Story and Photos By Reggie PaulkFirst Impressions...
I've been the proud owner of a North American Arms 22 Mini Magnum Conversion Revolver with 1-5/8 inch barrel for two weeks. I think I'm beginning to get familiar enough with it to give an honest assessment of the gun's attributes, and thought a thorough review was in order.
Where I live, there are no gun stores nearby that stock the North American Arms line, so my search led me to dealers in the Denver, Colorado area. I searched solely on price, and purchased my gun for pickup at the store the next day. Due to my anticipation, I'd say the two hour drive to the gun dealer was one of the longer ones I've taken.
Where I live, there are no gun stores nearby that stock the North American Arms line, so my search led me to dealers in the Denver, Colorado area. I searched solely on price, and purchased my gun for pickup at the store the next day. Due to my anticipation, I'd say the two hour drive to the gun dealer was one of the longer ones I've taken.
When handed the tiny black plastic case, I couldn't help but open it immediately and take a look at my new gun. After having read every post and watched every video I could find on the internet regarding this gun, actually laying eyes on the real thing can't be adequately described.
Because the gun is so tiny and toylike, I was immediately enamored with it. It begs to be picked up and handled, much like a little puppy. I'll go ahead and say it; my little Mini Mag is darn cute.
My wife had to do some shopping while we were in the city, so I spent over an hour in the car getting familiar with my new revolver. The thing that struck me when I picked up the gun for the first time was its heft. It feels substantial in the hand.
I'd seen enough about the gun on the Internet that I knew how to remove the cylinder pin and cylinder, so I pulled the hammer to the half-cock detent, pressed the cylinder pin plunger and removed the cylinder pin, being careful not to let the cylinder fall out of the frame. After verifying the cylinder was empty, I left it sitting on the foam in the case so I could play with the trigger and hammer.
"There's no doubt rimfire cartridges will go off with this miniature sledge bearing down on them."
Let me be clear: There's not one part on this gun that makes it seem cheap. Even though small in size, the hammer and trigger are hefty pieces of 17-4 pH steel with a substantial ribbing that's easy to grip--even with sweaty fingers. Placing my thumb on the hammer to cock the gun, I was taken aback by the 'big gun' sound of the cocking mechanism. I was even more surprised by the strength of the hammer's spring. Cocking a Mini Mag takes the same effort as any full-frame rimfire revolver. This little 'toy' all of a sudden showed that it meant serious business.
With the hammer cocked, I pulled the trigger. The hammer slammed home with a satisfying clunk. There's no doubt rimfire cartridges will go off with this miniature sledge bearing down on them. Doing this a few times only made me want to load up the cylinder and start blowing up targets.
"There's not one part on this gun that makes it seem cheap."
The first shots with my revolver were with the long rifle cylinder because I had a feeling I was going to become instantly addicted to shooting this little jewel. Two and a half hours and a 300 rounds of long rifle later, I was glad I did!
Loading the cylinder is really fun. I have a technique where I remove the cylinder pin with my right hand; pop out and hold the cylinder with my left thumb and forefinger; hold the frame with my index finger; poke out empty shells with the cylinder pin, then place the pin between my fore and index fingers to re-load with an empty right hand. The following photos clearly demonstrate how I do this:
After loading the cylinder, I carefully maneuver it back into the frame until it clicks in place, re-insert the cylinder pin fully against the frame and immediately set the hammer in a safety slot on the cylinder. I do this every time I replace the cylinder--even if it's empty. I have it so ingrained as a habit, I don't even think about it any more. The safety slots not only allow a full cylinder; they also allow the gun to be cocked to the next available round when you're ready for action. It's a very slick arrangement.
Time to go Shooting!
Out at my shooting range, gun loaded and targets at the ready, I couldn't wait to see how this little gun performed.
The Internet provides a vast resource of information; it doesn't necessarily provide reliable information. From everything I'd read, the first time I pulled the trigger on this little pony, the bullet would zip off heading and bounce from my paper target after making a pathetic keyhole punch. The gun, with it's ridiculously short barrel, would go flying from my hand and I would run, sobbing, from the range. I did run sobbing from the range--after expending all my ammo! My gun was not afflicted with any of the aforementioned maladies.
"The Internet provides a vast resource of information; it doesn't necessarily provide reliable information."
The first five shots got me familiarized with recoil, which is completely acceptable wether shooting long rifle or magnum rounds. Subsequent loads helped me get the gun on target. I started out shooting at my paper target from about eight feet away. Reliable hits at this distance are easy to come by, wether shooting off hand, two-handed, left hand, right hand, eyes closed (not really, but you get my drift) or with a defensive shooting style. You quickly realize backing up from your target is necessary to keep the challenge going.
Shooting Technique: How to Handle a Mini Revolver
"From everything I'd read, the first time I pulled the trigger on this little pony, the bullet would zip off heading and bounce from my paper target after making a pathetic keyhole punch."
I'll be honest; There's been enough independent research performed on the ballistics of both .22 long rifle and .22 magnum rounds out of North American Arms revolvers, if you still need convincing as to their effectiveness in a self-defense situation, I can't help you. There's really no amount of ballistics gel testing, independent lab analysis or real world research that will change the mind of a true cynic. Notice I didn't say skeptic. Skeptics will change their minds when presented with convincing evidence--cynics will not. I was skeptical at first, but I went ahead and purchased my gun knowing that I could have a ball with it even if it wasn't used as a self defense tool. I'm no longer skeptical of these firearms. With that being said, if you purchase one of these guns and have a concealed carry permit, I'll wager it will be the one gun you carry ALL THE TIME!
Accuracy with any gun almost always is limited by the shooter's ability. Wether you're shooting a 4.5 pound Smith & Wesson 500 or a six ounce NAA Mini Revolver, you're not going to hit a target unless you practice with it until you know that gun in your sleep. In fact, I'd bet it takes a lot longer to get comfortable shooting a hand cannon like that Smith & Wesson than it does to become adept with the Mini Mag.
One thing you quickly notice when shooting the Mini Magnum is that the gun moves with every shudder and shake of your hand. Hitting a target has a lot to do not only with how steady you hold the gun, but with how smoothly you pull the trigger. Because it's so light weight, small movements in your hand will result in large deviations of the gun's barrel. Dry fire practice is a great way to learn how to properly hold your gun.
With the cylinder removed, cock the hammer. Practice holding a steady aim and pulling the trigger, paying particular attention to the sequence which results in the least movement of the gun during firing. After you've done this a couple of dozen times, you'll start to recognize the grip-trigger pull combination that results in the least movement for you. Practice this while shooting at targets, and soon you'll be hitting just about anything you aim at.
"After you've done this a couple of dozen times, you'll start to recognize the grip-trigger pull combination that results in the least movement for you."
As you can see from the photographs, my Mini Magnum has the standard grip and there is no front sight. This has not prevented me from reliably hitting targets out to 50 feet. If you want proof, just watch any one of the videos on my YouTube channel to see how nicely this gun performs.
One of the only problems I've discovered with North American Arm's products is they seem to have a certain addictive quality. Once you have one or two, you really can't help wanting more of the little guys. There's no doubt about the loyal following, and you can count me in as a new addict. I have no problem thinking of the .22 Mini Magnum with five rounds of CCI Maxi Mag as a primary carry self defense tool, and I know for sure it will always be there as backup.
If you'd like to get inside this gun in High Definition, just view this video I produced:
