Experience with NAA .22 Mag?

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bluetopper

bluetopper

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I have seen these little 5 shot North American Arms .22 Magnum derringers in various places on the net and I'm finding them intriguing. I never have held one but with Summer fast approaching I'm thinking of maybe trying one out as a conceal carry weapon. They look like they would be very light and handy and pack a pretty fair punch. Do any of you have any experience with these, and how did you like it?
Thanks..........
 
I bought a new one and had to send it to the factory immediately upon opening the box. they fixed it fast and were very nice on the phone. I think if I was buying another one I would get 22LR, mine came with both cylinders but shot real innaccurate with the mags. did very well with the 22LR
 
I purchased one as a "date" ccw gun. Something I could carry in the early stages of dating a woman, before I had a feel for her views of CCW, that wouldn't cause alarm in case of unexpected physical contact.

I rarely carry mine except for the above mentioned situations. It carries very easily and weighs in the 8 to 10 oz range. Mine is the Black Widow so its a bit larger than the style I think you are referring to. I have both cylinders and both shoot extremely accurately, but you have to aim carefully to get a tight group. It point shoots quite well. Mine has been extrememly reliable...no issues at all. I would recommend the gun without hesitation. But I have to make the comment that I feel the caliber is too small to depend on...but its better than nothing. Remember to practice with it!
 
I've got a .22lr version and like it a lot. Definite "last ditch effort" type gun as it's going to be slow to get into play and not a powerhouse either.

Nice comfort that can be carried unseen in the palm of your hand for a long walk through a dark parking lot though.

Quality wise they are like a Swiss watch, very well made.
 
minis

I've both the minimag and the standard lr mini... love the mag, like the regulatr lr. Carry the minimag alot... 200-300 mag round out of it... accurate for what it is...
easy to carry.... reminds me of older turn of the century pocket pistols, but with better workmanship/durability.... I kinda wished they made an anodized version in "blue" for asthetic value, but no complaints...
buy the convertable model with the 1 5/8 barrel, hard rubber grips... mine was carried today in an ankle rig while I was running about (makes it a good driving piece)
I've played with the black widow, but i think I'd just step up to a smith 617 snubbie if I was gonna get one of those... minimaster is neat though... I thought buying one and mounting a scope would be "interesting"
 
I have carried a NAA Black Widow with .22 Mag cylinder as my BUG since 1993. 100% reliable, easy to conceal and if things get up close and personal, with primary out of action, certainly better than no gun -- a heck of a lot better! :scrutiny:


:evil:
 
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i got the 22lr...1 1/8 holster grip for christmas...it is ok for a shirt pocket back up....you just need to remember...the first thing to do with these is to file the front sight flat....it makes it easier for the doctor to remove it, when the bad guy jams it up your nose....gpr:D
 
I have the 1 5/8 inch magnum model with the additional 22LR cylinder. One thing you need to do is practice, practice,and practice some more. A good shooter for last ditch efforts when you are familiar with it.
 
I have the 1 1/8" .22mag convertable. I have qualified with it and carry it as a third gun on duty and as a second or primary off duty. It is really nice in the pocket holster with extra ammo storage. I have carried it every day for the last several years and it looks none the worse for wear. I keep mine in me back left jeans pocket. The pocket is wearing with a print of the gun so I move it around some. Don't put one in your pocket without a holster. It will wear out your pocket and put lint and gunk in the barrel and creavices. I have killed a rabbit with it at about 15 yds with it. The manufacture says not to use the PMC Predator .22mag ammo in it but it sure shoots nice in it.

Find someone that has one that you can shoot and play with for a while. Heck, you can come out here and shoot mine.

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I have a 1 1/8" NAA that I carry all the time. It may be a "mouse gun" but it is better than no gun at all. I have 2 observations I would like to share regarding the gun:
1. The rear edges of the cylinder are SHARP and will cut deeply into your thumb if not corrected. Use a stone (not a Dremel) to round off the edges and the safety notches.
2. The "front sight" is distracting and useless at the range that is weapon is designed for. Cut it down to the barrel and just point and shoot, at close range that is all that is necessary.

