Nicolas Lenze 03.01.23
The North American Arms rimfire revolvers seem to have wiggled their way into every shooter’s collection. Coming from the more “tactical” side of shooting, I often saw them in gun stores and swore I’d never have such a useless firearm. Well, here we are. This is my review of MY North American Arms revolver. This specific one is known as The Earl, named for the gunsmith who originally developed it.
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North American Arms The Earl: Specifications
- Barrel length: 4”
- Caliber: .22 Magnum, .22 LR
- Capacity: 5
- Weight: 8.9 oz
- Action: Single-action
- MSRP: $400.00
Opening the Box and Time Machine
People think that there’s some level of glamor with this job, but I promise, there isn’t. When I picked the gun up from Centennial Gun Club, my local gun store, it came in a regular FedEx box. “Great!” I thought. There’s no need for fancy packaging. When I got home and opened the shipping box, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The Earl came to me in a branded lockbox, proudly wearing the Project Childsafe emblem. It’s great to see a usable box that might also save a life.
What initially attracted me to The Earl was abundant when I removed it from the case. The smooth sides of the frame melted right into the barrel. The fine machining was eclipsed only by the old-time charm dripping from the single-action pistol. I couldn’t help but fan the hammer and imagine myself in a duel at the old church at noon. Of course, all dry fire was performed with dummy rounds to avoid damaging the cylinder. The gun was equipped with the .22 WMR cylinder but a .22 LR cylinder was also included.
A Magnum Morning
Just because I wanted the NAA Earl for nostalgia’s sake, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to test it. I wanted to know at what distance this tiny revolver is effective. Now, that has a lot to do with the shooter. We’ll get to the trigger later. First up, accuracy.
I shot groups using Winchester Varmint LF .22 Magnum ammunition. I did the same for .22 LR using CCI Stinger copper-plated hollow points. The most difficult part of shooting these groups (aside from the 12-degree weather) was the trigger. It’s very difficult to find the correct finger placement to send a round without disturbing the sights. At least that’s what I thought at first. I was trying to pull the trigger as I would with a larger handgun, but what I found was that placing my whole finger on the trigger was key. Just give it a gorilla grip and squeeze.
One of the places I can see this pistol being useful is pest control, especially for snakes. I had a few .22 shotshells so, I decided to test the spread. This is five rounds, aiming at the X-ring, from five or seven yards-ish.
Empty Cylinders, Full Imagination
I wouldn’t call The Earl the best defensive handgun, nor would I recommend it for home defense. I do think it serves very well as a fun, can-shooting gun, as well as an accurate and effective pistol for minor critter control. The spread of the shotshells was perfect for safely dispatching surprise threats as they slither toward you.
The front sight being plain steel doesn’t make it the easiest to pick up, but when you do, the sights are really pretty nice. This surprised me with a gun as small as this one. The hammer is easy to cock and removing the cylinder is simple and easy. Once I understood the trigger, putting rounds where I wanted them became much easier. Play around and see what works for you, since the diminutive grips will pose a different level of challenge for anyone based on their hand size.
The limited practicality leaves me with the ultimate question for any review. Why? There are other firearms that will outperform The Earl, but do so with less style. If you want to travel back in time when you strap your snake slayer on, do it! You won’t be under gunned against any creature that can be handled with a .22. It might not be the fastest or most modern, but it definitely holds a spot on the cool list.
The Earl from North American Arms brings nostalgia and practical performance together, all without costing the same as rent. For someone who rarely delves into the world of single-action revolvers, this is a great way to scratch the itch without paying too dearly for admission.
To learn more about The Earl, check it out on the North American Arms website. NAA can also be found on social media, so be sure to like, follow, and subscribe on Facebook and YouTube. I’ll see you at high noon!
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