Niche markets

[bearcatter]

Andy Palmer, the CEO of Aston Martin, recently told a car magazine that many mainstream car companies will be gone in the near future. Because the cars they make are all too much alike. We've all noticed that nearly every car out there looks like every other car. They all have the same electronic doo-dads. I personally think they all look like something out of a sci-fi comic book, and I don't like them.

Aston Martin had record sales last year, a whopping 5117 cars. That's a niche market. Their cars are enough different from everyone elses to stand on their own.

NAA is a niche company. I posted about their future longevity, and this Aston Market story made a good point. How many plastic wonder nines are on the market? AR style rifles? 1911s?

How many companies make guns like NAA's? Maybe one, Seecamp. But, when you look at the details, it's not the same. NAA took the inspiration, and developed it further. I think NAA will be just fine, if they continue to stay out of copy cat, me too, gun design.

[cbl51]

I don't see anything changing in the near future. American gun nuts are in love with the whole tacticool package that they can go play warrior with. It's an artificially created market by both the gun manufactures and Hollywood to sell an image. I've never really understood it, when I got out of the army I never wanted to see another m16 again in this life. Has all the charm of a screen door.

I think there is a remote possibility of NAA creating a bigger share of a nitch market for themselves, but it would take more advertising in other media than gun mags, and some Hollywood placement in a few movies. Look what Clint Eastwood did for sales of the S&W 29. They were selling them to people who had zero previous interest in a magnum revolver. Or what Don Johnson did for the Bren 10. Or Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis for the Beretta 92.

For NAA to be more popular, people have to know they exist. Right now, NAA is pretty much unknown among some of the great unwashed gun people who only know what's show in mainstream media.

[autofull]

well, i do not think that our mini,s are niche because some people carry them as the main gun. i know quite a few police officers that pack one as a second backup to the main. usually in a shirt pocket. i know this because i sold them on the idea as i feel to this day that you can always reach a shirt pocket in a close struggle. just my thoughts here guys.

[Warthog]

Niche or not, the Mini is a good gun for SD and I am sure it will keep on being a good gun for SD.

[bearcatter]

Niche: adjective

"Denoting or relating to products, services, or interests that appeal to a small, specialized section of the population."

[Canoeal]

We are Niche!

[ikoiko]

Nachos: noun

"Tortilla chips topped with melted cheese and often other savory toppings."

[OV-1D]

We are Niche!

  Its an itch you can't quite reach .

[ikoiko]

Nietzsche:

Thinking about the itch you can't quite reach.

[PaducahMichael]

Nietzsche:

Thinking about the itch you can't quite reach.

[miker]

NAA essentially took over the "derringer" niche, with something equally small but more than two shots.

There's a huge hole in the revolver market between NAA's and the J-frame. Many people would love a smaller J that fits a pocket a little better. 32 mag? Or 5 special Gold-Dot short-barrel 30 carbine loads?

Lots of old SA/DA 7-shot 22 revolvers out there from yesteryear that would make a great small carry piece.

[cbl51]

NAA essentially took over the "derringer" niche, with something equally small but more than two shots.

There's a huge hole in the revolver market between NAA's and the J-frame. Many people would love a smaller J that fits a pocket a little better. 32 mag? Or 5 special Gold-Dot short-barrel 30 carbine loads?

Lots of old SA/DA 7-shot 22 revolvers out there from yesteryear that would make a great small carry piece.

I've always felt that there will always be a nitch for the derringer class of gun. From 1857 when Christian Sharps campout with the 4 barrel derringer and Smith and Wesson campout with the model 1, sales of a small pocket size gun have been a reliable thing. Heck, Remington introduced the iconic over under derringer in 1866 and it continued until almost WW2. In 1905 John Moses Browning invented the .25acp round and then designed the little vest pocket gun to go around it. The mini .25 autos were popular up until the 1990's. The Raven .25 was common on the streets of D.C. until the later 1990's when compact .380's and small 9mm's came out.

