Guns & Outdoors Forum

I'm sure you all know by now that I like weird and obscure things. I also like to mess around and throw random crap together and experiment. I've been aware of the 32 NAA for a while. It's just a 380 necked down to 32 caliber that's supposed to have a velocity of about 1200fps with a 70grain? bullet from a pretty short barrel. You can't find dies anymore so I thought I'd try and make one. I have a few pistols in 380 that I don't carry so I figure one would be a good test bed and think I'll use my Bersa Thunder Plus. I also have a plethora of 380 brass. I actually have quite a bit of brass in general from years of test fire ammo that I've kept.

I also considered that I could make 380 brass from my 350 Legend brass and really amp it up since it'll deal with higher pressures . It took me quite a few tries making dies to finally get one that doesn't collapse the neck only to figure out how damn easy it was for a functional die after overthinking it . But I turned out with a pretty good end product. Hopefully I'll be able to post up some velocities after I make a barrel or insert for the Bersa.

Anyone here have any experience with the 32 NAA?

Looks good, I also like the .400 Cor-bon.

I had a NAA Guardian for awhile. The sights were terrible on it as was the trigger. I considered sending the slide somewhere to get sights installed, but ended up selling it.

rberg wrote: ↑Thu Sep 04, 2025 10:47 pm Looks good, I also like the .400 Cor-bon.

Thank you. The Cor-bon are cartridges I've read about but have absolutely no experience with. I don't think I've even worked on or held a gun chambered in it.

jbp-ohio wrote: ↑Thu Sep 04, 2025 11:39 pm I had a NAA Guardian for awhile. The sights were terrible on it as was the trigger. I considered sending the slide somewhere to get sights installed, but ended up selling it.

Was it only chambered in the 32 NAA or did it have other calibers as well? I've only ever cared for their little pocket revolvers and that's only for the novelty of them, but my 22 Cap and Ball is pretty fun to mess with.

It was based on their .380 pistol. They also had a .25 NAA made from their .32 pistol.

I had a .380 for a bit. Loved that little gun! Those NAA cartridges are hot little numbers!

Buddy of mine had one of those in 32 NAA for a while. it was LOUD. Trigger and sights sucked, but it was fun as hell to make that thing BOOM

I got to thinking about how bad it's gonna be for my kid when he inherits all of my stuff that he can't simply buy ammo for. And I'd hate to have to follow any instructions that I leave to make it

There was a time maybe 20 or so years ago that a NAA Guardian was tops on my want list. I never scratched that itch and priorities changed, wisdom was gained so on. I would still love to shoot one, but I doubt I would ever want one.

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 10:47 pm I got to thinking about how bad it's gonna be for my kid when he inherits all of my stuff that he can't simply buy ammo for. And I'd hate to have to follow any instructions that I leave to make it

That's "their" problem, not yours...

Zsarvashere wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:23 pm There was a time maybe 20 or so years ago that a NAA Guardian was tops on my want list. I never scratched that itch and priorities changed, wisdom was gained so on. I would still love to shoot one, but I doubt I would ever want one.

The NAA Guardian's claim to fame was that it was a Seecamp clone at common people prices and without the wait. My buddy has a set of Scamps made in .380, .32 and I believe in .25 With his initials as the serial number. Cost him a quite a bit of money and took over a year for him to get them. When he saw and shot my .380 his comment was "poop! I wasted my money."

The ultimate problem with the NAA, and the reason I ended up sending it down the road, was that for a "pocket pistol" the dammed thing was HEAVY!!! and pretty thick. If you loaded it and threw it in your pants pocket you KNEW it was there and the chunky outline would make sure the rest of the world did too, so the conceivability aspect of it was always doubtful in my book and when other slimmer and lighter alternatives came out the NAA just sat unused forever until my brain just looked at it and said "Why?".

