.22 Short NAA

[TTv2]

Well, I have since sold off my NAA 22LR, but I still have my NAA 22Short!


This has been my personal experience at least. I have over 1,200 rounds through that little gun so far (I know, that's a crazy high round count for one of these little guns... but, I really enjoy shooting it!), and have never once noticed a key hole tear in my target paper. It's always round 22cal holes as you would expect. Even out to 25 yards, it's still making 22 cal holes in paper. I have only ever shot the hyper-velocity 22Shorts though, I'm not sure how the slower CB cap or lead target rounds would perform. My 22LR model wasn't bad either, most rounds did fly true... however, I would see an occasional keyhole round every once in a while (often a flyer, that struck on the outer edge of the target). I just assume the super short barrel, and twist rate combination, is a better match for the 29gr bullet over the heavier, longer rounds the 22LR was spitting out. I had also re-crowned both guns for best possible performance (NAA doesn't do a good job there). The problem would have likely been even worse, had I not done this.

That's about as definitive of an answer, you had already decided to keep the Short over the LR.

I probably bring my smaller NAA out every few months and put 50 rds thru it, so probably 200-300 rds a year and that's to stay fresh with it. I should probably do some chronograph testing with it to see what's getting a good velocity as that's the best metric to figure what will penetrate well. I doubt that I would shoot the Short or LR NAA any more than what I already do with the Magnum frame, so at less than a brick a year I don't have an issue paying the extra $20 for a brick of Shorts.

Your belief that there's something off with the barrel or twist rates that NAA is using for the LR causes the keyholes is possible, but what I take from your experience and others and Paul Harrell is that the .22 LR model has an unresolved issue that may not affect every shot, but will randomly do so. I think even my Magnum models have keyholed a .22 LR or started to cause a keyhole, but since it's a .22 Mag length cylinder and barrel, I can assume that's the issue and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Thank you for your replies, you've done a lot of shooting and testing with the .22 Short model and provided me with a lot of information. I'll give it another few days to think it over, but now I'm leaning back to the Short model since it seems to be more consistent and repeatable in its performance.

 

[TTv2]

The .22wmr pistols do have a bigger frame than the .22lr and the .22 short is even smaller. I personally don't find my .22lr NAA very practical. The stock grip panels it came with is too small for my big hands. I literally can't hang on to the .22lr. So I put one of the folding grips on my .22lr NAA and it was bigger to carry than my .22wmr NAA plus there was an extra step to deploy it. I put the factory grip panels back on the .22lr and then put one of the NAA rubber grips that slip over the factory grip panels and I can shoot it reliably without it wanting to jump out of my hand but the size advantage of the smaller frame is gone.

The only thing that has kept me from buying the .22short version of the NAA is I can't imagine any way that I would actually be able to shoot it, no less shoot it with any kind of accuracy.

Just my $.02 though. A smaller more nimble hand might be much more comfortable with the smaller frames.


As much as I would love to have a NAA Ranger II, $400+ is just more than I am willing to spend on one. They are very cool though!

I always considered the .22 short NAA a body cavity pistol, i.e. a butt gun, to smuggle into restricted places.

Nothing about the NAA's is supposed to be practical outside of it being small and you carry it where it's most practical over a larger pistol that wouldn't be practical. The reason I'm looking at the smaller frames is the LR is an inch shorter than my Magnum, the Short would be an inch and a half shorter; that's a 20% smaller length with the LR, 30% with the Short.

With either of them I would likely change the grips to the popular boot grips so I could get more of my ring finger on it, but I'll be keeping an eye out for laser grips in the future.

Can't say how I'll shoot with them, the grips are so much smaller it will likely be more challenging, but we're talking about very close distances, point blank ranges, stuff where a proper hold isn't necessary, just get a hold of it and squeeze the trigger.

Which is why I'm not too hip on the Ranger or Sidewinder myself, they're a neat idea, but they're based around a faster reload, which with these NAA revolvers isn't that practical as I find them to be a 5 shot solution to help you aid in escaping where before shooting escape wasn't possible.

The Short model has one thing the others don't have: it's the smallest, and that does account for something because you can always make a gun bigger thru adding grips, optics, sights, and lights, but you can never maker a bigger gun smaller unless you start removing metal.

 

[Ethan Verity]

Regarding needing smaller hands to handle the gun comfortably, I don't think it really matters. You just need to get used to how it feels in your hand. It is awkward at first, but you get used to it. My hand length is 8", which comes out as size L to XL on most glove sizing charts... But, I shoot the mini just fine.

