North American Arms Minis

NAA Mini Magnum Ballistics Shootout

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:36:00 +0000

"And the Winner Is... Winchester Super X!"

A few weeks ago, the results of an accuracy test of the North American Arms Mini Magnum revolvers proved these guns to be quite accurate. No matter which frame you choose, accuracy will be as good as you can make it.

At the same time I performed the accuracy tests, I also ran some ballistics tests on the four remaining magnum frames (I already tested the NAA Pug). What is interesting about the tests I performed is that my conclusions were slightly different than the tests listed on the NAA website.

These tests were slightly less thorough then the Pug tests. I did not shoot any of the .22 long rifle ammunition as I did in the Pug. I was looking for the most powerful round or rounds that may be shot out of these guns.

In addition to the CCI and Winchester magnum rounds above, I also shot the Remington Premier rounds out of the Black Widow and Mini Master revolvers.

Below, I'll list each gun in order from most powerful to least powerful, beginning with the Mini Master of course!

For reference, I shot 10 rounds of each type of ammunition through the chrono, taking note of the statistics for each group. Be aware that a true statistical sample would contain 30 or more data points in order to squeeze the margin of error. For our purposes, I shot 40 rounds of each type of ammunition through four different frame types. Even though the velocities are different for those four guns, the ammunition performed similarly across the platforms. For example, the CCI Maxi Mag HP outperformed the CCI Maxi Mag HP+V in all of the guns tested.

"If you need to slaughter cows or other large animals, the Mini Master would be a great choice."

In addition to a comparison among the various revolvers, I wanted to establish a baseline power rating. To do this, I used my rifle; a Winchester Model 67A single shot chambered in .22 long rifle. With an 18 inch barrel, the Winchester pushes a Federal 36 grain bullet to an average 1220 feet per second, giving 118.95 lb/ft of energy(Ballistics Reference). My Dad used this gun to harvest cows for butchering, and it never failed to kill in one shot. That may not be sufficient for some, but it's good enough for me!

Mini Master

With its four-inch barrel, the Mini Master has a marked performance advantage over its short barreled brothers. It is decidedly the powerhouse of North American Arms Mini Magnum revolvers.

I'll list the ammunition in descending order beginning with the most powerful:

Winchester Super X uses a 40 grain jacketed soft-tip hollow point to put the hurt on targets. When shot out of the Mini Master, the Super X are propelled to an average 1274 feet per second. That's over 144 ft/lbs of muzzle energy, and more than the Winchester 67A rifle.

CCI, with its Maxi Mag HP and HP+V, is touted as having powerful rounds. In the Mini Master, they do perform well, but not as well as expected. Also sporting a 40 grain jacketed hollow point, the Maxi Mag HP averages 1258 feet per second and 140 ft/lbs of muzzle energy. Compared to the Super X, that's pretty close. The HP+V, with its 30 grain projectile, averages 1409 feet per second. But the lighter projectile exacts a ballistic penalty, giving 132 ft/lbs of energy.

The last round tested in the Mini Master was the Remington Premier. At 16 dollars per box, many people expect amazing things from these bullets. Optimized for a rifle, the Remington Premier is just not up to the task in a revolver. Pushing a 36 grain projectile to 1249 feet per second, the Remington bullets outperformed CCI's HP+V, but fell short of the Super X or HP, with 138 ft/lbs of energy.

Black Widow

The Black Widow is one of North American Arm's most popular guns. With a two inch barrel and oversized grip, the Black Widow seems to have just the right mix of qualities for pocket carry.

The Black Widow, with two fewer inches of barrel length than the Mini Master, loses some ballistic performance over its big brother... But it's no slouch.

Pushing the 40 grain Super X hollow point to an average velocity of 1061 feet per second, the Black Widow achieves nearly 100 ft/lbs of muzzle energy.

The CCI Maxi Mag HP averages 1019 feet per second for 92 ft/lbs of energy with a 40 grain projectile.

CCI's HP+V's 30 grain bullet travels 1154 feet per second, producing 88 ft/lbs of muzzle energy.

Coming in last, with 87 ft/lbs of energy, the Remington Premiere isn't worth the extra six to seven dollars per box.

1-5/8 Inch Mini Magnum

The 1-5/8 inch Mini Magnum is my personal favorite. I've shot well beyond 1000 rounds through this little gun. Its accuracy, combined with what I think are perfect dimensions, are in a class all their own. Pocket it and forget it.

Again, Winchester's Super X hollow points came out on top. The 1-5/8 inch magnum shoots those 40 grain bullets at an average 1012 feet per second, for nearly 91 ft/lbs of muzzle energy.

As might be expected, CCI's Maxi Mag HP came out second. With the same weight projectile as the Winchester, the HP averages 987 feet per second netting 86 ft/lbs of energy.

The CCI Maxi Mag HP+V achieves an average 1083 feet per second with its 30 grain projectile. Muzzle energy falls off to 78 ft/lbs, so the clear winner is the Super X.

Given the results of the Remington Premier out of the longer barrels, I chose not to test it in the shorter revolvers.

1-1/8 In Mini Magnum

With the second shortest barrel in the NAA magnum frame lineup, the 1-1/8 inch Mini Magnum is a hot little gun. Scoring first in the accuracy test, this gun is really cool.

For this test, I installed the folding grip. I will be providing a review of the grip in a future entry, but I'll just say that it's a very high quality product. It holds the gun very securely, and gives a full size grip on this diminutive revolver.

Moving on to the ballistics tests, Winchester takes the top spot again with an average speed of 984 feet per second. That's 86 foot pounds of muzzle energy.

As has been the case with all of the other guns in this lineup, CCI's MAXI MAG HP gives 902 feet per second and 72 ft/lbs of energy.

The CCI HP+V nets 1019 feet per second and 69 ft/lbs with its much lighter 30 grain projectile.

Takeaway

At the end of the day, the above ballistics prove one thing: The gun you choose is just a matter of your own needs and preferences. If you need to slaughter cows or other large animals, the Mini Master would be a great choice. For human sized predators, any of these guns should be a pretty good deterrent to bad behavior.

The more I work with North American Arms products, the more I like them. I know from personal experience that once you own one, soon you'll be providing that little gun some company!

NAA Mini Magum Saves the Day in 3 on 1 Shootout

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:58:00 +0000

I was looking through the forums a while back and encountered a shootout story from a poster who calls himself Proud Boer (PB). PB lives in South Africa, and was returning home from a formal event wearing a tuxedo and armed only with his NAA .22 magnum revolver. I asked, and was granted, permission to re-post his story here.

Actual Shootout Against Armed Killers

Those of us who enjoy firearms in general and handguns in particular, usually spend a lot of time practicing for the day we need to defend our loved ones and ourselves against attack. I am one of those individuals who have been fascinated by firearms and shooting since 10 years old, starting with my first BB gun. Since 1983, I've been a regular pistol and revolver shooter, competing over the years in Cowboy Action Shooting, Defensive Pistol Shooting and Practical Pistol Shooting.

