Pistol smithing ideas...

[Zatx]

Hi guys.  New member here and new owner of a .22LR 1 1/8th Mini.

I'm primarily going to be carrying this pistol in my front pocket, most likely without a holster.  Just looking at the lines I see some areas that could be smoothed out or removed to increase the comfort and ability to carry this on a daily basis.  And I'm curious if anyone has done these modifications and how they worked out.

I'm thinking of having a pistol smith remove the front sight, remove some of the spur from the hammer and smooth down some of the angles around the front of the gun near the cylinder.

I'm also toying with the idea of having the entire gun Cerakoted.

What are your thoughts?

[bleak_window]

I think somebody here took a Black Widow and dremeled all the corners smooth for pocket carry.  Anybody got a pic of that?

[west5757]

I was told that the front sight could be removed by a pair of pliers since it only pinned. It will leave a hole in the barrel though.

[RogueTS1]

I would think bobbing the hammer may lead to the hammer being too light and not reliably setting off the primers. Finding a good pocket holster, and there are more than a few out there, would be a lot less money spent on an already reliable and capable gun and improve one's ability to use in a bad situation and more safely.

[cfsharry]

What Roguets said. But do what makes you happy.

[tocsn40]

Not sure i would do all that much to a gun just to cary when as above a pocket holster work so well and does more for allaround safty and cufert of cary.  Jmo

[Zatx]

Yep. I have a few pocket holsters. One common trait they all have is that they add bulk.  My mini is a deep concealment back up and achieving the smallest most comfortable footprint I can achieve.  I have other guns that are larger, but they are too large for deep deep concealment.

[RogueTS1]

I guess it depends on your definition of bulk. The smaller of mine does fill up my pocket a little more, but that is what it is designed to do so the gun does not twist and turn in the pocket. I personally would not say it makes the gun much if any more bulky though. To me it makes it a little more concealable as it takes the outline of the gun from gun to smooth pocket stuff and breaks up the grip outline. Just my opinion though; to each his own.

[CavScout]

Yep. I have a few pocket holsters. One common trait they all have is that they add bulk.  My mini is a deep concealment back up and achieving the smallest most comfortable footprint I can achieve.  I have other guns that are larger, but they are too large for deep deep concealment.

Without knowing the anticipated foe you're concealing against, it's difficult to define tactics for that concealment.

If you anticipate a 'pat-down' of any sort, the concealment may need to take advantage of a body crevice or cavity. A non-invasive pat-down could happen undetected, similar to a pickpocket encounter.

If however, you're only trying for visual concealment when only wearing a t-shirt and/or shorts, then your best bet may be one of the many elastic band concealment systems.

Altering parts on a firearm as small as the NAA minis will potentially upset the mechanical 'balance' of the interacting parts. Lightening the hammer may require a stronger mainspring as an example. A stronger mainspring, in turn, would make it more difficult to cock a bobbed hammer... and so on.

[grayelky]

When the first pictures of the Wasp were released, there was a lot of discussion about the skeletonized hammer, and how if the spring was not made stronger, it would result in light strikes and misfires. There have been no reports of light strikes with the Wasp. I doubt bobbing the hammer slightly would cause light strikes. It cannot be bobbed too much, or there will be no way to cock it. As to rounding the corners and voiding the warranty. I suspect if there were strength issues created, the warranty would be voided, and the gun would not be returned, due to liability issues. However, if the edges are only rounded, and nothing is done to create a safety issue, I personally feel NAA would still honor their warranty.

If ultimate concealment is the goal, there has been talk of cutting the nose off LR ammo and using it in the .22 short revolver. This will give you:
The smallest possible revolver
The powder of a LR, with a lighter bullet (you trimmed some off, remember?)
Possibly more velocity
It may decrease penetration due to the lighter bullet not having enough mass to achieve the penetration desired. IF this course of action is taken, it would be prudent to experiment with penetration and determine for yourself if you feel it will suit your purposes. I personally have never tried this, AND I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT. Any action you take regarding what was previously described as something I have read, is wholly your own responsibility.