NAA Minis

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grumble, cussing, kicking rocks....

I just saw a NIB buckle Freedom Arms mini at a gun show in Cape Girardeau last weekend for $250......but I didn't get the mans name that had it. If anyone is seriously interested Email me and I will give you the promoters number and description of where the guy was located so you can see if you can locate him. It was a small (225 table) show and the man was against the front wall so the promoter should be able to tell you who he is.
gunscustom@aol.com

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Gunslinger
 
I've been carrying NAA Mini - 22 Magnum - 1-1/8" barrel in the NAA pocket holster since 1995. The pocket holster provides space for 6 extra rounds of ammo and generally keeps the mini upright in the pocket. The holster combined with moisture has resulted in a slightly tarnished finish but there has been no rust problems. Otherwise, there has been ZERO problems with my Mini and it functions perfectly as designed.

Practice "fast draw" from the pocket holster. In condition yellow it is best to have hand-in-pocket with Mini partly drawn from holster. The "ready position" is to have finger on the trigger and thumb on the hammer. Having the thumb on the hammer has 2 purposes: (1) prevent snagging pocket on draw; and (2) cocking Mini as it leaves the pocket. Believe me, the draw is FAST and effective for up close and personal use.

One last point, I carry my Mini with the hammer down on a empty chamber * as is customary with the older single action revolvers. Yes, this limits me to 4 rounds but frankly, with the Mini, you better get it done within the first 2 rounds. I practice for 1st round head shot at 6 feet distance.

Other recommendations are to change your ammo once every month or two because rimfire amount is sensitive to moisture. The pocket carry mode is subject to moisture and lint. I occasional check the barrel to ensure that it is free of lint and other obstructions.

For its intended purpose and when used within its limitations, the NAA Mini is tops!

*P.S. The Mini has a safety notch in between each cylinder so that you can carry it fully stoked with 5 rounds. My personal preference and habit is to simply carry it with the hammer down on an empty chamber. In this mode the hammer spring is completely relaxed which in my opinion is always best.

[This message has been edited by AUTiger73 (edited July 31, 2000).]
 
Got one a month ago. Couldn't justify it, but it was on my mind enough that I just HAD to get it.

Tiny, well made, and has high nifty value. Great toy, fun backup gun.

Seems to throw about 1/3rd of rounds. Grip is so small that it's a bit hard to hold it without obscuring the sights (and my hands are certainly not big).

It's a toy. Really well made, great fun, but still a toy. Use it for fun on the range, but do not intentionally use it as a serious defensive weapon. Practically speaking, if someone's that close and I'm carrying that little firepower, probably better to use a knife (have 2 years of Kali training). As Cooper put it: "if carrying it comforts you, do so, but do not load it. If you load it, you may fire it. If you fire it, you may hit someone, and he will have reason to be annoyed and do you great harm."
 
Well made, great customer service but WHY?

The Kel Tec P-32 is designed for easy pocket carry in .32 ACP ceneterfire.

I looked at the NAA mini as well BUT my concern is that due to the smallness of the trigger, the manual of arms under stress may be difficult to operate let alone strike an accurate shot with.

In a sum, cute but not quite enough for me ;)

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The Seattle SharpShooter - TFL/GT/UGW/PCT/KTOG
 
The Black Widow and *especially* the MiniMaster are a good deal more accurate than the Guardian.

The little wheelguns don't jam. I love the way they feel, and would never swap them for a small slidegun with it's related pocket-lint-clog issues, and generally lower reliability.

As a bonus, buy any of the .22Mag models with a .22LR cylinder, and you can do tons of practice with reduced recoil, for peanuts.

Jim
 
This thread plus the great color picture of the NAA Mini in .22 magnum in my new Sept. issue of "Combat Handguns" has just about convinced me that I need one. :)
I think the barrel is the same length as my .22LR Mini, so my NAA nylon pocket holster should work. I just slid a .22 mag cartridge in the little velcro extra ammo pouch on the front of the holster and it still closes. Anybody know for sure if the slightly longer .22 mag Mini will fit the nylon holster?

Will

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Mendacity is the system we live in.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gunslinger:
I just saw a NIB buckle Freedom Arms mini at a gun show in Cape Girardeau last weekend for $250......but I didn't get the mans name that had it. [/quote]

No loss, the gun lists for $162, and the belt buckle for $39, so the gun you saw was overpriced. :)
 
I have one in .22 mag and love it, for what it is.
My suggestion would be to get the longer barreled version of the two. I have the shorter one and that little bit extra might make a positive difference.
I have a kydex neck holster for it that I love.
Have the first chamber loaded with snake shot in case I'm not totally on target.

