Question re NAA .22LR mini revolver North American Arms

[brentfoto]

All of you North American Arms mini-revolver fans. Can anyone suggest to me the SAFEST way to decock the gun or otherwise make it safe?

Assume that all five chambers are loaded with .22 rimfire, and hammer is FULLY cocked on a live round.

You have decided that for whatever reason that you no longer wish to fire the gun and want to make it safe.
And no - you can't shoot that cocked round.

 

[doubletapp]

I would think its like any other single action. Hold the hammer and depress the trigger and carefully ride the hammer down. Then make sure the hammer is in between the rounds on their safety notch!

Thats how I do it!

 

[brentfoto]

What if your hammer slips away from you? This is a very tiny gun with tiny hammer and tiny trigger.

I know that on many standard revolvers you need to squeeze the trigger to lower the hammer, but you can let go of that trigger while lowering the hammer and make it safe as firing pin will not strike round if you do that little trick. It involves either a hammer block, transfer bar, or other form of safety.

On the NAA, can you do the same?

And, when lowering the hammer, is it better (if possible) to lower it to half-cock, and then proceed, or all the way down on that live, rimfire round?

 

[brentfoto]

Is it possible to just remove the cylinder while the hammer is fully cocked, and, if it is, do you consider that method safer? Or not safe at all?

 

[PTK]

I wouldn't even consider removing the cylinder on a loaded, cocked NAA mini revolver. One slip, and it fires into your hand.

Riding the hammer down just like any other firearm does it for me. Here's a trick - practice. If you're carrying something like this, though, I doubt you'd ever cock it without firing right then.

 

[brentfoto]

From the manual--

not exactly on point, but:

"All NAA mini-revolvers come with the traditional half-cock safety. Because of the design of the cylinder, the half-cock safety is used ONLY for loading and unloading."

hhmmmm..... ambiguous...

someone please answer my last post's' questions...

 

[doubletapp]

I would agree with PTK. I would never try to remove the cylinder with it loaded. If your afraid to ride the hammer down because of its size, then just think what would happen if it slipped and your hand was in the way.

Just get comfortable practicing with an empty cylinder. Its like everything else, practice makes perfect.

I have never had any problems riding the hammer down with mine. Once your comfortable it becomes second nature!

 

[rcmodel]

If it makes you that nervous,
Maybe that isn't the right gun for you!

BTW: The loading / half-cock notch on any traditional SA revolver should never be used for a safety.
Because it isn't one!


rcmodel

 

[brentfoto]

rcmodel-

Your gratuitous remarks are irrelevant to my questions.

I've already bought the gun and just want to use it as safely as I can-because I see that greater care must be used in its operation.
I do not have it yet in my possession due to gun waiting laws in my State.

 

[kayakersteve]

You can't remove the cylinder (I'm pretty sure) because it is locked when the hammer is back - Just be very careful when lowering the hammer as a slip could result in an ND - Bottom line; you have no buisness cocking the hammer it you are not able to shoot the gun safely!

WWW.KayakForFun.com - Go Huckabee

 

[brentfoto]

BTW: The loading / half-cock notch on any traditional SA revolver should never be used for a safety.
Because it isn't one!

The manual refers to it as a safety. But the 'main' safety consists of the notches between the cylinder holes.

So, there's a minimum of two safeties on the gun.

I wonder if it also has a firing pin safety of some kind-transfer bar, hammer block, etc.? I know there are SAA's out there with transfer bars, also. However, I would doubt it if this gun had these other devices. And what makes it safe to carry fully loaded is the in-between notches.

 

[Ed Ames]

Safest method I know:

Point the gun in the safest possible direction (a phone book will stop a .22LR from a 7" barrel in my experience) just in case.

Pinch the hammer so that the firing pin is between the outermost knuckles of your off hand thumb and forefinger. The goal is to position your hand so that it is NOT in front of the muzzle but if you do drop the hammer you'll just pinch your skin.

