by J. David Truby
The original marketing pitch for the Sidewinder was as a “real handful of power and accuracy in a very small package.”
The bulky, big, plastic Glock commands a utilitarian following. The classic Kalashnikov boasts military aficionados. But great things also come in small, aesthetically pleasing packages. That’s why I class the Sidewinder as a sub-subcompact or miniature pistol. It’s one of the smallest concealable backup handguns available.
It’s a gun you can carry when and where you can’t carry a gun.
When you Google the .22 Sidewinder, manufactured by North American Arms (NAA), you can almost hear the virtual happy verbal applause of fans from various online forums.
“I think that the Sidewinder is the best NAA mini-revolver platform yet, offering more convenience with few negatives,” Randy Wakeman, Guns and Shooting Online senior editor wrote, “…If you are looking for maximum convenience in an extremely small, well-crafted package, the Sidewinder will delight you.”
“I want the Sidewinder like you wouldn’t believe,” online commenter D.J. raved. “NAA made a great revolver and it will retire my Wasp to a show piece.”
The NAA Sidewinder shown open and loaded…ready for action. (NAA photo)
Even though it’s not much bigger than a box of 50 .22 cartridges, its name is inspiring. “Sidewinder” is the demarcation for two species of venomous reptiles, at least two military aircraft, a short-range surface-to-air-missile, a baseball pitcher, Dodge and Kia concept cars, three roller coasters, and a handful of diverse musical groups and songs of varying quality. But the design of this pistol is simply unmatched for shooters needing this specific genre of pistol.
The basic specs for the Sidewinder are that it is a five-shot, .22 (both LR and Magnum cylinders available), with a 1½-inch barrel and five inches overall. The height is just less than three inches, width is just over an inch and the unloaded weight is 6.7 ounces. Trigger pull data are in the five to six pound range and most shooters describe the recoil as surprisingly moderate.
There are many standard and customized accessories for this revolver, including this popular Laserlyte grip sight. (NAA photo)
The revolver features marbled wood grips and clean lines. But besides being a pretty piece of hardware, why do people like the Sidewinder so much? That’s easy, it is both plain and simple, plus it’s easy to load and unload the five-shot revolver. The “swing-out” style cylinder assembly is similar to most modern revolvers. This miniaturization of a traditional technology is what sets the Sidewinder apart from other smaller handguns. In a typical miniature firearm, first you must pull a pin here, scoop out the cylinder there, and reload. By the time you’ve fumbled the cylinder back into position, taking care not to accidentally pinch off your thumbnail, the Sidewinder has long been ready to shoot. Best of all, the spent shells shake loose easily, or the extractor allows you to pick spent brass out from the side.
The revolver’s cylinder is equipped with a star-shaped extractor for quick, easy reloading.
Not only is the design simple, clean, functional and totally dependable, but the Sidewinder is also very safe to carry, thanks to NAA’s exclusive safety notch cylinder. It is also a very “easy on the eyes, and great to handle firearm, too,” as Conti Industries & Black Ops Tactical executive Heidi Conti told me. “Plus, with the proper ammo, you’ve got a great little pistol in your power.”
The self-defense effectiveness of the Sidewinder was greatly boosted with the introduction of Hornady’s purposefully designed 45-grain FXT Critical Defense .22 magnum load. It rips out of the barrel at 1,000 fps and has penetration of test gel better than most .380 loads. Speer offers a 40-grain Gold Dot load which also has major target punch, real or test, as well.
NAA strongly suggests that you do not use any PMC ammo, long rifle or Magnum, in their pistols due to double discharge possibilities. Extensive testing shows that only PMC ammunition has this hazard with NAA .22 revolvers.
Left to right, NAA’s General Manager Ken Friel, gun guru and writer Randy Wakeman, and NAA’s President Sandy Chisholm share smiles at a previous NRA Convention. (Snappy Cappy photo)
Interestingly, NAA’s general manager, Ken Friel, told me that some Sidewinder owners have used the CCI Shotshell load in their pistols. The load has 52 grains of #12 shot in each round. When fired at three-yard range, the group is a 9-inch square. I imagine a load of that in the face of a bad guy at that range would stop most any assault.