The derringer class guns were not sold for people expecting a gun fight. It was the common non gun person who thought he or she may need a small gun to use for self protection in a last resort situation. For that, the little .22 is great. Self defense is a nitch.

[bearcatter]

NAA essentially took over the "derringer" niche, with something equally small but more than two shots.

There's a huge hole in the revolver market between NAA's and the J-frame. Many people would love a smaller J that fits a pocket a little better. 32 mag? Or 5 special Gold-Dot short-barrel 30 carbine loads?

Lots of old SA/DA 7-shot 22 revolvers out there from yesteryear that would make a great small carry piece.

I think one gap in the revolver market opened when Iver Johnson and H&R went under. They had a lot, maybe too many, of small simple revolvers in the smaller calibers. Some smaller than Js, good pocket pieces. The Ranger is getting close to those old classics.

[Rob22]

How about a sidewinder black widow hybrid?

[Canoeal]

How about a sidewinder black widow hybrid?

I think that Sidewinder frame would destroy the looks of the BW...

[Rob22]

I was thinking more of incorporating the swing out cylinder feature into the black widow frame. maybe make it look like a full underlug revolver to keep the looms of the black widow including functional sites and a bit longer barrel with the added usability of the sidewinder loading and unloading system. maybe even improved with a bit longer ejector rod.

[Spanky]

NAA essentially took over the "derringer" niche, with something equally small but more than two shots.

I was searching for derringer when I stumbled across NAA.

[Rob22]

look not loom

[cbl51]

NAA essentially took over the "derringer" niche, with something equally small but more than two shots.

I was searching for derringer when I stumbled across NAA.

NAA is the modern derringer.

[SteveZ-FL]

NAA essentially took over the "derringer" niche, with something equally small but more than two shots.

There's a huge hole in the revolver market between NAA's and the J-frame. Many people would love a smaller J that fits a pocket a little better. 32 mag? Or 5 special Gold-Dot short-barrel 30 carbine loads?

Lots of old SA/DA 7-shot 22 revolvers out there from yesteryear that would make a great small carry piece.

I think one gap in the revolver market opened when Iver Johnson and H&R went under. They had a lot, maybe too many, of small simple revolvers in the smaller calibers. Some smaller than Js, good pocket pieces. The Ranger is getting close to those old classics.

The 'mass market" driven by most gun periodicals seems fixed on the belief that a semi-auto handgun with the magazine capacity and caliber equal or larger than I had with an M-14 is the minimum necessary for concealed carry or home defense. To the periodical-influenced folk, revolvers are relics of another era, old-fashioned guns for a by-gone time and are not sexy enough for the progress-minded techno-savvy buyer.

The revolver's simplicity and resulting reliability for that two-to-four round threat circumstance which constitutes my risk environment fits better than the scores of military-grade sidearm-equivalent handguns marketed these days to today's new crop of CCWers.

How did the song go? "Call me a relic ..... say I'm old-fashioned and over the hill.....'"  A .22WMR NAA in the pocket and an H&R .32S&W in the nightstand work fine for me.

[cbl51]

NAA essentially took over the "derringer" niche, with something equally small but more than two shots.

There's a huge hole in the revolver market between NAA's and the J-frame. Many people would love a smaller J that fits a pocket a little better. 32 mag? Or 5 special Gold-Dot short-barrel 30 carbine loads?

Lots of old SA/DA 7-shot 22 revolvers out there from yesteryear that would make a great small carry piece.

I think one gap in the revolver market opened when Iver Johnson and H&R went under. They had a lot, maybe too many, of small simple revolvers in the smaller calibers. Some smaller than Js, good pocket pieces. The Ranger is getting close to those old classics.

The 'mass market" driven by most gun periodicals seems fixed on the belief that a semi-auto handgun with the magazine capacity and caliber equal or larger than I had with an M-14 is the minimum necessary for concealed carry or home defense. To the periodical-influenced folk, revolvers are relics of another era, old-fashioned guns for a by-gone time and are not sexy enough for the progress-minded techno-savvy buyer.

