NAA .22 BP Companion

[Third_Rail]

Hi all. A long while ago I decided to get the NAA BP revolver, and I finally got off my butt and ordered one.

According to the instructions, dry firing is BAD, even if the nipples are removed. It said something about the firing device, but I'd like a bit more in depth answer than that. Perhaps it hurts the spring in the firing pin?

In any case, this thing is a whole lot smaller than I had ever imagined.

Is there a way to safely carry it without leaving a chamber empty? The instructions said there's a 1/4 cock notch, for "safe handling and removing the cylinder". Is this the correct way to carry it?




Note: I plan to carry this in my place of business, not in public.



PS Dang this thing is small.

 

[Third_Rail]

Now that was hard to load. Using #11 CCI caps, they'd hardly go on the nipples enough to let the cylinder turn in the pistol!

I must be doing something wrong. Maybe a different brand of caps.

 

[RyanM]

NAA Companions use a transfer bar safety. You don't have to do anything to safely carry one. At least I think it's a transfer bar. It may only be a floating firing pin. If you want to be sure, you could try putting a capped only chamber under the hammer, then whack the back of the hammer hard on something that you don't care if it gets dinged. Make sure the barrel points away from you and everything valuable.

Also, NAA recommends the use of #11 Remington caps only. Other brands are too thick.

Actually, after reading through everything on NAA's website, it looks like it's a floating firing pin only, no mention of a transfer bar safety. http://www.naaminis.com/capballfaq.html

 

[Third_Rail]

Looking at the revolver, it looks like when it's in 1/4 cock, there's a bar blocking both hammer movement forward and the firing pin from being hit.

Re: the caps, that's what I'll do, then. The CCI work perfectly for my other C&B revolver, so I can still use them.

 

[Boom-stick]

I've got a Freedom Arms CnB mini revolver, very similar to the NAA, dam thing only fires when it feels like, picked up it up used, and I think it may have been dry fired....a lot. Swapped out the nipples for new ones and it still needs two strikes before the caps will fire. Very cute little piece , even managed to get a spare cylinder for it from FA, probably more accurate if you were to throw it at a BG though.

 

[Old Dragoon]

Boom Stick,
Sounds as if you do not have the correct size caps or the mainspring is too weak.

 

[Boom-stick]

Boom Stick,
Sounds as if you do not have the correct size caps or the mainspring is too weak.

I've tried remington and CCI #11 as recommended and emailed FA asking for help, still no joy. I've a feeling its the main spring myself, as it's now the only thing I havn't changed.
Will email FA again now, they were really good when I last ordered spares from them.

 

[Third_Rail]

If my NAA doesn't work, lifetime warantee. I'll be trying it soon enough at the range.

 

[Old Dragoon]

I know of a Sheriff's deputy in Louisana that carries the 22 mag version as his last line of defense. Pretty neat little pistola. It and the BP version are on my list.

 

[Boom-stick]

I've had a reply from FA, they are sending me a new mainspring.

I was told that the BP mini revolvers were made to get round carrying loaded firearms across state lines, is this correct?

I don't know the in's and out's of your laws over there, but it is nice to know a bit of history about my piece, it's got "Casull's improvement" on it as well?

Dan

 

[TexasRifleman]

I've had a reply from FA, they are sending me a new mainspring.

I was told that the BP mini revolvers were made to get round carrying loaded firearms across state lines, is this correct?

I don't know the in's and out's of your laws over there, but it is nice to know a bit of history about my piece, it's got "Casull's improvement" on it as well?

Dan

Most states here consider a loaded and capped BP gun to be a "firearm" regardless of the Federal definitions.

 

[RyanM]

I always heard that the BP minis were meant for people unable to own firearms under federal law, and for semi-legal CCW in certain states of the United States of the Socialist Republik of Amerika that don't consider BP guns to be "firearms," like MA.

 

[Third_Rail]

Or for under 21, over 18 business owners who refuse to be victims.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

I went up to the Cabela's store in Hamburg the other weekend and found myself eyeballing one of these in the display case.

Crikey, you're right. Those suckers are small. I've seen pictures of them online, but not until seeing one in the flesh did I appreciate just how tiny we're talking.

I almost bought one. Lots of questions popped into my head, though.

