Ballistic Testing the NAA 22 Short mini revolver.

[amd6547]

When I was younger, I had a Beretta 950BS, but the version they made with a longer barrel…4”, I think.
One day, playing around at a backyard range, I had a couple old candles…they were round, and about the size of a softball, and solid wax.
I shot one with a MiniMag solid from a Ruger Standard 4” pistol…the candle cracked into three large chunks.
Turned to the Beretta, and loaded a Remington 22 short HP into the tip-up barrel. Hit the ball of wax dead center, and the candle rolled… When I looked at it, it had a 22 hole all the way through. It was pretty funny, the hole’s trajectory was curved, given that the candle was moving as the bullet went through, lol.
I no longer have the 950BS, but I do still have a Beretta 21a 22lr. While I feel a little better armed with it, my pocket pistol now is a keltec P32 32acp.
As for NAA Mini revolvers, I have no use for them. I once had a 22mag NAA that had to go back to the factory for a warranty issue. After an extended period of time, I called to check on it, and was treated rudely on the phone by “customer service”…I will never own their products again.

 

[Ethan Verity]

As a Police Chaplain I attended a number of suicides. The bloodiest ever was a guy who offed himself in a motel room using a Beretta .22 Short pistol. He put it up against his temple and fired. He must have thrashed around a bit as he bled out, since there was considerable blood spray on the walls and headboard. He finally collapsed on the bed, and the covers were saturated in blood, along with the carpet. There was no discernable exit wound.

The least bloody ever was a young lady, also in a motel room, who put Dad's .45 ACP Glock up against her temple. She slumped over, the pistol cycled, and then rotated in the hand pointing away. There was one drop of blood on her forearm, and the bullet exited the other side of her head, went through the wall into the adjoining room, and came to rest on the carpet after bouncing off a dresser.

I can only guess that in the second case, her system shut down immediately and the heart stopped pumping right away, while the guy with the .22 continued to pump out blood until he was almost dry.

Gruesome, but it makes sense... unless the bullet causes immediate damage to the brain stem, a shot anywhere else through the brain is by no means an instant "lights out" situation. Just look at the recent case of Devyn Holmes, who took a 40S&W at point blank to the side of the head. He received immediate medical attention, and is still alive today despite the ordeal. I had seen the original video before it was taken down. Immediately after the shot, you can tell he was incapacitated from the damage, but still very much alive.

 

[Bert W.]

Thanks for the test and results you found with your test. Keep up the good work.

 

[Armybrat]

I had a .22 LR Mini years ago that was just too tiny to shoot, so it wound up being gifted to a son as a novelty in the factory belt buckle.

 

[Mosin77]

I have a .22lr version. I like it because I will always have it on me, no excuse, and so that .22 definitely beats the .38, 9, or .45 I left at home. I think of it as a more concealable form of dagger.

That said if you have a choice, something bigger is definitely better. But thank you, OP, for giving us a better idea about the penetration capabilities, or lack thereof, of the .22 short version.

 

[mjsdwash]

to anyone interested, I have a NAA mini in 22lr. CCI Velociter, and Federal Bluebox 40 grain both clock around 800fps.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

Gruesome, but it makes sense... unless the bullet causes immediate damage to the brain stem, a shot anywhere else through the brain is by no means an instant "lights out" situation. Just look at the recent case of Devyn Holmes, who took a 40S&W at point blank to the side of the head. He received immediate medical attention, and is still alive today despite the ordeal. I had seen the original video before it was taken down. Immediately after the shot, you can tell he was incapacitated from the damage, but still very much alive.

“It ain’t got no clip Bud!”

 

[ms6852]

I personally have never doubted the 22lr when it comes to self defense. As a medical imaging specialist in a level one trauma center I have seen the after effects this small caliber does and it is devastating. I remember years ago receiving this patient who was still alive with a gunshot to the head. I did a cat scan and could follow the path the bullet took as it entered the skull and then proceeded to ricochet in the skull without ever exiting. There were at least 5 distinct paths in the brain. The person was never going to recover from this wound, if the patient did survive it was most likely as a vegetable.

Excellent report! I really enjoyed it, great job.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I personally have never doubted the 22lr when it comes to self defense. As a medical imaging specialist in a level one trauma center I have seen the after effects this small caliber does and it is devastating. I remember years ago receiving this patient who was still alive with a gunshot to the head. I did a cat scan and could follow the path the bullet took as it entered the skull and then proceeded to ricochet in the skull without ever exiting. There were at least 5 distinct paths in the brain. The person was never going to recover from this wound, if the patient did survive it was most likely as a vegetable.

Excellent report! I really enjoyed it, great job.

When you say there were 5 distinct paths, what exactly do you mean? Typically, bullets don't have the energy to ricochet and change direction multiple times. So I don't see where a .22 lr would somehow be particularly adept at doing this.

