North American Arms Mini Revolver - Minuteman 180 Review - NAA

AmbGun North American Arms page
https://www.ambgun.com/ambidextral-pistol/naa-mini-revolvers

AmbGun Rounds per Size and Weight spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bBQbxr-yWSGhT5Y3LJBkOmrwYl5AFu_jpH0tAA_DaCw

How the 22 Wins
https://youtu.be/kR3THJW5smQ

How the KelTec P17 Wins ("Handbook on Human Vulnerability")
https://youtu.be/YWMopzx3hgE

Centerfire vs Rimfire - Reliability
https://youtu.be/Bo08Lc3xOkg

20 years ago, I had a couple of the NAA Mini Revolvers. I thought of them as dangerous novelties, ultimately selling them as I raced up the centerfire caliber pyramid.

With my speculative “How the 22 Wins” video in 2020 followed up by the “How the KelTec P17 Wins” in 2021, I no longer think of the little 22LR self defense revolvers as amusing but as serious, effective, deep concealment pistols. So I asked NAA to send me one to review, they graciously sent two: a rosewood grip classic with a 1 ⅛” barrel and a folding holster grip with a 1 ⅝” barrel. With a capacity of 5 rounds and at 4.6 and 4.8 ounces respectively, the two are right on the heels of the Ruger LCP II in my Rounds per Size and Weight spreadsheet. But on the “Weighted Rounds” score (marginal utility of each additional round) the pair are first and second. Beautifully crafted out of stainless steel. Engineered for rounds per size and weight efficiency.

Rather than fumbling the manual of arms with live ammo, I spent a week practicing loading, placing the hammer in the safety notch, and unloading with dummy rounds.

I also tried dry firing the Minis. I could not get my padded dummy rounds to fit, so I used spent cases. I also did some dry firing with the cylinder removed which gave a bit more room to insert the Accurize training laser

After being comfortable with positioning the hammer into the safety notch, I took the two revolvers out to the range to fire Federal Punch and CCI Quiet-22. Both ran superbly with a definite difference in sound signature.

If you look at manufacture stats it looks like the Ruger LCP II Lite Rack has a 1 ⅛” longer barrel, but that is only because semi auto pistols include the chamber in their barrel calculation. Making allowances for this injustice, the LCP’s barrel is only 3/10” longer than the folder.

You can expect Punch to send that 29 gr bullet on its way at over 1,000 fps. Lethal out to any reasonable range for these short sight radius pistols.

They are adorable as Goat Guns, but packing “no discernible difference” in lethality compared to 9mm says the NATO and US Army “Handbook on Human Vulnerability”.

I could carry both of these NAA Mini revolvers for 10 rounds…same capacity as the LCP II..and still weigh less than the Ruger. Dual wielding Mini Revolvers?

I did find the folding grip far easier to shoot…specifically to cock quickly for fast follow up shots.

Overall, the NAA Mini Revolvers are ideal for those in a non-permissive environment or those in a low risk violent crime area. It could also be a handily available pistol to fight your way to your deeply concealed full sized pistol…itself being used to fight your way to your rifle.

Great little pocket protectors. I recommend the NAA Mini Revolver. Get one. Study its manual of arms. Load it with Punch. And Carry discretely.