The North American Arms Sidewinder is a mini revolver chambered in .22 Magnum with a 1.5-inch barrel and a 5-round cylinder. It is built on a stainless steel frame and fitted with Black Pearl grips. The Sidewinder design uses a swing-out cylinder rather than the fixed-cylinder gate-loading system found on other NAA mini revolvers. 
 

Key Specifications 

• Brand: North American Arms 
• Model: Sidewinder 
• Caliber: .22 Magnum 
• Action: Single Action 
• Barrel Length: 1.5 in 
• Capacity: 5 
• Finish: Stainless Steel 
• Grips: Black Pearl 
   

Detailed Features 

• 1.5-inch barrel in stainless steel construction 
• 5-round swing-out cylinder for faster reloading than fixed NAA designs 
• Black Pearl grip panels 
• Single-action trigger operation 
• Compact mini revolver format

Owners of the NAA Sidewinder frequently cite the swing-out cylinder as the reason they chose this model over other NAA mini revolvers. Being able to reload without removing the cylinder is a meaningful practical advantage for a gun this small, and it comes up in most owner discussions.

The .22 Magnum chambering is appreciated for the extra energy over .22 LR in a pocket-sized package. The 1.5-inch barrel keeps the Sidewinder genuinely pocketable, though most acknowledge the sights are vestigial at best. Accuracy expectations are appropriately modest and owners accept the platform for what it is.

The Black Pearl grips get positive cosmetic remarks but some find them slightly slippery compared to rubber-grip alternatives. Build quality on the stainless frame is generally praised as solid for the price and size class. The single-action-only operation is a learning curve for new owners unfamiliar with the manual of arms.