Cowboys, Boers and the history of the rugged individuals who have invented our great modern world, have always interested me. In South Africa, violent crime is high and therefore I am grateful for my mindset of self-reliance as I now live in the heart of the current day "Wild West".

On the 8th of May 2008, I faced off a gang of three armed goblins who, in the weeks preceding my attack, had robbed and killed numerous victims. These scumbags attacked me in front of my wife and daughter in the drive of my house at 20h00. I had just returned from a formal business function to launch the head office of a new dental insurance in Cape Town and was wearing a tuxedo and therefore only carrying single action .22 Magnum N.A.A. revolver. They wanted my house keys as well as the keys to my new Mercedes Benz SUV I was driving. With their firearms pointed at me, I drew mine (thank God for years of practice), and shot the apparent leader of that gang in the chest - he screamed like a stuck pig and staggered backwards. The first thing I did was run for cover. As the other two were only about 20 feet away, bullets rained down on me as I hid momentarily behind a tree in my drive. In this exchange, I was hit in the left arm (but actually felt nothing) and I returned fire, hitting the first one of the two remaining goblins in the groin. He ran away to the getaway car standing in the road, shouting and crying and shooting into the air like a drunk Mexican officer during the Battle of the Alamo. There was one left besides the one who I shot first still staggering around. He still had his gun in hand and tried to point it again in my direction. I gave him another round to the chest and he disappeared to the getaway vehicle, fatally wounded as I was to find out in the days that followed. The last one had to run past me to get out of my drive and being the coward that these scum normally are, couldn't quite muster the courage. As I pointed my revolver and fired at him, the revolver blew up in my hand and I had no choice but to take him on bare handed. I smacked him to the ground by punching him in the face as the fact that I was now unarmed seemed to give him some courage. As he fell, he pulled off a shot and hit me in the right arm. He then turned and ran as he realised I was ready to fight to the death and he wasn't feeling well with a smashed nose.

My wife, at this stage, had taken my .45 A.C.P. out and passed it to me through the window, giving me clear instructions to finish them off. They got away only with my bullets in them and in pain and I was lucky enough to win the fight.

What did I learn from this?

1. Always carry a gun no matter how small it may be. Even when the last thing you expect is to be attacked, don't let your logic of statistical probability of not being in mortal danger lull you into a false sense of security.

2. Remember that in a gun fight - cover is king!

3. Practice regularly to allow for the advantage of competent surprise,
AND
most importantly, if you want to win a gun fight, the most important factor is resolve and commitment. You have to have the inner courage to decide in a split second that you are going to win the fight irrespective of the consequences and then carry out that plan with determination and courage that surprises and stuns your "would be" attackers.

I hope that the above sheds some light and gives some valuable insight into a real life gun fight. I would like to hear from others who have experienced the same or similar situations.

Proud Boer. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_i...lick_id=13&sf=

Results | NAA Mini Mag Accuracy Shootout

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:56:00 +0000

Well, the results for our little shootout are in, and they are a bit of a surprise. This first post will concentrate solely on the accuracy of the North American Arms magnum-framed revolvers; ballistics tests are next.

A lot of people have made comments about the accuracy, or lack thereof, of NAA revolvers. I wanted to see if these guns are limited in accuracy by their design or by their human operator. After having shot more than 1000 rounds through my guns, I was inclined to lean toward the latter argument. It takes practice with any gun to become proficient enough to hit a target consistently.

For this test I placed my targets, marked with one inch squares, 10 feet from the bench. At the bench, I placed a vise to hold each gun in the exact position every time. A level was used between each shot to ensure the barrel was perfectly level.

For every gun, I shot five targets with five rounds each for a total of 25 shots from each gun. Once finished, I measured the largest distance between shots in each group. These were added together and divided by five to get an average group size for each gun.

The bullets used for the test were Federal .22 long rifle copper-plated hollow points from a bulk pack. The Black Widow was the only exception. Lacking a long rifle cylinder, I used Winchester Super X .22 magnum rounds for it.

I'll list the guns in sequence from the tightest to the largest group size:

First up is the 1-1/8 inch Mini Magnum. This gun was a surprise. At .8125 inches, It had the smallest groups of all five guns tested. In fact, the average group is smaller than a quarter! Here's a shot of one group:

The Black Widow came in pretty close behind the 1-1/8 inch Mini Magnum. Because it was shooting magnum loads, I don't know how that affected its accuracy, but it still performed well with sub one inch groups. With an average dispersion of .925 inches, the Black Widow is quite the little shooter:

Right in the middle of the pack, the 1-5/8 inch Mini Magnum shot a .9625 inch average group. I've shot this gun more than any of the other mini revolvers, and that grouping is not a surprise in the least. I've been able to hit dominoes from almost 20 feet away pretty consistently with it:

If you are wondering where the Mini Master stacks up, you'll have to wait a bit. That's because the Pug is next in line. With an average .9875 inch grouping, the pug is very close in performance to both the Black Widow and the 1-5/8 inch Mini Magnum. That's incredible when you consider it only has a one inch barrel!

The Mini Master surprised me most of all. With its four-inch barrel, I expected it to outperform all of the other guns. Obviously, that is not the case. In fact, with a 1.45 inch average group size, the Mini Master lagged pretty far behind the other guns, but my theory is that I'll need to try different types of ammunition with this gun. Because of its longer barrel, the harmonics of each ammunition type come into play, and it's quite possible I'll find a bullet that comes out of that gun tack straight every time.

Overall, I think this test proves that these guns are tack drivers at close range. Even the Mini Master has the ability to hit all five shots into an eyeball-sized target if handled correctly. I'd make a wager that anyone performing this test on any of the NAA mini revolvers would find similar results.

Because of their small size, mini revolvers do present some challenges to people use to larger guns, but those challenges are easily overcome once the nuances of the guns are learned. With a short sight radius, or distance between the front and rear sights, it's much easier to mess up their aim. Just don't go blaming the gun the next time you miss that pie tin!

The next time you are in a forum and someone mentions the terrible accuracy of these guns, just point them here. You can't dispute the facts!

P.S. A lot of people have mentioned that the accuracy comes down to the shooter... I think that's pretty clear from the above post, but my philosophy is practice practice practice. A Colt 1911 will do you no good if you don't practice with it. Neither will a perfectly tuned rifle.

NAA Magnum Frame Accuracy Shootout

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:49:00 +0000

*Update: Go Here to View Results*

Today, I took every magnum-framed revolver from North American Arms except for the Earls and put them through their ballistic and accuracy paces. I'll have more in a future post, but look at this photo of one target after shooting it with the 1-1/8 inch Mini Magnum revolver and see if you can believe it:

Holster Grip VIdeo on Sportsman's Depot

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:46:00 +0000

I sent an e-mail to Sportsman's Depot letting them know they could feature my holster grip video from YouTube on their listings for the NAA long rifle and magnum holster grips they sell. They responded by sending me the link to their product page. Check it out:

NAA Long Rifle Holster Grip Product Page...