 

[ms6852]

When you say there were 5 distinct paths, what exactly do you mean? Typically, bullets don't have the energy to ricochet and change direction multiple times. So I don't see where a .22 lr would somehow be particularly adept at doing this.

I can fully understand your skepticism and it is very understandable. You must also realize in this case that the skull is oval or round in shape and maybe I used the wrong term "ricochet". The trajectory was more of a path the bullet took, like a marble in a round container going round and round. Nonetheless there is medical evidence that the bullet did not exit or dump all its energy once it entered the skull and hit the other side until it slowed down. How else will you explain when you shoot an animal in the shoulder and the bullet exits on another part of the body if it does or shoot a person in the chest and the bullet exits the neck, ...deflection happens.

A 22lr round stands more of a chance of bouncing around or ricocheting because it is light weight and is a low velocity round. If you were to shoot a round in the ground at a firing range or open range and than shoot a center fire round heavier and faster velocity it is more likely that the centerfire round will dig into the ground whereas the 22 will bounce off.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I can fully understand your skepticism and it is very understandable. You must also realize in this case that the skull is oval or round in shape and maybe I used the wrong term "ricochet". The trajectory was more of a path the bullet took, like a marble in a round container going round and round. Nonetheless there is medical evidence that the bullet did not exit or dump all its energy once it entered the skull and hit the other side until it slowed down. How else will you explain when you shoot an animal in the shoulder and the bullet exits on another part of the body if it does or shoot a person in the chest and the bullet exits the neck, ...deflection happens.

I spent 25 years doing vertebrate osteology, LOL.

Circumscribing the interior of the skull isn't a big deal in terms of bullet performance. That is sort of the basis of curved rifle barrels for shooting around corners.

Yes, deflection happens, but you never have deflection with 5 distinct paths (4 or 5 deflections) from a single bullet unless the bullet has fragmented or you are skirting the inside of a curved surface. It isn't like the bullet ricocheted back and forth across the expanse of the interior of the skull as you seemed to imply with your original post which is a bit of folklore concerning bullet performance. People like to claim how dangerous a bullet is because it will ricochet 'around' inside the body or inside the skull. EVERY change of direction bleeds off energy and limits bullet penetration.

How else would you explain explain when you shoot an animal in the shoulder and the bullet exits the next or another part of the body, or a person in the chest and bullet exits the neck,...? Actually, it can be explained through a number of reasons. The first is trajectory. I shoot a goodly number of hogs through the shoulder and the bullets exit the neck, although the opposite more likely to be the shot I take where the bullet enters the neck and exits the shoulder. I do this with quartering shots. No deflection is necessary to account for the bullet's path. This is actually an intentional shot made for the express purpose of giving the bullet more body tissue to pass through and to do more damage, not just to vital organs (lungs) but also CNS (increased opportunity to hit the spine). That was simply the trajectory of the aimed shot. The second explanation is destabilization of the bullet. Destabilized bullets (often tumbling) will often deviate from their original trajectory. And of course, you have deflection. Deflection may occur when the bullet hits a material of a different density, inclusive of hard tissue and soft tissue, though greater angle of deflection are more likely with harder tissue.

A 22lr round stands more of a chance of bouncing around or ricocheting because it is light weight and is a low velocity round. If you were to shoot a round in the ground at a firing range or open range and than shoot a center fire round heavier and faster velocity it is more likely that the centerfire round will dig into the ground whereas the 22 will bounce off.

So you are describing why a .22 lr round would be more likely to not actually make entry into a skull in the first place...which would lead to less internal damage.

 

[ms6852]

@Double Naught Spy , I will concede to your reasoning as I was relying on re-call from a trauma call over 35 years ago and my recollection is not what it used to be. Nonetheless I will not back down from the 4 or 5 distinct paths I saw. It could have been from bullet or skull fragments and the last thing I want to do is give false information. Thank you for pointing it out. Lastly the 22lr is not a round to underestimate. I saw more fatalities in the trauma from this caliber than any other caliber. It could be the sheer numbers people using this caliber over centerfire stuff.

 

[ChuteTheMall]

@Double Naught Spy , Lastly the 22lr is not a round to underestimate. I saw more fatalities in the trauma from this caliber than any other caliber. It could be the sheer numbers people using this caliber over centerfire stuff.

Or, it could be the centerfire victims skipped the trauma center and went straight to the morgue.

 

[Brubz]

I don't see that at all.

Lethality and defensive effectiveness are two different things.

How one may "feel" is a useless commodity when it comes to self preservation

Good point. it's like taking a few classes in martial arts and then thinking you can go into a biker bar on Saturday night that you've never been to before and running your mouth.
A big-time false sense of security to think that that little gun is going to save you in a critical situation.

 

[Keith E.]

A clothed and bare ballistic gelatin test with this set-up would also be interesting.

Ball cap, toboggan, hoodie, etc?