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:53 pm The ultimate problem with the NAA, and the reason I ended up sending it down the road, was that for a "pocket pistol" the dammed thing was HEAVY!!! and pretty thick. If you loaded it and threw it in your pants pocket you KNEW it was there and the chunky outline would make sure the rest of the world did too, so the conceivability aspect of it was always doubtful in my book and when other slimmer and lighter alternatives came out the NAA just sat unused forever until my brain just looked at it and said "Why?".

That's almost hard to believe (I do believe you btw) by looking at a picture of it. It doesn't look bulky. Heavy doesn't surprise me though based on the weight of their tiny pocket revolvers. I always assumed it was just the stainless they use that causes that. I really only want to do this for the aspect of it being weird and obscure. I also got to looking how easy it would be to neck down a 38 special and install an even easier barrel liner in it lol.
Again, everything I do is just because I can

I know it's hard to believe but for comparison purposes I'll stack it against the gun that basically made me sell the Guardian back in the day. A NAA Guardian in .380 weighs in at 20.4 Oz. A Kimber Ultra Carry 1911 weighs in at 25 Oz!!!!! And the Kimber being larger distributed the weight over a bigger area which made it more comfortable to carry.

That little gun is built like a brick outhouse and it's a bit of a boat anchor. BUT I really liked that little hunk of steel and while it would not be on the current list of CC choices for me I would absolutely buy another one just for s and s if it was offered to me at the right price.

Here it is compared to a Glock 43, notice the weight difference in Glock's favor?

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 3:59 pm

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:53 pm The ultimate problem with the NAA, and the reason I ended up sending it down the road, was that for a "pocket pistol" the dammed thing was HEAVY!!! and pretty thick. If you loaded it and threw it in your pants pocket you KNEW it was there and the chunky outline would make sure the rest of the world did too, so the conceivability aspect of it was always doubtful in my book and when other slimmer and lighter alternatives came out the NAA just sat unused forever until my brain just looked at it and said "Why?".

That's almost hard to believe (I do believe you btw) by looking at a picture of it. It doesn't look bulky. Heavy doesn't surprise me though based on the weight of their tiny pocket revolvers. I always assumed it was just the stainless they use that causes that. I really only want to do this for the aspect of it being weird and obscure. I also got to looking how easy it would be to neck down a 38 special and install an even easier barrel liner in it lol.
Again, everything I do is just because I can
20250910_115714.jpg

Oh that 38 spec wild cat could be fun!!!

Yep, can you imagine that little rocket on a light barreled, single shot low wall!!!!!

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 7:00 pm Yep, can you imagine that little rocket on a light barreled, single shot low wall!!!!!

Yeah kinda like a 32-20…..
Stay tuned

But loaded a little off the reservation...

Well hell, if you can do it to a 38spcl, Imagine what it could do with a 357 mag or max case.

GrapeApe wrote: ↑Wed Sep 10, 2025 8:33 pm Well hell, if you can do it to a 38spcl, Imagine what it could do with a 357 mag or max case.

Probably going to try something in a magnum case and finally rebarrel the M77 I have in it.

Gonna call it the 327 ultra mag?

GrapeApe wrote: ↑Thu Sep 11, 2025 12:55 am Gonna call it the 327 ultra mag?

That would likely piss off some purist somewhere lol

I admire those who test-fire these cartridges. Unfortunately, my penurious nature makes me a slave to well established time proven rounds. I have a .380 and a .32 APC and like them for what they are. Old timers, like me. But you may be on the edge of a new and more efficient cartridge. Go for it, JSD! I don't see 1200 fps there, but I suppose it's possible.

Well I got the barrel finished, except for chambering it. Guess I'll rent a reamer tonight. I made it a bit longer so I can thread it, because, why not? It's for my Bersa Thunder Plus. It doesn't have as much shoulder diameter as the original because of the blank I was able to find but a shoulder is a shoulder and shouldn't mess with the function. I can't remember the name of the place but I got an 18" blank that was chambered for 327 Federal and it's way nicer than it should be for 30 something dollars.