My new (to me) 22LR mini

[RichK]

Just picked up the used .22LR mini I bought on Guns America at my local dealer a few days ago. Out of curiosity, I emailed NAA with the S/N, and received the reply that it was made in 1981! I looked up the patent number stamped on the right side of the frame and it turns out it was for an improvement to the cylinder locking mechanism, granted to Dick Cassull in 1978. So this would seem to be a fairly early example of this model/variation. Cool little gun - it's tiny enough, it completely disappears into the watch pocket of my jeans. I also got the skeleton belt buckle to go with it. I figure it will make a decent backup to my .38 snubnose, as well as an "always" gun.

[smokeless joe]

Welcome to the forum RichK

[bearcatter]

Your mini looks really nice. Other members will be warning you about minis multiplying, pay them no mind. I'm sure you'll find a second one in due time... 

[Wumbey Goomba]

Welcome RichK
Very nice mini.

[Gunznknives]

That's a beauty with history...enjoy!

[Uncle_Lee]

Welcome Rich,
"You can check out at any time, but you can never leave."
Thanks for the picture. We need those. They make life smooth.

[top dog]

Rich,
Whew!! Good thing you posted a photo of your new mini!!  Otherwise Uncle Lee would not be able to enjoy his coffee!

Welcome to the forum. I may be wrong on this,but it seems that most folk's first mini is the 22lr one.

So.......................now that you have your first...........which one will you be getting next???

Do try to resist the urge.........we will "assist" you in making the choice(s).

                                                                                                                      Top Dog

[bearcatter]

it seems that most folk's first mini is the 22lr one.
                           Top Dog

Were I to buy a mini, I'd never use a mag cylinder, but I'd want it. To make it "complete" and to not hurt the value should it ever have to be sold.

[OV-1D]

  Between the one you show RickK and the short series those are the cornerstones of NAA 's gun base ,none finer . All the other models are just step ups in the company that bring us so much pleasure to collect and shoot (some of these guys actually shoot their stock of NAA's) .Ha . Just to clarify I collect such things of beauty .

[tinhorn]

If you fellers aren't blasting magnums through these little revolvers, you're missing out. I took a couple newly acquired 4" 1860 Earls to the range for Scientific Research, one with LR cylinder, one with WMR. Both were fun, but the magnum was a blast! Same recoil but more noise.

[heyjoe]

If you fellers aren't blasting magnums through these little revolvers, you're missing out. I took a couple newly acquired 4" 1860 Earls to the range for Scientific Research, one with LR cylinder, one with WMR. Both were fun, but the magnum was a blast! Same recoil but more noise.

as OV1D has said many times, shooting magnums out of such a small pistol has to be causing extra stress and wear over using long rifle.  Its ok to do it, but in the long run limiting your practice to mostly long rifle, if you have both cylinders will prolong the life of the gun. 

[smokeless joe]

If you fellers aren't blasting magnums through these little revolvers, you're missing out. I took a couple newly acquired 4" 1860 Earls to the range for Scientific Research, one with LR cylinder, one with WMR. Both were fun, but the magnum was a blast! Same recoil but more noise.

as OV1D has said many times, shooting magnums out of such a small pistol has to be causing extra stress and wear over using long rifle.  Its ok to do it, but in the long run limiting your practice to mostly long rifle, if you have both cylinders will prolong the life of the gun.

That?s pretty much how I do it. I?ll fire my magnum rounds first if they have been chambered for awhile then the rest of my range time is spent with lr rounds. Less wear and tear on the gun and the wallet. 

[pietro]

it seems that most folk's first mini is the 22lr one.
                           Top Dog

Were I to buy a mini, I'd never use a mag cylinder, but I'd want it. To make it "complete" and to not hurt the value should it ever have to be sold.

A look at the frame reads ".22 Long Rifle" - which means the frame isn't big enough to accept a .22 Mag cylinder (I didn't want to mislead the OP)

Welcome to the world on Mini's, Rick !

.

[RichK]

Rich,
Whew!! Good thing you posted a photo of your new mini!!  Otherwise Uncle Lee would not be able to enjoy his coffee!

Welcome to the forum. I may be wrong on this,but it seems that most folk's first mini is the 22lr one.

So.......................now that you have your first...........which one will you be getting next???

Do try to resist the urge.........we will "assist" you in making the choice(s).

Welp...considered maybe the one with interchangeable LR and magnum cylinders, with the folding grip. Our local sporting goods shop has one in stock, but right now I don't have any ready funds. Might make a good "glove box" gun. I don't own anything in .22 mag, and the ammo is more expensive than .22LR, so I never had an urge to get a gun in .22 mag before. The black powder "companions" are neat, too, but I'd want a source of bullets other than having to buy the proprietary ones. Some size of buckshot maybe? Or perhaps I can find a custom mold maker to make me a .223/.224 round ball mold? Who knows...

                                                                                                                      Top Dog

[Rex T. Dog]

Good deal...! a prior owner loved that gun, it looks to be in great shape...our .22lr is a recent vintage, and that is okay, too...here's hoping years of enjoyment...🔫

[tinhorn]

The black powder "companions" are neat, too, but I'd want a source of bullets other than having to buy the proprietary ones. Some size of buckshot maybe? Or perhaps I can find a custom mold maker to make me a .223/.224 round ball mold? Who knows...

                                                                                                                      Top Dog

A couple years ago I was doing a lot of reading about the black powder Companions. As I recall, somebody DID find a lead shot the right size. Somebody else was sticking BBs behind a pellet gun pellet. Apparently the BB swelled the lead pellet to seal against the bore while adding some weight to the mix. I've never tried either of these techniques, heck, I just received my first black powder NAA a few days ago. Tiny little sucker, and I couldn't resist it.

