ExArmy11b

I just picked up my NAA Mini .22 LR today, and this tiny revolver is way cooler than I thought it would be

I chose it over the .22 WMR version because I wanted the smaller size and my primary use for this gun is snake and animal defense while I'm out jogging on the back country dirt roads I usually run on. The gun may also do "light duty" as my about town pocket revolver, for when I'm just out and about for a few hours and need something I can drop in a pocket. I'm not about to replace my .38 and .357 CC revolvers with this, but this will fill a need for me.

My wife and me took it out back this afternoon and put about 30 rounds through it, 20 of the cheap Rem Thunderbolts and 10 CCI Mini-Mags. We had a hard time hitting a soda can at about 15 feet, so I moved in to about 5 feet and was able to hit the can The gun is actually fun to shoot, more as a novelty rather than a shooter, but I had fun with it. There is a front sight but no real rear sight, so it's purely point shooting with this one. The NAA's are very popular and lots of people say they are reasonably accurate, but for my purposes these are point blank "get off me" guns and any accuracy is irrelevant. The .22 LR seemed to generate pretty low velocity out of the short barrel, but it's still plenty enough to let someone know they've been shot....... and if you've fired your 5 in a self defense situation, don't plan for a quick reload Hopefully by then you're out of danger or unfolding your knife. I wish these had a little loading gate, but then that would probably raise the price by $100 and defeat the whole purpose of these being well made AND in the $200 range. There is a "sidewinder" with a swing out cylinder but it's not something I would get.

Recoil is pretty much nothing but the small gun does jump a bit if you don't hold tight. The small birdshead grip gives you little to hold on to. I thought about adding the wood "boot" grip that NAA sells, that gives it a small square butt grip but it would also add size and bulk to the gun, which is a downside. The boot grips are cheap, so I may order them and give them a shot. If they make it harder to conceal the gun, I will go back to the birdshead grips. I may also try the rubber grips too. The good thing is you can swap grips out to meet different needs.

I have it in my sock drawer right now, loaded with 5 Mini-Mags and ready for the next time I need something light to carry.

Overall, these are VERY well made guns, for $200 you get a really nice micro .22 revolver that makes a decent emergency gun, or just for revolver nuts like me who want something different. Some owners of these have 1,000's of rounds through them and they are still tight, but I don't see myself shooting this one a lot. If for some reason I get an "NAA mini fetish" I may have to get one of the larger models to actually shoot. I've always had a thing for pocket revolvers, and I was forced to sell my collection of little .32 S&W break tops, so I think this is a good modern replacement for those. I already have the urge for one of the .22 short models.......

terry_p

I have the NAA Mini Mag and I carry that when I walk in workout shorts and a T. Pepper (dog) spray in one pocket and the Mini Mag in the other. They are well made and definitely a niche revolver.

VietVet68

No trigger guard & an exposed hammer. What could possibly go wrong while you're jogging?

terry_p

Single action with a safety notch between the chambers so the hammer is resting down and in the notch is safe for carry. There are a lot more dangerous things you face like drivers texting and dogs running loose.

ExArmy11b

I also plan to get a belly band and a pocket holster for it, for jogging use

I don't think the pocket of my Adidas running shorts would last long with a mini revolver bouncing around in it.

I'm not going to be the guy who says .22 LR or even .22 WMR is a manstopper, but I carried mine today in the cargo pocket of a pair of shorts and it allowed me to carry when I otherwise couldn't. Rule #1 is "Always have a gun!"

There are lot of variations to the NAA lineup, some of them are IMO absurd like the Mini Master, a "target" version of the Black Widow.......

I like the "basic" models of the NAA, I can see myself adding the WMR and short version to complete my "set" and the "PUG" looks neat, but for me these are self defense guns not range shooters. NAA offers long barreled versions of the guns, like the Earl but I don't see the point of a micro frame revolver with an 8" barrel.

