Discuss North American Arms

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CTGunner

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I was looking for a new pocket gun - something reliable, reasonably accurate, and something small enough to conceal in my pocket. After some research and experiences with various pocket guns I landed on the North American Arms .380. My other points of comparison include The S&W 442, Ruger LCR, Ruger LCP, Kel Tech P3AT, and the Kel Tech PF9. In terms of accuracy I believe the Ruger LCP and NAA .380 are comparable. However, in terms of overall build quality the NAA gets the nod. I was also intrigued by the Kahr PM380. I really like the trigger on that gun but the cost was too prohibitive - even on the used market they are commanding high dollars, for a pocket gun imo.

So far I am impressed with the little NAA. It's easy to carry and seems well built. I was able to snag mine for new for $300 including tax and the dealer included 1 box of target ammo and 1 box of hornady critical defense. I guess they don't sell very well, which surprises me. Maybe their marketing can't compete with the Rugers and Kel Techs but their quality seems to.
 
I have a little NAA in .32 acp. When I got it, it would fire one round and the mag release would drop the mag down a bit and the slide would over-ride the next round and not feed. I sent it back to NAA and told them the problem and told them I had bought it used.

Came back in about 6 weeks with an explanation. They had fixed the problem and told me it was an older model. Therefore they had replaced some parts. A parts list was included and the cost of the parts was well over $200 plus labor. NO COST to me at all.

Now, it works perfectly. Quite an accurate little gun, 100% reliable and quite small (concealable). Only knocks on it is you have to get used to the trigger pull and pay attention to shoot it well. (A little practice will do it for you.) Second knock is that it is a heavy-for-size little sucker.

I consider it a very good piece for the application for which it is suited.

I also own a Ruger LCP and LCR (well, my wife confiscated the LCR!). I like them too but don't consider them close enough to the NAA to do a direct comparison. Oranges & apples.
 
Yes I shot it. 50 Rounds. First mag had one failure to feed. Racked the slide and the round chambered. After that no issues. It was pretty accurate at 25 feet - hit a man sized target center mass no problem. The trigger pull is long but relatively smooth, it reminds me of a revolver. Also, I just took it out of the box and shot it, it really wasn't lubed. I got it home, took it apart and it was pretty clean, just a quick wipe down and lube was required. I picked up a pocket holster for a beretta Tomcat and it works pretty good but I'll probably be looking for a custom holster or two for it.
 
The NAA Guardian in .32 ACP is a great carry gun.

It's great for summer time carry in very hot weather and as a second gun to the main CCW carry piece in winter.

The .380 models of many brands kick too much for me.
 
I don't like the weight ( more than some 38 snubs) long heavy trigger and being a blow back recoil.

My KelTec is lighter in weight and trigger pull . It is a lock breech so recoil isn't bad
So I voted for the KelTec Then again my Colt Mustang which is better then either one..
 
I'm a bit of an anomaly in that I've owned most of NAA's more popular handguns: 22mag & 22 l.r. revolvers, and 32 and 380 guardians. I think I still own them all, though I may not still have the 22 l.r. - can't recall.

I believe they're nice pistols, but they were all bought during late 1990's I think and they represent 1990's technology. Guns built 10-15 years later reflect significant advances just as ammo built 10-15 years later. Also if you'll recall, there was some data during the 1990's that inflated the effectiveness of the little 22mag round. Like many other people, I rode the 22mag horse for a short while before finally breaking down and moving to a 40.

I like the NAAs, but I'm more likely to carry one of the lighter polymer pistols today.
 
Based on my own experience I would say avoid anything that says Kel-tec like the plague. My wife had a P3AT as her backup handgun and it had catastrophic malfunctions every time we went to the range. We replaced it with a NAA .22Mag. Haven't had a single issue with it. If you decide to go with the NAA minis, spend the extra time and money to get a break action one. The new minis you have to remove the cylinder to load/unload.

Haven't tried the NAA Guardians but if they are built like the minis you will like them.

I am part of the school of thought that pocket guns should be revolvers. Carrying a semi-auto in a holster IWB/OWB is fine and dandy. But a pocket is dirtier with lint and dust. A good revolver will have less issue in a pocket than a semi-auto.
 
