Hideout pistols have always fascinated me. They paint pictures of smokey saloons, dusty cattle towns, and desperados with big irons on their hips. 

North American Arms is known for its tiny revolvers, but the Earl is unique. It is a throwback to the Old West where wood grips and octagon barrels were the norms. Let’s check out this modern old-style mini-revolver with a big bite.

Quick Summary: The North American Arms Earl is a throwback to the Old West – in miniature. This compact revolver sports an octagon barrel and interchangeable cylinders for five shots of .22 LR or .22 WMR, yet it is easily hidden in a pants pocket or cowboy boot.
 

Table of Contents

Video Review
Initial Thoughts
Features
Specs
Shooting Fun
Accuracy
Pros & Cons
Conclusion

Video Review

INTITIAL THOUGHTS

“What a cute little pistol!” is what I think when I hold this tiny revolver. It has none of the heft I associate with most handguns. When I look closely, it reminds me of a cap-and-ball revolver but somehow shrunk to concealable palm size.

The Earl’s hammer protrudes under my thumb to give me control of the action. Other NAA revolvers are very short and stubby, but the Earl is long and slim, yet pointable. With its longer barrel and sights, it is a pistol that I can shoot accurately. Its practical use is self-defense; however, shooting targets, pop cans, and root beer jugs would be challenging and great fun.
 

Take a closer look; this is no toy. The NAA Earl is solid. Made of stainless steel with laminate grips, the action is smooth and precise. The hammer cocks with audible clicks, rotates the cylinder, and locks into place firmly. The rosewood color grips stand out against the silver frame. Chambered in .22 WMR and .22 LR, the Earl is powerful at close range and affordable to shoot.
 

Features

My favorite feature of the Earl is its old-time cap-and-ball pistol aesthetic. The octagon barrel is classy. The underlever cylinder release can be mistaken for the loading lever of an 1851 Navy pistol. That handgun was renowned for its natural pointability and accuracy, both of which carry over to the Earl. Despite its tiny size, I can manipulate the hammer and trigger easily. 
 

The Earl comes with two cylinders: one chambered in .22 WMR and the other in .22 LR. The Earl barks with authority when firing .22 WMR cartridges, and the .22 LR cylinder allows me to practice shooting with less cost. Dropping the loading lever and pulling the cylinder pin allows the cylinder to drop out. It may then be reloaded or exchanged for the other caliber.  

The Earl is a five-shot revolver and may be carried safely with all five rounds loaded. Lower the hammer between cylinders on the safety slot milled into the rear of the cylinder – now, the hammer no longer rests on a cartridge and will not discharge if bumped or dropped. That gives me great confidence to carry the Earl fully loaded.
 

Loading the Earl is slow and tedious. To load the pistol, I must drop the loading lever, pull the cylinder pin, and rotate the cylinder out of the frame. Next, use the cylinder pin to eject the empties and reload. This takes a while and slows the shooting fun, so I wish NAA would have included a loading gate. That would make plinking much more enjoyable and quicker.

SHOOTING FUN

Southern Arizona is a perfect place to test-fire the Earl. So many famous gunfighters lived by the gun here, and the Earl fits right in with the Old West. It is a concealable little revolver, and I like the way it tucks into the top of my boot. 

Meant to be a close-range, last-resort pistol, I kept this test to shooting steel at distances under 10 yards. Ammunition was CCI Maxi Mags in .22 WMR and CCI Velocitors in .22 LR.
 

I fired more than 50 rounds of .22 WMR and .22 LR through the Earl prior to this test and found it to be reliable and accurate despite its small size. The rosewood grips are large enough to give me control as I aim. Yes, this revolver is small, but it can be controlled. The good-looking octagon barrel is long enough to allow me to aim despite the primitive sights.
 

ACCURACY 

My first shots loaded with .22 WMR were at steel gongs at 6 and 9 yards, and each shot found center. The Earl feels good in my hand. It is more substantial than smaller NAA revolvers. Cocking the hammer is positive, and the spur trigger is easy to control. I can feel the cylinder turn and click mush the same as a larger revolver.

A longer shot at a soda jug at 20 yards was a bit of a stretch with this tiny handgun, but my steady aim was rewarded with a one-shot spurter. This is a fun gun and accurate.

Although a slow process, changing cylinders from .22 WMR to .22 LR is simple. The potent .22 CCI Velocitors have little kick, and accuracy was still good on my steel targets, with center hits on both distances. 

With my bullseye target at 10 yards, I fired 10 rounds of CCI .22 WMR Maxi Mags from the standing offhand position using a two-hand hold. This is a realistic distance using ammunition that I would choose for self-defense. Two cylinders of five shots each were fired to yield a sub-3-inch group – adequate accuracy for a backup hideout gun.

CONCLUSION

I like the North American Arms Earl boot pistol. Yes, there are larger backup pistols in more formidable calibers, but the Earl has them all beat with its concealable size and substantial punch. 

It is solid in function and design, accurate, and is great fun to use for informal plinking and target practice. Its good-looking stainless-steel frame and barrel contrast nicely with its rosewood grips. Its two-caliber versatility makes it inexpensive to shoot, too. The Earl packs a lot of firepower and quality into a small package.