The Best Gun Lubricant | Dexron ATF

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Grant Cunningham is a gunsmith whose services are on a two-year waiting list. Grayelky over at the NAA forum posted a link to Cunningham's blog regarding lubricants. I liked the article so much, I contacted Grant to ask permission to reprint the article here. Today, he gave me that permission, so here it is:

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Lubricants But Were Too Afraid to Ask

Lubrication 101

By Grant Cunningham

Introduction

Firearms enthusiasts are the targets (pardon the pun) of some of the most misleading advertisements regarding the proper lubrication of their guns. The purpose of this article is to give a background on basic lubrication concepts, the technology behind them, and some guidelines for selecting lubricants based on facts, not hype.

Before going further, let's make something perfectly clear: with a very few obvious exceptions, firearms lubrication isn't terribly difficult. Compared to many more common objects, guns just don't make big demands of their lubricants! That's right, firearms pose no actual "extreme" situations with which a lubricant must deal. There are thousands upon thousands of 100-year-old-plus guns out there that are functioning - just fine, thank you - on a diet of "3-in-1" oil.

However, that doesn't mean that there isn't something better. This article, it is hoped, will help you determine just what "better" means to you.

Let's start at the beginning...

Why lubricate something? First, to prevent wear and second, to promote a certain level of performance. To put it more clearly, what we're trying to do is to keep parts from rubbing directly on other parts, and to make the interaction of those parts as smooth as possible.

As it turns out, those polished surfaces that rub against each other aren't all that smooth. Looking through a microscope, even the most highly finished metal surface still looks like a forested hillside - with all kinds of huge voids, depressions, and valleys. Imagine, then, what happens when that surface meets the surface of it's companion part! Not only does the combination become difficult to move, but the tops of those trees get broken off - that's how wear starts at the microscopic level.

That's why we lubricate those surfaces. Lubrication works in a couple of ways: "hydrodynamic" and "boundary".

Hydrodynamic lubrication is essentially when the parts ride on the film of liquid (or semi-liquid) lubricant; the lubricant fills all of the voids, and the film itself serves as a buffer to keep the surfaces apart.

This works really well, except when a load is applied and the lubricant is squeezed out of it's space between the surfaces. When that happens, the surfaces grind together and wear. What if we added something to the mix - something that was a bit more "solid" than the lubricant, which wouldn't be easily squeezed out? Well, that's just what "boundary" lubrication entails - adding small pieces of more-solid material to serve as a physical separator between the surfaces, keeping them from tearing each other to pieces.

The solids that provide this service are known as "anti-wear" or "extreme pressure" (AW/EP) additives - solids of microscopic size that are mixed into a lubricant, in order to maintain a protective boundary (get it?) under load. "Moly", a generic term for several molydenum compounds, is one example; others include sulphur compunds, zinc, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, aka 'teflon'), zinc diakyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP), phosphors, boron, antimony diakyl dithiocarbamate (and it's derivatives), and many more. Each of these has certain properties that the skilled tribologist (lubrication scientist) will balance to achieve the optimum lubricant for the application.

Regardless of the physical characteristics of the product, lubricants are a "package" - the primary lubricant plus boundary additives, thickeners (as in greases), and other things (tackifiers, pour point depressants, detergents...the list is endless and chock full of chemical names I can't begin to decipher!)

My exaggerated interpretation of the primary lubrication states.

All about grease

Grease is nothing more than thickened oil. Grease is made by mixing oil with a "base" to thicken it - the base being a metallic soap (lithium, aluminum, barium, calcium), or a non-soap alternative (bentone, polyurea.) Each of these bases have different characteristics, which are taken into account (along with the oils and additives) to produce a grease of the desired effectiveness.

Different bases will show different degrees of water resistance, cold weather performance, stability (the ability to resist oil separation under shear and mechanical operations), oxidation, and "reversability" - the ability of the base to re-absorb any oil that might have been separated out.

Lithium is the most common base encountered; it's cheap, easily produced, and has enough good traits to make it a decent choice for general purposes. Aluminum bases, though, have several advantages: much better resistance to water (and acids and alkalis), better low-temperature performance, better stability, and dramatically increased reversability. Aluminum greases are typically a bit harder to find, and more costly, but their performance advantages can be pretty dramatic.

Grease is graded in thickness by its NLGI number. Most grease you're familiar with is NLGI #2; smaller numbers mean less thick, larger numbers mean thicker. A grease rated at NLGI #00 is almost a liquid a room temperature.

What makes for a good gun lube?

Firearms encounter intermittent high loads, interspersed with long periods of inaction. This means that the primary lubrication need isn't hydrodynamic - it's boundary. What, then, should we be looking for?

Start with a very good boundary lubrication package - that translates to lots of EP/AW additives. We need superb corrosion resistance, along with resistance to oxidation (don't want those lubricants thickening up during non-use.) We could also use some water resistance and an ability to withstand mild acid and alkali exposure (think perspiration.) Low temperature performance would be icing on the cake, and for a grease we want something that won't easily separate under load.

We need our oils to migrate. No, I don't mean to fly south for the winter! Migration is the ability of the lubricant to spread to surrounding and adjacent areas. For instance, let's say we're lubricating the shaft on which a hammer pivots; a lubricant with poor migration would just sit where we applied it, and would never get into the space between the hammer hole and the pivot. The net result would be a poorly lubed mechanism. A lube with good migration will succumb to capillary action and snake its way down into that small space, lubricating everything it comes into contact with.

Sounds like migration is just the cat's meow, right? Not really - there is such a thing as too much. The migration that is so desirable on hammers and triggers isn't really good on autopistol slides; the lubricant tends to "run off", or migrates to the holster (or your clothes.) Ever wonder why your autoloader slide goes "dry" while in the holster? Lubricant migration at work. (What, you think it disappeared into thin air?)

What about greases - do we even need them? You bet! I use the General Rule of Lubrication: oil for rotating parts, grease for sliding parts that carry a load. In firearms, grease is most appropriate for any part interaction that has a scraping (aka "shear") type of action, and will be subjected to pressure or shock. What kinds of parts are we talking about? Slide rails, bolt carriers, and sears - especially double-action sears. (An example of a sliding part that should not be greased is the trigger bow of the 1911 pistol - it carries virtually no load, and is subject to almost no stress; it also is under very light tension, so little that a thickened lubricant could reduce its free movement.)

That's a pretty good explanation of what we need - is there anything we should avoid? Of course - any product that contains chlorine compounds. These compounds, usually referred to as chlorinated esters, were used as boundary additives for many years. As boundary lubes they actually work pretty well; the problem is that they promote a phenomenon known as "stress corrosion cracking" (SCC). Essentially, SCC creates microscopic pits and cracks that, under heat and pressure, widen to become noticeable cracks - and sometimes, even broken parts!