Pull the trigger and lower the hammer slightly.

Release the trigger.

Lower the hammer down steadily until it comes to rest on the half-cock notch.

At that point you can turn the cylinder with your thumb and forefinger so that the hammer slot is lined up. Then, still holding the cylinder, place your thumb on the hammer spur and pull the hammer back slightly (just a little bit, not enough to cock), pull the trigger, and with the trigger held lower the hammer with your thumb while guiding the cyclinder as needed so that everything clicks.

I don't have one in front of me so I'm going by memory but I think that's the "safe way".

You can also just hold the gun normaly, grab the cylinder with off hand thumb and forefinger, put your strong hand thumb on the hammer spur and pull back slightly, pull the trigger, lower the hammer a little past the half-cock notch, release the trigger, turn the cylinder w/ thumb and forefinger, and ease it down the rest of the way. It can be quite a fluid motion if done right. Not quite as safe though.

 

[brentfoto]

Ed Ames-

I appreciate what you have written but I can't visualize all of it.

When decocking a CZ-75B on a live round I grab the hammer with my off-hand-the hammer is positioned between my off-hand thumb and forefinger and I lower it that way-shooting hand is on the grip and trigger-I do release the trigger asap, and go all the way down, making sure my off-hand is not anywhere near the muzzle.

As I understand, lowering the NAA to half-cock enables one to turn the cylinder, then you can make safe by positioning the notch. That way the firing pin never touches a live round. I like the idea. And if you go past half cock, hopefully you'll go all the way down, but gently.

Thanks!

Question-assume it's lowered all the way down to the live round. Can one then remove the cylinder or does one have to go half-cock to pull out the cylinder pin?

 

[brentfoto]

Let's not underestimate the complexity of this little gun. I've been shooting for over 20 years and I think this little NAA is challenging in the sense that the general shooting population is more likely to have a AD or ND when messing with this thing...so beware!

Another point-I think it rather easy to mistake cylinder position and the notch. Thankfully, the manual shows photographs of proper and improper positioning of the cylinder. The FAQ's on the website mention the view should be a round at 11:00 and 1:00. Each round on either side of the hammer is partially obstructed from view when correctly set on the notch. If the cylinder then moves, the hammer is not ALL THE WAY DOWN on the notch-and you have to start over.

When the partially visible rounds on either side of the hammer are at 9:00 and 3:00 positions you have actually lowered the hammer on a live round! Uh-ho! Watch out!

Is there a transfer bar, hammer block, firing pin safety, or not?

This gun is not for newbies, IMHO!

 

[Ed Ames]

Again, this is going from memory and general understanding of such things....

If you do just what you do with the CZ (being careful to keep your off hand away from the muzzle) the hammer will stop part way down. That's the half cock position.

When the trigger is pulled a lug rises from the bottom of the frame to lock the cylinder in place. If the hammer is all the way down the hammer itself will stop the cylinder. Lowering the hammer to half cock allows you to turn the cylinder without having to hold the hammer up with your thumb. You can also hold the hammer up with your thumb but you might have an accident if your thumb slips.

It is best to reposition the cylinder to a safety notch when you don't want the gun to fire. The notches will more securely hold the cylinder from moving. If the hammer is down (on a fired or live shell) just pull it back slightly, turn the cylinder, and lower the hammer into the notch. If you pull it back to half-cock that's fine... when the notch is lined up just pull the hammer a bit further, pull the trigger, and ease the hammer down.

There is no transfer bar or hammer block. The firing pin will hit the case rim if you slip while a case is in line with the hammer.

 

[DPris]

Brent,
There are no safeties on the NAA revolvers. The half-cock "safety" notch is just a position for the hammer to fall against if it slips while uncocking it, or to rest on if you're doing other things with the gun. The intermediate "safety" notches between the chambers are just places to rest the hammer nose/firing pin when the gun's loaded but not cocked.
There is no mechanical safety device in the gun. No transfer bar. There's no room for them.

