North American Arms was a Phoenix-like reincarnation of the short-lived Rocky Mountain Arms, which was begun in the fall of 1971. NAA was created a couple of years later to continue the development and manufacture of several firearms designed originally for RMA by the legendary Dick Casull. Dick's pieces stretched the single-action revolver handgun envelope in both directions ("world's largest and smallest") and included a diminutive 3.5" revolver chambered in .22 short and a hand cannon chambered in 450 Magnum Express.

NAA is a very niche-oriented business whose entire reason for being is personal protection. These firearms are not designed to be target-grade, although some people have managed to achieve some extraordinary results. Nor are they intended for hunting, although there are plenty of snakes and varmints who wish they were still around to attest to that. No, our firearms are deliberately designed to be small, light, and concealable ("Convenient, Reliable, Effective"), enough so that you will carry them where- and whenever it is legal and appropriate to do so. We cater to a wide variety of interests, be it recreational (stick one in a backpack or tackle box), law enforcement (as a 2nd or 3rd weapon or for deep concealment), or collectable (because of the bird's head styling or family of unique accessories, like our holster grip or belt buckle "holster"). Primarily, however, our market is the man or woman who simply wants something easy to carry and conceal; something that can be comfortably dropped into a purse or pocket.