(One major gun manufacturer actually had barrels fall off of their revolvers. An investigation ensued, and they found that the chlorinated esters used in their machining oils was causing stress cracking in barrel threads. When combined with the gun owners' use of cleaning and lube compounds containing chlorinated esters, the barrels simply sheared off at the weakest part - the threads. Like most aircraft makers, the company learned to forbid chlorine-carrying compounds on the manufacturing floor, to prevent a recurrence.)

What about "miracle products"?

Let's be clear: there are no "new", "revolutionary" lubricant products made for firearms. That's a flat statement, and it's intended to be. All of the lubricants, bases, and additives of suitable use are already well known to the lubricant industry. Specific combinations might be unique, but it's all been tried before - if not necessarily on guns.

There are several such products on the market right now that are simply a well-known boundary additive in a light carrier; at least one of them is a chlorinated ester! These things have been around a long time, and unless you didn't know better the products using them would indeed seem to be "revolutionary." Just remember: any new gun lube is going to be made up of readily available components, perhaps blended especially for the requirement, but will not be a "miracle". 'Nuff said!

Cut to the chase! What should I use?

Let's start with oil. Most people use oils that are way too heavy; thicker is not better! Use a relatively thin oil with the correct properties, and use it very sparingly - most "oil failures" I've seen have been from too much, rather than too little, oil.

Frankly, in terms of mechanical performance, most oils "work"; some are better than others, but everything will make parts move for a while. The weakest area of most oils is in corrosion resistance - and on a gun, corrosion is a bad thing! There have been lots of claims, but those people who have actually taken the time to run experiments to test corrosion on steel have found that the products with the greatest hype are often the worst at corrosion resistance. Not surprisingly, plain mineral oils, such as Rem Oil, score at the very bottom of the list.

One product that scores pretty well in corrosion testing is also the readily available and dirt cheap. It also has good migration, a good boundary lubrication package, is the right weight (thickness) for general firearms use, doesn't oxidize over long periods of storage, and is compatible with a wide range of metals and plastics. In addition, it is recommended by at least one real degreed firearms engineer! Just what is this miracle elixir??

Dexron-type Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). That's right, plain ol' ATF. The kind you get at every gas station, auto parts store, and even most convenience stores. Synthetic or regular, either will work just fine. (ATF does have a slight odor to it. If you find that objectionable, a decent alternative that is still readily available is "NyOil." Check your local auto parts store, in the aisle where they keep the miscellaneous lubricants and additives.)

If we were to spec out a "best in class" oil, it would probably be something like Lubriplate's FMO-AW oil, specifically the 350-AW weight. This is an oil designed with very high boundary protection and very high corrosion resistance - especially in the presence of acids, alkalis, and moisture. It is darned near tailor-made for our use!

I'm aware of at least one large coastal police agency using FMO-AW, and they report complete satisfaction with its performance. Unfortunately, it's not (as of this writing) packaged in consumer friendly quantities - 1 gallon pails being the smallest available. If, however, you have a food service equipment dealer near you, they may agree to sell you a small quantity - FMO-AW is designed for food handling equipment. (Ask nicely and bring your own bottle.)

What about grease? Remember that you should grease sliding parts that carry a load - slide rails, sears, and bolt carriers. Again, remember to start with your criteria: must have superb boundary lubricants (particularly when used on double-action mechanisms), preferably of aluminum base, good cold working characteristics, resistant to acids/alkalis and water (especially water), and preferably of a non-staining variety (black grease stains look awful on clothing!)

Many people use Brownell's Action Lube as a popular general purpose grease - it has wonderful boundary lubricants (in fact, it is mostly composed of molybdenum compounds in a light grease base) and great shear resistance. It is superb on action parts, and works fairly well on slide rails - as long as you don't mind black stains. Yuck! It does exhibit poor oxidation characteristics and reversibility; though I have no hard data, I suspect it also doesn't resist water or pH changes all that well. For internal parts, which are protected by housings, it is terrific and gives actions a unique 'buttery' feel. I use a lot of it to lubricate sears and rebound slides, but for all other needs there is a much better choice.

For such things as autoloader slides and rifle bolts, Lubriplate "SFL" NLGI #0 grease is my choice. In my testing it's proven itself superior as a general lubricant. It is white, aluminum-based, low odor, has superb boundary lubricants, and is designed specifically for use in environments that encounter a huge temperature range. It's also resistant to water washout and acid/alkali environments, has great shear resistance, and doesn't oxidize like lithium greases will. As an all-around grease I've found nothing better. It's available from www.lubriplate.com, in their online store. It comes in a 14oz can which will last you for years - no matter how many guns you have!

(Lubriplate also makes SFL in heavier grades, such as NLGI #1. While thicker than the #0, it is still a pretty light grease, and would be my recommendation for very hot climates. The NLGI #0 is a better choice for most of the United States.)

But what about......?

Everyone has their own little "secret". If it works, is there anything wrong with it? Let's find out...

Motor oils: Generally good boundary lubrication (particularly the Havoline formulations), but very poor corrosion resistance and poor resistance to open-air oxidation. In addition, their pour-point additives often contain benzene compounds, which aren't a good thing to have next to your skin on a regular basis! ATF performs better for firearms use on every count, even if it is a tad more expensive. (ATF is still 1/10 to 1/100th the cost of a specialty "gun oil"!)

Gear oils: Too thick for the application. In addition, they contain tackifiers which gives them poor migration and lead to oxidization in open air, rendering them even more "sticky" - pretty much what we don't want. (Some folks use it on their slide rails because it's thicker and won't migrate easily; a light grease is a far better choice.) If you really want a thicker oil with all the good characteristics we've covered, but is still cheap, mix ATF and STP Oil Treatment in a 40/60 ratio. Far better than gear oil on every count - but I'd still rather have a good NLGI #0 grease.

WD-40: WD-40 was never meant to be a lubricant - it was designed as a moisture displacer. It's far too light for any load protection, has incredibly poor corrosion resistance, contains zero boundary lubricants, and rapidly oxidizes to form a sickly yellow varnish (hint: this is not good for delicate internal lockwork.) There are those who will defend this stuff vehemently, but then again you can still find people who think smokeless powder is a passing fad. Just. Don't.

Automotive motor oil additives: Usually a boundary additive in some sort of light mineral oil carrier, they usually lack corrosion protection and often oxidize rapidly; some have poor migration characteristics and rely on the oil to which they'll be added to provide those things. There are better and cheaper alternatives, though when mixed with an appropriate oil additives do have some merit (see above.) By themselves? No.

Silicone spray: Right up there with WD-40, but at least it'll shed water while your parts grind themselves into little shavings!

Graphite: (sprays, powders) Graphite is a crystalline product which is actually very slightly abrasive. It offers no appreciable benefit other than being dry; a lube with a good boundary lubricant package can be wiped dry to the touch and still provide better lubrication and protection than graphite. Save it for your keys and padlocks.

Finally, note that the foregoing is a layman's understanding of lubrication technology. I don't pretend to be an expert, just a well-informed amateur hoping to disseminate some arcane knowledge. Use at your own risk!

Video | North American Arms Safety Cylinder

noreply@blogger.com (Ski Winter Park) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:42:00 +0000

(Photo Used With Permission of NAA)

North American Arms equips each of their mini revolvers with a safety cylinder--notches cut between the chambers of each round for the hammer to rest on, thus allowing for the safe carry of a fully loaded cylinder. NAA produced a video and placed it on their YouTube channel, and I thought I would embed it here for those who may not have seen it:

Handgun Accuracy Defined

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 07:15:00 +0000

Next week, I'm going to pit five North American Arms revolvers against each other to see how they stack up. From the one-inch barrel Pug to the four inch Mini Master revolver, I'll be testing both speed and accuracy out of these guns.

Martin Chick is a company which specializes in statistical analysis of time and motion projects. They have a really neat primer on determining accuracy of both handguns and rifles which I'll try to use as a guide as I perform my own accuracy analysis of these fine little guns. I asked permission to re-print their article on this blog, and Mr. Chick gave me the go ahead. Here it is: (Go Here for the Original)

Measuring Handgun and Rifle Accuracy

By: Martin Chick

There are many different methods used when it comes to measuring accuracy. If a gun is being used for self defense and the bullet travels in the same direction the gun is pointed it passes the accuracy test. Some shooters place a can on a fence post. If they can knock the can off the post they judge the gun accurate. Hunters place a target at the estimated range they expect to find game and fire three shots. If the three shots make a small group deemed close enough for the kill this will do. Most shooters use the concept of group or extreme spread as the basis for accuracy. For you newbies the size of a group is determined by measuring the greatest distance between any two shots that make up the group.

The recommend standard in measuring groups is shooting five groups of five shots each and then measure the extreme spread of each group and average the results. This is based on the statistical premise that thirty samples are required to obtain significant results. For whatever reason gun magazines have decided that twenty five shots are sufficient. Many shooters ignore this scientific approach and shoot a number of three shot groups which can range from one to hundred groups and use whatever group is the smallest as reflecting the accuracy of the gun. They believe that this is the potential accuracy of the gun if everything happens to be right. Shooting groups in one form or other to determine accuracy has been used for years since it is based on the extreme spread of shots which has a basis in fact and also appeals to common sense.

What remains a mystery to many shooters is the natural dispersion of shots on the target around the point of aim. In fact the shot pattern of rifle and pistol shots appearing on the target resemble shotgun patterns of pellets if the shotgun is fired at close range. Fig (A) is a drawing of a actual test target of one hundred shots. A circle is drawn around these shots

Fig (A)

This circle represents the proper definition of accuracy. Accuracy being defined as the diameter of a circle that contains ninety nine percent of the total number of shots aimed at the center of this circle. This percentage is used since it is good to know the maximum spread of almost all the shots fired but also allowing for the probability that one shot can end up on Mars.

As an example the diameter of Fig(A)is three inches. This diameter is the accuracy of this gun based on this particular ammunition held in a ransom rest on a particular day with particular wind speeds and temperature. It is important to understand that the diameter of the accuracy circle is controlled entirely by the shooter. The gun , cartridge, components , powder, primer, case and manner of loading and the testing conditions determines the diameter of this circle. These can all be altered and therefore controlled by the shooter.

What can not be controlled by the shooter is the groups that form within this circle. Once a circle has been established the location of any shot inside the circle is due to pure chance. The first three shots may be a one holer and the next three measure as a three inch group or any thing in between. Groups form at random and there is no rhyme or reason or scientific explanation as to what size group will appear next.

Fig (B) Fig (C) Fig(D)

Fig(B,C,D) show three possible groups that can form within this three inch circle due to pure chance. It should be obvious that judging accuracy by shooting a few groups is not all that helpful. No group size can be larger than the diameter of the circle which in this example is three inches although there is the remote probability that it can happen. This is why benchrest shooters get teeny groups. The accuracy circle is teeny. But not as teeny as the groups. For those who shoot competitively this implies that winners must be good and also lucky. Some times just lucky.

Although groups form by chance there is a mathematical relationship between the size of the circle and the average size of the groups inside the circle. As the circle becomes smaller ( better accuracy) the average group size will also become smaller. If the diameter of the circle is known the average group size can be calculated. Using the 3 inch diameter circle for an example the average three shot group for this circle is 1-3/8 inches the average five shot group is 1-3/4 inches and for ten shot group it is 2-1/8 inches. On the other hand only knowing the average group size does not help to establish the diameter size. The reasons for this is the center of the diameter is not the same as the center of any group as can readily be seen in the figures above and cannot be located using group size. To locate the center the location of each shot is required.

Since there is a mathematical relationship between diameter and groups they can be used for rough estimates keeping in mind the above information. The use of five groups of five shots has its place and is useful in many instances. Filing flats on handgun bullets , badly cast bullets versus perfect casts and the effective range of guns used for defense come to mind.

The problem arises when making relatively small improvements after all the major changes have been made and attempting to wring out a little more accuracy.. This may be the gun, ammunition, reloading components or minor method changes. To detect small differences by shooting a few groups is akin to chasing rainbows. Twenty five to thirty groups of five would be minimum. A test this large would create its own variations which defeats the purpose of the test. Most of the data is buried in these groups and there is no way to select out shooter controlled errors such as flinches gusts of winds or a defective cartridges. To detect small differences such as primer differences , seating depth, powders etc. each shot has to be assigned a value and evaluated. This is a little more difficult and time consuming but well worth the effort.

Statistics of Handgun accuracy provides a easy to follow step by step method that will put you light years ahead of the other guys.

You can purchase Statistics of Handgun Accuracy on the following web sites

amazon.com
barnesandnoble.com
www.borders.com
buybooksontheweb.com

Photos | North American Arms Pug

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Click Photo for Larger

Photo | Where's the Pug?

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:21:00 +0000

I promise it's there! There's a single clue, can you find it? I'll post more revealing photos as time goes by. Click the photo for a larger version and good luck.

Photos | Holster Grip Best for Ladies?

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:57:00 +0000

For petite ladies who want to carry a concealed weapon somewhere other than their purse and still maintain reasonable fashion sense, the North American Arms holster grip for the Mini Magnum series of revolvers is the way to go.

Even the NAA pocket holster listed on their website is too big for her tiny front pocket, but the holster grip allows the gun to fit comfortably in the small front pockets of ladies jeans. The design of the holster is such that the gun just looks like a cell phone or a folding knife.

