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UPDATE! October 16th, 2015
North American Arms has recently introduced
their Sidewinder revolver with a 4" barrel. Available in
either 22 Magnum only, or as a 22 Long Rifle / 22 Magnum
convertible, the 4" Sidewinder is a great choice for a
woods / trail gun, while still a good choice for discreet carry
in a pocket or holster. The longer barrel gives greater
velocity, improved accuracy, and will stay put in a pants pocket
better than its shorter-barreled counterpart. Specifications are
listed in the chart below.
Barrel Length |
4 inches |
Overall Length |
7.5 inches |
Overall Height |
2.875 inches |
Maximum Width |
1.0625 inches |
Weight, Unloaded |
8 ounces |
Cylinder Capacity |
5 |
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MSRP as of October 2015:
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Model NAA-SW-4 (22 Magnum Only) |
$396.00 US |
Model NAA_SWC-4 (22 LR / 22 Mag
Convertible) |
$489.00 US |
  
North American Arms has been making
high-quality mini revolvers for a long time. They have always
been reliable little weapons, carried by thousands of people
either as a backup to their primary weapon, or as the only
firearm that is small enough to conceal easily, every day.
Chambered for the 22 rimfire cartridges, I
prefer the 22 magnum version myself, these five-shot
revolvers are reliable, and as accurate as the shooter can hold.
However, while the magnum offers slightly more power, there are
some 22 Long Rifle loads that come pretty close to matching the
power of the 22 magnum when fired from these abbreviated barrels
of the NAA revolvers. The NAA revolvers have mostly been of the
design that is necessary to remove the cylinder pin and cylinder
to load and unload, with the exception of the limited-production
Ranger break-top that was produced about a year ago. Now,
NAA has the Sidewinder; a mini revolver with a swing-out
cylinder and ejector, very similar to the design found on most
double-action revolvers.
The cylinder on the Sidewinder swings out to
the right, activated by slightly pulling forward on the knurled
portion of the cylinder base pin, and pushing the cylinder from
the left side. The short-stroke ejector rod does a good job of
pushing the empty cases out, with the 22 Long Rifle cases most
always falling freely from the chambers. The longer magnum cases
still need to be mostly removed manually, but it is much faster
to load than the method used on most of these miniature
revolvers. I experienced no sticky extraction with any of the
ammunition tested in this Sidewinder.
Specifications are listed in the chart below.
Weight is listed in ounces. Trigger pull is listed as pounds of
resistance, as measured using my Lyman digital scale. Linear
measurements are listed in inches.
Overall Length |
4.85" |
Overall Height |
2.5" |
Weight Unloaded |
6.7 oz. |
Barrel Length |
1.42" |
Cylinder Length |
1.4" |
Cylinder Diameter |
0.848" |
Barrel/Cylinder Gap |
0.004" |
Trigger Pull |
4.4 lbs. |
Cylinder Capacity |
5 cartridges |
I tested the Sidewinder with eighteen types
of 22 Long Rifle ammunition and eight types of 22 Magnum
ammunition for velocity and function. The results with each
brand and type of ammunition are listed in the chart below. HP
is a lead hollowpoint bullet. Solid is a lead roundnose bullet.
Velocity readings were taken at an elevation of 541 feet above
sea level, with an air temperature of forty degrees Fahrenheit,
with humidity in the seventy-six percent range. Velocities are
listed in feet-per-second (FPS), and were recorded ten feet from
the muzzle of the revolver. Bullet weights are listed in grains.
22 Long Rifle
Ammunition |
Bullet Weight |
Velocity |
Federal Bulk HP |
36 |
886 |
Winchester DynaPoint HP |
40 |
921 |
PMC Match Solid |
40 |
866 |
Wolf Match Solid |
40 |
920 |
CCI Mini-Mag HP |
36 |
983 |
CCI Mini-Mag Solid |
40 |
822 |
CCI Velocitor HP |
40 |
835 |
Remington Yellow Jacket
HP |
33 |
952 |
Remington Hi-Speed
Solid |
40 |
900 |
American Eagle HP |
36 |
909 |
PMC Zapper HP |
38 |
711 |
Olin Solid |
40 |
912 |
Winchester XPert HP |
36 |
889 |
Hansen Solid |
40 |
830 |
Remington Bulk Solid |
37 |
823 |
CCI Quiet |
40 |
520 |
CCI Stinger HP |
32 |
928 |
Aguila Supermaximum HP |
40 |
948 |
22 Magnum Rimfire
Ammunition |
Bullet
Weight |
Velocity |
PMC JHP |
40 |
945 |
Winchester
Dynapoint |
45 |
841 |
CCI TNT JHP |
30 |
976 |
Winchester
Supreme JHP |
30 |
980 |
Winchester
Supreme JHP |
34 |
983 |
CCI +V JHP |
30 |
978 |
Federal JHP |
50 |
690 |
Armscor JHP |
40 |
976 |
I made no attempt to bench test the
Sidewinder for target accuracy. Instead, I just stood on my hind
legs and fired at various targets from three to fifteen yards.
Ringing an eight-inch steel plate at ten yards was very easy.
The front post sight is pretty easy to see in good light, and
keeping every shot on a standard human paper silhouette target
at distances up to fifteen yards was no problem at all. These
little pocket revolvers are made to be used up close and
personal, for the most serious of social conflicts, and for that
purpose, they serve very well. If you ever need a firearm to
defend yourself from an attacker, you will have to use the one
that is within reach. The NAA Sidewinder is small enough and
light enough to always be within reach. If you need a fast
reload, the Sidewinder can be emptied and reloaded at least
twice as fast as other mini revolvers, and for that reason, it
is an excellent choice for those who want to carry one of these
little weapons. Like all NAA firearms, the Sidewinder is built
right, and built in the USA.
Check out the entire line of miniature
revolvers and accessories online at www.naaminis.com.
For the location of a North American Arms
dealer near you, click on the DEALER FINDER at www.lipseys.com.
To order a NAA mini revolver online, go to www.galleryofguns.com.
To order quality rimfire ammunition, go to www.luckygunner.com.
Jeff Quinn
 
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