The Rohrbaugh Forum

Miscellaneous => Other Guns => Topic started by: bluegun on April 02, 2008, 11:52:45 PM

Title: north american arms .32 naa
Post by: bluegun on April 02, 2008, 11:52:45 PM

i suppose i'm going to be too casual for those of you who are interested in a "professional style" review of this firearm.  still, maybe you'll be interested.

i bought my little super-popgun off gunbrokers a few months ago.  since then, i have been fully occupied in obtaining ammo.  as i understand it, cor-bon is still the only maker.  for some reason, the mention of 'alaska' turns regular companies into jellyfish.  i had expected that north american arms or cor-bon would go out of their way to accommodate my purchase, if only for bragging rights.  instead, both steadfastly refused to consider shipping to juneau.  in fairness, i should note that JUNEAU is even worse than "ALASKA," since we're not on the road system.  yes, we are (cough) the capital.

anyhoo, i finally got 2 boxes off of a seller on gunbroker (best guns, i think, and i must say "i love you").  that's 40 rounds fellers, at a great auction price, but at a shipping price that was just slightly less than the purchase price.  i have since induced my local FFL to order me 6 boxes.  i was up in anchorage recently, and NOBODY had any .32 NAA.  so, if you're considering this pistol, take the ammo into account.  i suspect that anybody in the "lower 48" probably won't have any trouble, but i was seriously considering selling my little guy.

glad i didn't !!!  the ballistics are something like 1200 fps and 200 fp of striking power.  that clearly rivals all but the best plus-p .380 ammo.  true to its reputation, it attracted a little attention at the range.  for some reason, it jets out about a 3 foot flame when it lets go . . . very impressive to bystanders!

as is usual with an NAA firearm, the fit and finish were first rate.  the receiver, at least, is built by kahr arms.  nobody i know would have any qualms about that.  it's a chunky little guy, weighs slightly (4 oz?) more than the r9s.  still, it's so solid looking that you forgive it its trespasses in weight.  it's also a little bit thicker than the r9, and that's harder to forgive.

i shot one whole box (20 rounds) of my two boxes of ammo.  i like it!  you should read up on the ballistics for yourself, but the shooting experience is just fine.  i have an NAA .380, and i prefer to shoot the .32NAA (on the same frame).  for some reason, the .380 recoil seems sharper.  [[to be clear, when one talks about 'recoil' in this class of pistol, i think one talks about nuances only -- like how much the trigger guard bonks the shooting finger.  'least, that's what i mean by it]].

so, i prefer shooting the .32 NAA to the .380 guardian.  the pistol itself is very satisfying to observe, carry, and shoot, if you don't mind a little additional weight.

the r9(s) is clearly the superior ballistic package, but there's something (to me) very likeable about this little pistol.  it shot to point of aim.  it attracted attention on the firing line (really a barker and a flame-shooter).  it's manageable and it's carry-able.  for those of us who don't expect to be in a multi-party bank robbery shootout, i think it's a nice little "peace of mind" carry piece.

this is a pretty squishy post.  ask firmer questions and i'll try to give more meaningful answers.

michael hildebrand
juneau, alaska

Title: Re: north american arms .32 naa
Post by: ccoorreeyy on April 03, 2008, 12:01:25 AM

How about a picture of the NAA and R9 side by side?

Title: Re: north american arms .32 naa
Post by: bluegun on April 03, 2008, 12:20:21 AM

thanks for the suggestion . . . corey?  i'm wondering how that's going to turn out.  the flat-sided picture will show the r9s slightly larger.  the top-down picture will show the NAA slightly wider.  neither will capture the weight differential, which i would characterize as "noticeable, but not really significant."  

i'll try to get that done tomorrow.  i'm nursing my sick bride tonite, interspersed with surfing here and gunbroker.

michael hildebrand
juneau, alaska

Title: Re: north american arms .32 naa
Post by: Richard S on April 03, 2008, 07:53:12 AM

Bluegun:

Thanks for the interesting and informative range report.

Quote

How about a picture of the NAA and R9 side by side?

Corey:

Here is a shot of my NAA .380ACP Guardian with my R9.  As you know and as Bluegun noted, the NAA Guardian chambered for the new .32NAA cartridge is built on the same frame as the NAA .380ACP Guardian.  

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/R9G380Side-by-Side.jpg)

The sterling silver grips on my Guardian add three Troy ounces of weight to the piece, which really tones down its felt recoil. Since getting my R9 in 2004, I've been using the Guardian as an occasional backup piece for the R9. Also, because of the ease and speed with which the Guardian can be fieldstripped and cleaned, I slip it in my pocket whenever I go hunting or fishing in areas where I may lose footing and wind up with my backside in water, muck, and mud.

Title: Re: north american arms .32 naa
Post by: Erich on May 02, 2008, 12:30:16 AM

Wow. Great post, Michael (especially the travails of getting ammo to Juneau) and great silver stocks, Richard.