Guardians

[Gog]

Hello guys. I see an occasional post about a Guardian but I've suddenly gotten very interested in having one. I would either go 32acp or 380acp. Not really interested in doing a proprietary ammo.
Anyone carry one? I love my little mini's but I also do have a Seecamp 32 and like it just fine but they are sooooo picky on ammo. They suggest the Winchester Silvertip and that's a pretty anemic round in 32. I can't find much info on how the Guardian does with ammo. Does it eat anything in 32 or 380? The 32 Lehigh round seems to be a very respectable round for a 32.
I'd go 380 probably if it's half way decent to shoot. I do have a few very small 380's so I know they are pretty peppy but I can handle both my Kahr CW380 and my new Ruger LCP II. Both are tough to shoot for long but very handy if needed. I also have a Sig 238 that is pleasant to shoot and still pocketable (but pushing it size wise).
What say you?

By the way, I don't care if there are a hundred posts like this. I'm not just going to find (an old) one and then add a comment to it and hijack the original OP's thread...  Sorry if this bothers some here! Just asking among friends and other people who share a passion on NAA's!

Greg

By the way, just curious who else is pretty fired up about the new Sig P365? Seems pretty sweet!

[Lemon]

I read up a lot last year on the Guardian 380 and from what I remember the NAA 380 will take any ammo you put in it. And I think it was pretty accurate. That was what I wanted to buy because it was of NAA quality and also because it was all metal. I never could find one to hold in my hand and the final draw back for me was that he did not have a safety so I went with the Newer M&P Bodyguard 380. I agree with your decision about not using proprietary ammo. Anyways I hope this helps. I do not think anyone is upset because you asked this question. Seems like there is very little mentioned about the Guardians compared to the minis.

[Paneraiguy]

I have the 32 cal and love it!!! I put about 100 rounds though it and it preformed flawlessly. I'm thinking of adding a 380 to the mix as well.

[Warthog]

I have a 32 cal Guardian.  I also have a number of small, pocket sized pistols in 380 and 9mm so I tend to carry those, usually a 9mm.

[Lemon]

Warty, in your 380 and also 9mm do you have a preference of hammer versus striker fire and if so which do you prefer most?

[Warthog]

Well, I tend towards hammer fired but I have a few striker fireds as well, both get carried.  IDK, I like hammers but that is probably more because it is what I have owned the most of through my life.  Hammers let you try to refire a round that fails to go off but IDK, I can clear a round just as easily...

[Lemon]

I agree. I lean towards the hammer. As you stated double strike capability but I also feel more comfortable carrying a hammer fired in terms of safety. And I know everyone has their opinion on that and guns with and without a safety. To each his own . I like the Bodyguard 380 without laser and with the safety. I reload my ammo and have put a lot of rounds thru mine.

[[email protected]]

I love my .380 guardian. Its been 100% reliable with any ammo that is standard length. A few brands out there have rounds that are seated a little shallower than normal, usually eastern bloc companies like magtech.

Every pistol has machine parts that wear out and need replacing every so often. The Guardian has a draw bar spring in particular that needs replacing every so often. Mine snaps in half every 4-500 rounds. You should know this so that you won't be surprised and you can order a few in anticipation. This probably is only known to those who dryfire practice with snapcaps and shoot it allot at the range. I'd venture to guess that most never encounter the issue.

It is 20oz + in the pocket. I do not notice it in my desantis holster, but I've also only carried revolvers prior. A person coming from a Beretta Pico for instance may have a different perception of the weight.

I believe the night sights are worth the upgrade. The laser grips add almost revolver cylinder like bulk and increase printing if it's a concern. They do increase the utility of the pistol however. I will note that the non laser side will crack on the upper left shoulder from repeated recoil. Crimson Trace will warranty the part, I'm on my third replacement. The stock Hogue grips have been impeccable.

The pistol itself is really nice quality, a beautiful machine, durable, accurate, ergonomic and reliable.

While these various plastic and aluminum .380s are reliable and utilitarian, they are not hierloom quality. The Guardian truly is.

