NAA Guardian .380

[DJ58]

looking for info on the North American Arms Guardian .380. user info. I have the specs.


Thanks DJ58

[benzuncle]

Originally Posted by DJ58

looking for info on the North American Arms Guardian .380. user info. I have the specs.

DJ58, after doing the research and deciding on a 380 caliber firearm for my first carry piece, I bought a NAA Guardian 380 last August. My research narrowed the choices to 3 firearms: the Seecamp (these are hard to see because they are hard to find!), the Kel-Tec and the Guardian. The Seecamp was a beaut! But they are hard to come by and pretty pricey. But they are definitely nice. Perhaps when I win the Lotto... The Kel-Tec does the job but the fit and finish were not to my liking (even though I wasn't buying a "safe queen") and I wondered about the light weight and the affect of shooting more than a few rounds at a time. The Guardian was pretty damn good looking, even with the black grips. These were also not readily available but I called a local dealer and he actually had one in stock. I had it in a bag in an hour; I have no regrets 800+ rounds later. The biggest drawback I could find from people that seemed to know 380's was the weight of the Guardian. (You said you have the specs.) When I go to the range, I usually fire no less than 100 rounds through any of my pistols. The NAA has a pretty stiff trigger until you get to about 500 rounds, then it smooths out some. I did that in 3 trips to the range. The Kahr trigger guard rubbed the first knuckle on my trigger finger; I wrapped a band-aid on it for padding. I don't need it anymore. The grips were too narrow for my comfort; I replaced them with the Hogue Cocobolo grips that NAA sells online. They work great and don't look to shabby either. I use the little curved extensions on the magazines. I bought a second set of mags and the extensions so that all 4 mags have that little extra to hold onto.

The 380 has some snap to it; make no mistake. But my NAA 380 shoots well, fits in my pocket in a Nemesis holster and holds Remington 102gr Golden Sabers. I'm glad for the weight. Having worn a backpack chock full of junk for the last 4 years, I don't really see the weight as being an issue. I know guys with so much crap in their wallets that it weighs almost as much as my Guardian. One last thing: the last spent round will sometimes hold the slide open. To some people this is an atrocity. As the the slide does not lock open like a lot of semi-autos, and you must slingshot the slide to bring the first round of the next magazine up into the barrel, that empty casing flips out anyway. I actually prefer it to stay open because I like to look inside; it's a confidence thing. BTW: there's a small milled slit on the top of the slide that lets you see if there is a round chambered. Slick. Alright, now the picture show.
The Cocobolo grips

The Nemesis and a size reference

It's been a very good carry piece for me. I use it whenever I can't carry one of my 45's.

[skipjack_1st]

Those grips really dress it up! Very nice...

[DJ58]

Benzuncle Thank you for the info. it looks and fills like a very well piece of craftsmanship I'm concerned about the weight, it would be mostly for pocket carry. I'm going to wait a little bit and do more looking and researching before buying. I appreciate the help.


Thanks DJ58

[surfcc]

Very nice looking carry piece! Unfortunately, we can't buy those in Massachusetts. We can buy the Seecamp. The thing I don't like about the Seecamp is the awkward mag release at the bottom of the mag well. The NAA looks like it has a much easier mag release, similar to my 1911 and most semi autos. Congrats on your NAA!

Surfcc

[benzuncle]

I looked at the Seecamp; it is indeed a fine firearm. I got to hold a NAA Guardian 380 and the thing that struck me immediately was the curve extension on one of the two included magazines. That really impressed me (the straight one did not) as I had a feeling that a firearm this small would have more than a little snap to it. (After purchasing mine, I bought 2 more mags and 2 curved mag extensions.) I was never a fan of bottom mag releases. BTW: I didn't add the Cocobolo grips for their fine looks; no one can see it in my pocket, or, at least they aren't supposed to. I added them to give me more to hold on to. The looks was a bonus. The Guardian is very easy to break down for cleaning, just point the thing in the direction you want the spring to go until you learn how to keep it from flying! A couple times bending over should solve that for you...

[tattedupboy]

Originally Posted by skipjack_1st

Those grips really dress it up! Very nice...

+1. Seems like this would be a very easy piece to conceal. However, I'm not sure I would use a .380 as a primary carry piece; maybe as a BUG.

[benzuncle]

Originally Posted by tattedupboy

... Seems like this would be a very easy piece to conceal. However, I'm not sure I would use a .380 as a primary carry piece; maybe as a BUG.

I bought the NAA 380 as my "entry" into concealed carry. I stumbled onto a website that helped me decide on a 380: Selection of best ammunition for a defensive handgun

The NAA380 is indeed easy to carry; I carry it in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster. The wood grips and the mag extension work perfectly for me. With 102gr Remington Golden Sabers, if I hit someone, they will leak at the very minimum; no one wants to leak. It is no longer my first/only choice carry firearm. That now belongs to a Taurus PT-145 and a Sig Sauer Compact P220. The NAA and the Taurus both fit in a Nemesis in the front pocket of my cargo shorts. The beauty of pocket carry is that you can literally have your hand on your firearm whenever you feel the need to do so. Guys often walk or stand with their hand in their pocket, well, except for the dudes that are holding their pants up. I've never felt the urge to be one-armed.