The North American Arms (NAA)folks have on the web site the name "Pug" being derived from the Latin word Pugnus, meaning Fist. The "Pug" at first glance is well named. It is "Squat" as compared to other NAA firearms.

There is a significant size difference between the .22 LR and the .22 Magnum. The Pug looks like the design was substantial in order to take the more powerful Magnum round. The large rubber grip helps get a better grip on the small gun. We shot at 5 and 7 yards. The team was able to get center mass shot at both markings. Getting very accurate was difficult at 7 yards. Pictured is the first group of CCI Maxi-MAG HP+V shots, and the CCI 22 #12 Shot Shell. This would be very effective on snakes at close quarters.

To load and unload the entire cylinder must be taken out of the handgun. This is very easy to do, but would be almost impossible during a violent confrontation. This handgun should be considered a one time last ditch protection. A person would need to remove from the violence to a protected area to reload. There would be no way to speed load this handgun.

First keep the handgun pointed in a safe direction and then pull the hammer back to ½ cock. The second step is to pull the cylinder pin down and twist to allow the pin to be pulled and the cylinder removed for loading and unloading. The cylinder pin is also used to push shells that may be stuck.

This a single action handgun. This means that the hammer must be pulled back every time before a shot can be fired. Normally this is not a problem, but you must practice this as novice users think they can pull the trigger and have the handgun go boom.

The light weight will ensure that it is easy to carry and would be ideal as a back up gun, or for ladies that are afraid of recoil. This gun is not designed for any kind of distance. This should only be used in defensive positions under 10 feet. The .22 Magnum round is very deadly and can go through the primary target, so care needs to be taken to ensure that the defensive shooter knows what is behind the attacker and beyond.

For carry-ability the team rated this at 3 out of 5 stars. This is due to the hammer and the rubber handle. The rubber handle got stuck in the pants pockets making it difficult to pull out. Recommendations were to pay the additional money for holsters designed for the Pug making it quick to draw. If carried in the holsters the "Pug" would be a quicker draw. As this is a close quarter handgun, it needs to be carried in a way that it can be pulled out for use quickly.

For lightweight and availability with a proper holster it is rated at 5 out of 5 stars. It is better to have something than have no gun at all.

For defense round it is rated at a 3 out of 5 stars for the .22 Magnum.

For your primary CCW handgun the "Pug" only received an over all score 3.67. While the "Pug" is well made the team decided to give this a 5 out of 5 stars if it were used as a dedicated backup handgun. The folks at North American Arms have been very helpful and you should consider buying a "Pug" if you are looking for a good backup.

Happy trails and keep the lead down range. Clark – Carryconcealed.net.

Holster from Cheaperthandirt.com