns were ,under powered, compared to todays standards. the .22 is still as effective as it was nearly a century ago. pd
I love the NAA mini revolvers. Have carried a .22 short for around 15 years as my "backup to the backup" handgun in police work, carried in my pocket. Also carry it off duty as a backup, and have taken it swimming multiple times! Great gun for whenever you have no where to carry anything bigger. I always carry all 5 chambers loaded as it is quite safe with hammer between cylinders.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, there is an infamous LE training video which shows a dashcam of a SC SLED Hwy Patrol officer, he was killed by one shot from one of these guns, and his assailant survived 5 or 6 hits from a .357, as he was fat and rounds did not penetrate thru the fat layers to vital organs. The LE Officer was hit in the arm, round ricocheted up the arm, into the chest, and hit his heart. Very unfortunate in a lot of ways. My own agency had a jailbreak many many years ago where another one of these guns was smuggled into the jail, and a Jail Guard was shot and seriously injured with it, and decades later he finally succumed to that injury. So I for one would not underestimate the potential of these guns....
can i order tis guns im in the philippines ..&how much the cost of shipping
ReplyDeletecan i have one how much the shipping if i order one of this.. im sorry for grammar im not good in english language
ReplyDeleteMabuhay!
ReplyDeleteNo problem with your english, Roland; it is much better than I speak Tagalog (my wife is a Pinay).
The USA has legal constraints regarding importing and exporting guns.
Visit the North American Arms website and see if you can find a dealer or distributor in the Philippines (copy and paste the following url to your browser search window).
http://northamericanarms.com
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Zack