By now, youโve probably heard it more times than Bidenโs told people he was raised Puerto Rican: โThe best gun is the one you have on you.โ Jeff CooperโGod bless that manโs soulโput it best when he said, โThe first rule of gunfighting isโฆ have a gun.โ Simple, brilliant, and something a lot of people still manage to ignore while chasing the next red-dot-strapped, optic-cut, flared-magwell Glockzilla that theyโll never actually carry because it weighs as much as a bowling ball and prints worse than your inkjet in 2004.
So letโs talk about the gun that solves that exact problem: the North American Arms (NAA) Pug-T mini revolver. Yeah, itโs small. Ridiculously small. And if youโre the kind of guy who thinks carrying a .22 Magnum is like bringing a toothpick to a bar fight, hear me out. This isnโt just a novelty revolver for your โweird gun collection.โ This is a real-deal, stainless-steel, last-ditch, no-excuses, always-there-when-you-need-it piece of gear that absolutely deserves a spot in your pocketโor at the very least, in your glove box.
Letโs get one thing straight: I was skeptical at first. Iโve seen keychains bigger than this thing. But curiosity got the better of me, and once I got my hands on the NAA Pug-T, Iโll admit itโmy snark turned into admiration faster than you can say โconstitutional carry.โ
The Pug-T might be tiny, but this isnโt a pot metal derringer from a gas station display case. This thing is built like a bank vault. Itโs a solid chunk of stainless steel that oozes quality, with the kind of machining and attention to detail that you usually only find on guns that cost more than your mortgage.
It ships in a compact metal lockboxโyes, a real one, not some glorified Tupperwareโready to toss in your car, safe, or bugout bag. NAA didnโt have to include that, but they did. And that alone tells you these guys understand how and where this gun is going to be used.
Letโs talk about ergonomics, and yes, I know thatโs a weird word to use for a gun thatโs smaller than a candy bar. But somehow, NAA managed to cram in a full-sized set of XS Big Dot tritium night sights on this tiny beast. Iโm not kiddingโtheyโre big, bright, and actually useful. Thereโs also a Pug-D version with a standard white dot if you prefer your sights without the whole radioactive glow.
The grip? Thatโs Hogue rubber, baby. Soft, sticky, comfortable, and just grippy enough that the recoil from those .22 Magnum rounds doesnโt send the gun flying like a greased piglet.
The Pug is single-action only, which means you have to cock the hammer before every shot. Now, that might sound old-school, but it makes a lot of sense for a gun this small. You donโt want a hair trigger on a pocket rocket unless youโre trying to turn your thigh into Swiss cheese.
Thereโs no cylinder release button like youโd find on a typical revolver. Instead, the cylinder pin and underlug are part of a clever little system where you rotate and pull to remove the cylinder for loading or unloading. Itโs not the fastest process in the world, but letโs be honestโyouโre not speed-reloading this thing in the middle of a firefight like John Wick. This is five shots and pray you didnโt miss.
Youโll need that pin to poke out your spent cases too, because some of them like to hang on tighter than a Bernie supporter to a free college promise. Pro tip: keep your fingers away from the muzzle when reloading. Seems obvious, but when the gun is this small, muscle memory can betray you fast.
Hereโs something else that separates the Pug from other pocket pistolsโsafety. Because this is a single-action revolver, you donโt want to carry it with the hammer resting on a live round. Thatโs a big no-no unless you like surprise parties of the โoops, now I limpโ variety.
NAA solved this with a very clever set of notches between the chambers. You simply lower the hammer into a safety slot, and now it canโt hit a live round even if you drop it down a flight of stairs. Takes a little practice, but once youโve done it a few times, itโs second nature.
Letโs just say I was more than a little skeptical here. The barrel is an inch long. The sight radius is two inches. My expectations were low. And then I shot it.
I tested Hornadyโs Critical Defense 45gr FTX and CCIโs 30gr Maxi-Mags. Recoil? Noticeable but very manageable thanks to that Hogue grip. Accuracy? Surprisingly solid. The Hornadys patterned like a shotgun on espressoโlots of scatter. But those CCI Maxi-Mags? Tight groups. At ten feet, I had five rounds center mass, no problem. At thirty feet? Still effective, still on target.
No, youโre not going to win a bullseye competition with it, but for what it is? The Pug gets the job done. And it gets it done better than youโd think.
This is where the Pug truly shines. Whether youโre wearing gym shorts, a suit, or cargo pants full of MREs and resentment, this little revolver disappears like a career politicianโs integrity. Drop it in a DeSantis pocket holster (thereโs even one with a spot for a reload), or better yet, tuck it into your jeansโ watch pocket. You know, the one you never use unless youโre feeling nostalgic for pocket watches and pipe tobacco.
And if you’re the type who carries a full-size pistol daily, the Pug makes a fantastic backup gun. You wonโt even notice itโs thereโuntil you need it.
Letโs be real: .22 Magnum isnโt a powerhouse. Itโs not going to drop a bear or stop a meth-fueled linebacker on the first shot. But itโs a hell of a lot better than nothing, and Iโll take five rounds of .22 WMR over the false confidence of being โunarmed but alert.โ
For folks who just wonโt carry a bigger gun? This is a lifeline. For the rest of us? Itโs a tool for the toolboxโone thatโs always there when the chips are down and your full-size piece is in the nightstand or the car.
The NAA Pug-T is beautifully built, easy to carry, reliable, and surprisingly accurate. Itโs not a gimmick. Itโs a real gun that fills a real need. No, itโs not perfect for every situation, but itโs perfect for the situations where nothing else fits.
If youโve ever found yourself saying, โI just didnโt feel like carrying today,โ then congratulationsโthis gun is for you. No more excuses. You can carry the Pug-T everywhere you legally can, and you wonโt even notice itโuntil you need it.
Specifications:
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Caliber: .22 Magnum
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Capacity: 5 rounds
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Length: 4.56โณ
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Height: 2.81โณ
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Width: 1.06โณ
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Weight: 6.4 oz.
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Barrel Length: 1โณ
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Sights: XS Tritium Dot
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MSRP: $347.00
Ratings (Out of 5 Stars):
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Style: โ โ โ โ โ โ Sleek, stainless, and sharp.
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Ergonomics: โ โ โ โโ โ Great for smaller hands. Big mitts? Not so much.
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Reliability: โ โ โ โ โ โ Fires every time.
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Accuracy: โ โ โ โ โ โ Especially with the right ammo.
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Overall: โ โ โ โ โ โ For what it is? Itโs excellent.
Want a gun youโll actually carry? Stop making excuses. Get the Pug. Youโll thank yourself when the day comes that youโre glad you didnโt leave it in the truck.