Smithy

I have the 22 mag version of your recent purchase and love it a lot. It serves the needs you've outlined, is cheap to purchase and ammo for you is really inexpensive. Mine eats a little more costly fair, but still inexpensive compared to my 38 and 44 mag. One thing I did and you may consider is to get their holster grip. Now I did not get mine to carry it that way, just to have a collapsible grip that makes it easier to fire the gun more accurately. In fact, I filed off the belt hook and found an inside the pants cloth holster that fit the gun with its grip closed. Works perfect. The gun is undefinable in my pocket and yet with a simple draw and extension of the grip I have a powerful yet small gun that I can actually hit things with. Best of luck to you and your new purchase. Smithy.

humboldt

A good friend blew a hole in his leg, in and out, carrying this same gun in his right pocket. SO, a suggestion, get a holster, and a snake is much harder to hit than a tin can at 5 feet. These little guns are as cute as can be, and they are....cute, and they are....possibly better than nothing. But get a holster!

Neon Horse

I like the NAA revolvers... I suppose mostly for size, asthetics, and niche. I wouldn't mind a 22mag version. I do love the LCP and especially the S&W Bodyguard for jogs and fitness... small, light, and a decent punch!

Captains1911

I'd be willing to bet he wasn't carrying it with the hammer resting on a notch between chambers, or even worse it was cocked.

terry_p

Even if the hammer was down on a loaded chamber you would still need to strike the hammer with some authority to set off the RF cartridge. You definitely need to follow the safety guidlines set forth by NAA. If you are still uncomfortable then hammer down on an empty chamber.

Buffalo11

..Agreeing with you not the guy you are answering too..Scarey world we live in.. How would a single action go off in your pocket jogging anyway???
wPm

agtr05

I have the black rubber grips from NNA on mine. They are a little larger, but offer a more secure grip for me. I tried their folding grip, but got horrible accuracy with them.

I carry 5 CCI mini-mags with the hammer in the notch between the chambers in an old nylon coin pouch I used in the military. They were desighed to keep change from making noise. The revolvers have been called "doctor guns", perfect in the ear, eye, nose, or throat.

ExArmy11b

In my research I have heard more nicknames for these little hideout guns than I ever would have thought......."God" guns, as in "My God where did that gun come from?" Onion Field guns, as in, back to the wall, last ditch guns......

FWIW the older NAA's did not have the hammer notches between chambers, and you had to carry with the hammer on an empty chamber or at half cock....I wonder if the friend who shot himself was carrying an older one, and either the hammer slipped off half cock or he had the hammer resting "in between" live rounds and somehow a live round ended up under the hammer.

NAA will install the new cylinder in an older gun for free, and lots of people pocket carry these with the hammer down in the slot. You could carry with the hammer on an empty chamber but then you just turned the gun into a 4-shot

I plan to load the first 2 chambers with snake shot, for when I'm jogging or me and the wife are out walking, and the remaining 3 with Mini Mags. Aker makes a nice looking IWB holster for the Minis, and these guns are light enough I'm sure I could clip it inside running shorts without a problem and conceal it under a longer t-shirt. Fall is coming and I wear a long sweatshirt when I run when it's cooler. That would add more margin of safety and allow me to get to it quicker if I need it, rather than fishing around in a pocket.

I also like the belly band idea for the remaining summer days we have left, I usually run 3-4 times a week and want to start using it now.

I looked at the folding grip, it seems neat, I may have to look into it.

There's a huge debate, that's been going on forever, about .22 LR as a defense round. I myself have had trouble stopping groundhogs with Mini-Mags out of my 10/22, so I don't have much faith in it as a manstopper out of a 1 3/8" revolver. But, like was said, it's better than harsh words and is at best, a "shoot and scoot" gun, as in you better put 2 or 3 into the attacker and get the heck out of there.



For some reason I can't shake the need for one of these The .22 short NAA is the worlds smallest production revolver, and it's just tiny enough that it would be a neat novelty Definitely a "Dr." gun, you better hit an attacker in the ear, nose or throat to do any damage!

.22 Short is IMO utterly useless for any kind of defense, but I always wanted one of the .22 Short Colt single actions, but they are too expensive to actually buy one to shoot. I had a .22 Short H&R revolver years back, and I wouldn't trust it to stop a squirrel let alone an attacker It sounded like a cap gun and the bullets would bounce off the wood 2x4's I use as a backstop in my backyard. My neighbor uses a .22 Short Beretta Minx for carry and home defense and I told him he might want to upgrade to something that's actually useful for that purpose.

terry_p

Tell your friend he might really tick someone off with his beretta.

303lithgow

I would think a HV in such a short barrel would be wasted energy. Has anyone chronographed a short compared to a HV in one?