Keith

 

[TTv2]

A long time ago H&R made the double action Young America in 7 shot in .22 Long and there are I think I'd rather rely on that than the 5 shot .22 Short NAA. They cost less too.

 

[eastbank]

a older widow used a freedom arms in .22 short to shoot herself, she laid down on her bed and shot one shot into the ceilen and then one shot into her right temple, no bleeding at all, only a small grey colored hole with burn marks around the hole. a dear old lady i knew quite well and never knew she was feeling that way. one of the policemen on scene told me about it.

 

[MedWheeler]

Brubz writes:

it's like taking a few classes in martial arts and then thinking you can go into a biker bar on Saturday night that you've never been to before and running your mouth.

Not exactly the best analogy, since the guy you use in your example is actually looking for trouble.

Anyone carrying any gun should still be acting as though they fear trouble and will do what it takes to avoid it.

 

[Brubz]

Brubz writes:



Not exactly the best analogy, since the guy you use in your example is actually looking for trouble.

Anyone carrying any gun should still be acting as though they fear trouble and will do what it takes to avoid it.

I get your point I was just trying to say that the micro revolvers, I have a NAA Wasp, might not be the best choice for concealed carry defense.
I have a Ruger LCP ll that fits in my pocket just as well as the Wasp and would be a much better choice for critical defense, IMO

 

[defjon]

Thank you for a very informative test. This sort of post really contributes to our knowledge base.

As a sort-of aside, there recently was a bit of a dust-up in Louisville wherein protestors "swarmed" a restaurant and a patron pulled some sort of NAA mini. No shots were fired, but the crowd reaction to the gun was interesting. They either didn't notice the tiny gun, or did and were unimpressed by it. I wonder if the reaction would have been the same if the fellow had produced a full sized gun. If it is true that the mere act of producing a gun normally ends the majority of gunfights before they even start, it may be something worth considering.

Story and video here, for anyone interested.

Yeah, I saw this as well. I recall some of the protestors wearing body armor and open carrying ARs.

The mini revolver guy's son was also packing (a sub compact pistol I think). This was around the Kentucky Derby right?

It checks for first box of "have a gun "...but it may be lightly checking it with a thin pencil Vs dark permanent ink.

Still serve a role as a deep cover back up imo..
After owning various iterations I like the fold out grips.

 

[Barr]

This is one of those sad incidents to share, my memory recalled a fluke shooting I had read about involving a NAA Mini but I could not find corroboration on the specific gun. Note the calibers involved more than anything but statistics are predictive in nature, nothing is absolute. The police officer w a vest and the five magnum revolver center hits perished while the criminal survived w a .22.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/420-trooper-mark-hunter-coates

 

[MedWheeler]

In Georgia a few years back, a driver for a well-known pizza delivery chain was accosted by two robbers after having just completed a drop. The end result was two deceased suspects at the hands of the driver, who was armed with what was reported to be a ".22 caliber derringer." Certainly anecdotal, but still quite impressive (especially if it really was a two-shot gun and not a NAA revolver.) I worked for that same chain on and off for nearly three decades, mostly as a second gig. When uniform standards made accessibility of a bigger gun questionable, the smallest I went with was a P32. I didn't own a NAA during any of that time, but I would not have chosen it as an only-gun if I had, unless it was all I had.

 

[chicharrones]

This is one of those sad incidents to share, my memory recalled a fluke shooting I had read about involving a NAA Mini but I could not find corroboration on the specific gun. Note the calibers involved more than anything but statistics are predictive in nature, nothing is absolute. The police officer w a vest and the five magnum revolver center hits perished while the criminal survived w a .22.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/420-trooper-mark-hunter-coates

Taken down with a Golden BB. Really sad.

 

[Leon tP]

To the OP, thanks for the info, I really appreciate it.
You're test made me realize that my primary and BUG are in no danger of being replaced but that those tiny little guns are "No Joke" either. I was surprised at how well they actually performed (when compared to what I thought they would do).
So, while I still prefer more performance out of a conceal carry caliber and a much handier firearms platform (my hands are just too big for something so small -- read, too small to use quickly), I do have new respect for that tiny little package. It's certainly not a toy or a joke. Thanks for posting.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

This is one of those sad incidents to share, my memory recalled a fluke shooting I had read about involving a NAA Mini but I could not find corroboration on the specific gun. Note the calibers involved more than anything but statistics are predictive in nature, nothing is absolute. The police officer w a vest and the five magnum revolver center hits perished while the criminal survived w a .22.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/420-trooper-mark-hunter-coates

Contrary to the claims, Richard Blackburn was not hit with 5 'center hits' or 5 'shots to the chest.' He was hit several times in the torso, arm, butt, but not any of which were particularly good hits in the sense that apparently all 5 shots missed the lungs, heart, and spine (vital things in the center of the chest).
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com/d...rgically implanted from his elbow to shoulder.