Frequently Asked Questions

Why has the wallet holster been discontinued?

The wallet, in and of itself, is a benign piece of folded leather. The minirevolver is a time-tested, high-quality small firearm but, when you join one with the other, watch out! _ you’ve just created what ATF defines as ‘any other weapon’, a rather nefarious classification which includes pen guns, cane guns and other disguised weaponry. While legal to own, AOWs require registration and payment of special taxes similar to those for fully-automatic weapons. Possession of an AOW without meeting these requirements subjects the holder to a felony charge (which further exposes us to the liability of a lawsuit).

The distinction between the WH and the folding holster grip or the belt buckle, as it has been explained to us, is that the WH weapon is operable from its disguised state (no need to remove it from the wallet in order to fire it). Both the HG and BB require that the gun be additionally manipulated (opened, removed) before it is functional, and so suffer no ‘special’ classification. The WH was a very popular accessory and it’s a great disappointment that we’re unable to offer it for sale.

Does wearing the Belt Buckle holding an NAA minirevolver represent a ‘concealed’ condition? Do I need a license of any kind to wear it (and the gun)?

This depends on a number of factors, not the least of which includes the girth and midriff overhang of the wearer. Seriously the laws which govern the carrying of firearms are specific state to state. It’s my observation that the definition of ‘concealed’ varies greatly from one jurisdiction to another. We are manufacturers, not lawyers, and won’t pretend to offer any advice here; please check with the appropriate authorities in your location for a definitive answer.

As an individual, can I buy a gun directly from NAA?

In a word, no. NAA is pleased to sell accessories and services directly to the individual, either through our website or over the phone (800-821-5783). Otherwise, we are generally prohibited by federal law from selling firearms to unlicensed individuals (a concealed carry permit is not the same as an FFL, below). One noteworthy exception applies to The Companion, the cap-and-ball version of our minirevolver, which our government has determined to be a non-regulated firearm (this typically includes blackpowder, curios and collectibles).

You can, however, order a pre-customized (and pre-paid) Guardian, and take delivery through the licensed dealer of your choice.

Where can I locate the nearest authorized NAA dealer?

Any person or business that holds a valid, current Class 3 Federal Firearms License (FFL) issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (BATF) is an authorized dealer – whether they stock our products or not. Typically, the more successful and well-rounded dealers (such as those listed on our site) will have NAA products in their display cases and inventory. Notwithstanding, our distributor base is so broad as to insure that any dealer can order and receive our products, typically within 72 hours.

As a dealer, can I buy directly from NAA?

While the law allows us to sell dealer-direct (in contrast to individual-direct, above), our business practice is to sell exclusively through our distributor network, for all those reasons outlined in October 2000’s Soapbox. Exceptions to this policy include The Companion (cap & ball), as well as any of our accessories, which distributors frequently do not stock.

What ammunition do you recommend?

We don’t make ammunition recommendations. We are happy to provide a very extensive table of velocity results we have measured with a wide range of brands and loads. Additionally, you will find this a very popular point of discussion on our Message Board.

FAQ – Mini-Revolver Safety Cylinder

North American Arms Mini-Revolvers are equipped with a unique safety cylinder, giving you maximum protection against accidental discharge.

The North American Arms Safety Cylinder feature allows the gun to be carried fully loaded. There are halfway notches located between the chambers. The hammer is lowered into one of these notches after the gun is loaded. When the hammer is pulled back to the firing position the cylinder rotates to the next chamber.

NOTE: The traditional half-cock position is to be used for loading and unloading only. THE HAMMER SHOULD NEVER REST IN THE HALF-COCK POSITION OVER A LIVE CARTRIDGE, OR ON THE RIM OF A LIVE CARTRIDGE.

If you have an older model NAA Mini-Revolver, or know someone who does, please check to see if it is equipped with the NAA Safety Cylinder – if not please call at 800-821-5783 to find out how to update the gun to the new cylinder.

NAA Mini-Revolvers come with a Lifetime Warranty. If anything should ever go wrong with your Mini-Revolver, please call Customer Support to find out how to send the gun to us for repair.

Note: The following instructions are from our FAQ – 22 Caliber Mini-Revolvers.

The Safety Cylinder is a critical part of the gun. We recommend that you practice the following steps to become proficient at using the Safety Cylinder before loading the gun.