Girls Need Guns | A Woman's Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:12:00 +0000

My wife and I recently took a concealed carry class together. Here is her story of how that experience changed her life:

Girls Need Guns

Owning and operating a gun was never something of interest to me. My parents did not own guns and, to be honest, they were an enigma. I was a latch key kid who grew up in the heart of Los Angeles, California. I walked home from school alone at the age of eight, baby-sat my siblings at nine, and as I got older, walked around the streets of Los Angeles alone at night. Personal safety was not a phrase in my vocabulary and was certainly not a subject that was discussed in my household. Not until I graduated college did I begin to understand the danger I was exposed to as I walked to my car in dark parking lots, or back to my dorm across campus in the back alley way. Even then, I didn’t understand the importance of putting my safety in my own hands. Though I became more aware of my surroundings and the imminent dangers, I still lived my life unprotected.

I purchased a gun about a year ago to have in the house when my husband traveled. He took me to his family ranch to shoot it. Honestly, it terrified me. Instead of making me feel more secure, I felt scared. We kept the bullets separate from the gun in fear one of our kids might find it. Looking back we should have sold it – it was useless to us in that state. I’m sure all bad guys will take a time out while you load your weapon to stop them. I was naïve.

A few months ago, my husband asked me to take a concealed carry class with him. At the time I said yes with the thought that it would be fun and something we could do together. I thought if anything, it would help me overcome my fear of handling guns. The class changed my life. For the first time, I really understood the threat of violence with the understanding that it was my right to protect myself against it. I was not going to be a victim and at the end of the day, my fear of handling guns was gone. I learned about the laws of concealed carry; I learned how to handle and load a gun and I learned the best position for me to shoot if ever under threat in a dangerous situation. When I left the class, there was no doubt I would carry. Knowing what I know now, I can’t understand why anyone would not want to control her own safety. I now have my permit and carry a loaded gun with me all the time; a fear I never thought I would overcome.

I am empowered. I am free.

--Jan P.

Here she is shooting the North American Arms Pug for the first time:

Buy a Conversion Cylinder for Your NAA Mini Magnum

noreply@blogger.com (Ski Winter Park) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:04:00 +0000

(From NAA's Website)

If you'd like to order a long rifle or magnum cylinder for your NAA revolver, it's pretty easy. You need to send them your gun so they can time the cylinders properly, but you don't have to go through an FFL since you already own the gun.

According to NAA, "If you already own one of our .22 Magnum Mini-Revolvers, you can order the Conversion Cylinder from our factory. Please call us at 800-821-5783 for more details."

How To Video | NAA Holster Grip Install

noreply@blogger.com (Ski Winter Park) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:06:00 +0000

Today, I installed the North American Arms Holster Grip on the 1-1/8 inch Mini Magnum revolver. I trimmed the plastic panels the grip attaches to for a better fit.

A hex key comes with the kit, but I would recommend a second hex so you can tighten the two hex head screws a little better.

Overall, I'd say the kit is very high quality. The plastic seems to be a high impact variety that can take a lot of abuse. The only weak link I can imagine is the belt clip, but it too is made of the same type of plastic. Here's a video of the install process:

Video | NAA Pug Deep Concealment Go Away Gun

noreply@blogger.com (Ski Winter Park) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 06:59:00 +0000

When it comes to accuracy, the Pug, NAA's smallest magnum revolver, is seen as probably the least accurate of the bunch. With a one inch barrel, the Pug seems like it would be difficult to aim. It seems that way, until you shoot it! I shot this little gun at some small steel targets the other day, and I was impressed. Here's the video:

North American Arms Pug Ballistics Summary

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 00:34:00 +0000

"For self defense using your Pug revolver, the choice is clear: The Winchester Super X 22 Magnum delivers more power more reliably to the target than all of the other cartridges tested."

(NOTE: Scroll through the stats for the conclusions)

With a 4-1/2 inch overall length, 2-3/4 inch height and just a one inch barrel, the North American Arms Pug .22 revolver is the smallest .22 magnum revolver in the world. Its small size makes it an ideal gun to carry when anything larger would be impossible. Think swimming trunks and jogging shorts.

I've seen a lot of discussion about the ideal round to carry in the Pug, but no definitive ballistics tests to decide one way or another. One popular--and expensive--round many people like to have onboard their Pug is the CCI Maxi-Mag HP+V. With a 30 grain jacketed hollow point bullet, CCI claims over 2200 feet per second on their box. Granted, their results were gained from shooting out of a rifle, but impressive nonetheless.

I went to a big box gun store to find some .22 magnum rounds to feed through the Pug. In addition to the Maxi-Mag HP+V, I bought the CCI Maxi-Mag HP 40 grain jacketed hollow point with a claimed 1875 feet per second on the box. I also purchased some Winchester Super X 22 Winchester Magnum jacketed soft-tip hollow points. There was no claim of speed on the Winchester box.

The question many may ask is, "Would you trust your life to the Pug?"

My answer? I already do!

The chronograph was placed approximately 10 feet away from the shooting bench. I shot 10 rounds of each type of bullet, making sure to clean the barrel of the gun with solvent and a brush between each brand of ammunition. The Winchester Super X was first up. The results are under the photo:

Temperature: 68 degrees fahrenheit.

Elevation: 8500 feet above sea level.

Bullet Weight: 40 grain (gr.)

Highest Velocity (Hi): 903 Feet Per Second (FPS)

Lowest Velocity (Low): 852 FPS

Average Velocity (Avg.): 877 FPS

Extreme Spread (ES): 51 FPS

Standard Deviation (SD): 16

_______________________________________________________________

CCI was next to be tested. I chose the Maxi-Mag HP+V's because I was excited to see how they compare to the Winchester:

Temperature: 69 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 30 gr.

HI: 986

Low: 839

Average: 913

ES: 147

SD: 38

_______________________________________________________________

Last, but not least, the CCI Maxi-Mag HP:

Temperature: 73 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 40 gr.

HI: 854

Low: 771

Average: 824

ES: 83

SD: 23

________________________________________________________________

CONCLUSIONS:

I was surprised by the results of this test. At first blush, the HP+V CCI Maxi-Mags seem to really scream along. They are pretty fast, but when you run a simple ballistics calculation on all three bullet types, the results are surprising. I visited this site to figure out the ballistic energy of each ammunition type and here are the results:

Formula used:

Energy = .5 * weight * velocity^2 / 7000 / 32.175

Where weight is in grains, and velocity is in feet/second.

7000 is grains per pound, and 32.175 is acceleration due to gravity.

It can be re-written:

Energy = weight * velocity^2 / 450450

(Source)

Winchester Super X .22 Magnum: 68.29 ft-lbs

CCI Maxi-Mag HP+V: 55.11 ft-lbs

CCI Maxi-Mag HP: 60.29 ft-lbs

The Winchester Super X clearly comes out on top in this test. Even though the CCI HP+V is moving faster, it's a full 10 grains less weight than the other two in the series. After shooting the magnum rounds out of the Pug, I noticed a lot of unburned gunpowder on my notepad as I wrote down each result. My theory is that the one inch barrel of the Pug is so short you end up with a slug of unburned powder being pushed behind the bullet--especially with the supercharged CCI rounds. If you want a good .22 magnum round to carry in your Pug, you can't go wrong with the Winchester Super X jacketed soft tip hollow point.