Bye the bye, the muzzle flash and blast are intiminating.
 
I found a gel test a while back where the mighty 22 mag NAA got whipped by the 25 Auto in pentertation test Best 22 mag got close to 10" most in 8" range Not one of the HP opened. 25 went 13"+ One brand 16" and exited block. The 25HP was right with the 22 mag in penteration but they opened

So can get a cute gun that slow to fire and reload or buy a good 25 and at least have hope. I have shot the 22 mag and all noise and show:barf:
 
Not bad performance with CCI Maxi-Mag +Vs. Personally, I'd have more confidence in 30 gr at 1150 fps (or 1300 through a Black Widow) punching through a skull than I would in 50, 71, or 95 gr at about 850 fps.

If you can live with the single action, they aren't that bad. Just don't expect anything magic. A body shot will be the equivalent of a stab wound with an icepick.
 
Coupla years ago I bought the mini with both cylinders - but keep it set up for .22 mag. I believe the MV with .22 mag approximates that of a .22 LR out of a rifle so - in region of 1200 fps . I have yet to chrono mine.

But heck - this thing is so small it can live in my top pocket or vest pocket .... only downside is I can forget it's there!! It is very nicely engineered and actually not that bad to shoot - accepting of course that if needed it'll probably be a bad breath device ;)


naa-mini-36-s.jpg
 
I bought the NAA combo back many years ago. If you get the 22 LR cylinder you can shoot 22 shorts as well as 22 LRs in it. I like to shoot the 22 shorts for fun.
 
First gun I bought when I turned 21 a few (many) years ago and I still have it. Yea, I like it. It has traveled many a mile with me. :)
 
Bought One

Thanks for all the great responses guys. I got enough positive feedback from you all I talked myself into buying a used one off gunbroker.com for $126 plus shipping and FFL fee, of course. I don't think I got burned at that price.

:D Thanks...............
 
I have the .22mag. I used to carry it as b/u, but have semi retired it. They are relaible, but hard as heck to shoot decent. It's the one to have when you need to screw it in someone's ear.
 
I got one of these about a year ago along with the .22LR cylinder.

It's a great gun to carry when you're not carrying, and is fun to shoot. I probably couldn't hit a person sized target consistently beyond 6-8 feet or so with it, but it could do the job if necessary. The rounds, when fired from the NAA, seem to at least be able to penetrate:

http://brassfetcher.com/NAAminiRevolver22Magnum.html
 
I have one as a bug. I once shot it at a range between two partitions and thought I blew up.

It's loud! Anyway, it is what it is. I'd rather have with me than not, if circumstanced dictated that was my only choice.
 
Thanks for the link Fletcher, very cool! :) I find it hard to believe that the 25ACP is a more effective round but you learn something new everyday...

I see that you already picked one up Parasite (good price BTW) but I'll give my $.02 for the archive anyway.

I have the 1 5/8" bbl 22 mag version and I love it. It's in my pocket right now as a matter of fact. The extra half inch might be why I can get COM shots at 15 feet all day long (I'd never try that in the world outside of the shooting range). It took about 100 rounds to get that way. That's not to say I could do that (5 yard sternum shot) if "the time" ever came, but as stated before, it's a lot better than nothing. I actually thought about filing of my front sight before I heard anyone say it. Funny. My point of aim is low so I end up not using it anyway. My buddy had one with a Night Sight on it! I think they are nice little guns for the money. I want to get mine engraved....:neener:

Definite "last ditch effort" type gun as it's going to be slow to get into play and not a powerhouse either.
Click to expand...
I can have a firing grip on mine before the BG even knows I have a gun (+1 for pocket carry).
 
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