NAA Guardian in .32acp, .380, OR .32NAA

kymasabe · July 30, 2005, 11:14 AM

While I'm waitign for my Kel-Tec P3AT to return from Kel-Tec's service department, was thinking about getting another/different pocket gun. I fired a used/trade-in North American Arms Guardian .32 a few days ago, 50 rounds, zero failures, great little gun. But, they offer a few different versions/calibers and was wondering if one was better/more reliable than the other. I'm really interested in the one chambered in .32NAA, you know, the wierd little necked-down .380 round that's damn-near impossible to find but...if .32acp and the .380 are reliable, I'll look for one of them instead. Just need to know, which one has the better track record, which one has more accessories (holsters, mags, extensions) available for it.

Bottom line...which one works best.

Please limit your responses to this topic, I don't need to hear that your Rohrberg is better or a Seecamp kicks NAA's butt or I'm nuts for looking at NAA when I've already got a Kel-Tec. I've already been thru the carry-a-1911-you-wimp discussion and all that so...thank you all but, I really just need to know about the NAA's.

oystermick · July 30, 2005, 12:33 PM

The North American Arms .32NAA Guardian is built on a .380 frame. The .32NAA is an interesting and attractive concept. Necked down cartridges have a tendency to feed very smoothly thus less chance for problems. The ballistics of the .32NAA are quite impressive. That said, I would be uncomfortable with a round which is manufactured solely by a single company. Personally, I'd be very interested in the .32NAA Guardian if there was greater availability of ammunition.

omegapd · July 30, 2005, 12:59 PM

Like oystermick said above, wait a good while before purchasing a .32NAA....it does sound great in concept, but until Winchester or Remington pick it up, it'll be hard to find and expensive to shoot.

Of the three you listed, I like the .380 the best. I carry a Browning BDA quite a bit and don't feel under-gunned with the caliber.

Kevin Quinlan · July 30, 2005, 01:03 PM

From what I have read the .32 N.A.A. looks very good. There is a gun show next month and I may go for it.

Kevin

DPris · July 30, 2005, 01:05 PM

The NAA .380 I tried a while back was a nice little pistol, reliable.
Denis

deputy tom · July 30, 2005, 01:37 PM

I regret selling the .32 Guardian I once owned.I functioned at least as well as my See-camp and much,much better than any of the half-dozen kel-tec's I tried to like.I will buy another.32 and probably one in .380.I might someday also buy a .32NAA but that's not in the near future for me.tom.

macavada · July 30, 2005, 01:55 PM

I've got one in .32 NAA. Very snappy recoil. Runs really well, but the trigger is very heavy (by design I suppose). It gets carried from time to time when I can't carry something bigger. I don't shoot it too much. Never had any feeding problems with it.

michael t · July 30, 2005, 03:06 PM

My self I would get the one you already fired 50 rounds thru. You know it works and a plain old 32 been used for SD for many a year. Easy to find ammo and should have best price. And by your own words very accurate. Why look elsewhere.

deputy tom · July 31, 2005, 01:14 PM

Yeah,like michael t said.Go buy that .32 that you fired.tom.

pocketgun · August 1, 2005, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael t

My self I would get the one you already fired 50 rounds thru. You know it works and a plain old 32 been used for SD for many a year. Easy to find ammo and should have best price. And by your own words very accurate. Why look elsewhere.

+1 on michael t's post. Did I just say that?

It will complement your KT (if it works out for you) with its smaller size. If the KT doesn't work out, you can always get the .380 or .32NAA Guardian later, and stagger your pocket pistols (by size) depending on the situation.

The .32NAA (and .25NAA) are interesting, but you need something you can afford to practice with as well.

BTW, there are four loads on the market for .32NAA:

-CorBon 60gr JHP
-CorBon 71gr FMJ
-Glaser 55gr Frangible
-Extreme Shock 60gr "Fang Face" Frangible

No "Mall Ninja" comments, please...

jacketch · August 2, 2005, 10:29 AM

I have an NAA .380 Guardian and I have been very pleased with it. After a short break in, it has been very reliable through 400+ rounds and is now my favorite summertime carry gun.