The next series of tests were run using .22 long rifle ammunition, and those are even more revealing than the .22 magnum test. I chose eight different types of 22 long rifle bullets from the same big box store for a good representation of what might be available to most people. I'll describe each type above and give the results below each photo.

CCI Mini-Mag 22LR

Temperature: 77 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 40 gr.

HI: 838

Low: 754

Average: 808

ES: 84

SD: 25

________________________________________________________________

CCI Mini-Mag 22LR HP

Temperature: 78 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 36 gr.

HI: 858

Low: 792

Average: 834

ES: 66

SD: 20

________________________________________________________________

Winchester Xpert HV Bulk Pack

Temperature: 76 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 36 gr.

HI: 860

Low: 756

Average: 818

ES: 104

SD: 32

________________________________________________________________

Remington Viper Truncated Cone

Temperature: 77 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 36 gr.

HI: 857

Low: 764

Average: 812

ES: 93

SD: 29

________________________________________________________________

Winchester Super SpeedHP Plated Hollow Point

Temperature: 78 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 37 gr.

HI: 888

Low: 738

Average: 846

ES: 150

SD: 40

________________________________________________________________

Winchester Super SpeedRN

Temperature: 78 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 40 gr.

HI: 801

Low: 693

Average: 745

ES: 107

SD: 33

________________________________________________________________

**Federal Spitfire Hyper Velocity Hollow Point**

Temperature: 77 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 31 gr.

HI: 931

Low: 891

Average: 915

ES: 40

SD: 11

________________________________________________________________

Peters High Velocity

Temperature: 76 Degrees

Elevation: 8500 Feet

Bullet weight: 40 gr. (Unknown Bullet Weight)

HI: 708

Low: 551

Average: 622

ES: 157

SD: 53

________________________________________________________________

Conclusions:

I'm going to dispense with one type of ammunition right off the bat: The Peter's rounds are junk in my opinion. I've never seen them before, and I would prefer never to see them again. My hand was black with soot after I shot ten rounds of that stuff, and it performed poorly against all the other brands.

I want to point out the Spitfire ammunition by Federal. Of all of the ammunition tested, including the 22 magnum rounds, this was the most uniform. With an extreme spread of 40 feet per second and a standard deviation of just 11, the Spitfire rounds are made to exacting tolerances. I shot 10 rounds out of a second box just to make sure this stuff was for real... It is.

When compared to the CCI HP+V, the Spitfire is actually faster with a heavier round! Check out the difference in case size and come back when you pick your jaw up off the ground:

My testing shows that the case on the right (!) propels a 31 grain bullet to 915 feet per second. That's two feet per second faster than the 30 grain projectile from the CCI case on the left. It's not quite the most powerful round you can shoot out of the Pug, but it is the fastest of the ammo I've tested so far!

Out of the 22 long rifle rounds tested, the Spitfire, with 57.61 ft-lbs of energy has the highest probability of consistently delivering that level of energy into the target. With a standard deviation of only 11 feet per second, the Spitfire will deliver more power over time than any of the other rounds. It is more powerful (and far cheaper) than the CCI Maxi-Mag HP+V, and very close in power to the CCI Maxi-Mag HP round which delivers 60.29 ft-lbs of energy.

The only other round which outperforms the Spitfire is the Winchester Super X 22 Magnum. With 68.29 ft-lbs of energy, it delivers nearly 10 ft-lbs more energy to the target than any other bullet tested. It is the second most reliable round tested, with a standard deviation of 16 feet per second.

For self defense using your Pug revolver, the choice is clear: The Winchester Super X 22 Magnum delivers more power more reliably to the target than all of the other cartridges tested.

The question many may ask is, "Would you trust your life to this gun?"

My answer? I already do!

Go here to see the accuracy of different rounds out of the Magnum framed revolvers...

Photo Shoot | NAA Pug with Trijicon Tritium Night Sights

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:52:00 +0000

When I saw the little NAA Pug could be purchased with the Trijicon Night Sights, I laughed to myself about how gimmicky it was. After all, this little tiny gun with something as tactical as night sights seemed like overkill. Well, I've been playing with a Night Sight equipped Pug for a little over a week, and I can say, unequivocally, I'm hooked!

Take a look at the photo below to get an idea of the glow from the tritium-filled front sight of the Pug. I shut the lights off and took a long exposure so you could see the actual glow of the sight off of the stainless steel of the gun:

The fact is, this gun is perfect for dark parking lots or back alleyways late at night. When you are scared, shooting blind is the last thing you want to do, and the little green glow of the Trijicon sight lets you know exactly where the gun is pointed. Daytime visibility is superb, and shooting the gun is a breeze with a high contrast white on black background.

Photo | Three New Additions

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:12:00 +0000

North American Arms sent me these three beautiful little pieces so I could put them through their paces out at the range. In addition, I'll be testing my 1-5/8 inch Mini Magnum and Black Widow. It should be pretty exciting to put these guns through their paces and answer some questions about accuracy, power and the like.

Photos | 22 Long Rifle and Magnum Ammunition

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Today, I took a trip to the city to pick up a few supplies. Here's the .22 long rifle assortment I have at my disposal:

Here's a shot of the .22 magnum rounds I was able to scrounge up:

With a chrono and a supply of targets, I'm going to be putting NAA's line of Mini Magnums to the test. I was able to convince Sandy to allow me to test the Pug, Mini Master and 1-1/8 inch Mini Magnum in addition to my own 1-5/8 Mini Mag and Black Widow. Stay tuned right here to see the results!

Is The NAA Mini Revolver Useable for Self Defense?

noreply@blogger.com (Ski Winter Park) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 06:37:00 +0000

*Actual Shootout Using NAA Mini Click Here*

"At a minimum, these guns are your always carry gun. They are the foundation upon which you build your self-defense platform."

The Internet is absolutely incredible. Over a short period of time, it is possible to find out just about anything about any subject. There's plenty of disinformation out there, but the miracle of online video has allowed me to do a lot of thinking about the usefulness of North American Arms revolvers as concealed carry options.

I've scoured the forums and magazine articles regarding the NAA line of revolvers, and what I've found are pretty much two lines of thought:

1) The guns are absolutely useful deep conceal weapons if deployed as a last resort of self defense.

2) They are worthless toys only worth owning because of their novelty.

After shooting and carrying these guns around in my pocket for a bit, I've come to the conclusion that the first line of thought is appropriate.