Where the heck do you get ammo for these things? Cabela's had balls in the usual calibers (.50, .44, .36, .31...) but not in .22. Only online does it look like they have ammo for these things. None of my local gun stores seem to have any ideas, either. I put my thinking cap on and figured that maybe you could run #4 buckshot through it, but I didn't know if that'd be too big.

Seems like an expensive proposition to me, buying those little bullets mail order.

 

[SixForSure]

............... I put my thinking cap on and figured that maybe you could run #4 buckshot through it, but I didn't know if that'd be too big.

Seems like an expensive proposition to me, buying those little bullets mail order.

As long as you are using a pure lead (or very soft alloy) ball it should shave off any part of the ball that is larger than the diameter of the cylinder throat, just as any other CB revolver does.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Figured, but I dunno how much is too much.

What's the real diameter of those cast .22 bullets that come with it?

 

[sundance44s]

This 22 mini thing as a means of defence ,, i don`t know , i`m still scratchin me head i`ve got it trade it for a bag full of baseball bats people would call you BATMAN !

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Well, I chalk it up to the same factor as my old FIE .25 ACP.

It's pocketable, it's shiny, it looks like a gun. It's accurate from here to the door, which is all I need, and if need be it'll make enough smoke and noise to distract you while I either leg it or stick you with my knife. At the very least the bang will get most people's heads down.

Besides, lotsa people get taken down with .22's. At close range, a .22 at moderate velocity can do plenty of damage against two legged beasties, provided they aren't drugged up or something.

 

[sundance44s]

I don`t mean to be a smart azz ... but if someone pointed one of those tiny things at me and said ..STUCK`EM UP .. i would die laughing .. sorry man those things are tiny .. you must have to have tiny hands and good eyes to be abe to hold and load . and the price of the thing astounds me .

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Well, yeah. Intimidation factor is a little lost.

But what was that about not drawing unless you intend to fire?

 

[sundance44s]

right ,, i carry concealed a derrienger 38 cal .. and its still lacking the intemidation factor .. i wouldn`t ever try to intemidate with it... but if i were on the ground with a thug on me ...yep i`d find out if 2 shots from a 38 would drop a thug .. but he`d not see it comming . if i were a store owner i`d have a rather large frame blank fireing replica , with an elephant gun bore . intemidate ..intemidate .. intemidate .

 

[RyanM]

From what I've heard, you can take a .22 LR, pull the bullet, and use the bullet and powder to load them. Back when Freedom Arms was making them, they recommended using Bullseye if you couldn't get BP (same volume as a BP charge). And I think NAA used to also recommend Bullseye for more power, until the BATFE started sending them nasty letters.

I'm guessing it would be safe. Who was it that fired a Ruger Old Army with the chambers stuffed full of Bullseye, without damaging the gun at all?

Doing either, you'd end up with pretty much exactly as much power as a rimfire mini. I have no idea how much velocity you'd get with BP, though. Probably not much. Maybe 400-600 fps?

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Interesting. Your guess is as good as mine how you should get the bullet out of a .22LR without mangling it. Warranty folks probably wouldn't think too highly of burning smokeless in it, either.

Okay, idiot question of the day:

Are rimfire cylinders available for it like the centerfire conversion cylinders for the .44 powder burners?

Or more to the point, will the cylinder out of a rimfire NAA fit it? I'm guessing not - The firing pin arrangement would be different.

 

[Boom-stick]

You can't swop out the cylinders for rimfire as they are different sizes in length, and the CnB pistol doesn't have a firing pin

I'm in the UK and get my bullets shipped direct from FA. But even they recommended, I think it was 000 buckshot.
I ordered a spare cylinder and 500 bullets, that will probably last me 10 years or more, thay aren't exactly volume shooting guns. After loading the cylinders a few times down the range you quickly go back to a centre fire or larger CnB. they look cool, but not threating, except when you fire them. With a load of bullseye, the cylinder and barrel flash is quite alarming for a little gun and the dam thing will nearly fly out your hand because there's virtually nothing to hold on to.

But where I am, and after the "Hand Gun Ban" these little things sure do get alot of attention at the range

 

[Zero_DgZ]

OOO sounds a little big. Ain't the diameter of that stuff about .36? #4 buckshot is .24, which sounds a little closer to the money to me.

I was thinkin' about getting one of these just for the gadget factor. I'll most certainly get one of those stainless 1858's to compliment it.