AnonymousAnonymous · September 22, 2006, 08:13 PM

I have done a lot of research regarding a truly potent pocket pistol. The .32NAA is the FIRST cartridge/pistol combination designed from the ground up to be a pocket pistol manstopper. Edwin Sanow (co-author of Street Stoppers, etc) recognized early on that a light weight-high velocity round was/is the most efficient/reliable mechanism for disabling an attacker. Much like the .357 SIG round simply copies the mechanical ballistics of the effective .357 magnum ballistic profile to achieve such success in an auto round, the .32NAA allows for heretofore unseen velocity from such a short barrel. The case volume of the necked-down .380 case allows for powder charges sufficient to propel the 60 grain .32 Hornady bullet to 1200 FPS from a 2.5" barrel. You can argue whatever point you like, but the fast moving hollow point projectile is the best medicine against an adversary made of predominately water.
My .32NAA has fired exactly 340 rounds of the proprietary Cor-Bon 60 grain JHP ammo with no failures of any kind. Firing against 1 gallon water jugs, the first two simply split into fragments and vaporize. The round fragments into multiple pieces in the third. NO failures have occurred, and the gun is a pussycat to shoot. Lots of blast and negligible recoil result. Positive ejection is there.
The rounds are NOT hard to find. Ableammo has it, and you can get it cheapest at the North American Arms website. I ordered some last Sunday and got my boxes today (Friday).
Do the math- this and the R-9 are likely the best pocket guns available now. Leave the Seecamp and it's 100 year old ballistics to yesterday.

Bill DeShivs · September 22, 2006, 09:22 PM

The .32 NAA Guardian is quite a bit bigger and heavier than the Guardian .32.
Bill

pocketgun · September 22, 2006, 10:33 PM

Somebody dug deep to find this thread!

Reloading dies and .32NAA brass are available from Makarov.com, which makes practice potentially much more affordable for those that make their own.

oldhack62 · January 29, 2009, 06:23 PM

So, does the NAA .32 fire in a .32 ACP pistol?

rantingredneck · January 29, 2009, 06:28 PM

No. .32NAA won't even fit inside a .32ACP chamber.

The .32NAA round is a new(ish) cartridge developed by Corbon, NAA, and Hornady. Basically a necked down .380 case with .32 caliber bullet. The original corbon loading used a proprietary Hornady XTP bullet designed to handle the extra oomph.

I had a .32NAA and .380 Guardian. Both great guns that have moved on to find other homes. 100% reliable, but heavy for what they are.

NCHornet · January 31, 2009, 01:48 PM

I have two NAA Guardians and love both of them!!! My 32 acp has the factory gutter sniping with night sites. I use to think sights of any kind were silly on a gun like this, but I have to say I really like them on the 32acp. I also have the stock 380 acp and it is constantly with me in my right front pocket. Check out the Buffalo Bore Gold dots moving at over 1200 fps, better ballistics than a 38 special Hydrashok, and approved for use in the Guardians. Mine feeds them fine. For the 32acp I suggest a hot fmj ROUND, Fouchhi ( spelling?) makes a good one. There is little ballistic difference between the two calibers out of micro barrels so buy which ever you can at the best price. PM me with any ?

Playboypenguin · January 31, 2009, 02:36 PM

These three versions of this gun are not really comparable....and I just do not mean caliber wise It is like trying to decide between two different guns, not deciding what caliber you prefer. The .380/.32NAA are so much larger than the .32acp that they do not even qualify as the same gun as far as I am concerned.

You would first need to decide what size gun you want. If you wanted the smaller gun the .32acp is the only choice. If you want the larger gun you would then need to decide if you wanted the .380acp or .32NAA version.

I personally went with the .380acp version since I already had the Seecamp .32acp which is a superior gun. The .380 version eventually lost favor with me because it did not shoot as well as my PPK and was no easier to carry and had less accessories available. I sold it not long after buying it.

One thing to consider also is if you are getting one of the Kahr made models. These are the ones with a proven track record. I am not sure about the new ones. I have not yet learned if they are in-house produced now or not. I know they no longer say "Kahr Arms" on the side. You can see the Kahr logo in this old pic of my Guardian.

litesong · March 13, 2010, 02:41 PM

Been out of reloading & shooting for over a decade & find the 32 NAA ,which is new to me, very interesting. I am NOT interested in the NAA Guardian which is the only gun chambered for the 32 NAA. I am interested in the many other .380 pocket pistols which are even lighter than the Guardian, which AREN'T chambered for the 32NAA. Is their any possibility that the Ruger LCP, Kel Tec, Taurus TPC(?) or the new Diamondback 380 offering may be chambered in the 32NAA? Otherwise, should I look for the above mentioned guns in 380?

