April, 2002

Bullets, Ballistics & Stuff

In the dozen or so years I've been affiliated with NAA, I've begun to learn a bit about BB&S (above). As I come form a gun-ignorant background, I started with a clean slate. As seems to happen so often (for me) when I develop a new interest, the more I came to learn, the more I appreciated how much more complicated the science was than I had first imagined; I soon became 'impressed' with how much didn't know. When I knew almost next to nothing, everything seemed so simple. I know a little better now.

When NAA began to build pistols and chamber for cartridges other than .22, my interest in BB&S grew. As a way to grow our company, when we first began consideration of a novel cartridge design, my interest became greater still. There's much to learn in this field, as many of you know, far better than me. But with the help of several knowledgeable and talented collaborators, I think we've developed something very special.

I'm interested to read the occasionally spirited and frequently knowledgeable threads/comments about BB&S that occasionally (re)appear on our Message Board, most recently post #3393 etc. ­ One Shot Stops. Some interesting experiences are shared, as is also more than a little good advice and instruction. Like many sciences, however, there are often many meaningful points worthy of debate, and different schools of thought supporting dramatically different techniques/approaches. In that vein, it probably comes as no surprise that I argue in support of the 'light and fast' vs. 'heavy and slow' school of bullet selection.

(I was very happy to see a number of you recently draw proper attention to what I believe is unarguably the most important but oft overlooked 'performance' element of ballistics ­ placement. A .22 that enters the torso or skull cavity is infinitely more lethal than a 9mm in the hip/ass, or a .45ACP that strikes a whole lotta' nuthin).

Those who read my February Soapbox will recall that Ed Sanow has been an important part of this development team. Ed has a very distinguished and experience-rich background. Admittedly, he is not universally revered (who is?) but while you might challenge his preferences/conclusions, you can't deny his expertise. Friday night (03/29), Ed got his first opportunity to test a 'production' batch of .32NAA cartridges from our development partner, Peter Pi at CorBon. We finally have some preliminary results to share with you.

Earlier, Peter shared with us that this new cartridge generated 21,500 p.s.i. and pushed a 60 gr. Hornady JHP 1453 ft./sec. from a 4" test barrel, 1222 from the Guardian itself. Based on this weekend's tests, Ed has indicated is that expansion is 'outstanding'. While the bullet comes-up fractionally short of 9" in bare gelatin, both expansion and penetration through heavy denim are particularly impressive. You can probably expect this to be our story line. While there may be some incremental tweaking between here and there, when we're finished with the tests, you can expect us to publish all the results and photos, and you can make your own comparisons and reach your own conclusions.

While what I don't know about BB&S fills a book, I do know that ­ for people seriously committed to carrying the highest performing cartridge in the smallest package ­ the .32NAA is arguably, and quantifiably, your best choice and worth your serious consideration. We expect to make our 'official' introduction at the NRA show in Reno later this month, with supplies of both pistols and cartridges available immediately thereafter. You can expect to read more about this 'shooting system' as we make samples available to the press, but I thought you'd want/expect to hear about it here first.

Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) checks out the latest edition of the North American Arms catalog. He mentioned that he regularly carries two of the firm's firearm products after receiving death threats several years ago. ASSC's 1996 Congressional Leader of the Year Award was presented to Sen. Hatch "in appreciation of his leadership and commitment in defense of our heritage, our industry and our life"


Photo & caption by Robert M. Hausman - used with permission.