The revolver's simplicity and resulting reliability for that two-to-four round threat circumstance which constitutes my risk environment fits better than the scores of military-grade sidearm-equivalent handguns marketed these days to today's new crop of CCWers.

How did the song go? "Call me a relic ..... say I'm old-fashioned and over the hill.....'"  A .22WMR NAA in the pocket and an H&R .32S&W in the nightstand work fine for me.

Unfortunately Steve, you're totally right about the pollution of the gun market by the dollar driven gun magazines that are nothing but shills for the gun manufacturers. The current generation of gun nuts are so out of touch with reality it's sad. But what's sadder is that some very nice guns get overlooked by would be tactical Tommies decked out for repelling an invasion of Chinese paratroopers. Worse, they Give advise to the masses that steer them wrong or at least not an avenue that is going the wrong way for the purpose.

[Rob22]

when I started my ccw journey I wasted a lot of time and money believing a lot of those articles selling the need for a high capacity big bore semi auto pistol. After ten years I'm back to the snubby I started with and added a black widow for even lighter carry days. being on this forum I'm likely going to end up with a pug too.

[Warthog]

A Sidewinder BW Hybrid would be great.  I know I would want one.  Great Idea!  Same barrel length and such, maybe the best sights offered on a Mini would be good too.  Being able to slide the cylinder open would make time at the range much nicer, for me at least.  I would also go with a Ranger II BW Hybrid....but that is me.

[Rob22]

black widow ranger hybrid would be awesome as well

[Bj]

For me I think any future NAA mini will have better sights preferable night sights.  Maybe a Ranger or Sidewinder with a 2 - 2 1/2 " barrel and night sights.  The better sights may well not be needed for EDC (defense) but for me with my older eyes the better sights are needed for more enjoyable practice sessions with the EDC mini.  My thoughts.

[Canoeal]

For a while now I have been looking for Trit sights to fit my BW. So far no luck. I am afraid when NAA starts putting them on a BW they will modify the BW to work with Pug sights, and older Guns will still be SOL.

[Rob22]

a black widow ranger hybrid with xs big dot sights and a ds10speed loader with a pocket holster designed to carry the gun and the reload!!!! The new naa wolverine because it would fight way above it's weight class 

[linux_author]

love my sidewinder - best gun purchase in a long time...

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

[Canoeal]

I want something that will work from the get-go, not another far fetched design needing the year of testing and fixing.. That is why I say the BW with trit sights, will do me fine.

[Uncle_Lee]

I second that thought.
No more "buy the new model" until the new model works.

[Rob22]

How about both?  xs sights for the current black widow and the black widow hybrid?

[WECSOG]

You lost me when you compared NAA to Seecamp. Seecamp is indeed a niche maker of small auto pistols. NAA is not. If NAA stopped making mini revolvers to concentrate on their small auto pistols, IMO they would be out of business by the end of the year.

OTOH, again in my opinion, NAA could discontinue their auto pistols and concentrate entirely on what is their niche market, mini revolvers and accessories, and it would hardly make a dent in their bottom line. In fact if they reinvested the time, R&D and manufacturing capacity that they currently fritter away on "me-too" small auto pistols and put it instead toward improving their mini revolver lineup, it would actually improve their bottom line.

[Canoeal]

Your theory is based on what? Your opinion of sales? Actual figures? Let NAA run their own business; they seem to be doing fairly well without any 'help'.

[Rob22]

Back to the naa black widow ranger or sidewinder hybrid. Seems to me that all the parts are already made and just need some tweaking to combine. Of course I'm not an engineer.....

[Canoeal]

How about both?  xs sights for the current black widow and the black widow hybrid?

Let me know when that gun gets perfected...I am not sure the Ranger II is yet. I know they think it is...Trit sights will ruin that Break top look though....