Watch the following two videos of actual robberies foiled because the store clerk had a gun: (Please be aware that they are a bit graphic)

One thing I've noticed about robberies is that they're almost always violent, wether the victim is armed or not. Armed robbers are extremely dangerous, which seems obvious. Gun control advocates might want to watch the next video before they think being unarmed makes them safer:

Here's another video that shows you should listen to your little voice. The attacker's body language was quite revealing about his intentions. He wasn't looking at the menu, but was sizing up his prey:

In the above scenarios, it's rather obvious to me that a mini revolver would be immediately out-gunned. If you have a concealed carry permit, you're going to want a much more powerful weapon at your disposal if you find yourself in any of those kinds of situations. It's not about weather it will stop or not, but about the fact that the aggressor is highly keyed up and less likely to be phased by a shot from a .22 magnum. In addition, they are almost always armed with semi-automatic weapons. They can fire off two or three rounds in the time it takes you to cock your mini revolver once. Does that mean the mini-revolver is useless? Absolutely not!

You must arm yourself appropriately for the occasion, and convenience stores, liquor stores and fast food restaurants at night are prime targets of armed thugs. The best thing to do is to avoid them entirely after dark. I personally would never work at any of those establishments--Ever! Just avoiding those situations will most likely prevent you from ever being in an armed encounter. The guy who was attacked at the counter could have prevented this incident simply by using the drive through.

Being aware of your surroundings and avoiding obvious crime hot spots will keep you out of trouble most of the time, but armed crimes aren't isolated to public places. Your home, car, family and person are always potential targets, and that's why being prepared with a concealed carry permit is appropriate.

For home defense, you don't have to worry about conceal ability. A 12 or 20 gauge shotgun with 00 buckshot will do just fine, and is about the ultimate bad guy stopper you can have at your disposal. So what scenarios would a Mini Magnum revolver be useful?

Photo Courtesy Flickr User yuan2003

In locations where you may not feel comfortable carrying your larger firearm, a North American Arms revolver tucked into your pocket could come in quite handy. Think of office buildings, universities hospitals and the like. These are locations where a gunman will sometimes take hostages while shooting up the place. If you barricade yourself in a closet or room, having your revolver at the ready could come in quite handy if the person is roaming the hallways searching for more victims. A recent shooting this week highlights my point and gives food for thought.

A man was forced to resign for theft. He returned to the building moments later with a handgun and proceeded to shoot and kill multiple victims. One of those he shot survived, barricaded himself in a room and called 911. If any of his victims had been armed, they could have helped put a stop to the violence.

Again, this comes down to thinking about your environment as well as being armed. Workplace violence is not going to end. There's a reason security usually walks people out of the building and it's to avoid the kinds of situations you just read about. When that fails, your safety is up to you.

For joggers, bicyclists and people who are more active, carrying even a compact 9mm is just too much. It is this kind of scenario where the NAA shines. They are easy to tuck into jogging or bicycling shorts and go unnoticed. For women who walk or jog alone, these guns can be the difference between a violent attack and bad scare. Rapists and muggers seem to like knives. A Mini in this scenario is an ideal defense weapon. It immediately places the victim in a position of power.

(Photo courtesy flickr user mikebaird)

I was recently watching a show where a woman was viscously accosted for over three hours in her own home. Before the rapist left, he slit her throat and stabbed her more than 30 times. He had come to her door hours earlier and asked to use the phone, but she refused. Later that night, she heard banging from her kitchen and when she went to investigate, he was standing there with one of her kitchen knives and proceeded to attack her. A gun, even a .22 Mini Magnum, would have stopped him.

My Dad always says you have to use the proper tool for the job. For certain jobs, the best tool is a North American Arms Mini Revolver. At a minimum, these guns are your always carry gun. They are the foundation upon which you build your self-defense platform.

Photo | NAA Box and Mini Mag

noreply@blogger.com (Ski Winter Park) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:14:00 +0000

The black plastic case North American Arms ships their mini revolvers in comes with a white cardboard wrapper that has North American Arms logo printed on it. Before I discarded it, I decided to take a photo... I think it looks pretty good in black and white.

Back at It

noreply@blogger.com (Ski Winter Park) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:38:00 +0000

North American Arms 1-1/8 .22 Mini Magnum

(NAA Photos Used With Permission)

I was out of town for the past week, so my posts thinned out. I'll be doing comprehensive reviews of the NAA Mini Master, Pug and short-barreled Mini Magnum over the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for those!

North American Arms Pug Mini Revolver

North American Arms .22 Mini Master Revolver

North American Arms Black Widow Mini Revolver

.25 NAA or .251 Wood | Unsung Hero of Mouse Guns

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:57:00 +0000

(NAA photos used with permission)

I've been reading as much as I can find about the differences between the .25 ACP, .32 ACP, .380 ACP, .25 NAA and the .32 NAA cartridges. What I think I've discovered is that North American Arms has two unsung heros in their proprietary NAA cartridges.

In almost every case, the .25 ACP cartridge is considered as the least effective self defense round available; even when compared to the 22 long rifle cartridge. This assumption is common knowledge, and I believe many people confuse the North American Arms Guardian .25 NAA pistol with the .25 ACP and dismiss it out of hand.

Because NAA sells four different iterations of their Guardian line of pistols, it might be easy to confuse the different calibers offered. For ease of understanding, I'm going to call the proprietary cartridges by different names than .25 NAA and .32 NAA.

NAA's smallest caliber pistol is probably a better choice than their .32 ACP offering. The reason this is so is because the .25 NAA cartridge is actually a necked-down .32 ACP cartridge with a .251 caliber bullet. In my head, I just call this cartridge the .251 Wood after its designer, J.B. Wood.

This design achieves a much faster bullet with better penetration and expansion than the .32 ACP. A .251 bullet paired with the .32 cartridge in NAA's smallest pistol is a powerhouse in a very small package. Maybe we could just call it the Guardian .251 NAA?

I intend to test these guns independently, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to come to the same conclusion as many others who've done the same: This proprietary package packs a punch!

Do It Yourself | Forster Tap-O-Cap #11 Percussion Cap Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:02:00 +0000

Forster makes a nifty tool that allows you to produce your own black powder percussion caps using aluminum pop cans and paper caps for toy guns.

I've placed one on backorder at MidwayUSA, but I'm not sure if the factory produces these any more. I've been waiting for almost a month now, and I've read that it can take two or more months for these to be delivered.

If you own a North American Arms Companion or Super Companion black powder revolver, this tool would be a fun addition to your shooting activities. If you shoot a lot, or own many different black powder guns, it could save a great deal of money on manufactured percussion caps.

The PDF below is from Forster. It describes in detail how to manufacture your own percussion caps. I'll post an update if and when I receive mine.

Photo | Fire Spitting Black Widow

noreply@blogger.com (Reggie Paulk) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:15:00 +0000

I placed my Canon 1D MKIIn camera on motor drive while I shot my Black Widow. The camera takes 8.5 shots per second in this mode, and I made sure to get the shutter speed pumped all the way up to 1/8000th of a second. I wasn't able to capture any bullets leaving the barrel, but I sure did see some unexpected artifacts: Smoke curls coming out of the barrel immediately after shooting and the burning embers of gun powder during the recoil as demonstrated below.