Hornady Critical Defense Ammo & North American Arms Mini-Revolvers
It has taken a long time to finally become available, but Hornady's #83200 .22 WinMag Critical Defense ammunition has finally been released. The stated short-barrel muzzle velocity is 1000 fps from a 1-7/8 in. vented barrel. Out of my NAA Black Widow, it averaged 1038 fps through the screens.
Hornady says, “Unaffected by thick and heavy clothing, the 45 gr. FTX bullet delivers superior controlled expansion and terminal ballistics comparable to the 380 Auto Critical Defense load.” Out of both the NAA Black Widow and an NAA Mini-Master, it gave more than adequate up close and personal accuracy from 30 feet.
Above, five quick off-hand shots from the NAA Black Widow at 10 yards showed that the new Hornady FTX ammo is more than up to the task for intimate self-defense shot placement.
The Hornady 45 grain FTX WMR load joins the Gold Dot® Short Barrel® Personal Protection - 22 Win. Mag. 40 grain as the two new premier personal protection loads for the NAA revolvers. They are very closely matched in accuracy and velocity, but in my test guns the Hornady 45 grain had a decided edge. Either load is remarkably better than what has been available up until now, so suggesting that you use the ammo that groups the best in your NAA revolver isn't that bad of advice.
Both my Black Widow and my Mini-Master have adjustable sights and both are far more accurate than most people might think. The one you choose is going to be predicated largely on the deep concealment level you prefer. If you had to own just one NAA mini-revolver, the Black Widow with an extra .22 LR cylinder is a very good, practical choice.
Copyright 2011 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