[Rimfire]

That was a great score. To me, that?s probably the best looking gun of the NAA line and to have an early one is just icing on the cake. Enjoy?

[top dog]

Tinhorn,
Let us know how your new BP mini works out on the range. It is one of those pieces that fill a unique spot in your NAA collection.

                                                                 Top Dog

[tinhorn]

Tinhorn,
Let us know how your new BP mini works out on the range. It is one of those pieces that fill a unique spot in your NAA collection.

                                                                 Top Dog

Y'mean, get it all dirty?! I bought it to hang on the wall!

B-u-u-u-t....it's not REALLY too small to shoot, like I'd thought it would be. Hmmm....

[bearcatter]

We have several members who own minis they've never fired. (?)

[tinhorn]

Hahaha! I never imagined firing a tiny BP revolver until I cycled it a few time and thought "Hmmmm.....wonder how hard it is to find 4F powder and #11 caps". I bought it partly because it fit into my "collection", and partly because how often do you find a black powder .22 that'll fit into a shirt pocket?

I can't imagine NOT firing my 1860 Earls mainly because I want to carry something lighter than my Single Six, and dang, those are beautiful little guns. If I'm going to carry an NAA, why not the prettiest ones? Full disclosure: My daily driver used to be an MG TD replica. Beauty should be ravished on a daily basis.

Nothing wrong with safe queens, aka investments. I think the single-shot Savage .22 over 20 I bought 35-40 years ago has appreciated more than the silver dollar I bought at the same time. Too bad I sold both of them long before their peak.

[theysayimnotme]

Why am I the only person who doesn't know how to post a picture?  I did it once but can't remember how.

[smokeless joe]

Why am I the only person who doesn't know how to post a picture?  I did it once but can't remember how.

Below the post box is attachments. Click on that and choose your pic from your computer or phone. Whichever you are posting from.

[top dog]

Tinhorn,
Nice assortment of stuff you have there!!

I found that the Remington #11 caps work best because they seem to be thinner. I tried other caps and had a lot of hang ups.

Always nice to have yet another mini in the mix.

                                                                                         Top Dog

[RogueTS1]

We have several members who own minis they've never fired. (?)

We are one of those ...................... 

[heyjoe]

We have several members who own minis they've never fired. (?)

We are one of those ...................... 

me too. i have several unfired minis, including a Ranger 1. I also have a Ranger 1 that i actually carry. I bought them because i worked hard all my life, I wanted them, i had the money, enjoy them, and am not worried about them as an investment. If I want to spend money on investments, I'll play the stock market or buy real estate.

[Uncle_Lee]

The Ranger II killed the Break Top (Ranger I) as an investment.
Might as well carry and shoot them.
The Break Top may sell to a collector for big money, maybe in a few years.

[bearcatter]

I'm afraid of discontinued guns having zero parts soon after, especially if they were a short run like the Ranger I. You can't expect a company to keep a big quantity of parts for them.
So far, I was fooled on my surplus pistols. I had seen a few parts and mags before I bought them. Naturally, none since. With truckloads of them imported, I'll trust more stuff will pop up.

[heyjoe]

The Ranger II killed the Break Top (Ranger I) as an investment.
Might as well carry and shoot them.
The Break Top may sell to a collector for big money, maybe in a few years.

so many things that people bought as collectors for an investment when they were doing well are worth peanuts now. the only handguns i am aware of that continue to increase in value over a long period of time are smith and wesson revolvers and some older colt revolvers. who knows how long that will last as we die off and future generations have no interest in revolvers.

[OV-1D]

  Your right HeyJoe the interest in weaponry is dying off it seems even when the sales are going over the top . Collector pieces seem to take a different type of mind though , NOBODY ,not so sorry theres us , is interested in history's path to todays armory . History isn't in any of the youths minds , shame they could learn so much from the pasts and not just guns and such . Now make a gun in the form of a handheld telephone/computer then the interest just might come back but then again the interest might have a lot of them shooting themselves in the head accidentally .

[heyjoe]

  Your right HeyJoe the interest in weaponry is dying off it seems even when the sales are going over the top . Collector pieces seem to take a different type of mind though , NOBODY ,not so sorry theres us , is interested in history's path to todays armory . History isn't in any of the youths minds , shame they could learn so much from the pasts and not just guns and such . Now make a gun in the form of a handheld telephone/computer then the interest just might come back but then again the interest might have a lot of them shooting themselves in the head accidentally .

it has to be plastic today...guns, cars, homes, lumber supplies, furniture, tv's, packaging, etc

[bearcatter]

  Your right HeyJoe the interest in weaponry is dying off it seems even when the sales are going over the top . Collector pieces seem to take a different type of mind though , NOBODY ,not so sorry theres us , is interested in history's path to todays armory . History isn't in any of the youths minds , shame they could learn so much from the pasts and not just guns and such .

Older guns have their unknown history. Was this somebody's first rifle? Did it keep someone from going hungry? Did it take a prize buck? With a surplus military or police gun, did it save someone's life? Did it kill anyone? If guns could talk......

[bearcatter]

it has to be plastic today...guns, cars, homes, lumber supplies, furniture, tv's, packaging, etc

Whether the green nuts like it or not, you can't make most plastics without oil. Some things are better with plastic, some stuff is near impossible without it. A lot of plastic, we could do better without.

[top dog]

Bearcatter,
I agree with you on that for sure!!!!

                                 Top Dog