First Impressions
I definitely chuckled when I picked this buckle gun up from my local gun shop. The buckle alone is enough to catch a second glance from folks up here in Wisconsin, but it’s the audacity of putting a functioning revolver in it that just tickles me pink.
North American Arms offers a more practical, minimalist skeleton buckle for those who want something a bit more discreet. However, I rather fancy the size of this pants wrangler.
I wouldn’t consider buckle carry to be a particularly efficient way to carry a self-defense firearm, nor would I generally advocate for using .22 LR as a go-to self-defense caliber. Still, this tiny gun is made well and feels nice in the hand. The grip is minimal but workable. The sights are, again, minimal but serviceable.
Yet, none of that is why I love this setup. It’s all about the vibes for me, and this buckle-revolver combo is so unapologetically American that I can’t help myself. I want to keep it and wear it.
All that said, I actually have some extensive experience testing and carrying another North American Arms mini revolver chambered for .22 Mag.
Related: NAA Mini .22 Mag Revolver Review – Is It a CCW Winner?
In a pinch, these mini guns are viable as pocket or deep concealment options. The single-action-only design is slow to shoot and far slower to load. Even so, there are plenty of people who choose to carry a micro revolver when every other option just doesn’t fit their needs.
I’ll let you make that decision for yourself. However, I will strongly advocate for getting some time with one of the NAA minis, whether you want to carry it or not. They are incredibly fun to own and shoot, and there’s value in that all on its own.
Better yet, this ornate oval buckle lets you feel like a rodeo champion without breaking the bank.
Features
Coming in at 4.83x3.64 inches and 15 ounces, the entire waist rig is hefty and bulky compared to the five-shot revolver itself, which weighs just 4.6 ounces unloaded. It takes up a decent amount of real estate at your waistband, and North American Arms decorates the standard oval buckle with laurels set on deep stipple-like texturing.
Fashion is mostly the point of this charming cowpoke clasp.
A strong magnet and retaining clasp hold the revolver in place when it’s worn. Removing it requires the user to rotate the clasp and pop the gun out from the rear of the buckle with a finger.
You can remove the gun while wearing the buckle by undoing the clasp, slipping your finger under the right side, and pressing out the grip. However, given the decorations and diminutive size of the mini .22 LR revolver, I’d personally see this as a decorative item more than a quick-draw self-defense tool. Still, it is a viable backup or deep-concealment option.
The whole rig is pretty slick and offers a quality look and feel.
As for the revolver, this oval buckle model is formed specifically for the NAA .22 LR Mini Revolver with a 1.125-inch barrel and birdshead grip. It comes with rosewood grip panels, and the front of the barrel is topped with a half-moon front sight.
Shooting this thing is more of a “point” than “aim” experience. The sights are very minimal, and the trigger is little more than a fat, serrated shoe without a guard.
Since this is a single-action-only rimfire design with a hammer, the safety is incorporated into the cylinder as safety notches. You must drop the hammer into one of these notches before holstering, pocketing, or slipping this revolver into the buckle.
The gun must be carried with the hammer down and aligned with a safety notch. Failure to do so would rest the hammer on the rim of a cartridge, which is just one bump away from going bang.
Reloads are a simple matter of pulling out the cylinder pin assembly, removing the cylinder, and using the pin to knock out spent casings. It’s a slow process but rather enjoyable if you have time to relish your range day. Don’t expect fast reloads, even though there are speed loaders available for these mini wheel guns.
Finally, NAA provides a small metal safe with each buckle-revolver combo, which is a nice touch.
Specifications
Here’s a quick breakdown of the basic specs for this NAA mini revolver and oval buckle set:
Weight (With Buckle): 15 ounces
Weight (Revolver Only): 4.6 ounces
Oval Buckle Dimensions: 4.83x3.64 inches
Revolver Length: 4.08 inches
Barrel Length: 1.125 inches
Width (Cylinder): 0.78 inches
Width (Grip): 0.93 inches
Height: 2.34 inches
Action: Single action only
Caliber: .22 LR, .22 Short
Capacity: 5
Shooting & Accuracy
My ammo count for .22 LR through this revolver is at 100 rounds. This includes a box of 29-grain Federal Punch self-defense loads. Normally, I would do far more shooting for any carry firearm, but this five-shot, single-action-only revolver isn’t really meant to be an extensive plinker or a high-volume firearm.
It is built tough, and I would expect it to outlast me with normal use.
I have never had a malfunction with this very simple design, and the same is true for my personal .22 Mag model, which has much more range time under its belt now. I haven’t seen any finish wear or tarnish on either gun, even after extensively carrying my magnum revolver.
The recoil impulse for .22 LR out of this 4.6-ounce gun is surprisingly easy to tame. The key is to allow the little grip to serve as a pivot point in your hand. The gun will simply rock up after shooting, which consistently places it right where your thumb can cock the hammer again for your next shot.
Aiming, on the other hand, is a challenging affair. In fact, I would call it more pointing than aiming. If you treat the revolver like it’s your pointer finger, you can achieve decent 5-yard accuracy. Here’s what I got with a few cylinders at 5 yards:
Reloading is the main limiting factor to this design. The cylinder must come completely out of the frame, and most shells must be manually poked out with the cylinder pin. It does have some speed, and I can get all five roughly aimed shots off in about 4 seconds.
Shotshell Testing
I’ve seen quite a few people asking about how well shotshells perform out of such a short barrel. The 7-inch group above was shot at 5 feet. Using #12 CCI shotshells, I got a velocity of 692.4 fps, which is 307.6 fps lower than the stated 1,000 fps on the ammo box.
Still, at close ranges, the spread is somewhat condensed enough to potentially be of use as something like a garden gun. I personally wouldn’t want to get that close to a critter I feel the need to shoot, but it could do the job.
Past 5 feet, you really start to lose the shot pattern. This is what I got when I backed the target off to just 10 feet.
On the plus side, the revolver design protects the shotshells from breaking after they are loaded. That is a known issue in semi-auto pistols, and small #12 pellets can easily jam other gun actions if they break loose.
Pros & Cons
Here’s my list of pros and cons for this NAA mini revolver and oval buckle set:
Pros:
- Very fun to shoot
- Cool design as a decorative or fashion piece
- Highly concealable revolver
- Functioning buckle allows you to remove the revolver when worn
- Reliable
- Revolver is well made with quality manufacturing
- Functional accuracy at close ranges
- Low recoil
- Decent price for the quality and uniqueness
Cons:
- Buckle is a bit bulky
- Revolver is slow to load
- Only five shots per reload
- Only accurate at close ranges
-
Relatively slow to shoot
Final Thoughts
I’m not saying this buckle bling with an attitude is my new go-to concealed carry option, but I can understand why folks want it for their collection.
Sure, it can serve some open or concealed carry needs. The buckle and revolver check the box for functionality. Still, I doubt most folks want a rodeo-worthy buckle this size for their serious concealed carry requirements. It’s a minimal backup or last-ditch option, in my book.
For my money, I’d grab this thing for the joy of owning and shooting such a micro revolver. The buckle is purely icing on the cake. It’s fine to just say, “Why not,” when everyone else gets lost asking the all-too-serious question, “Why,” right?