First: Make sure the gun is unloaded.
Second: Make sure the gun is unloaded!
Third: Retract the hammer to the point that the cylinder spins freely (about half-way) and keep it retracted.
Fourth: Looking through the top/rear of the frame, locate any of the five milled safety slots (those notches on the cylinder between the chambers), and position any slot directly beneath the blade of the hammer (which is still retracted).
Fifth: While still retracting the hammer, depress the trigger (and keep it depressed)
now allow the hammer to settle into the slot.
You can (should) confirm engagement of the hammer in the slot by attempting to rotate the cylinder; if it does rotate, the hammer was not engaged in the slot (repeat the process). Visually confirm, also, by examining the alignment of any chamber with the bore; if a bullet could physically pass from the chamber through the bore, the gun is not ‘safe’. In other words, if a chamber is located at 12 o’clock, the gun is not ‘safe’; in the ‘safe’ condition, the upper two chambers are at one and eleven o’clock. 99.9% of the failures are because the trigger was not kept fully depressed while the hammer was being lowered (Step 5). Once you get the hang of it, however, you’ll find the process becomes surprisingly easy, quick and natural.

Ammunition

Can I fire .22 Shorts in a .22 LR cylinder?

Yes, Shorts can be fired in a Long Rifle cylinder; the case diameter of the two are identical.

Can I fire .22 Shorts/.22 LR in a Magnum cylinder? No! WMR (Magnum) cartridges have an incrementally larger diameter because the brass fits around the bullet. .22 LR bullets have a ridge cut into them, so the brass is even with the top part of the bullet. While Shorts and LRs can physically be placed into the chambers of a WMR cylinder (but you’ll notice a sloppy fit), it is not safe to do so, as the brass case may split when fired.

For guns which have conversion (second) cylinders, the cylinder size is stamped on the end of the cylinder (or use a WMR cartridge as a gauge; if it fits the chamber, it’s a WMR cylinder).

Can I fire ‘snake/bird shot’ shells in minirevolvers? Sure. While the lethality of this round is questionable, shot pellets can be remarkably effective when fired in the face of an assailant.

Grips

Are the mother of pearl grips made of real mother of pearl? Yes. We recommend removing these grips from the gun before shooting, as they are very likely (almost guaranteed) to crack if you shoot the gun with them on. While the Synthetic Pearl (plastic) is more durable, those have cracked as well.

Cylinders

I am having difficulty resting the hammer blade in the safety slot on the cylinder; any suggestions? Yes, it’s a critically important feature of the gun, so PRACTICE.

• First: Make sure the gun is unloaded.
• Second: Make sure the gun is unloaded!
• Third: Retract the hammer to the point that the cylinder spins freely (about half-way) and keep it retracted.
• Fourth: Looking through the top/rear of the frame, locate any of the five milled safety slots (those notches on the cylinder between the chambers), and position any slot directly beneath the blade of the hammer (which is still retracted).
• Fifth: While still retracting the hammer, depress the trigger (and keep it depressed)
  now allow the hammer to settle into the slot.

 

You can (should) confirm engagement of the hammer in the slot by attempting to rotate the cylinder; if it does rotate, the hammer was not engaged in the slot (repeat the process). Visually confirm, also, by examining the alignment of any chamber with the bore; if a bullet could physically pass from the chamber through the bore, the gun is not ‘safe’. In other words, if a chamber is located at 12 o’clock, the gun is not ‘safe’; in the ‘safe’ condition, the upper two chambers are at one and eleven o’clock. 99.9% of the failures are because the trigger was not kept fully depressed while the hammer was being lowered (Step 5). Once you get the hang of it, however, you’ll find the process becomes surprisingly easy, quick and natural.

My minirevolver doesn’t have a safety cylinder? Can I have one installed?

Yes, we would be happy to install a replacement cylinder, free of charge. Return the gun to the factory and we will update it promptly. There is a return shipping fee – see our shipping instructions page for more information.

Can I order additional cylinders?

Absolutely. LR-frame guns can have additional LR cylinders; Magnum-frame guns (including the Black Widow and Mini-Master) can accommodate either LR or WMR cylinders, regardless of their original configuration (some people originally order BWs and MMs in LR only). However, we require that the gun be returned to us so that we can assure ourselves, as well as you, that the gun is properly timed. The necessary (and absolute) alignment of the chambers with the gun’s bore is critical and often requires a little tweaking of the cylinder star &/or hand &/or bolt.

Can I use a friend’s NAA cylinder in my minirevolver?

While it may be physically possible, it’s not a practice we recommend, as there may be incremental, but critical, differences in the timing of your friend’s gun and your own. All frame/cylinder combinations are individually timed (see above). Our advice is a resounding “No!”.

