First Look: North American Arms Mini Revolver

If you’re looking for a minuscule snake pistol, pocket pistol, backpacking pistol or just plain fun pistol, look no further. North American Arms has you covered. Now, strictly speaking, this little bitty revolver is not new. They’ve been around for a while. What is new is a compact laser grip set made for North American Arms by Viridian. With these on your pistol you can shoot rats in the dark, point out star constellations or tease your cat.

Kidding aside, these little revolvers are nicely made, incredibly small, boast a lifetime warrantee and are made in Utah. There are three main design models available; the original system, which employs a central cylinder pin that pulls forward and out, releasing the 5-shot cylinder to be loaded and then replaced. Next is the Ranger II, which is a break-top model that hinges just fore of the cylinder. Activate the latch, which is located just to the side of the hammer, and pull the barrel downward. The spent cases will extract; pull them free and your ready to reload. Finally, the Sidewinder model features a modern swing-out design. Simply release the latch, swing the cylinder out to the side and extract the spent rounds. Load fresh cartridges, snap the cylinder back in place, and you’re ready to shoot.

The little North American Arms 5-shot revolvers are the smallest revolvers in production. They’re available in .22 Short, .22 Long Rifle and .22 Magnum calibers, and in myriad different models and barrel lengths. Some come with interchangeable .22 LR and .22 Magnum cylinders. Weight on most models is less than 5 ounces. MSRP starts at $240. For more information, visit northamericanarms.com.