Guns: NAA Pug review - Beware of Dog

Introduction

In concealed carry parlance, a "non-permissive environment" or "NPE" is a place where carrying a gun is not actually illegal, but is prohibited by private policy or otherwise heavily frowned upon. Discovery of your piece in such places usually won't put you in jail (unless you refuse to leave once asked), but it might lead to social ostracization, termination of your employment, or even a dangerous run-in with security or police if someone freaks out.

If you choose to carry a gun in an NPE, concealment is obviously priority #1, and one of the best guns for the job is the diminutive North American Arms Pug, chambered in .22 magnum:

The Pug is a gun for when you absolutely, positively cannot get "made" while carrying.  It's tiny enough to be carried in a front pocket behind other stuff, so even if someone were to look at your pants, they would only see the innocuous outline of your wallet or phone.  While there are other pocket guns like the Ruger LCP, they are all too big and heavy to completely disappear like the NAA Pug.

Sights, Grip, and Trigger

The NAA line of revolvers all have some very significant drawbacks - a slow single-action firing mechanism, a puny caliber, and limited capacity.  But surprisingly, sighting is not an issue in this particular NAA model, because the Pug has a really nice set of XS Big Dot sights.  These sights are more visible and precise than the vast majority of .38s and .380s out there, so it's amazing to get them on a gun this small.

The grips on the NAA Pug also help. The slightly oversize rubber fills the hand better than the slick wooden grips NAA has on other models, so much so that I've taken to using the Pug grips on every NAA mini revolver I've ever owned.

On the downside, the NAA Pug has the same heavy single-action trigger as its brethren, so don't expect rapid follow-up shots or easy one-handed operation.

Range Report

As is tradition here at Shangrila Towers, we don't sugarcoat gun reviews, and my NAA Pug unfortunately suffered a serious malfunction after a few boxes of ammo - the extractor pin broke in two:

Now, this was the first time a NAA mini revolver has malfunctioned on me (I've owned a half dozen of them), but even good guns sometimes have a defect creep in.  What matters is the customer service that is provided; in this case, I emailed NAA and they mailed a replacement pin to me in a few days, which is an "A" in my book.

At the range, the XS sights made shooting the Pug a breeze - with .22 magnum ammo, the gun shot 2" groups standing unsupported at 5 yards all day long, and even shot to the correct point of aim.  Contrary to what the Internet tells you, accuracy is very important in a mousegun because the bullets themselves have such low power, and you won't stop an attacker unless you hit something vital.

Here's some groups with Speer Gold Dot and Winchester Super-X 40 gr. JHPs - the Speer bullets in particular are designed to work with short barrels and lower velocities:

Some rounds were less accurate. I experienced keyholing with Hornady Critical defense, and iffy accuracy with bulk pack CCI Maxi Mags, in both the TMJs and JHPs:

Perhaps the biggest surprise were the tight, consistent groups from Winchester Universal, which is much cheaper than the Speer stuff:

Conclusion

To be clear, the NAA Pug would not be my first, second, or fourteenth choice for a gunfight. But ensconced in a form-fitted leather pocket holster from Lost River Leather, it is still the most concealable, best-shooting pocket gun in the world. Whether that means anything to you depends on who you are...or more precisely, where you are.