The pistol’s safety mechanism is ingenious, so there’s a lower risk of accidentally nicking a finger when preparing to fire. What the Sidewinder lacks in stopping power when compared with other, more intimidating calibers, it makes up with more utility. You can slip it into a pocket or a purse much more easily than its larger handgun brethren and be on your way, unseen by our new world’s highly suspicious eyes and all powerful video surveillance.
The accuracy is admirable for its class, too. In his firing tests, J.B. Wood noted that his Sidewinder performed really well. He reported, “In classic encounter range of 7 yards, it kept all five rounds centered in the black on a Champion VisiShot target.” Likewise, Heidi Conti came away from their Conti Industries range totally impressed with the Sidewinder.
“I tested five shots on a printed groundhog target from fifteen feet away. Three shots punctured the body just below the target spine. The other two hit solidly within the crosshairs, while two of the outer three shots grouped tightly together, as you see in the photo. Not bad for paper varmint disposal duty,” she added with a chuckle.
Heidi Conti, an executive with Conti Industries and Black Ops Tactical, holds her groundhog test target in one hand and her personal Sidewinder in the other during a 2015 range outing. (J. David Truby photo)
Ms. Conti also said, “But, do pay attention to the sight radius when aiming as it is tiny and it doesn’t take much tremor to mess up your aim.”
Yet, as Randall Kari, an LEO with whom I used to work, said, “You don’t hunt deer with it at 50 yards out, but when and where it counts at close range defense, it’ll hit where you aim. It’s a great back-up and a very easily concealed defense pistol.” Part of the Sidewinder’s factual legend is the narcotics agent who did a buy on a Florida beach wearing only a Speedo. No room for a standard piece, so the agent hid his NAA Sidewinder in a drinking cup.
As an aside, for those of you considering a .22 for maximum conceal self-defense, I suggest you read Richard Mann’s article in the June 2013 issue of American Rifleman; good reportage there.
NAA gets it right and shares that with the rest of us users. Their NAA instruction book includes photos with detailed printed instructions for loading, unloading and using the Sidewinder. There’s also a video showing the entire process on NAA’s very elaborate website.
NAA’s Sidewinder is also available with a four-inch barrel. Like the smaller edition, it is available with a single cylinder choice of .22 LR or .22 Mag., or as a package with both cylinders. MSRP of the 1-1/2-inch barreled Sidewinder is $349 for either of the basics, and $449 with a combo pairing of both cylinders. The 4-inch model with choice of a single cylinder is $396, and $489 with both cylinders. For more info, visit:northarmericanarms.com, or phone: 800-821-5783.
It’s no surprise, then, that current Sidewinder models remain somewhat back ordered. Yet, you don’t have to stand in a backed up waiting line at major retailers to own the old fashioned-ly modern Sidewinder. In my case, a quick trip down the road to Bee’s Guns, a truly old school kind of small town real gun shop in Saltsburg, PA, made it all happen, thanks to owner Ken Bee and very knowledgeable assistant Jesse Syster. Within the week, my Sidewinder was there.
Fortunately, gun shops aren’t left waiting for a slow boat from overseas for Sidewinders. These stainless steel mini-revolvers and other small pistols manufactured by North American Arms are handcrafted and manufactured in Provo, Utah. And they carry a lifetime warranty.
According to NRA Board Member and publisher of Soldier of Fortune magazine, Robert K. Brown, “Sandy Chisholm, General Manager Ken Friel and Sales Manager Ken Barlow are, “Three of the truly ‘Top Good Guys’ in the shooting sports industry.”
Oh, and why did NAA name their tiny revolver The Sidewinder? As Barlow explained, “It’s simple, it is a revolver with a swing out cylinder and someone in a John Wayne western called those guns ‘Sidewinders’.”
Thus, exactly like their expertly designed Sidewinder, North American Arms also has a very smooth and on-target operation.
