NAA Guardian? Which caliber?

[Northslope Nimrod]

Looking at the NAA Guardian for a pocket pistol. (I may buy a Kel Tec but right now they are still too ugly for me to dive in)

Welcome all comments but please indicate if you have had actual experience with them.

1. Experiences with them?
2. Negatives (other than weight)
3. Which caliber would you recommend and why?
4. Opinions on the .32NAA caliber? How expensive? How available?

 

[critter]

I have one in .32 acp that I bought used. Nice little gun, much more accurate than it has any right to be. It is now 100% reliable.

I bought it used and when fired, it would drop the mag due to too little contact area between the latch and mag. Sent it back to them. Fixed it at no cost (other than shipping) AND upgraded it with $200 worth of new parts! Good service as far as I can see.

In a big time shootout, I'd rather have my Rem 870 or my PO P16 .45, but it serves its purpose well. It is now my BUG & my 'go anywhere anytime' gun.

 

[enfield]

Get a .380 and carry FMJ, if you must have one. Only the .380 FMJ has adequate penetration.

Let the usual argument begin . . . .

 

[Walkalong]

Get one in .380. Only because they do not make it in 9MM or .40 or .45 or .50 or .......................

 

[1 old 0311]

I have three. Two in .32, one in .380. ALL are flawless. I use the lighter caliber for summer carry.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Get 380 in ugly Kel Tec you pocket will thank you But if you insist on a NAA still get 380.

 

[RyanM]

I had a .380, awhile ago. Bought used. Eventually traded it (along with a couple holsters, some extended magazine things, and other goodies) for a Glock 23. It was a bit heavy for its size, but pretty reliable. I really hated the grip though. It pointed ridiculously low, and made the already-heavy trigger even harder to pull.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd save up for a Colt Mustang Pocketlite.

 

[GlenJ]

I would get it in 32NAA. With any pocket pistol your not going to shoot it a lot so ammo price wouldn't be a concern and the 32NAA round is way better then a .380 or .32. It was specifically designed fo use in a pocket pistol so you don't loose velocity. Kel Tecs are lighter and cheaper but the money I spent getting my two to run right out weighed the saving in the cost of the guns.

 

[Alan Fud]

Get a .380 and carry FMJ, if you must have one. Only the .380 FMJ has adequate penetration.

Let the usual argument begin . . . .

Okay

I disagree on the recommendation of FMJ's. According to the 2003 edition of Evan Marshall and Ed Sanow's book, "Stopping Power: A Practical Analysis of the Latest Handgun Ammunition", Hollow Points in .380 outperform Full Metal Jackets ...

• Corbon 90 gr Jacketed Hollow Point have a 71% one-shot stopping capability expanding on avergae to 0.59" and penetrating 8.8" on average.
  
  
• Federal 90 gr Hydra Shok have a 71% one-shot stopping capability expanding on avergae to 0.56" and penetrating 9.4" on average.
  
  
• Triton gr Jacketed Hollow Point have a 70% one-shot stopping capability expanding on avergae to 0.58" and penetrating 9.1" on average.
  
  
• Federal 90 gr Jacketed Hollow Point have a 69% one-shot stopping capability expanding on avergae to 0.55" and penetrating 8.7" on average.
  
  
• Winchester 85 gr Silvertip have a 68% one-shot stopping capability expanding on avergae to 0.51" and penetrating 8.2" on average.
  
  
• CCI gr Jacketed Hollow Point have a 67% one-shot stopping capability expanding on avergae to 0.48" and penetrating 9.2" on average.
  
  
• Federal 90 gr Full Metal Jacket have a 55% one-shot stopping capability with no expansion and penetrating 10.9" on average.

 

[Janos Dracwlya]

My wife has the .380. It seems reliable enough - we had a couple of misfeeds, but I think that was because I put the recoil guide in backwards - gotta watch out for that on the Guardian. It is kind of heavy, but seems well made. Downside - it kicks like a mule. Even I - a much more experienced shooter than my wife - don't like putting more than about 25 rounds through it at a time. In fact, after the first couple of times she took it out, she hasn't taken it to the range since because shooting it is such an unpleasant experience. She's thinking about trading it for a .32 because she hates the recoil so much, but has promised to try it a couple more times before that.

 

[Northslope Nimrod]

What's the price of the .32NAA ammo?
Does the .32NAA kick as hard or harder than the .380?

I saw an instructor shooting the .32NAA once and it looked liked it kicked pretty good. It sure did look like a lot of power from a small package. It reminded me of the "Noisy Cricket" on MIB.