You want to see the one firearm I’ve dragged around with me the longest? Getting it out of its drawer to show you is no big burden…
NAA mini-revolver in .22LR. The first one I bought was a .22 Magnum with a slightly longer barrel, but there was a minor QC problem with it – Before I’d fired the tenth round, the barrel loosened and flew right off the gun. To say I’d had a very great deal of confidence in the gun in the first place would be untrue, and this did nothing to bolster it. The owner of the gun shop where I bought it was apologetic as hell when I brought it back in two tiny pieces, reached into his display and handed me the gun above with no paperwork involved. That was in…oh, goodness. Lemme think…1979 or ’80, I’d guess. Long time ago, anyway.
I don’t think I’ve ever successfully hit a target with it at more than contact range. The loading procedure is glacially slow. It’s the only gun I’ve ever owned that stayed loaded and unfired so long the bullets turned green. One day both grip scales broke in half and fell off and it just didn’t matter. I left it that way, thinking maybe someday I’d want to wear it around my neck just because I could do that now if I wanted to. Never did.
This was a time of little fly-by-night companies that made pieces of oddball junk like the COP .357 4-barrel derringer, which I also had a chance to test-fire from that same shop. (Four barrels, four different points of impact. Plus, no way in hell I’d be seen with it. No sale.) There were other examples that don’t come to mind. Way back at the time, I figured North American Arms to be one of those companies.
Not so much. I am reminded by MArooned that NAA is not only still around, their selection of tiny stainless revolvers has gotten even sillier over the years…
– and spawned some unabashedly silly accessories.
You gotta love that. Some things abide, despite their complete lack of utility.
That Cop 4-barrel job. Yeah, I remember someone showing me that in some gun magazine. He thought it was cool; be a great backup piece. I asked, “Didn’t pepperboxes go out in the early 19th century?”
They actually contemplated bringing out a break-top .22 Mag, and even produced some, then decided too much hand-work was involved. I wish Ruger would bring out a breaktop in .32 S&W for Cowboy action shooting, for banker types to role-play.
My memory has faded to near black for anything pre(breakfast…cough)….1997…….but it occurs to me my dad had one of those COP 4 shooters. Trigger like pushing a Buick up hill. Point of aim? As Uncle Si would say “Naw”…. point of impact? If you say so. Kicked like a very vigorous mule.
But it was cool. Yes, pepperboxes drifted out in the 1880s but that’s why it was cool..
It’s cool now and I wish I had one. They have appreciated nicely. About $15,000 last I looked.
I like these little revolvers. I had a 22lr version that the ex won custody of in the first divorce. I have been gonna get a magnum variety for years but feeding the eternal church of the holy M1A is all consuming. Especially since the church accepted those PTR91 twins over to co-minister.
I really liked the top break auto eject version they keep teasing us with but won’t produce. They do make a cute little swing out version as well now.
More proof America is a great place! I had one o the .22 am versions. It would keep all 5 shots on a playing card at about 3 yards. I hope theSOB that stole it shot himself in the fingers wi it.
Buck: you can still buy pepperbox kits at Dixie Gun Works. You need some machining skills to complete them, that seems to be emphasized in the reviews of the kit.