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The NAA Sidewinder comes in .22 magnum with a .22 long rifle conversion cylinder.
Photo: NAA

I have concealed carried for the past 5 years. I have gone from just having my Pennsylvania CCP, to being licensed in many of our states. My choice of weapon since day one has been a North American Arms Mini. I own 6 different models, and at any given time, at least one of them is on or near my body.

The NAA Sidewinder is my most recent gun. It comes in .22 magnum with a .22 long rifle conversion cylinder, with a cylinder capacity of 5 shells. The Sidewinder measures 5″ long, 2 7/8″ high and 1 1/16″ wide, the barrel length is 1 1/2″ and weighs a mere 6.7 ounces unloaded.

From top left: NAA Gun Pouch, Breaktop Holster, Ankle Holster, Holster Grip, NAA Locking Gun Case, PUG Pocket Holster, Inside the Pants Holster.
Photo: Diane Hassinger

All of the NAA minis come in a black metal, lockable case, adorned with the NAA logo, and a NAA Logo lock and key. Many accessories are available for this and all of the NAA minis. There are multiple holsters which will fit the Sidewinder, including; The PUG Pocket Holster, Inside the Pants Holster, Ankle Holster, the Breaktop Holster in Weave Brown Leather and the Holster Grip which would replace your regular grips and enable you to have the grip itself cover the trigger when not in use. Some personalization can also be found in various grips that NAA offers, including my favorite, the Simulated Pearl Grip in Burgundy. When traveling I also use the zippered Gun Pouch to protect my Sidewinder. The pouch can be placed in a larger case for weapons for flying, or in the NAA lockable case when traveling through states that require weapons to be locked away while driving.

The Sidewinder is a great firearm for concealed carry.
Photo: Diane Hassinger

The Sidewinder is a fun handgun to shoot also, I love to plink at targets or cans with it. I generally shoot from about 5 yards or closer, since for concealed carry you would need to be in close proximity to your assailant. Because of that, I like to practice at close distance and I include pulling my gun from the holsters or purse to my practice. The recoil is minimal, I recover from each shot quickly and am able to place the next shot in close proximity to the bullseye, within about 1 1/2″ overall. The holster grip is the most interesting to use, you have to flip the grip open, in order to fire, with practice, I have gotten quite good at it. I have several concealed carry purses, and undoubtedly you will find my NAA Sidewinder inside. I always feel secure when traveling knowing that I have quick and easy access to protection. I have the Simulated Pearl Grips on most of my NAA handguns. I joke that these handguns are my jewelry.

From top left: NAA Sidewinder, NAA .22 Magnum with 1 1/8″ barrel and NAA .22 Magnum 1 1/8″ barrel with Holster Grip. These are my favorites out of my collection.
Photo: Diane Hassinger

Operation of the Sidewinder is simple, the cylinder stays attached to the gun, however, swings out for removal of spent shells and reloading, thus the Sidewinder name. This makes the revolver easier and quicker to load, since the cylinder does always stay attached to the firearm. I always load mine with .22 magnum personal defense loads. These loads penetrate heavy clothing and create deep wound cavities on an assailant.

I am always amazed when I get to talking to people about concealed carry, and mention that I carry a NAA Mini, a great majority of the time, the other person will pull out their Mini! In an informal survey of Ladies in Camo; 1 can not carry in their home state, 4 carry NAA Minis, and the other 4 carry something else.

The Sidewinder and all of the accessories can be purchased at http://northamericanarms.com/, and many gun shops around the country. If you purchase a handgun online, NAA will ship the handgun to a local FLL/Gun Shop to provide the necessary transfer of the gun. The MSRP of the North American Arms products are:

• .22 Magnum Sidewinder with Conversion $449.00
• Simulated Pear Grips-Burgundy $40.00
• Magnum Holster Grip-Sidewinder $38.00
• Break Top Holster-Brown Leather Weave $65.00
• Pocket Holster-PUG $35.00
• Inside Pants Holster $33.00
• Ankle Holster-Rough $20.00
• Gun Pouch $17.00

NAA/North American Arms logo is the sole property of its rightful owner and used within this writing solely for the promotion of products herein as requested by the product’s manufacturer.

Endorsement Disclosure: Per the guidelines of the Federal Trade Commission, the products reviewed in these product reviews is an endorsement and the writer may have been compensated by “in-kind” payment to review the product.

This post originally published at http://ladiesincamo.com/licpr/2015/07/13/naa-sidewinder-diane-hassinger/