North American Arms Black Widow .22 Long/.22 WMR Black Revolver

The Black Widow is...

The Black Widow is "The One" for smallest "real" gun, being defined as a 22 WMR with a minimum barrel length of 2". And has only become that after the short barrel WMR rounds recently became available. They require a 2" barrel, and the Speer one was developed with the BW in mind from what I find on the web. I own both the black (fixed sight) and stainless (adjustable sights), both convertible (22LR/22WMR) models. While both are excellent: - astonishingly accurate and easy to shoot - it is misconception this is a very short-range gun, 20-30' is fine. - exceptionally high quality as with all NAA guns. - as good as the best sights on any gun (minus night glow however). - super light and easy to carry - this is why you get this one, it is the gun you can always have on you. - nearly impossible to go off by accident, if you are afraid to carry a chambered round in a semi-auto like many are - which renders a gun useless in many defensive situations where you need a free hand - then please consider this gun. - I like the BlackHawk tecgrip #3 holsters for it with pocket carry. - the fat grip is fantastic for one or two handed shooting, and the all important quick draw. The gun shoots well, none of the smaller grips from NAA feel good to me, but the BW one does, and I put that same grip on my Pug. - trigger pull is excellent, although not like any other gun you have ever had. - I found the gun very easy to get used to, I didn't have to shoot it much to get it dialed in. - A novice can shoot it easily, but reloading safely takes some practice. - much easier to clean than a semi-auto, this makes a bigger difference to me as time passes. - dry fire is excellent: simply remove the cylinder, and you can practice whatever you want, unlike a semi-auto or many other 22's. I find the stainless adjustable sights version to be slightly better than the black fixed sights one for two reasons: - the black metal is "sticky", so it is more fiddly to get the cylinder back on when reloading, and I'm pretty good at it and still found it harder. - the fixed sights are shorter (you may like this but I don't). You cannot see the rear sights until the hammer is pulled back on the shorter ones, but on the adjustable ones you can see the sight picture all the time. I see this as a real benefit in a tough situation where split seconds matter. I admit I sometimes carry a Pug when the BW is too large (but less often as I adjust my wardrobe to accommodate the BW). My other favorite carry is a Ruger LCP MAX, when I want something bigger, and then the BW is the BUG.