Tiny frame DA 22LR revolvers

[Onward Allusion]

Why aren't there any? The closest thing I've found were some of the really old H&R top-break or fixed cylinder revolvers from the late 1800's & early 1900's.

I know we have the NAA Mini line and their larger single action brethren, but why isn't there a DA version of these tiny revolvers? Would it make the revolver that much bigger? I would think it would be a big selling point having a DA version of these little Swiss watch-like firearms. There would be much less fumbling in trying to shoot the Minis.

 

[VA27]

'Swiss watch-like' is your answer. The cost of design and production would price them out of the market. Google 'Casull 2000' and have a look at a modern small DA 22 revolver. When they came out I couldn't afford one. Now that they have semi collector status...I can't afford one.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Yup, THAT is exactly what I'm talking about. I didn't even know it existed in modern form. It looks like one of those antique revolvers with the folding trigger.

 

[VA27]

They are a cool little gun (I've handled but not shot one) and extremely well made (as you would expect from Casull) and I wish I had one.

 

[22-rimfire]

The S&W M317 is pretty small. But I get the impression you are thinking of something even smaller. I suspect the double action trigger pull would be terrible, hence the single action design (NAA Mini) may be just as effective.

 

[woad_yurt]

Here's one....

Although it's not new, it's fully operational and really, really small. It's a seven-shot DA .22 made by the US Revolver Co, made by Iver Johnson. It was really cheap, I think $80, on Gunbroker. It'll shoot Velocitors or Supermaximums all day long without issue.

I see them pretty often for sale online and they always go for pennies. Granted, they're all more than 75 years old now but, if they're good, they're good. Accuracy is minimal but it's a belly gun so what does it matter? I've carried it on occasion when the weather is boiling and I'm in shorts and a t-shirt. If you see an intact one, I highly recommend getting it.

Wolff sells a little pack of revolver leaf springs that fit well so they can be brought back to life pretty easily. Know that they cost $1.90 when they were new so they're on the cheap end, quality-wise, and aren't made for thousand-round range trips every week. But, they do go bang every time.

Here it is, shown next to my P3AT for scale:

​

 

[MrAcheson]

The charter pathfinders are built on a fairly small frame although nothing like those NAA minis.

 

[BCRider]

That Casull 2000 is truly a gem like piece of work! I'd love to read a "review" of what it's like to handle and shoot this gun if there's any owners or former owners on the board.

I suspect the reason for the lack of such DA guns is the problem of holding them in a stable enough manner while pulling the trigger through a long DA pull. There's just not a lot of stability when you're trying to hold a small gun with just two fingers that still isn't wide enough to "fill the palm". Add on having to hold it stable over a longer DA pull and it just seems like a recipe for groups that look like handfulls of pea gravel thrown at the target.

I love my NAA "The Earl" but it IS a novelty gun. Holding it well proved to be the main stumbling block to achieving decent size groupings with it. I can't imagine what the same sort of gun would be like with a DA trigger on it. At least as far as any sort of distance shooting would be like.

Frankly having shot a J frame .22 with the small stock grips I'd have to say that such a size is just about as small and an adult hand is capable of holding with the sort of degree of stability needed for a double action trigger pull. So I'm guessing that this is a big reason in why you don't see anything much smaller in DA revolvers on any sort of regular basis.

 

[Quoheleth]

In addition to cost, stability is an issue. Skeeter Skelton wrote about a little S&W .22 Kit Gun he had bought - an uber-light j-frame. It was a dream to carry but it was so light and had such a short sight radius that the only way he could hit anything was off of a rest, like a fence post. He gave it up and went back to the steel-frame K22.

Q

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

I wonder if Ruger could build a smaller and lighter LCR in .22? That would be a good seller, I think.

 

[BCRider]

One dream gun at a time there Hoppes. Let's give them time to get the .22 caliber SP101's out first and THEN start badgering them about a .22 LCR.... At least until I get MINE!

I'm all but salivating at the idea of a compact 8 shot DA wheelgun with a Canadian legal 4.2 inch barrel. After that they are all yours to push for the LCR.

 

[bannockburn]

BCRider

I recently picked up an older 4" Model 34. One of the first things I did was order a set of Hogue finger groove grips for it. Once I got them on, the gun just seemed to point naturally for me and made for one very accurate .22 revolver.

 

[BCRider]

I'm not at all surprised to hear that bannockburn. The grips is where the gun meets our hand. Give ANY gun good grips and you'll get a gun which we can shoot consistently.

And factor in the sight baseline length of the 4 inch barrel of your 34 and you have a good combo for a good shooting gun.