.32 NAA, anyone?

[criticalbass]

This hot little round seems to have pretty well disappeared.

I have a Bulgariam Makarov that I converted to .32 NAA a few years ago when makarov.com had a bunch of barrels made up. The conversion just involved changing out the barrel (not as simple as it sounds--barrels are pressed into the frame like Walthers).

The round is based on a .380 case. It's necked down to .32, giving a bottleneck case. I have a bunch of Starline brass and a set of dies which I am keeping in reserve for when my supply of ammo gets low.

Ballistics on the 60 grain bullet are impressive. You won't forget hearing protection more than once. MV is high enough to give an ear splitting crack similar to the CZ 52 and other high velocity rounds. Painful.

When makarov.com closed their business I was lucky enough to buy their remaining ammo supply at a decent price, so I have around 500 rounds of it, but I haven't seen any for sale anywhere else in a long time.

NAA made a heavy little BUG that was what the round was designed for, and I haven't seen any of those recently either.

So, does anyone else have any .32 NAA experience, guns, ammo, etc? CB

 

[Hobbes]

It's an interesting concept.

I doubt it makes all that much difference as far as stopping power goes tho as it's still anemic.

Best feature of the .32NAA could be that, theoretically, the bottle case should feed more reliably than .380acp.
It definitely feeds more reliably than the rimlock prone .32acp.

 

[criticalbass]

Its anemia level is about 1600 fps out of the mak conversion, less out of the uber-short NAA BUG. 65 grains at that velocity will make a pretty good start on killing something. A company called "Extreme Shock" built some ammo that went 1800 fps. Still have a little of that, but it is no longer available.

About feeding, never had the first failure to feed with hollowpoints, but have had lots of trouble with the ball ammo, which seems odd. CB

 

[Hobbes]

Only ballistics data I can find:

http://www.brassfetcher.com/32NAA.html



I have more confidence in a good old fashioned .38sp, even out of a snubbie.
I'm skeptical about how much research has gone into development of effective bullets for this round.

 

[ldp4570]

Only ballistics data I can find:

http://www.brassfetcher.com/32NAA.html



I have more confidence in a good old fashioned .38sp, even out of a snubbie.
I'm skeptical about how much research has gone into development of effective bullets for this round.

I think that if this type of round(There already where some around, even at the end of the 19th century.) had been developed in the early part of the 20th century, they may have had a greater following than they do today. With todays modern host of cartridges, its hard to get wrapped up in something such as this.

 

[Hobbes]

I guess my biggest problem with this round is this:


If .380acp is just BARELY adequate for SD, how is necking it down to .32 caliber going to improve it?

 

[padaddytom]

cor bon makes ammo for NAA.25naa and 32naa NAA's web site can get you to their store.

 

[criticalbass]

The overall fate of .32 NAA will be as a historic footnote. The 1200 fps out of a very short barrel sort of dooms it, and it's already disappeared from nearly every source.

But, in a longer barrel it gets more interesting. I had consideered chambering a single shot rifle barrel as a "camp gun," but lost interest (or regained sanity) and did not follow through.

I do have another .32 NAA Makarov barrel that I will probably never use. Anybody that's interested in playing with this caliber in a Mak could probably talk me into selling it . . . CB

 

[ldp4570]

The overall fate of .32 NAA will be as a historic footnote. The 1200 fps out of a very short barrel sort of dooms it, and it's already disappeared from nearly every source.

But, in a longer barrel it gets more interesting. I had consideered chambering a single shot rifle barrel as a "camp gun," but lost interest (or regained sanity) and did not follow through.

I do have another .32 NAA Makarov barrel that I will probably never use. Anybody that's interested in playing with this caliber in a Mak could probably talk me into selling it . . . CB

Its like several statements I've made in the past in reference to the little pocket rockets floating around in .32acp, and .380acp. Both are critical of barrel length. If both are used in in something similar to a Walther PP, or Beretta 80 series, even though under powered by the likes of 9MM, or .38spl, they have greater velocity and energy than say a Keltec, or LPC. These small pocket calibers are very sensitive to barrel length. You put these two rounds into a larger gun such as the ones listed above, and they truly become an effective option for CCW. Same with the .32NAA, like the barrels you have for your Mak, if this cartridge had come out during the wonder years of the FN 1910, Colt 1903, Walther PP, and others, I think it would have made a name for itself. Granted during those times HP ammo was just about unheard of, but move forward 60yrs, and a 60 to 65gr HP stepping along at 1300 to 1400FPS would have been a painful surprise for a BG. In an all steel gun such as the Mak, or PP, 1903, 1910 recoil would still be easily controlled making followup shots easy.

 

[TonyRumore]

I have one. It works fine.

Tony Rumore
Tromix