DPris · March 13, 2010, 03:45 PM

There is virtually no possibility of the .32NAA being chambered in a polymer pocket pistol of a comparable size to the .32NAA Guardian.
The round is a very zippy number with corresponding high pressures, and it's not easy on either a gun or a shooter.
Recoil was stout in the two Guardians I tried, I can't see lighter pistols selling even if they could contain the pressures.
Denis

michael t · March 13, 2010, 04:28 PM

Get the 380 KelTec my first choice I have good luck with them I have 4 in family at present. If you want ruger 2nd choice Diamondback still to new I think to much money. I have handled and looked at one. and reviews seem mixed Warranty seems to be handled fast.

heyjoe · March 13, 2010, 05:42 PM

there have been 32NAA conversions done on 380 kel tecs. there should be information on their forum

DPris · March 13, 2010, 06:41 PM

I'm astonished & astounded.

Still can't see such a gun holding up for long with that caliber.
Denis

Bill DeShivs · March 13, 2010, 09:45 PM

The NAAs are straight blowback guns. The Keltecs are locked breech.

DPris · March 14, 2010, 12:16 AM

That could make a difference, but you'd still run into durability issues, I'd expect.
Don't think they're marketing any, are they?
Denis

July 30, 2005, 11:14 AM	#1
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	NAA Guardian in .32acp, .380, OR .32NAA While I'm waitign for my Kel-Tec P3AT to return from Kel-Tec's service department, was thinking about getting another/different pocket gun. I fired a used/trade-in North American Arms Guardian .32 a few days ago, 50 rounds, zero failures, great little gun. But, they offer a few different versions/calibers and was wondering if one was better/more reliable than the other. I'm really interested in the one chambered in .32NAA, you know, the wierd little necked-down .380 round that's damn-near impossible to find but...if .32acp and the .380 are reliable, I'll look for one of them instead. Just need to know, which one has the better track record, which one has more accessories (holsters, mags, extensions) available for it. Bottom line...which one works best. Please limit your responses to this topic, I don't need to hear that your Rohrberg is better or a Seecamp kicks NAA's butt or I'm nuts for looking at NAA when I've already got a Kel-Tec. I've already been thru the carry-a-1911-you-wimp discussion and all that so...thank you all but, I really just need to know about the NAA's. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.

July 30, 2005, 12:33 PM	#2
oystermick Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Posts: 197	The North American Arms .32NAA Guardian is built on a .380 frame. The .32NAA is an interesting and attractive concept. Necked down cartridges have a tendency to feed very smoothly thus less chance for problems. The ballistics of the .32NAA are quite impressive. That said, I would be uncomfortable with a round which is manufactured solely by a single company. Personally, I'd be very interested in the .32NAA Guardian if there was greater availability of ammunition. __________________ "Americans have the right and advantage of being armed- unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." - James Madison

July 30, 2005, 01:37 PM	#6
deputy tom Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2002 Location: Pennsyltucky Posts: 753	I regret selling the .32 Guardian I once owned.I functioned at least as well as my See-camp and much,much better than any of the half-dozen kel-tec's I tried to like.I will buy another.32 and probably one in .380.I might someday also buy a .32NAA but that's not in the near future for me.tom. __________________ N.R.A.LIFE MEMBER Thank Goodness we're back on line. An end will come on the world, but love and music will endure. Thig crioch air an t-saoghail, ach mairidh gaol 's ceol. Old Scottish Gaelic proverb

July 30, 2005, 03:06 PM	#8
michael t Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Out back Ky Posts: 4,044	My self I would get the one you already fired 50 rounds thru. You know it works and a plain old 32 been used for SD for many a year. Easy to find ammo and should have best price. And by your own words very accurate. Why look elsewhere. __________________ Certified Armed Infidel Colt Defender ,Colt Mustang ,Dan Wesson CBOB, PPK/S, American Classic 1911,Bersa Thunder 380 http://bersachat.comHome of Bersa http://www.metroarms1911forum.com

July 31, 2005, 01:14 PM	#9
deputy tom Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2002 Location: Pennsyltucky Posts: 753	Yeah,like michael t said.Go buy that .32 that you fired.tom. __________________ N.R.A.LIFE MEMBER Thank Goodness we're back on line. An end will come on the world, but love and music will endure. Thig crioch air an t-saoghail, ach mairidh gaol 's ceol. Old Scottish Gaelic proverb

July 30, 2005, 12:59 PM	#3
omegapd Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2004 Location: GA Posts: 670	Like oystermick said above, wait a good while before purchasing a .32NAA....it does sound great in concept, but until Winchester or Remington pick it up, it'll be hard to find and expensive to shoot. Of the three you listed, I like the .380 the best. I carry a Browning BDA quite a bit and don't feel under-gunned with the caliber.

