Finally got a Guardian again!

[solocanoe]

HI everyone -

   

   I've owned a NAA Mini in 22LR (have a holster grip on it) for quite a while - it's got many thousands of rounds thru it.

   

   Awhile back I traded my NAA Guardian in .32ACP away for a shotgun.  A buddy wanted the Guardian, I wanted his Remy 870. we both were happy.  except I haven't found a gun to make me happy since getting rid of the .32.  My Guardian shot everything I fed it great and no problems whatsoever - just like my .22lr mini - NAA guns are built so well.

   

   I have several glocks for primary concealed carry and home defense. After selling the Guardian, I bought the Ruger LCR and the Charter Arms Snubbies - thinking I'd like the extra firepower, but those guns are so much bigger than the NAA guardian - I could carry 2 Glock 27's just as well!  not exactly my idea of a back up gun.

   

   So, I bought another one today.  again the .32ACP Guardian - this one is new (my first new NAA gun) and I'm looking forward to putting it in my smart carry when I get home - where I carried my B.U.G. for the last few years - and going to the range tommorrow!  I feel a "peace" at last - glad I finally did it.

   

   nice board here - looks like I got a lot of reading to do.

   -john

[red14]

Welcome, Solo, stay awhile.  Tell us how you do with your new gun.

[jackson_standard]

Congratulations on the purchase. Please do post a range report. I'm curious about how the gun performs and what ammo you use.

[sirbarkalot]

You almost talked me into another one...........

   

   I did the same thing and now have a couple of 38 revolvers that are too big to carry.....

   

   

   Hmmmmmmmm..... maybe time to go shopping again......

   

   Especially since I just received some Buffalo Bore 32 ACP ammo............

   

   Barky

[solocanoe]

HI Everyone!  

   thanks for the warm welcome Red, Jackson, and Sir!  I'll try to get here more often and keep up with the forum, some really good reading here.

   

   When I had the .32 Guardian before, the small size of it meant I could carry it in the smart carry anywhere, doing anything - in comfort.  

   

   The Glocks are great, but can't always carry easy and my mini is always with me, even clipped onto my PFD in my canoe on trips...but the Guardian and it's spare mag take up JUST a little more room and in the smart carry just disappear.  

   

   I've ridden dirt bikes, camped, canoe tripped for days and weeks, mountain biked, etc...you get the idea - withe the Guardian in it's Smartcarry.  The Guardian fits where it's comfortable FOR ME - below the belt, but above the "package".  

   

   At night (I am a back sleeper) I have a Glock 27 or 23 in its own smart carry with a surefire flashlight in the mag pouch as my 'middle of the  night' what-if solution. I wear this night-version on top of my shorts I sleep in.  But I can't wear it all day, if I wear it under my outer layer and low- it's on top of my stuff and bothers me, and if I wear it higher, it's above my beltline and prints too much.  

   

   I bought the .38 specials after the Guardian trade for the shotgun...because I fell victim to the "caliber wars" even for a backup - kinda silly I know now...but I did.  I like the Ruger LCR better than the Smith or the Charter Arms that I bought....I still have the Ruger and the Charter Arms Southpaw....the family likes the simplicity of pull-point-shoot revolvers and we have them loaded and hidden in our house (our two kids are teens- we all shoot) The revovlers are too simple, always work, and we have lasers on them too.  A surefire flashlight and loaded speed strip is kept with each or the 2 .38's we have hidden.

   

   So I love my Glocks (23 and 27) and the little .22lr mini is a wondeful fun gun, but I really needed a backup solution.  I'm glad I bought another Guardian - it's just right for my backup carry and just feels right at home in it's spot - as it should, the other one was there for years.

   

   ok - as to range report - well...first the cleaning.  After I cut the zip tie, I was amazed at how tight everything was! I finally did get it apart and got what I thought was a good amount of gun oil and was ready for the range.

   

   I took what I had left of a box of Winchester white box .32's and a full 100 of Magtech cheapie round nose to the range.  No problems whatsoever, both mags seem to work fine out of the box, and they both pushed the last round up into the chamber ok...so no issues.  

   

   Accuracy was good enough up to 10 yards - for me -all I really tried or care about.  and since I'm familiar with the gun it seemed like "old times"- I'm used to the muzzle flash, recoil, and trigger of the .32ACP Guardian - I wore a mechanics-style glove to avoid trigger rash.  

   

   All in all it was a good day - I'm back to a carry system that works for me. and I found found a forum to read more on the NAA brand - and that's a good thing!

[jerryg22]

I share your feelings, but mine is a .32 NAA caliber.  It may bark, but it will take a fierce bite out of any bg!

[jackson_standard]

Thanks for the detailed posting. It's always nice to know what other people are carrying and how they carry it. It's also good to know that the Guardian is viable up to 10 yards; I always thought 7 yards was about its limit.

   

   You've had good luck with your Guardians. My Guardian .32 ACP has had a lot of failures and is on its way back to NAA for the second time. Many people have found it totally reliable, and that's how I'm hoping mine will come back.

