North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini Revolver – Rugged Stealth Grey 5-Shot

Description

The North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini is the smallest genuinely usable revolver the company builds, and this version pairs that tiny stainless frame with a Stealth Grey Cerakote finish and checkered rosewood grips. It chambers five rounds of 22 WMR, rides on a 1.63 inch barrel and weighs 6.5 ounces empty. MAG5 Firearms lists it under manufacturer part number NAA-22M-SG-RW, UPC 744253011255. It is a deep concealment piece first and a range gun second, and what follows covers honestly what it does well and where it falls short.

What the North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini Really Is

Every North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini is a single action, five shot revolver machined from stainless steel. The cylinder does not swing out. To load or unload you pull the cylinder pin, drop the cylinder free and use the pin as an ejector rod. That makes reloading slow next to any modern pocket automatic, and nobody should buy this NAA mini revolver expecting a fast second cylinder. What you get instead is a 22 WMR pocket revolver that disappears in a front pocket, a jacket pocket or a boot.

The stealth grey cerakote finish on this revolver is applied over the stainless frame, cylinder and barrel, and it is the practical reason to choose it over bare stainless. Cerakote shrugs off sweat and holster wear better than a brushed stainless surface, and the flat grey tone does not flash light the way polished stainless does on the draw. The grips are the other change. This is a genuine rosewood birds head grip rather than a polymer panel, and the checkering gives the small frame real purchase.

Size is the entire point. Overall length is 5.13 inches, height is 2.81 inches and width is 1.06 inches. The whole gun will vanish inside a closed fist. That is why the platform has survived since the 1970s with very little change: almost nothing else carries this small while still firing a useful cartridge.

Handling, Sights and Safe Carry

Be clear about the trigger sequence. The North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini is single action only. The hammer must be thumbed back for every shot and the trigger has no other function. Practised shooters can run it quickly at contact distance, but it is not a point and press gun. Sights are a simple half moon rear notch and a small front blade, which is enough for a silhouette across a room and effectively useless past ten yards.

Carry safety deserves specific attention on the North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini. This NAA mini revolver has no transfer bar and no hammer block. The cylinder is cut with safety notches between the chambers, and the hammer must be lowered into one of those notches for the revolver to be safe with five rounds aboard. If the hammer rests on a loaded chamber instead, a sharp blow can fire it. Read the manual, practise setting the notch and confirm it every single time you pocket the gun.

Expect noise and muzzle flash. A 1.63 inch barrel does not give 22 WMR powder time to burn, so velocity falls well below the rifle figures printed on the box and the rest of that energy leaves the muzzle as a loud, bright blast. Some owners prefer 22 LR in the conversion models for exactly that reason. Recoil is mild, but the tiny grip rotates in the hand, so re-cocking takes a deliberate regrip.

Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: NAA-22M-SG-RW
• UPC: 744253011255
• Caliber: 22 WMR (22 Magnum)
• Capacity: 5 rounds
• Barrel length: 1.63 in
• Overall length: 5.13 in
• Height: 2.81 in
• Width: 1.06 in
• Weight: 6.5 oz
• Action: Single action only
• Finish: Stealth grey cerakote over stainless
• Grip: Checkered rosewood birds head grip
• Sights: Half moon rear notch, fixed front blade
• Frame and cylinder: Stainless steel

Who Should Buy This Revolver and Who Should Not

The North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini earns its place as a backup, or as the gun you carry when you genuinely cannot carry anything else. Gym shorts, a suit pocket, an ankle rig under dress trousers, a tackle box in the woods. If the realistic alternative is leaving the house unarmed, a 22 WMR pocket revolver that you will actually carry beats a compact nine millimetre that stays in the safe. If you want a slightly larger frame with a swing out cylinder and a real sight picture, compare it against the North American Arms Sidewinder.

The North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini is a poor primary defensive handgun and we will not pretend otherwise. Five rounds of rimfire, single action operation, a slow reload and rudimentary sights are all real limitations. Rimfire priming is also less consistent than centerfire, so test whatever 22 WMR load you intend to carry across at least a couple of boxes before trusting it. Buyers who want a serious everyday carry gun should look at a compact striker fired pistol instead.

Holster support is better than most people expect. North American Arms builds pocket, ankle and boot rigs sized to this frame, and the birds head grip profile is shared across the line, so accessories made for other Mini-Revolvers generally fit. Resale value on North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini revolvers holds up well, helped by the fact that production of specific finishes such as stealth grey cerakote runs in limited batches. Factory specifications and the current model line are published by North American Arms.

MAG5 Firearms is a family owned FFL dealer in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. This North American Arms 22 Magnum Mini ships to your chosen licensed dealer, and Pennsylvania buyers can complete the transfer with us in person. Call 610-943-0010 with questions about this revolver, or pair it with Armscor 22 WMR 40 grain JHP and browse the rest of our revolvers.