July 30, 2005, 01:03 PM	#4
Kevin Quinlan Junior member Join Date: June 28, 2005 Posts: 93	From what I have read the .32 N.A.A. looks very good. There is a gun show next month and I may go for it. Kevin

July 30, 2005, 01:05 PM	#5
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	The NAA .380 I tried a while back was a nice little pistol, reliable. Denis

July 30, 2005, 01:55 PM	#7
macavada Member Join Date: May 22, 2004 Location: South Texas Posts: 29	I've got one in .32 NAA. Very snappy recoil. Runs really well, but the trigger is very heavy (by design I suppose). It gets carried from time to time when I can't carry something bigger. I don't shoot it too much. Never had any feeding problems with it.

August 2, 2005, 10:29 AM	#11
jacketch Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Richmond VA Posts: 83	I have an NAA .380 Guardian and I have been very pleased with it. After a short break in, it has been very reliable through 400+ rounds and is now my favorite summertime carry gun. __________________ "To ban guns because criminals use them is to tell the innocent and law-abiding that their rights and liberties depend not on their own conduct, but on the conduct of the guilty and the lawless, and that the law will permit them to have only such rights and liberties as the lawless will allow... Society controls crime by forcing the criminals to accommodate themselves to the expected behavior of the law-abiding." -Jeff Snyder

September 22, 2006, 08:13 PM	#12
AnonymousAnonymous Junior Member Join Date: September 22, 2006 Posts: 1	.32 NAA is the real deal. I have done a lot of research regarding a truly potent pocket pistol. The .32NAA is the FIRST cartridge/pistol combination designed from the ground up to be a pocket pistol manstopper. Edwin Sanow (co-author of Street Stoppers, etc) recognized early on that a light weight-high velocity round was/is the most efficient/reliable mechanism for disabling an attacker. Much like the .357 SIG round simply copies the mechanical ballistics of the effective .357 magnum ballistic profile to achieve such success in an auto round, the .32NAA allows for heretofore unseen velocity from such a short barrel. The case volume of the necked-down .380 case allows for powder charges sufficient to propel the 60 grain .32 Hornady bullet to 1200 FPS from a 2.5" barrel. You can argue whatever point you like, but the fast moving hollow point projectile is the best medicine against an adversary made of predominately water. My .32NAA has fired exactly 340 rounds of the proprietary Cor-Bon 60 grain JHP ammo with no failures of any kind. Firing against 1 gallon water jugs, the first two simply split into fragments and vaporize. The round fragments into multiple pieces in the third. NO failures have occurred, and the gun is a pussycat to shoot. Lots of blast and negligible recoil result. Positive ejection is there. The rounds are NOT hard to find. Ableammo has it, and you can get it cheapest at the North American Arms website. I ordered some last Sunday and got my boxes today (Friday). Do the math- this and the R-9 are likely the best pocket guns available now. Leave the Seecamp and it's 100 year old ballistics to yesterday.

September 22, 2006, 09:22 PM	#13
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,982	The .32 NAA Guardian is quite a bit bigger and heavier than the Guardian .32. Bill

September 22, 2006, 10:33 PM	#14
pocketgun Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2005 Posts: 267	Somebody dug deep to find this thread! Reloading dies and .32NAA brass are available from Makarov.com, which makes practice potentially much more affordable for those that make their own.

January 29, 2009, 06:23 PM	#15
oldhack62 Member Join Date: November 28, 2008 Posts: 21	So, does the NAA .32 fire in a .32 ACP pistol?

