Which NAA revolver & grip should I get?

[nimrod]

I want a mini revolver to keep in the front pocket of my slacks at work.  My Kahr cw380, though small, is sometimes a little heavy in a pair of suit pants. I'm looking at a 22lr version given the fps data I looked at.  It didn't appear that the 22 mag gave me enough to sway me.  What barrel length do you recommend and why?  I'm leaning toward the 1 and 1/8 inch model to give me room for a larger grip.  Finally, what grip do you recommend?  I have small hands.  I like the idea of the boot grip or a rubber grip.  Thoughts? 

[Warthog]

Black Widow with oversized wood grips, I like wood, the BW is a great SD gun.

[bearcatter]

You sound like me. I don't have a mini (yet). For my first one, I think I'd go for the short barrel .22LR, and I'd want rubber and wood (Sunday go to meetin') grips.

[billmeek]

I did a quite a bit of research before buying my first NAA and decided I wanted the 22 Mag to carry Speer Gold Dot - Short barrel ammo.  Feet per second doesn't tell the whole story on how a round performs.  One of the many things I found online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-cqNCGnx_o

Yes, the 22 Mag frames are a little longer and heavier.  But you can also get a combo with both 22LR and Mag cylinders so that you have the mag for self-defense and the 22LR for cheap practice.  Note - I recommend firing some 22 mag as a part of your practice too.

As for which 22 mag?  I'd look at either the Pug or the Black Widow.  The Pug will be a little more concealable and currently can be purchased with night sights.  Night sights on the Black Widow are coming next year.

The grips are a highly personal choice.  Some people are quite happy with the oversized rubber grips of the Pug.  They work well and still maintain the pocketability of the pistol.  Personally, I replaced the Pug grips with Mini-master grips (same as the Black widow without the logo) as I prefer ergonomics over concealment.   

[riadat]

I want a mini revolver to keep in the front pocket of my slacks at work.  My Kahr cw380, though small, is sometimes a little heavy in a pair of suit pants. I'm looking at a 22lr version given the fps data I looked at.  It didn't appear that the 22 mag gave me enough to sway me.  What barrel length do you recommend and why?  I'm leaning toward the 1 and 1/8 inch model to give me room for a larger grip.  Finally, what grip do you recommend?  I have small hands.  I like the idea of the boot grip or a rubber grip.  Thoughts?

Well based on what is out there with boot grips, I would suggest this as it comes with the grips.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/18878/North+American+Arms+5+Round+22+Long+Rifle+w%2F1+1%2F8+Barrel+%26

Out of that barrel length a study I saw from shooting the bull on youtube seemed to indicate that 36 grain cci mini mag 22lr gets 12 inch penetration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyR1K92pyq4

That being said, I would go with that combo if looking for one that is very concealable for work etc.

[Bigbird48]

OK geesh I really got to wonder. Everybody is like oh FPS, and Nightlights , ballistic data, barrel length and all this other stuff.You  all  make it like your going to the Olympic shooting matches and like wow all this stuff matters. Your buying a mini 22 for petes sake. Its a belly gun ,up close and personal. You want something small light weight and will give you some degree of protection.punch a hole in your target and make him hurt and run away. Your not gonna be target shooting at night, what do you need night sights for. 99.9% of all your Self defense situations if you ever have any at all,  will be at close range like 10 feet or less and at that distance it can be pitch black and I'm just pointing and shooting ,aiming never even comes into play. If all the statistics are a concern then a 22 mini is not what you want. Because under the conditions of SD any of these small 22 will suffice . So if you just want a small gun to fit in the front pocket not be to noticeable ,theres the Pug, the 1 5-8, the bug out, theres different models like sidewinder and ranger  , mags and LR . I'd go with mag for my carry and LR for practice. But seriously I personally don't think the statistics mean an awful lot for a 22 when confronted by the mugger at the gas pumps at night.  he's going to walk up to me at close range with a knife or gun and I'm gonna pull out my mini and shove it in his gut and pull the trigger, nights, barrel length,grips, feet per second non of that is going to make a big difference in the final out come. Go w2ith what you like the looks of.jmho

[Adk.IBO]

I agree with Bigbird48's reply, well said. I like it that my Pug is more than likely going to be an unexpected surprise that might just save my life.

[Canoeal]

I want a mini revolver to keep in the front pocket of my slacks at work.  My Kahr cw380, though small, is sometimes a little heavy in a pair of suit pants. I'm looking at a 22lr version given the fps data I looked at.  It didn't appear that the 22 mag gave me enough to sway me.  What barrel length do you recommend and why?  I'm leaning toward the 1 and 1/8 inch model to give me room for a larger grip.  Finally, what grip do you recommend?  I have small hands.  I like the idea of the boot grip or a rubber grip.  Thoughts?

Longest barrel you feel comfortable carrying. minimum 1 5/8...You will need all the velocity you can get in 22 lr. I carry 22 mag  because for me I wanted the most I can get out of a small gun. If you go with the standard 1'5/8  lr, you will need larger grips,   to find a way to hold the gun. Boot grips at a minimum....

[Uncle Fatso]

I've never had a dud round in .22 Magnum.  I had 4 out of around 100 in .22 LR a couple days ago.  And it wasn't old ammo.