If this genuinely worries you, as it seems to, I suggest one of two options:
Practice it & figure out how YOUR hands can best lower the hammer as safely as possible, with an unloaded gun.
Or, just fire the round & call it even.

This can be over-analyzed all day, but the best way to lower a cocked hammer without firing the gun is to just carefully lower it as you pull the trigger. If you don't feel you can do this, then possibly you might consider another gun, and I'm not being snide in saying that. The gun is what it is, and that's just how it's operated.
Denis

 

[brentfoto]

Where's the 'DECOCKER'? Where's the 'MANUAL SAFETY'? Where's the...

 

[brentfoto]

FROM THE WEBSITE:


NOTE: The traditional half-cock position is to be used for loading and unloading only. THE HAMMER SHOULD NEVER REST IN THE HALF-COCK POSITION OVER A LIVE CARTRIDGE, OR ON THE RIM OF A LIVE CARTRIDGE.

What DO you DO? :banghead:

 

[DrLaw]

Where's the 'DECOCKER'? Where's the 'MANUAL SAFETY'? Where's the...

For the first, that is generally called a 'Wife". As for the second, you can check at the border for Manual and see what he knows, unless he is with the Decocker.

I wonder, is there any way to stick something between the hammer and frame like a paperclip and then lower the hammer putting it on half-cock? Can't you get the cylinder out when it is on half-cock?

The Doc is out now, not really having a prescription for this one.

 

[GaryP]

Brentfoto,

Per the instructions in the manual the first step to removing the cylinder is to FIRST place hammer in the half-cock position. With a cocked and loaded NAA Mini you would have to manually lower the hammer to half-cock like others have described in this thread. keep in mind your revolver would still be in an unsafe condition as the hammer is still directly over a live round. Continue with the remove cylinder instructions at your own risk. The underlined part of this post is quoted from the manual, I have 3 of them.

 

[Ed Ames]

Brentfoto...

Actually these guns are extremely safe and simple to use. You just need to use the right ammo.

Just buy yourself a box of these:


The best part is that they last a really long time too!

Seriously, pick up the gun, buy the ammo I just suggested, and practice. Everything will make sense after a little while. Then you can try some other brands of ammo.

 

[brentfoto]

Possible Solution re decocking on live round

What kind of ammo is that? Is it a 'joke'? Oh, I see--dummy round or snap cap! Duh!

Anyway, here is a possible SOLUTION.

Hammer is fully cocked on a live round. Press and hold trigger and lower hammer gently to half-cock position. Release trigger as soon as possible after you start to lower hammer. Hopefully hammer will continue forward? to the half-cock. If not, be careful. Release trigger.

From half-cock, pull gently back on hammer a bit and rotate cylinder to a safety slot.

Press trigger and gently lower hammer to safety slot.

(I'm not sure if you must squeeze trigger all the time while lowering the hammer).

 

[brentfoto]

Ed Ames Again, this is going from memory and general understanding of such things....

...Lowering the hammer to half cock allows you to turn the cylinder without having to hold the hammer up with your thumb...

So, if we lower hammer to half-cock THAT WOULD BE THE TIME to rotate cylinder to a safety notch. Just MHO.

regards,

 

[brentfoto]

Ed Ames--

I was re-reading some of the posts and what I posited as a SOLUTION was actually stated by you in post #12! Thanks!

In pertinent part:

Pull the trigger and lower the hammer slightly.

Release the trigger.

Lower the hammer down steadily until it comes to rest on the half-cock notch.

At that point you can turn the cylinder with your thumb and forefinger so that the hammer slot is lined up.

To summarize, we lower to half-cock, rotate the cylinder to safety notch, lower hammer so it's flush with the notch. That does seem like the safest solution based on the facts I gave in the original post.

So, Ed-hammer will continue to move forward after releasing the trigger?

And this must be done with two hands to lower hammer safely, IMHO (just like decocking the CZ).

 

[brentfoto]

LOL, DrLaw!