They are a well made product and a great little hide gun.

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He who dares wins.
NRA Life Memeber
 
Johnwill, Freedom Arms left the minirevolver biz well over a decade ago now. Their stuff tended to be even more compact than NAA's.

So the price isn't out of line.

Jim
 
Very well made, neat little toys. I had one for a little over a decade: '88-'99. I knew a lot of nutcases (myself included) who thought of them as a backup's backup, tho in reality I don't think they're very useful for defense.

The way the minis buck gives you new respect for the power of the .22 lr. Alas, there's really not a whole lot of juice coming out the front of the 1" bbl - playing with penetration tests made me take the thing a lot less seriously. And, while they're not too slow on the first shot, they're pretty dang slow for the follow-ups. After a while I decided I'd be better served with a folding knife than my NAA. I kept it for a while as a toy, but then I traded it in when I got my Marlin .45/70.

I've noticed a whole lot of interest in the minis lately. I'd advise holding off on any mini-rev purchase until January, and then re-assessing their usefulness in the, ahem, cold light of winter. You might find you've saved yourself some money.
 
They are okay but it is very hard to find custom thumb rest target grips for them.

Also really hard to mount either a laser sight system or an Aimpoint.

Also they are tough to "fan."

:)
 
In my case the NAA mini magnum is perfect because I simply am not comfortable carrying any of my other hadnguns on a regular basis. I stick the mini in my front pocket and virtually forget about it. To the extent that it is always there and I am comfortable carrying it, it is very useful.
It also rings my chimes more than my 1911 if I shoot it without ear protection.
 
Nice factory - Everything is CNC milled out of choice steel and hand fitted just like the do at WILSON COMBAT.
Good people there at NAA and all genuine gun nuts.
 
I bought one of the convertibles some 15 years or so back. Luvvit!

I've found that if I hold or "aim" a foot or so low on the first shot, firing strong-handed, I'll hit the center. I come up into a sort of Weaver grip, and cock the hammer with my left thumb. Quick! At five yards or so, I can get all five shots into the IPSC 5-point circle.

Five .22 Mag hollow-points beat the heck out of a loud scream.

Amen on the changing ammo regularly. Definitely do some regular practicing, as the feel and hold is different from anything else.

:), Art
 
If I had a mini, I probably would not bother practicing with it at all. I mean never.
Why?
Because about the only thing it would be useful for is when the perp is ON TOP of you (and by then, as they say in bayonnet training in USMC boot camp, you have already screwed up).
At point blank-range (Say, the barrel stuffed into his belly button), a 22 will do PLENTY of damage.
Take a .22 some time and fire it 2-3 inches from a paper target. Watch said target split and shred from the expanding gasses. Imagine those gasses expanding in BG's body as they follow the .22 round in.

Enough said :)

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"Freedom is that instant between when someone tells you to do something and when you decide how to respond."
-Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
 
I've owned several over the years. While I used to carry it regularly, It has been relegated to the safe since I have received and practiced with both an American Derringer .45 colt derringer and a Bond Arms derringer in the same caliber. I feel that the derringer is just as concealable (tucks in my back pocket and you don't even know it's there!) Easier to get into action quickly because of the larger grip and controls, is more accurate by far, and packs a much more potent wallop! I would rather have 2 255 grain slugs or six 000 pellets than 5 .22 anything. Size wise, there is not too much difference, weight wise, I hardly notice it anymore than the NAA.


Just my opinion!

Chris Canis
For a small, flat concealable package, either of my derringers gets the nod before the NAA.
 
The best fodder I've shot is the CCI MaxiMag +Vs (in .22Mag). The new TNT version of that is something I've been looking for :). Raw ballistics should be similar; we're trying to get NAA to test the TNTs just to make sure.

In any case, most .22Mag ammo is "tuned for rifles" while the CCI 30grain seems to get a huge boost over what else is out there.

The CCI +V alone is good reason for owning a .22Mag (or convertable) over a .22LR only.

Jim
 
I've had mine - 22 LR for a long time and carry it in an oversize 'penknife' pouch, no matter what dress - formal or casual it passes unnoticed . We have no legal carry in this country and with some alarm realized i'd been walking in and out of police stations, banks airports and things on regular business forgetting that it was there. Resolved to be a bit more carweful. In summertime in this semi-desert mountain region its a great cure for snakes that come to close to the house for comfort - with the CCI shotshells. Impresses the natives (visitors and such) too, casually draw the wee thing and blam the varmints :) "..beg your pardon... you were saying..."

They are built like jewels - on that count alone a gun fancier should own at least one.

Hasta pronto - Peter Knight in Cordoba - Argentina
 
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