NAA Guardian 25NAA

[Tennjed]

NAA list a Guardian in 25NAA. From what I can tell on Internet searches this is a new cartridge designed by North American Arms. It looks to be a necked down 32 case to accept 25 bullets. Am I correct in this? Can this gun shoot traditional 25acp ammo? How readily available or easy to reload would this be? I assume dies do not exist for it.

Even if the performance is better than a 32 this seems like an odd and hard to sell niche caliber. Seems odd to me. Am I missing something?

[Mike]

We had some boxes of 25 NAA when I worked at the gunshop. We never sold a single box of it while I was there.

It won't shoot .25acp, it won't fit in the chamber. The cartridge is an oddball. I'd stay away unless you bought a goodly supply of ammo with the gun.

[JAB]

NAA list a Guardian in 25NAA. From what I can tell on Internet searches this is a new cartridge designed by North American Arms. It looks to be a necked down 32 case to accept 25 bullets. Am I correct in this? Can this gun shoot traditional 25acp ammo? How readily available or easy to reload would this be? I assume dies do not exist for it.

Even if the performance is better than a 32 this seems like an odd and hard to sell niche caliber. Seems odd to me. Am I missing something?

Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a 'new' cartridge. I first heard of it three or four years ago, I think, and had the impression it had been around for a little while before that. In fact, from what I can find on the 'Net, it was first introduced at the SHOT show in 2004. That means it has been out for over eight years and you are just now hearing of it, if that is any indication as to how 'popular' it is.

My understanding is that this remains a 'proprietary cartridge' or some such and I believe that there is only one company producing ammo. I think I have maybe seen one such gun (used, taken in trade) at a LGS and don't recall ever having seen ammo. My understanding is that, for the most part, ammo must be ordered directly from NAA. They also make (or made, anyhow - not sure if they still do) a .32 NAA which was a .32 bullet in a necked down .380 casing. I think it is just about as popular as the .25 NAA.

My own, personal opinion is that had such a thing come out ten years earlier, before the proliferation of 'micro' .32, .380 and, now, 9mm pistols it might have caught on. As it is, I think most of the shooting public can see no advantage to a 'souped up' .25 (or .32) when they can buy something like a Kel Tec or Taurus .32 (or a Kel Tec, Taurus or Ruger .380 or even one of the micro 9mm) that uses a much more commonly available cartridge and costs less for ammo and, in some cases, for the gun, itself.

Edited August 28, 2012 by JAB

[RED333]

I have a 25 auto, bought some 25NAA by mistake at Cheaper than dirt.

Traded them for 4 CETME mags on another forum, did try to sell them here,

did not get any bites so I closed the ad.

It is a hot little round, over 1100 FPS!

[Tennjed]

interesting stuff. thanks guys