 

[GEM]

If you life depends on reloading one of these - well, hope you get your Halo!! I don't see adding much, I'd rather have a J frame than upping th size of the gun.

 

[chicharrones]

If you life depends on reloading one of these - well, hope you get your Halo!! I don't see adding much, I'd rather have a J frame than upping th size of the gun.

Reloading. Lol. They are so small, just carry one in each pocket.

 

[TTv2]

Reloading. Lol. They are so small, just carry one in each pocket.

The NAA's are so small, they're perfect for the "NY reload."

And at the prices NAA is asking for the Sidewinder and Ranger, buying two standard mini's isn't only a faster reload, it's cheaper too.

 

[Armybrat]

I still have my standard Mini magnum… bought it new for $80 about 35 years ago….

 

[jmorris]

Nothing about the NAA's is supposed to be practical outside of it being small and you carry it where it's most practical over a larger pistol that wouldn't be practical. The reason I'm looking at the smaller frames is the LR is an inch shorter than my Magnum, the Short would be an inch and a half shorter; that's a 20% smaller length with the LR, 30% with the Short.

Instead of getting all caught up in measurements and percentages you might see what you can get out of your pocket and put shots on targets with.

For example it’s noticeably smaller than say a little Beretta .25 but I can slip it out of my pocket faster and put more rounds down range, in less time.

That makes the little revolvers more “for looking at” or play, for me.

 

[GEM]

It's utility is being easy to hide deeply. No one seriously promotes its shootability. It's for that surreptitious draw and surprise up the evil doer's nostril. Also, it is cute as it meets the metric on infant appearance that is applied to many products based on how infants are proportioned and we have a biological predisposition to think that is cute.

 

[TTv2]

Instead of getting all caught up in measurements and percentages you might see what you can get out of your pocket and put shots on targets with.

For example it’s noticeably smaller than say a little Beretta .25 but I can slip it out of my pocket faster and put more rounds down range, in less time.

That makes the little revolvers more “for looking at” or play, for me.

View attachment 1155177

Who says I'm carrying the NAA in a pocket? The advantage to the NAA, the small frames especially, is it can be carried almost anywhere.

 

[jmorris]

Who says I'm carrying the NAA in a pocket? The advantage to the NAA, the small frames especially, is it can be carried almost anywhere.

It can, pockets are often where they end up.

Nothing about the NAA's is supposed to be practical outside of it being small and you carry it where it's most practical over a larger pistol that wouldn't be practical.

The clip grip makes it easier to keep it and the snagging hammer spur from getting down to the bottom of a pocket but then the package size grows even larger.



I’m not saying they are poor quality or anything, they are very nicely machined and built but seriously, take a shot timer with you next time you shoot it, set up two targets and put the shot timer on a random delay start and see how long it takes from the buzzer to your first shot and what your split time is to the next one. That will show you the short comings of the design.

 

[Ethan Verity]

Speaking of the NAA 22Short bullets remaining stable in flight, I recently shot mine at 100 yards (yes, 300 feet) just for the challenge. I fired 75 rounds total, actually landed 22 on paper, and hit within the blue silhouette 12 times. All my full misses were pretty close though, I could see the little dirt puffs being kicked up in the backstop around the target. I was just happy to hit the target at all, it's satisfying doing this with the smallest short-range belly gun on the market! Still no signes of keyholing rounds on the paper, even out this far!

Maybe I should but a scope on it and try reaching out to 200 yards next time!

 

[.455_Hunter]

Speaking of the NAA 22Short bullets remaining stable in flight, I recently shot mine at 100 yards (yes, 300 feet) just for the challenge. I fired 75 rounds total, actually landed 22 on paper, and hit within the blue silhouette 12 times. All my full misses were pretty close though, I could see the little dirt puffs being kicked up in the backstop around the target. I was just happy to hit the target at all, it's satisfying doing this with the smallest short-range belly gun on the market! Still no signes of keyholing rounds on the paper, even out this far!

But, but, but... The interwebz "experts" who pontificate on forums, blogs and YouTube say such shooting is impossible with microgun. Only trendy duty-size platforms with a RDS have even the potential for such performance at distance.

 

[Brubz]

I have the NAA Wasp. It's pretty accurate up to about 30 feet. But it's a b***** to reload. Even in a calm situation. In a moment of high stress?
As they say in Brooklyn, "Fugit about it"

 

[TTv2]

Speaking of the NAA 22Short bullets remaining stable in flight, I recently shot mine at 100 yards (yes, 300 feet) just for the challenge. I fired 75 rounds total, actually landed 22 on paper, and hit within the blue silhouette 12 times. All my full misses were pretty close though, I could see the little dirt puffs being kicked up in the backstop around the target. I was just happy to hit the target at all, it's satisfying doing this with the smallest short-range belly gun on the market! Still no signes of keyholing rounds on the paper, even out this far!