[bill_deshivs]

The range of the Guardian (or any other gun) has no limit. It's all about how you learn to shoot it. Limiting yourself to 7-10 yards is limiting your abilities. Learn to hit what you are aiming at at 25 yards, and you can certainly hit something at 7!

[solocanoe]

I'd like to update this a bit.  As this is a brand new gun, and was REALLY tight after cutting the zip tie/buying it new...I was really pleased to go thru those first rounds easy with no hiccups last weekend.

   

   granted they were full metal jackets, round nose...the easiest for dependibility, etc...

   

   Not thinking much about it, after the first firing and cleaning,  I loaded it for "carry" with the cor-bons I had left over from my other Guardian..then I got to thinking...what if it didn't work?  ok, this is just a B.U.G., but if it comes to it, I need it to work perfectly.  

   

   No failure to feeds, but out of the 17 rounds I had left, the last round got caught ejecting 1 time fully and 1 time it almost did...then fell out after I started lowering the gun.  

   

   As you all know, NAA doesn't consider this a problem...and really...neither do I.  A mag change and slide rack and the spent casing falls out anyway.  But... it didn't happen with the FMJ's.  

   

   I think for now...I'm just gonna keep FMJ's in it...and try to "loosen it up" a bit more The FMJ's are cheaper to do this with too.

[jerrys]

id prefer the FMJ for the penetration.

   

   i have a Seecamp and though its made for H.P. only, ive found that from the short barrel the H.P.S. dont expand worth a flip and penetrate as fmj would.

   

   btw i have the wwb flat nosed FMJ for it because the profile will fit the Seecamp.

   

   plus with a magazine that will take h.p. or fmj you have the rim lock issue with the h.p.s in .32acp.

[solocanoe]

thanks, Jerrys - I may try a box of them too...maybe that will be a bit of a compromise.

   

   I shot a buddy's Seecamp years ago- before I bought my first Guardian...really loved it, but couldn't do the money thing...they are sweet though!

[jerrys]

they costs about the same now, Seecamp .32s go for about $450.00~ isnt that what a Guardian .32acp goes for?

[snubsforme]

I've read in different places the triggers on Guardians are excessively stiff.  I'm used to a S&W 642, how would you compare your trigger with a double action j frame?

[solocanoe]

really? I had no idea.  They were 6 months out and 3x the guardian price 5 years ago...but then everything changes.  I know the deal now is ammo...but hopefully that goes back to normal soon too.

   

   I bought another guardian without hesitation after loving my mini and the first Guardian.  Actually, I never considered looking for the LWS...but I'm happy - and glad you have your Seecamp and are happy with it.

[jerrys]

i owned a Guardian 32 years ago and it was a nice gun but the trigger was stiff.

   

   my Seecamps(i have two) have a very smooth trigger, easily as good as my J frames. the difference is that because i have large hands and the LWS is so small it feels funny at the end of the trigger stroke because im having to close my hand a lot more to fire a round due to the size of the gun but that was the case with the Guardian as well.

   

   what i didnt like about the guardian was the push button mag realease that would sometimes let the mag pop out when i worn it in my back pocket....factory sent me a stiffer mag release spring but i felt the heel clip style of the seecamp was better suited for this method of carry and the reload difference wasnt much at all for a practiced shooter. but then again these guns are not my primary so fast reloads arent as important.

[jerrys]

p.s. the guardian's field stripping is easier than the seecamp's

[heyjoe]

the guardian is much easier to fi8eld strip. you need a punch or at the least a sturdy paper clip to take the slide off of the seecamp. i also like the mag release on the guardian better.

[jackson_standard]

Guardian owners, does the ejected brass often smack you in the forehead? I find that to be more bothersome than the stiff trigger pull.

[solocanoe]

Jerrys - I paid $345 for the new .32acp Guardian

   

   Snubbs - I think it does compare a lot (by my memory) to the SW642 - I've shot the PD version.

   

   Ruger LCR - no comparison, the trigger is way smoother (and seems lighter) than any snub I've ever shot.

   Charter Arms Southpaw - guns is too light, jumps even with the CT grips, and trigger is just "different"...so I can't help ya on direct comparison to the Guardian.

   

   I would describe the Guardian trigger as great - other than I know to wear gloves for more than a couple mags...learned that last time!

[solocanoe]

Hi all - I wanted to update the thread again.

   This is my third range trip for the guardian (been a busy time,but no excuse, I know!)

   

   My son and I took a lot of different guns Saturday with most of our time/ammo spent on the two snubbies (LCR and Charter Arms Southpaw), the Guardian and the LR mini.  

   

   Actually, we started with the mini and worked our way up in caliber.

   

   100 rounds with the .22 mini - my son and i agree, this has GOT to be the best "grip and grin" gun out there. lots of fun.  (we do have the holster grip, so it's easy to shoot and shoot well)

   

   150 rounds with the guardian - lots of fun, SOME MORE failures to eject the last, spent round.  This was magtech lead round nose...and still, I'm ok with it...just need a slide rack and mag change.  My son and I both liked the regular mags better, the one with the little hook seemed to not fit us very well, and our groups were wider or we missed the plates altogether at times.  With the standard mag, it was all good.