Check out the other Guardian thread I posted. It has a link to a pretty good review from November 2017

[Gog]

Yep, I read that when you posted it. That's another of the things that got me really thinking about it. The weight isn't so much an issue. I have a LWS 32 now. It's pretty heavy but feels good in the pocket. I was just thinking about a .380 in the same kinda package.
Really just wondering from people in the forum that love NAA how the 380 Guardian really holds up and how it feels shooting it. You definitely use yours! lol
380 is a pretty powerful round for the size of the pistol.

[redhawk4]

I agree. I lean towards the hammer. As you stated double strike capability but I also feel more comfortable carrying a hammer fired in terms of safety. And I know everyone has their opinion on that and guns with and without a safety. To each his own . I like the Bodyguard 380 without laser and with the safety. I reload my ammo and have put a lot of rounds thru mine.

I too like guns with hammers, there's a sense of security/safety in being able to see what's going on and while many despise the long trigger pulls and so on, I just like the fact I know nothing's going bang unless I make a concerted effort for it to do so. I've owned and carried my Guardian 380 for around 10 years. It's solidly built and 100% reliable. It's pretty accurate too, despite it's long trigger pull and small sights, but you do need to take the time to get familiar with it before you will experience it's accuracy. The other factor is that hard to define one of the ownership experience which is a personal thing, I find the solid metal construction of the Guardian, so much more appealing than I find a number of other small pistols that could be argued to be better in terms of weight and function, if you feel it "calling to you", buy it and don't take notice of what anyone else has to say. IMO if you have a handgun you really like, again it's more likely you will carry it and have it with you when you need it.

[Gog]

Still wondering something though.
How does the 380 do with different ammo types? The LWS is picky as can be. How about the Guardian? I don't want to be limited to just one type that works in it.

[[email protected]]

Still wondering something though.
How does the 380 do with different ammo types? The LWS is picky as can be. How about the Guardian? I don't want to be limited to just one type that works in it.

Mine shoots anything I can feed through it. If its length is inconsistent, it will not fit in, nor feed from the magazine. I've only encountered this with jacketed round nose, off brand, target ammo.

Mine shoots any hollow point, round nose or flat nose lead or jacketed, hard cast, polymer tip etc. Without fail. 100% reliable from day one with any major brand commercial ammo.

I believe I that naa markets it as such and true to their marketing, it feeds everything.

I run Hornady xtp rounds almost exclusively any more. I use their custom or American handgunner (same round). But other brands load that projectile.

[seaotter]

My .380 runs anything I have put through it. It was ten years old when I got it, but you'd never know it; it has no sign of wear at all. It IS a bit heavy. The sights are a bit hard to see. The the slide doesn't lock back. It kicks a bit. And, in spite of all that, I love it. As others have said, it is one of the firearms that I feel comfortable with a round chambered. It is far smaller than the other .380s, which, IMO, makes up for the extra weight. It is far more accurate than it has any right to be, and it will last for several generations. I would love to have one of the .32 acp versions as well, but the .380 version is probably more practical.

[Lemon]

I agree about the hammer and the safety issue. I feel very comfortable carrying mine. I wished I could find the 380 Guardian in my area where I can hold one. If I could find one I would probably buy it because I definitely want one. Maybe one will show up at the gun show.

[redhawk4]

I haven't  fired a huge variety of ammo through my 380, but have fired White Box Winchester & Remington UMC in fmj at the range and Corbon and Double Tap in SD and rather hotter than stock rounds with no issues. I can't say it will fire everything, that there isn't something it won't like, but you should have no trouble finding loads that will work. It certainly isn't finicky IME.

I'd recommend finding one to look at, with small pistols the fit to your hand is important. I fired the 32 Guardian years ago at the NAA factory tour a few of us took with a range visit afterwards and found that far more unpleasant to fire than the 380, not because it had more recoil, but because for my hands are really big or something it just didn't fit right and it was painful to fire. There's definitely more to get a hold on with the 380 for me, but we are all different it seems.

[Gog]

Thanks guys for the replies! I think that answers about everything I was wondering about.