Maybe I should but a scope on it and try reaching out to 200 yards next time!

View attachment 1157761

Mine is on the way. I mulled it over last minute if I didn't want to get the LR instead, but I figured that those will be easier to get in the future from others, while the .22 Short model will be very uncommon.

Reason I hesitated was I started looking into the Federal Punch .22 LR ammo and it looks like it has good penetration, but I can't find anything on how they do in the LR NAA. It possible they're not much better than other .22 LR ammo is.

That's pretty good to see that the shots that landed on paper didn't tumble at 100y. I guess you could put up more paper and see how many more don't keyhole. I don't think even at 100y that a keyhole is a problem, it's only a concern for me at usual distances.

 

[Ethan Verity]

I forgot about those new Federal Punch rounds, I bet they would perform great in the NAA 22lr. The 29gr bullet is the same weight as the 22 Short bullet, but more powder behind it!

Hmmm... 22lr case + 22 Short bullet, shouldn't Federal technically be calling those hyper-velocity 22 Long cartridges?

 

[Ethan Verity]

Hmmm... 22lr case + 22 Short bullet, shouldn't Federal technically be calling those hyper-velocity 22 Long cartridges?

Whoops, actually I'm looking at pictures of the round right now... looks like the case length is longer than a standard 22LR case, so that the overall length of the round is the same despite having a 29gr bullet on top. So, it's maybe a 22 Extra Long case, with a 22 Short bullet loaded? Lol, whatever it is it looks like a good round for the 22lr, though it's not a traditional 22lr cartridge.

 

[TTv2]

Whoops, actually I'm looking at pictures of the round right now... looks like the case length is longer than a standard 22LR case, so that the overall length of the round is the same despite having a 29gr bullet on top. So, it's maybe a 22 Extra Long case, with a 22 Short bullet loaded? Lol, whatever it is it looks like a good round for the 22lr, though it's not a traditional 22lr cartridge.

It's probably the CCI Stinger case, but with a solid lead bullet and a fast burning powder.

 

[TTv2]

I put about half a box down range today. Here's my thoughts:

-It's tough to find the proper hold, but I think I got that figured out. Even if I do end up putting larger grips on it (I will be buying the rubber cobblestone grips similar to what's on the Pug) I would have done the same had I got the .22 LR model and what that means is the Short model is still shorter.

-I took a page out of the H&R Young America in I'm using the firing pin on the hammer as my rear sight and aligning it with the front blade for windage. For elevation I've found that putting the top of the firing pin halfway up the front blade means the POA will be at tip of the front blade and the POI will be close to that.

Once that was discovered, I feel I have more faith in being able to hit with the .22 Short NAA vs the .22 Mag NAA I have. Even tho the .22 Mag is easier to hold, its sights are tough to figure out and the longer sight radius makes the front blade tougher to see. I will have to try both back to back and see what I think.

-There were a lot of light strikes, but I believe those are due to the ammo, Aguila doesn't seem to like NAA revolvers much.

-Given the small size, reloading is a far more complicated process than it is with the Magnum models. This makes range use less pleasant, but self defense use I still maintain that NAA's are they give you 5 shots and after that an advantage in either running away for fighting up close.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the NAA Short. It's a basket case that I wanted to get my hands on and see what can be done to improve user operation. Aiming is the #1 challenge and finding the proper POA is the first place to start. After that it's finding the proper grip that aids in aligning the sights that make picking up the POA as quickly and easy as possible.

 

[Speedo66]

My .22 LR Mini fit pretty well in this buckle, but too small for me to manipulate the action reliably.
Gifted it to my son for Christmas.
Bought a Ranger II just for fun, not carry.
View attachment 1154752]

Does it pop out like this one? Go to :46 to see it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=toy...#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:bb676381,vid:I7xM5wATkTI

 

[Armybrat]

Does it pop out like this one? Go to :46 to see it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=toy...#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:bb676381,vid:I7xM5wATkTI

No, the North American belt buckle like the one I posted functions like this:

 

[Armybrat]

Does it pop out like this one? Go to :46 to see it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=toy...#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:bb676381,vid:I7xM5wATkTI

But I will say that was a cool little toy.
Better than the Roy Rogers derringer that flipped out of the cowboy hat and fired when removed from the kid’s head.