Will dry firing harm this gun?

If you first remove the cylinder, dry firing is a great way of becoming accustomed to the trigger pull. Otherwise, while it’s unlikely that any harm will come to the firearm, it’s not a practice we recommend. This applies to The Companion (cap & ball mini) as well.

Bullets

Do you have a bullet mold?

No, we do not offer a bullet mold. You can purchase bullets over the web or call us at 1-800-821-5783. The cost is $4.00 for 100, plus shipping.

Cylinders

Can a rimfire cylinder work in a black powder frame?

No, the guns have different firing pins, they cannot be interchanged.

Does a cap and ball gun need to be sent in for a new cylinder like the rimfire guns?

Yes, send in the entire gun. The cost for the cylinder is $40 unfluted, $45 fluted.

My cylinder won’t go in the gun when the caps are on the nipples.

The gun was designed to work with remington #11 caps. If you use a different brand or size the cap is too thick and will extend past the cylinder edge.

Can I use cylinders from cartridge firing minirevolvers in my Companion?

No, a Companion cannot fire cartridge-type ammunition; the cap & ball model uses a transfer pin to deliver a center fire strike against a primer cap, as compared to a blade striking a cartridge rim. Additionally, the cartridge cylinder is smaller than the Companion cylinder and ‘slops around’ within the Companion frame. Nor will a .22 cartridge fit within a Companion cylinder, even with the nipples removed. Don’t even think of going there.

Dry fire

Can I dry fire the gun?

No, dry firing will crack the nipples and can damage the firing pin.

Powder

I can’t find the ffffg powder, can I use fffg or pyrodex?

Yes, you can use fffg and pyrodex p. The f stand for fine, the ffffg is a finer powder, and will allow you to add more powder allowing more of a discharge. Do not go less than fff.

Installation

What is the recommended installation technique to install the GSO-M?

To avoid damaging or tearing grips, apply a small amount of gun oil on the frame handle before installing the grips.

Provided by: Mr. Sandy Chisholm – President, North American Arms, Inc.
Note: The information here applies to all models of Guardian Pistols, except where noted.

Barrel

What is the barrel length?

25 NAA and .32 ACP Guardians – 2.185 inches.
.380 and .32NAA Guardians – 2.49 inches

Blowback

Does the Guardian have a straight blowback or a retarded blowback?

It has a straight blowback.

Cleaning

What do you take apart to clean it?

For normal cleaning, the NAA Guardian need only be disassembled into its main:
1. Slide
2. Frame
3. Inner and outer recoil spring
4. Magazine

What grease should you use?

For long time storage, any commercially available gun grease is acceptable.

Last round

I have read/experienced that the case from the last spent round occasionally gets stuck between the slide and the frame. Is this a product ‘failure’? Should I be concerned?

No, frankly, not at all. Yes, we are aware of, and understand the causes of, this condition. Yes, it is not an uncommon occurrence. No, we do not believe it represents a performance failure and we do not intend to try to ‘correct’ the condition.

The design of this pistol does not include an ejector (not to be confused with an extractor), but relies on the following action of a fresh cartridge, as it is moving up the magazine stack and towards the chamber, to push the spent extracted case out of the breech. When the magazine is empty and there is no following cartridge to exert this pressure, the spent case may simply be trapped by the slide returning forward (the slide is not designed to remain open after the last round).

When a full magazine is inserted to replace the empty one, the slide must, in any/every event (‘stovepipe’ or not) be re-racked to chamber a fresh round. During this process, the spent case simply falls freely out of the breech and the pistol returns to battery – as though the condition had never existed. (Please note that we are not attempting to excuse any stovepipe of a live round. If that condition exists with any of our pistols, we will be happy to rework the gun to eliminate that failure).

Magazines

How much for an extra magazine?

Retail $25.00.

Does it need to be factory installed?

No.

Is there any ammo that will not work in the magazine?

No.

Why did I receive a new magazine release with the mag extension kit?

The new magazine release is necessary for .32 ACP Guardians with aa and ab serial numbers. If you do not replace the magazine release the magazines will dislodge when fired using the mag extensions.

Can I get the magazines with the metal floor plates?

No, those magazines are no longer manufactured.

My magazine occasionally falls from the gun when firing. What’s happening here?

Shortly after the finger extension was introduced, we found that the downward pressure on the magazine increases substantially with the use of this extension (caused by the grip pressure of the ring or baby finger on this extension). This additional pressure, along with the shock of firing the pistol, caused our original catch to occasionally release inadvertently. We have redesigned/strengthened this catch; a free replacement (which can easily be installed by the user) is available on request to the factory.

