[imabballer]

I am looking for a BUG and have narrowed it to these two choices. I would like to hear some opinions on which one you all think would be the best choice. I like the 32acp a little better than the 22 mag, but I also like the higher probability of reliability with the NAA.

Thanks in advance.



(just in case anybody is wondering, the naa would have the 1-5/8" barrel)

[Prepster]

I would pick the P32 myself. NAA's are made very well and surely are quite reliable, but I wouldn't want a single action for self-defense. Then again, I sure wouldn't want to take on a SASS member either. Also, I hear the NAAs like to jump out of your hand unless you put a larger, tacky grip on it. Regardless of what you pick, no one is going to line up to be shot with either one.

[Rmart30]

P32 gets my vote of those two... you may want to look at a PF9 keltec also, it really isnt that much more to conceal.

[Hunter0924]

I have one of the NAAs in .22 Magnum.
I bought it on a whim one day and it is a well made pistol.
With that said I am not sure I would choose it for a defensive pistol. Though much better than harsh words it would not be my first choice especially over a larger caliber.
Mine is not hard to shoot and has give me no trouble.

[Seafarer12]

I would go for a P32 hands down. More power, more rounds. With the NAA you might as well get the 22lr they both have about the same velocity with that short of a barrel.

[imabballer]

I appreciate your responses. In response to hunter0924 just to further explain my needs, I currently carry 24/7 a s&w 642 and/or Glock 23, so this gun would be strictly a second gun, or maybe even third. I do however understand that the little NAA looks like it would be very slow to fire, and I have heard reports that question is accuracy past more than a few paces. On the other hand I have heard a lot of problems with the reliability of the kel-tec's. I am just looking for opinions of others to help me make my decision. Thanks again for your quick responses!

[Dr_2_B]

Took out a little snake with my 22mag once. (Actually, I was kinda proud of that shot - think about it.) It's the one I happened to have in my pocket when my relative asked me to dispatch the little fella.

Nevertheless, I don't think it compares to my .32 as a backup gun. And Kel-tec's 32's have a pretty good track record for reliability as opposed to, say, their 380's.

[Seafarer12]

I have a P32 and it has been 100% I think most of the problems have been with the 380's

[Rmart30]

I have a first gen P32 also and it has been flawless...got at least 500 rds thru it I carry it with the factory mag and 2 of the +2 ext grip mags for spares.

[weisse52]

I carry a NAA .22 mag as a BUG. In my mind it fits a unique slot that few others meet.
As a person who shoots it quite a bit, it DOES NOT JUMP OUT OF MY HAND....I feel better.

As to the ballistics of the .22 LR vs .22 mag, follow the link and decide for yourself, I think most would understand that you would want to use the mag...I feel better
http://www.naaminis.com/naaveloc.html

A quick internet search is a wonderful thing....I feel better.

Now, the Kel-tec may be better. No doubt that the .32 beats the .22 mag. If it was a choice of only one, I guess I would consider the Kel-tec.
If it truly is a BUG, or even BUG +1 you may find that a deep cover NAA is a good idea. At that point do you really think a reload is even a consideration? Your choice, EITHER can fit you needs.

Take a look at the NAA Guardian...as we say in the bike world "steel is real"

[machinisttx]

I own a NAA mini convertible(.22 LR or .22 mag) and I'd choose the KelTec.

The NAA mini is a good gun, but I'd rather depend on my pocketknife.

[MCgunner]

Why a P32? Is the P3AT that much heavier? I mean, I'd as soon carry .22LR as .32, can kill just as big a mouse. .380 ain't my idea of a great stopper, but it's almost adequate.

For back up, a .22 mag out of an NAA in a folding "holster grip" would make a lot of sense compared to a P32. I mean, you have about as much (or as little) stopping power and the thing is LOUD. Maybe you could scare him to death with the muzzle blast.

[Frizzman]

I also would go with the .32 over the NAA .22mag. I have both and believe the .32 auto is much easier to use to put multiple rounds into a close range target. In a ball load, the .32 should offer better penetration. With these small caliber weapons, penetration and the ability to put multiple shots into the vitals quickly are important qualities. The NAA would be useful for a contact shot in a struggle, perhaps. I carry both sometimes in addition to my primary weapon...Good Luck

[MICHAEL T]

The 32 Kel tec I have 2 of them they are relieable . I have the 380 also Its relieable but I don't belive that much better that 32 from that short of barrel.
Get the 32 and use ball ammo.

[presspuller]

I don't own a P32 but I do have one of each of the 9mm and the .380 and both have been 100%. No troubles at all.

