NAA mini-revolver 22 mag vs .380 mini auto for ccw

CowboyKen

CowboyKen

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In another thread TACC1 commented:

TACC1 said:
... If you think you can only carry a ... due to its size, etc., look at an NAA mini-revolver. Using the oversized rubber grips, you'll have five rounds of 22 mag. It can be carried in any location due to its size, and the ammo allows up to 1100 fps out of a 1-5/8" barrel. Tiny, and doesn't weigh more than your wallet. JMHO, TACC1
Click to expand...

How do you think the NAA compares, as a practical ccw (either as a BUG or primary), with one of the tiny new .380s such at the Keltec p3at or the Ruger lcp?

Ken
 
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While the NAA is an option I am an old school gear head believer too.

There is no replacement for cubic displacement.

I would choose the 380. There are a lot of high quality 380's for around $300.
 
I'm not a fan of the tiny .380s, and I own a NAA Black Widow that I like very much, but I'd never recommend it as a "primary" CCW.

My mini revolver is my "I don't want to carry a gun" gun. Period.

If someone took away all my J-frames and made me choose one or the other I'd probably get the .380. But I wouldn't like it...

EDIT: to clarify, I don't have an issue with the .380 cartridge. IMHO all handgun cartridges are inadequate, so quibbling over a few foot-pounds is pointless. My problem is with the itty bitty guns chambered for it. There are too many things that can go wrong under stress, and I don't want to try to perform immediate action on a micro pistol while standing in front of a bad guy. I'd want something at least as large as a PPK, but if I'm going to carry something that large I might as well get a small single stack 9mm.
 
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If you are carrying anything "less" then the police or military (e.g.; 9mm or .38 MINIMUM) you are not carrying enough gun. Given the choices here the winner would have to be the .380. Don't misunderstand, I have nothing against a .380, to each his own.
 
I've worked on a number of cases in which .380s were lethal right quick. A couple where .22s were as well.

Look at the platform. I've owned a couple of those mini-guns. I found that the hammer would not uncommonly walk off the "safe" notch during ordinary activity - I'd find it on the primer of a live round when I took the gun out of my pocket at night. Most distressing, all the more so since I was carrying in a factory holster. (This happened with two separate mini-revolvers.)

Furthermore, you ever try hitting anything with one of those mini-revolvers, fast? Bear in mind that shot-placement and adequate penetration appear to be what are needed to guarantee a stop, so you need precision when you're using a teeny-tiny bullet. Mini-revolvers are neat toys, but they're not combat guns. Fast single-action shots with an itty-bitty gun? Under stress? Right.

Neither are mini-.380s, but they're a whole lot more capable when it comes to putting a hole into an area the size of a tennis ball on a moving target. And the heavier, faster (yes - I chrono'd my mini guns - I wouldn't have .22 Magnum in anything below 4" - where it's actually pretty respectable - I know NAA makes 4" .22 Mags, but that's not what people are asking about) bullet is a whole lot more likely to adequately penetrate.

Plus, you throw a clip onto the Kel-Tec or LCP and it disappears without even a holster. Actually hides better than a mini-revolver.

I like the mini-revolvers fine - for fun. If you want to carry one for defensive purposes, go with God. But - having tried both and worked on a whole lot of shooting cases - I choose the .380 (LCP). :)
 
Mini-guns, mouse guns, call them what you will ... as the size drops, the trade-off increases. The smaller the pistol, the less practical functionality it has. Personally speaking, I would never carry any type of pistol that resembles a prize out of a Cracker Jack box. The micro-guns I see touted in various periodicals and buyers guides may look cute, but I would not rely on one to keep me alive in a worst case scenario. If I were to carry a .22 for self-defense purposes, it would be a .22 J-Frame, and only a .22 J-Frame (something like a 317 Airlite). Any J-frame snub wearing boot grips can be concealed perfectly on the average person, be it ankle rig, IWB/OWB, pocket, etc. And if the J-frame is the choice, then there is no reason not to have .38s loaded, rather than .22s.
 
I carry a 380 pocket rocket all the time, as a back up and a primary carry.
I would choose the 380 over the NAA 22mag. The single action thing would be a big disadvantage if you ever had to use it, unless you practice and train with it a lot. I here NAA is developing a 32 magnum mini-revolver. I'm watching for that one when and if it ever goes in to production.

I have a Ruger Single Six with a 9.5" barrel. Now that throws out a 22 mag with some gusto! It just won't fit into my pocket very well.
 
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I am well aware that the .22 has killed quite a number of people. That said, numerous police forces have carried both the .32 auto and .380 for a reason. I am one who believes there's a benefit to the bigger bullet. I carry a .380 Sig P238 when I am unable or to lazy to tack on the .45acp Commander. Similarity in form and function helps as does knowing the round is a bit more effective.
 
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