Mini Mags are generally the "cream of the crop" for reliability in 22LR.  The duds I had were Remington Thunderbolt.  They are about bottom of the barrel for reliability, in my experience. I attempted to get the duds to go off several times with no success. They must have missed being primed.

I prefer the Black Widow to any of the others (Magnum, Earl, Mini Master) I have. It has decent hand filling grips and sights you can actually use, if the opportunity presents itself. I can't think of any downside to having upgraded sights and the ability to use more powerful, reliable ammunition.

[Boisesteve]

I second what Canoeal said.

[nimrod]

I haven't held the Black Widow.  I'm worried it won't be THAT much smaller than my Kahr in my pocket. 

[Texduk3]

I agree with Canoeal also.

[Uncle_Lee]

Welcome to nimrod,
Since you appear to want a short barrel, I recommend going with the Pug with both cylinders. The Pug's cylinder pin retention system is far superior to the standard mini's.
Grips??
What suits you best. I like either the Black Widow/Mini Master grips or the Cvang grips. The grips are sightly larger but the control while you are shooting, I feel, is worth it.

[miker]

I find my 22LR mini difficult to shoot because of the small handle. My recc would be 1-1/8 magnum frame, get both cylinders just because - you can shoot common 22lr, and still have the option for mag.

I don't see any problem with the stock grips, but if you want bigger/stickier the Pug style rubber is fine.

miker

[Spanky]

I'm with miker about the grips. I took my LR to the range with the stock bird head grips and even with the low recoil, it wasn't easy holding on to it. That and my hands were sweaty being the first time shooting it.

Got the HG grips and it is a world of difference. I still have a hard time hitting the target, lol, but it is a lot more fun to shoot.

You guys are making me want a Pug!!!  ratzafratz.

[Warthog]

BLACK WIDOW!  CVANG GRIPS  Pug is way too short, yeah it is concealable but so is the BW.

[RICKS PLACE]

As most know, I am old, opinionated and bias.  So, check out a Black Widow, the stock grips are great, if you don't like rubber, get oversized wood. Wood might need fitting. If you think it's too big, get a Pug and put a decent set of grips on it.  I think my B/W's  shoots better than my Pug.  Get a decent pocket holster (see Rick) and check out what kind of ammo best suits you. (I vote at least a 40 grant bullet). 

[adp3]

Folks have made some excellent points in the above posts. Black Widows and Pugs both  have very secure cylinder pins. The rubber baby buggy bumper grips on the Black Widow make it almost as long as your Kahr though, lighter but less powerful and almost as big. Velocity/energy/ stopping power are better out of a Black Widow than a Pug. The Pug, to me, has better sights for now. Black Widows have very sharp 3-dot sights, easy to see, but sharp. Pugs have a shallow V rear and either an XS dot front or a night sight front. NAA will have night sights for the Black Widows early next year. Both these have much better sights than standard .22Mags and .22LRs.  .22 Magnum ammo does provide better reliability, energy, velocity, penetration, bullet construction, bullet/case seal, and stopping power than .22LR. All of the magnum caliber grips are interchangeable so look at the Black Widow and Pug then decide what grips best suit you.

Best Regards,
ADP3

[nimrod]

 So I called several gun shops today and many of them said that they had the models that I was interested in looking at but when I showed up they only had other models. At the end of the day I checked the classifieds and a new posting for a black widow appeared. I picked it up for a great price. It has the red fat grips on it. But I am thinking about picking up some engraved boot grips. It's a sweet looking gun. Now I just need to find a good pocket holster. It came with a leather in the waistband holster. Thanks for everyone's comments.

[Honky Tonk Man]

Hey good choice Nimrod.  You're going to like your BW.  Try the grips it comes with first before you order.  If it's the standard BW grips, they work fine.  Just big enough for a good grip, but slender and hide well in your pocket.  I don't see how you could go wrong with a pocket holster from forum member Rick Jorgenson at Desert Gun Leather.  His driving holster for the BW really works well too. 

[Honky Tonk Man]

Driving holster...

[nimrod]

The IWB holster that came with it isn't quite tall enough to cover the hammer.  The hammer digs into my side a bit.  I will get a pocket holster for sure but I'm also looking at the driving holster or cross draw.  which one would you recommend and why?  Is one more concealable than the other? 

[Njanear]

Driving holster...

That is a nice looking holster.  Does that leather flap just wrap around the belt to secure it?

[Honky Tonk Man]

Yes, the flap goes around the inside of your belt, and over the holster.  Velcro keeps it on.  I works great.  It allows you to access the handgun while seated in your car.  You really forget you have it on.  Here are more pics.  If this don't show you enough, access Rick's holster site here:  Desertgunleather.com 

[Uncle_Lee]

Thanks for the pictures.
I had about given up hope on seeing any today.

[Njanear]

Yes, the flap goes around the inside of your belt, and over the holster.  Velcro keeps it on.  I works great.  It allows you to access the handgun while seated in your car.  You really forget you have it on.  Here are more pics.  If this don't show you enough, access Rick's holster site here:  Desertgunleather.com

Very nice!  Thanks for the pics.

[RogueTS1]

This is an easy one ...................... the Pug with XS Big Dot night sights. Add to that the wooden Secret Service grips and you will be set.