I ended up with the Taurus 380. The NAA was heavier which may not be a downer to some as the weight tames the recoil a little but I'm used to the heavy recoil so the Taurus doesn't bother me. Another plus was the Taurus, NAA and the Baby Eagle were the only small 380s that my large finger fits in front of the trigger without making a conscious effort. And I do agree the workmanship of the NAA is significantly better than my Taurus but the cost of the NAA was significantly higher when I did my buying. The really major problem I felt the NAA had was the too-small projection I've always called the beavertail which keeps the web of your hand from rising up to be torn apart by the slide when shooting. When trying out one at the range, a round in the second magazine full, removed a significant amount of skin during a quick fire exercise. The Taurus hasn't gotten me yet after nearly 500 rounds.
 
I have owned a bunch of pocket pistols including an NAA Guardian and as far as I'm concerned I would take any 380 Locked Breech action pistol over the Guardian any day.

Most if not all of the current Locked Breech mini pistols are much lighter and have way less felt recoil than the Guardian and in my case are also more reliable than the Guardian.
 
Truth be told.........purchased a .380 Guardian on the reccomendation of an instructor. Honestly, the gun was so bad ....mag always dropped after 3rd round fired, trigger spring broke....after 3 trips back to the factory, NAA issued me a brand new gun.....seems to run alright.....but would I risk my life on it......Nah, keep it pretty much as a paper weight now.........is why I carry my J frame as a BUG.
 
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Mixed bag

I have a NAA Guardian .32ACP pistol. I have only put about 150 rounds through it. Part of the reason is the recoil which is heavy. My larger, but not nearly as concealable BERETTA Tomcat is much easier to shoot, more accurate and easier to control. The downside is that it is bigger, but not much heavier.

I am going to try COR BON Powerball in the Guardian and if that works, it will be my carry load for when only a .25ACP size pistol can be carried.

I also bought a KEL TEC .32ACP. It has yet to go through a full magazine without a jam. The Guardian comes out much better on this.

Jim
 
Ya know.....discussing recoil here.....my 380 Guardian has quite the sting when I fire it and it's heavy for a mouse.......was wondering what it feels like to fire a much lighter LCP.....must be awful.
 
xXxplosive said:
Ya know.....discussing recoil here.....my 380 Guardian has quite the sting when I fire it and it's heavy for a mouse.......was wondering what it feels like to fire a much lighter LCP.....must be awful.
Click to expand...
It's exactly the opposite because the LCP is not a blowback like the Guardian is.

I'm not a fan of the LCP but I would take it in a heartbeat over the Guardian.

This is just my opinion based on shooting both extensively.
 
I checked out and handled one when I was shopping for a pocket-32. It felt solid and well-built, but was simply too heavy for pocket-carry (for me, at least.) It was used, which put its price about on par with a new Kel-Tec P32. I ended up with the Kel-Tec, which has functioned flawlessly throughout about 200 rounds (except for one that fell victim to rimlock during the first 20 rounds fired.)
 
xXxplosive said:
Hmmmmm......so the LCP being lighter in weight, shooting the basic same round has less recoil ?
Click to expand...
Yes it does and it's not just a little difference, it's a lot less felt recoil.

All the locked breech action pistols like the P3AT, Kahr P380, Taurus TCP, Sig P238, S&W Bodyguard all have significantly less felt recoil compared to Blowback pistols like the NAA Guardian, Micro Desert Eagle and the Seecamp.
 
I owned a .380 Guardian. it was a reliable pistol but it's trigger guard would beat up my knuckle when firing it. I sold it for a good price and bought a P3AT. It has proved to be just as reliable and for me, more hand friendly.
 
Xplosive, lest kokapelli sound like he's crazy, I'll confirm what he's saying. The difference in design causes a lessening in recoil that is, to me, nothing short of remarkable. Kel-Tec still has recoil, but it ain't bad.
 
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I have both an NAA and a KT in.32. The NAA looks like a much better and more substantial pistol. But the KT is more accurate, has a better trigger and the recoil feels much easier to control.
 
I owned a NAA Guardian in .380 for a while, and carried it in an pocket holster during many a pool game. In a world full of “How light can I go?” the ALL steel, AMERICAN made 380 was a welcomed addition to my arsenal. I sold it because I had a chance to shoot my dad’s Ruger LCP, and while I hate to admit it…it did feels better in my hand, and has a better trigger pull. The NAA’s are quality guns, and for $300 they’re definitely worth it. For me, I prefer the Ruger – at the same time, I respect NAA and their product. They are reliable to a fault, and I trusted my life with it for 2 years. Happy Hunting!
 
I too had a NAA .32 acp, while it had no issues in reguards to shooting, its big negitive is that straight blow-back design (recoiled hard) and its overly heavy in weight compared to newer designs. LM
 
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