January 29, 2009, 06:28 PM	#16
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	No. .32NAA won't even fit inside a .32ACP chamber. The .32NAA round is a new(ish) cartridge developed by Corbon, NAA, and Hornady. Basically a necked down .380 case with .32 caliber bullet. The original corbon loading used a proprietary Hornady XTP bullet designed to handle the extra oomph. I had a .32NAA and .380 Guardian. Both great guns that have moved on to find other homes. 100% reliable, but heavy for what they are. __________________ NRA Member NC Hunter's Education Instructor PCCA Member (What's PCCA you ask? <- Check the link)

January 31, 2009, 01:48 PM	#17
NCHornet Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2006 Posts: 1,001	I have two NAA Guardians and love both of them!!! My 32 acp has the factory gutter sniping with night sites. I use to think sights of any kind were silly on a gun like this, but I have to say I really like them on the 32acp. I also have the stock 380 acp and it is constantly with me in my right front pocket. Check out the Buffalo Bore Gold dots moving at over 1200 fps, better ballistics than a 38 special Hydrashok, and approved for use in the Guardians. Mine feeds them fine. For the 32acp I suggest a hot fmj ROUND, Fouchhi ( spelling?) makes a good one. There is little ballistic difference between the two calibers out of micro barrels so buy which ever you can at the best price. PM me with any ? __________________ When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away!! Carry ON!! NCHornet

January 31, 2009, 02:36 PM	#18
Playboypenguin Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2006 Location: Great Pacific Northwest Posts: 11,515	These three versions of this gun are not really comparable....and I just do not mean caliber wise It is like trying to decide between two different guns, not deciding what caliber you prefer. The .380/.32NAA are so much larger than the .32acp that they do not even qualify as the same gun as far as I am concerned. You would first need to decide what size gun you want. If you wanted the smaller gun the .32acp is the only choice. If you want the larger gun you would then need to decide if you wanted the .380acp or .32NAA version. I personally went with the .380acp version since I already had the Seecamp .32acp which is a superior gun. The .380 version eventually lost favor with me because it did not shoot as well as my PPK and was no easier to carry and had less accessories available. I sold it not long after buying it. One thing to consider also is if you are getting one of the Kahr made models. These are the ones with a proven track record. I am not sure about the new ones. I have not yet learned if they are in-house produced now or not. I know they no longer say "Kahr Arms" on the side. You can see the Kahr logo in this old pic of my Guardian. Last edited by Playboypenguin; January 31, 2009 at 02:42 PM.

March 13, 2010, 02:41 PM	#19
litesong Junior Member Join Date: February 26, 2010 Posts: 9	Been out of reloading & shooting for over a decade & find the 32 NAA ,which is new to me, very interesting. I am NOT interested in the NAA Guardian which is the only gun chambered for the 32 NAA. I am interested in the many other .380 pocket pistols which are even lighter than the Guardian, which AREN'T chambered for the 32NAA. Is their any possibility that the Ruger LCP, Kel Tec, Taurus TPC(?) or the new Diamondback 380 offering may be chambered in the 32NAA? Otherwise, should I look for the above mentioned guns in 380?

March 13, 2010, 03:45 PM	#20
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	There is virtually no possibility of the .32NAA being chambered in a polymer pocket pistol of a comparable size to the .32NAA Guardian. The round is a very zippy number with corresponding high pressures, and it's not easy on either a gun or a shooter. Recoil was stout in the two Guardians I tried, I can't see lighter pistols selling even if they could contain the pressures. Denis

March 13, 2010, 04:28 PM	#21
michael t Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Out back Ky Posts: 4,044	Get the 380 KelTec my first choice I have good luck with them I have 4 in family at present. If you want ruger 2nd choice Diamondback still to new I think to much money. I have handled and looked at one. and reviews seem mixed Warranty seems to be handled fast. __________________ Certified Armed Infidel Colt Defender ,Colt Mustang ,Dan Wesson CBOB, PPK/S, American Classic 1911,Bersa Thunder 380 http://bersachat.comHome of Bersa http://www.metroarms1911forum.com

March 13, 2010, 05:42 PM	#22
heyjoe Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Posts: 438	there have been 32NAA conversions done on 380 kel tecs. there should be information on their forum

March 13, 2010, 06:41 PM	#23
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	I'm astonished & astounded. Still can't see such a gun holding up for long with that caliber. Denis

March 13, 2010, 09:45 PM	#24
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,982	The NAAs are straight blowback guns. The Keltecs are locked breech. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

March 14, 2010, 12:16 AM	#25
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	That could make a difference, but you'd still run into durability issues, I'd expect. Don't think they're marketing any, are they? Denis