North American Arms Companion Cap and Ball .22

[PaulF70]

I just came across these guns - amazing!

Anyone happen to have one?

Not sure what would be used for ammo. .22 RLBs are made for airguns, but would size be ideal? NAA makes their own 30gr bullets but they're out of stock everywhere.

 

[Eutycus]

My first thought was 22 cal. pellets for airguns as well. Let's see what the experts say.

 

[PathfinderNC]

NAA-1860-4-CB​

Earl Companion Cap & Ball – 4″ Barrel

• .22 Caliber / #11 Percussion
• 5-Shot Capacity
• Earl Design

All cap & balls are currently backordered up to a 1 year. Additionally, due to recent shortages we cannot add more than 1 additional cylinder. We ask that you have all items ordered at the time the order is placed.

$339.00

Looks pretty nifty!

 

[earlwb]

NAA sells 30 grain bullets for them too. But I would think that one could use .22 pellet gun round balls. Not sure if the lead hollow base pellets would work or not.

I am also curious if anyone has one and fired it or not. Since they are sold out at present then their first production run has been sent out everywhere. They make it in three different sizes, the .22LR, .22mag and the long barrel .22 version. Maybe a fourth version if they did the long barrel “Earl” version in .22mag as well as .22LR.

Guns com had a .22LR snub nose cap and ball revolver for sale the last time I looked there.

 

[PastorB]

Yes, I have had one now for 25+ years, a .22 Magnum Super Companion, with a 1 5/8" barrel. It has been about 24 years since I fussed with it, as it holds zero interest for me. Unless they have changed, Remington #10 caps are the only ones that will work, and that is what my original owner manual states. Other caps protrude too far out, and you are unable to insert the cylinder after loading. I've tried loading pellets and such, using light loads as a "gallery" gun. The results just plain sucked. You are pretty much stuck with using the NAA 30 gr. bullets. Velocity is very low (400-500 fps) with blackpowder or pyrodex. When 777 came out I tried that, cramming as much powder in as would fit, which resulted in a tremendous effort to seat the bullet. Velocity barely was 700 fps, and lowering the charge to enable easier loading resulted in bb gun velocity. MY GUN came with instructions that I could use up to 2 grains of Bullseye. Those instructions are no longer provided, heard the ATF frowned upon it. That did give high velocity, but wild and erratic, 1200 to 1600+ fps. Hate to think what the pressure was on those rounds going 1600 fps out of a 1 and 5/8" barrel. Accuracy was decent enough with all loads to hit the broadside of a barn, if you were inside of the barn. Lots of bullets tumbled, and left clear indications of such on paper. Very disappointed, maybe the longer barrel guns would provide better results. No complaints on workmanship, the gun is just a novelty item. When I have the opportunity to shoot, I take a real cap and ball revolver, and the NAA Companion has been occupying a drawer now for 20+ years.

 

[Stantheman86]

I have 4 of the NAA "unmentionables " that I use for CC, they are awesome, very well made guns.

If you want something cool, get an NAA .22 Short. It has a cool look to it and it's almost like it's modern and from the 1850s at the same time. They're surprisingly fun to shoot.

I would not imagine those little cap and ballers would we worth the effort or time. It's NAA's attempt to make "paperwork free" carry guns that would probably be a downgrade to a good knife

 

[Bad Karma]

There’s a guy on another forum who’s experimented with the Unique powders. He’s had very good results better velocity than .22 LR and very consistent. I’d be inter in playing with the 1860 “Earl” model. Looks like it could be a nifty tackle-box or glove-box gun.

 

[earlwb]

The information I read is that NAA says they use #11 caps now. But I could be wrong. I was reading that on their NAA website. I read that about their spare revolver nipples that they sell.

 

[Stantheman86]

The .22 Short is more "HC" than a .22 cap and baller , I can't put a pic up here but they are cool looking little guns that could easily have been made in 1850.

If NAA made a little 4-shot .31 than that would be something neat

 

[Walkabout]

I have one, in fact I shot it today. I was having reliability issues early on, but I think it's starting to break in and function better. The tolerances are very tight. #4 buck will work.

 

[Sean E Bug]

I have one. it was the earl model with a 4 inch barrel. looks like a scaled down 1858. I chose that model because it is the only one that has grips I am comfortable with. the cheap way to load them is with #4 buckshot. I suppose you could get a mold for the 22 short bullet

 

[jimhallam]

SORRY -- - this might offend some "Purists" because I have to mention a metallic cartidge.

The 30 grain bullet supplied with the NAA kit is actually the factory bullet for a .22" SHORT RIMFIRE --- as can be seen by the fact that it is outside lubricated with a "heel base" which goes inside the case. Sadly the .22RF Short is vanishing rapidly because the "Elfin Safety" people have decreed that as the case is short (!!!) then a flash during priming might communicate itself to other cases. As they are all pointing UPWARDS during the wet priming process I find that difficult to understand. Be that as it may, .22RF Short bullets will be getting harder and harder to find, so it might be an idea for someone to make a tool to shorten a .22 Long Rifle bullet.
PURISTS stop reading here please ... ... ...
At the time when I had a couple of Webley-Fosbery revolvers the only .455 ammo available was the C.I.L., with the long Mk. I case and 295grain bullet, and the nose protruded at the front of the short cylinder*** - so I made a "guillotine" to do the job --- just as the Afghan-made .303 DumDum bullets were made by cutting the noses from the 215grain service ammo. *** later revolvers were intended for the shorter .455 Mk II case.
(Dum Dum is, of course, the name of the major arsenal in what was "British India")

 

[kaotikross]

I always wondered about the black powder version of these. Mine in .22 mag is okay if a bit small for my hands. I've considered some of the larger grip ideas but if I go too big I may as well tote a .38 snub. It's not much of a gun for when you're wearing gloves, that's for sure. They are pretty fun for close range messing around as long as you realize it isn't going to win any accuracy awards. My wife likes shooting it more than I do.

 

[warmonger]

My first thought was 22 cal. pellets for airguns as well. Let's see what the experts say.

Used 22 caliber pellets with the percussion cap and I had a blast literally very fun

 

[Ballshooter]

I have a 22mag NAA Pug not BP but still fun. It always is in my front pocket

 

[user 48679]

.22cal RB's are in stock here: .22 lead balls

 

[appalichian hunter]

Some neat stuff on that site.

 

[Harveymushman82]

The .22 lead that naa offers are actually kinda pricey and they never have them in stock. I found that buying .22 shorts and removing the lead with a bullet disassembly hammer costs me the same just with the added effort of removing them from their casing.
I may try that #4 shot though as suggested.

 

[SwampBilly]

My first thought was 22 cal. pellets for airguns as well. Let's see what the experts say.

A 22 air gun pellet is 5.5 mm while the 22 firearm is 5.6. could increase the risk of a chain fire. Plus the traditional air gun pellet design oftentimes will leave the skirt of the pellet in the bore as they are not designed for that pressure.

However they do make 22 air gun slugs often in hollow point from grains ranging from 17 on up to 40. But I would stick with the 30 grain or less because the 40 grain may be too long for the cylinders.

I ordered one and have it on the way myself. Some of the air gun slugs have a dish shaped fairly hollow base which may be good for obturating to fit the bore very well. Look for updates in a couple of weeks when it gets delivered