   

   It's starting to "loosen up" a bit - and I'm considering the "melt-job-carry-package" from NAA on it.  More than anything I think it just needs lots of use to loosen up more. will try!

   

   the snubs were fun, as always.  and we shot some Glocks at the end...my son liked the NAA mini and the Glocks the best - but I liked the guardian a lot as well.

   

   oh yeah...jackson standard - I'm a lefty (does that matter?) but I've never had the Guardian eject brass to my head...but it happened twice saturday for my son - and he's a righty.)  It wasn't a big deal, but yeah, it did happen twice.

[silvershooter]

Welcome back Solo. I've never owned a NAA 32acp but its small size would seem to make it a frequent or always bug. I've noticed that on Davidson's Gallery of Guns they've come down from $330 to $305. That's certainly reasonable for a Stainless gun that is so well made. It almost makes me want to buy one instead of the new breaktop. I've toyed around with the idea of getting a 32NAA but I believe the 32acp is smaller.

   Thanks for the information.

[solocanoe]

you are welcome, Silvershooter.

   I'd like a breaktop too...but since I already have my .22lr mini...I guess I'll pass on this first run.

   

   I should clarify my remark on the mag with the finger extension as well.  I'm 6'4 /280 and it was too tight for me to get my 3rd finger on it...and the mag kept releasing under pressure.

   The standard mag is fine..I just use two fingers and it's great.

   

   My son is 14 and only about 5'9" and his hands are skinny...he couldn't get 4 fingers but 3 was way too loose.  For him, the standard mag gives him a better grip as well.

   

   It's great they come with both mags though...to give options for folks!  I'll probably find a way to trade the finger hook one for a standard one soon...but I probably need to order 2 more regular mags anyway.  

[gcwimmer]

I have a early build .32 Guardian (667 built)with a factory carry package that I have carried for 12 years with a very smooth action, and has served me well. Just this year I got a Seecamp LWS380 with a custom serial # that is my new carry but I am not getting rid of the Guardian.

[solocanoe]

well another day of shooting and things are DEFINITELY getting better with the new Guardian, I am thrilled to report.

   

   again, this was a new one - my first - and it's been very tight and different than the first one I had and bought used.  (both 32acp)

   

   I took some corbon SD, some federal HP, and some magtech FMJ leadnose just really quick to the range today.  125 rounds total today in the Guardian.  

   

   I really just HAD to get this thing "solid" in my mind ASAP as I'm starting to look at getting the carry package, and then I need to place a large order for ammo if I'm gonna carry this - enough to shoot it every time I go to the range, like my Glock or my snub's.

   

   Again, no problems except for the occasional FTE the last spent casing - not every time - and I still like the regular mag and just my trigger finger and middle on the grip; then the ring and pinkie underneath.  the finger - extension mag comes undone (for me) when I try to use it and use my middle finger.  The recoil seems to put some torque on it - or something-  and it comes disconnected.  No worries, if I'm gonna send it back to NAA for the carry package, I'm gonna get a few more standard mags for it anyway.

   

   The gun shot REALLY well.  I was in a hurry and just took a few small shoot-n-see targets (6"?)and shot it at as far as 25 yards....but mostly I was just doing some really quick draw and fire, 2+2+2 drills, and generally seeing if I could tell myself I can carry this confidantly.

   

   So I'm working my way closer to 500 rounds...probably more like 350...and true to what I've read here and elsewhere, the Guardian is really starting to "smooth up" a bit.  

   

   Is it cycling the action? repeated cleanings? recoil effect of all the rounds?  dunno...but someting is making this thing a better gun with each magazine I feed thru it.

   

   All in all - as I read back thru this thread...I really can't imagine my life again without a good semi auto gun in this size.  I went a while without this size...tried the jump to the snubs...but man, this size is just SO easy to carry!    

   

   22 miniLR, 32acp Guardian, couple snubs, and now my "big handgun" is my Glock 26.  My carry pieces are shrinking! lol!

[solocanoe]

just bumping this to make it easier to find as I referenced it in a thread for Naalover just now.

   

   Sorry, no new shooting reports, been a busy couple weeks and I got a multi-day canoe trip sqeezed in these last weeks too!

[naalover]

Thanks Solocanoe... This is very useful.

[solocanoe]

just an update. I had forgot totally I shot those federal rounds...huh.  Mostly I'm shooting 100% Winchester white boxes now...they are easy to find and I guess I just "trust" the brand.  Since I'm carrying this (like my Glocks) I am sticking to brands I know and only shooting new, no reloads.  (that's just me! not hating you reloaders...just saying it's not me!  )  

   

   

   

   I am over the 500 round count now in the guardian.  actually shot it on a stage with some 8" metal plates at 10 yards. a stretch I know. I was pleased, though. sorta used "kentucky windage" after a few rounds and found the little gun to pretty fun on the stage.  

   

   gun is fully "slicked up" now...4 full cleanings and all the rounds - very nice. I'm 100% ok with it as my BUG now - been carrying it for some time now as such.