Manufacturing

Is the entire (slide, parts, magazines) gun made from casting or is it forged?

The frame is a casting, the slide is machined from 17-4 stainless steel billet.

I thought the gun was made in the U.S. Why do my magazines say Italy?

The guns are produced in the United States. We chose Mecgar to manufacture our magazines, they are located in italy.

Misfires

What do you do if it misfires?

Clean it, refer to owners manual.

Rifling

What is the rate of twist on the Guardian barrel?

1 in 16 inches rh twist.

Slides

What do you do if the slide gets stuck?

Clean it, refer to owners manual.

Is there a stop to hold the slide back for cleaning?

No, you just need to remove the slide for cleaning.

What is the Integral Locking Systems (ILS)

The ILS is a safety system that allows you to lock the hammer in place so the gun can not be fired. It has a key that can be used to lock and unlock the gun.

How does it work?

There is a small hole in the upper left corner of the grip – see figure #1. The key is placed in the hole gently until it fully engages the lock – see figure #2 – turning the key before it is fully in place can damage the lock and key threads. Turning the key clockwise ½ turn locks the hammer into place and disables the firearm. Turning the key counter clockwise ½ turn releases the hammer and enables the firing mechanism.

How can I tell if it’s locked?

The ILS has a small nipple or button around the key hole. When unlocked, the button is flush with the grip – see figure #3. When locked, the button protrudes out of the grip and is no longer flush – see Figure #4.

How can I tell if it’s locked?

The ILS has a small nipple or button around the key hole. When unlocked, the button is flush with the grip – see figure #3. When locked, the button protrudes out of the grip and is no longer flush – see Figure #4.

Can the ILS be added to an older Guardian pistol?

Yes. The ILS incorporates changes to the Guardian frame, so older models require significant modifications and a number of new parts. Please see our Custom Shop – Machining page for more information and pricing.

How can I get a Guardian with the ILS?

If you live in certain states, like California, you don’t have a choice – you have to get one with the ILS. In other states, you can special order the Guardian with the ILS. The part numbers are the same, except the ILS versions have an “S” at the end.

Are there any disadvantages to the ILS?

The ILS requires the black plastic grip with the hole in it for the key. We do not currently offer our other wood, plastic, and mother of pearl grips with the hole pre-drilled, because the hole significantly reduces the strength of the grip. In other words, the custom grip with the hole will crack or break after firing a few rounds.

Another issue is the keys. If you lock the gun and lose the keys, the gun is unusable until we can send you replacement keys. To minimize this, we send two keys, both with key rings, to make them harder to lose.

Warnings, disclaimers, etc.

Due to the design of the ILS, you must be careful not to lock the hammer while the slide is open. The closing of the slide on a locked hammer can damage the locking mechanism and disable the gun.

The keys are made of a composite material that is fairly strong. However, if you try hard, you can strip or break the keys. The key should turn easily. If not, the gun needs to be sent back to NAA for repair.

While the ILS is as good a locking system as there is, there can be no substitute for common sense firearm safety. Always store your firearm securely, out of the reach of children and unauthorized users. Firearm safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Does North American Arms sell or endorse any gun safes?

No. We recommend storing firearms in a gun safe or a secure locking cabinet. However, we do not sell or endorse any one brand.

Do you sell a trigger lock for the Mini-Revolvers?

No. The Mini-Revolvers do not have a trigger guard and can not be fitted with a traditional trigger lock.

What kind of external locking systems are available for my NAA Firearms?

Both the Guardian pistols and the Mini-Revolvers come with a high quality metal lockable gun box.

What other methods can I use to safely store my NAA Firearms?

We offer a Rug holster (See our Accessories pages) for both Guardian pistols and Mini-Revolvers that has a ring at the end. A padlock can be run through the zipper pull and the ring to lock the holster shut.

BBO-L LONG RIFLE BELT BUCKLE ENCLOSED FAQ’s and INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

There have been some questions regarding the function of the new style North American Arms BBO-L. The new belt buckle has been re-designed to work with any of the North American Long Rifle Mini-Revolver birds head style grips and no longer requires the aluminum grips.

The BBO-L buckle will only accept the NAA-22LR. (1 1/8″ Barrel)

Changes to the buckle include a magnet has been embedded in the back of the buckle and a retaining clip which rotates counter clockwise to cover the trigger area.