Hands On
Considering the size and chambering of the NAA, I decided to keep my testing distances for it realistic — namely 5 yards. This is a tiny revolver designed for “bad breath” distance, so this seemed pretty reasonable to me.
I ran about 50 rounds of the Speer ammo through the gun for accuracy and found it gave me pretty consistent 1.5″ groups with a few fliers at that distance, hitting about 4″ below point of aim with the miniscule sights. Out of curiosity, I chronographed the Speer ammo as well as some .22 LR 40-gr. Federal Gold Medal with the secondary cylinder, with the LR running about 800 fps and the magnum about 150 fps faster. This is not an insignificant difference in velocity and seemed to make it worth the added noise and recoil of the .22 Mag. ammo.
I also tried out the CCI MaxiMag Shotshells, which packs 52 grains of #12 shot. I discovered real fast this was a very short-range proposition out of the stubby barrel of the NAA. I started at 3 yds. and soon discovered a mere few feet was the optimal range for this load out of the NAA. If you want to take out a snake with this one, you better plan on getting close!
On the subject of recoil … I must admit, I was surprised at the amount of it with the .22 Mag. load. This little gun was a handful, and I was very glad to have the folding holster grip for added purchase. On the other hand, the .22 LR loads were pipsqueaks out of the gun. Gentle and fun to shoot.
Speaking of the Holster Grip, this is a really interesting option for these little guns. It’s made from polymer and is designed to fold in on the gun and cover the exposed trigger. To use, simple unfold until the grip locks in the firing position. Two spring-loaded buttons pop out into holes on the sides of the grip when opened, and you simply press in these two buttons and fold it back when the gun is ready to go back into your pocket. The grip has a reversible pocket clip allowing you to clip the gun inside your pocket like a folding knife, making the gun look like a largish knife when put there. Neat!
Also, don’t plan on quick presentations or fast reloads with this system. Drawing the NAA and unfolding it does take a few seconds, and reloading is downright glacial in its pace. First, place the hammer in the half-cock position on the empty gun. Press in the button on the end of the cylinder pin and pull the pin free, allowing the cylinder to be removed. You can use the cylinder pin to punch out the fired cases, and then reload the chambers and reinsert the cylinder. Reinstall the cylinder pin until it locks in place, and you’re ready to go.