[P. Plainsman]

Why a P32? Is the P3AT that much heavier? I mean, I'd as soon carry .22LR as .32, can kill just as big a mouse. .380 ain't my idea of a great stopper, but it's almost adequate.
Fair point. But with either a tiny .32 or a tiny .380, I'd say you're in "mag dump / point shoot at 7 feet and then run" territory. (A hi-cap service pistol in .380 like a CZ-83 might be a different story, but that's a different mission profile from the little Kel-Tec.)

The one time I shot a P3AT I found it hard to hold on to in recoil and get hits with. No doubt practice would have improved that, but I still expect it'd be easier to deliver fast fire with the .32 chambering.

P32 gets somewhat better rep for reliability than P3AT, too. I'm thinking about buying a K-T. Leaning toward the .32; to load with ball ammo.

[No Quarter]

I have a very active career. I work in the oil field. My NAA mag rides in my back pocket every day. It has been rained on, sweated on, soaked in hydraulic oil, diesel, blood, dust so fine it splashes when you step on it, mud, sand, etc.

It has always gone boom when I pull the trigger. When I get in at night, I wipe it off and take it out of my leather pocket holster to let it dry out. No problems, no worries, dead reliable. Added benefit is that it is small enough to never be detected by anyone even when crawling and climbing around equipment.

Other than my Bond derringer, I have yet to find a pocket gun that can withstand those circumstances and still perform. A .22 mag will still give you a decided advantage. With practice, it is accurate and fast enough to keep a coke can dancing around at 10-15 yards.

I might carry something else every now and then, but I ALWAYS have this one with me. I can almost guarantee you, a smal semi will not be as reliable under the same circumstances.

NQ

[Dr. Snubnose]

I vote for the .22 mini mag...hands down....Doc:D

[CHEVELLE427]

the wife has a mini 22mag it is not a gun battle gun , slow to reload.i would go with the kel tec

[possum_128]

Kel-Tec P-32, nuff said.

[eric.cartman]

P32 hands down!

My wife carries it. After 200 rounds of breake in it is now 100% reliable. I'm actually taking it to the range today, while she looks after my PM9 :-)
Great little pistol, 7+1. BTW, I never shot any HP ammo out of it. Only Sellier & Bellot ball ammo.

[Coyote3855]

I have carried the NAA .22LR, a KelTec p32, and the KelTec 3AT. I would vote for the KelTec, unless you work in conditions like No Quarter where any semi auto would be questionable. Another consideration might be the new Ruger .380, although I understand they are hard to find. I haven't carried the NAA as a back up except while jogging since I got the KelTec. Recently, I discovered that the NAA works as a point blank ground squirrel gun when loaded with birdshot and fired out the window of my Jeep.

[ambidextrous1]

Seafarer got it right: You won't get much more out of a .22 magnum in that short barrel; may as well go for the .22 RF.

A much better choice is the P 32 (or its Ruger knockoff) or the P3AT.

[tinygnat219]

Gods, WHY would you want to purchase a Single Action rimfire thumbuster with a crappy trigger with 5 shots when you can purchase an 8 round .32 ACP pistol?

If you have to go with these choices, go with the P32.

[HiWayMan]

Well, last Friday I was at the neighborhood Gun Emporium. I looked at both these guns side by side. I'll be damned if I could figure out how to hold the Mini like an actual gun. It was just too small for me. It was beautiful and functioned like Swiss watch, but it just didn't fit. The P32 went home with me. It just felt right.

[foghornl]

The .32 for me. At anything more than muzzle-stuck-1-inch-inside-the-Bad Guys-nose-distance, said BG would have a greater chance of taking a hit if I threw the NAA mini at him.

Not a knock on the NAA, it is just too cotton-pickin' small for my ham fists complete with sausage fingers...AKA "Fat Hands".

[fletcher]

I went from a NAA to a P32, and wouldn't carry the NAA again unless it was the only choice. The NAA is single action, and has a tendency to flip upward when fired, which could be big disadvantages in an up-close encounter you'd be likely to use it in. The P32 is also plenty reliable as long as you test your carry ammo to ensure it's not prone to rimlock.

[mgregg85]

They are both cheap, get one of each.

[KBintheSLC]

Another vote for the P32. I have had one for about a year, and over 500 rounds... no failures of any kind with FMJ ammo. It is tiny, yet packs significantly more firepower than the NAA. It can be fired very rapidly unlike the SAO of the NAA. Also, you can add a 10 round mag for extra shots.

Don't get me wrong, the NAA's are cool little guns, but when it comes to all practical purposes, the P32 blows the NAA out of the water.

[seeker_two]

Split the difference....get an NAA Guardian in .32ACP..... :cool: