.25 auto ? Yes! No regrets !

T

Tarcante

Inactive
I inherited a Beretta 950 from my father. And I have been carrying this handgun for the past 12 years.

I work from home, and this little pretty handgun is with me all day long. I usually wear sweat pants or gym shorts and my 950 is always inside my right hand pocket.

After shooting 1500+ rounds since it has been on my hands, this little Jetfire is still very reliable.

I know there are millions of .25 auto handgun owners out there. According to the Ellifritz study more people were shot with a .25 auto handgun than with a .32 or .44 magnum caliber between the years 2001 and 2011. http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/alternate-look-handgun-stopping-power

And I am sure the .25 auto has saved many civilians. Brass Fetcher reports a 14 in. penetration in 10% ballistic gelatin with a .25 auto Winchester 50gr FMJ.
http://www.brassfetcher.com/25ACP/25ACP%203%20Top%20View.JPG

With my small handgun, I have never felt unarmed when I go to the mall or walk my dog. Unfortunately the Beretta 950 is not manufactured anymore.

That´s why I have been considering a Taurus PT-25. I want to hear from the many PT-25 owners out there. I know Taurus manufactures them in the US and I want to hear how good or bad has been your experience from all of you PT-25 owners !
 
The Taurus is bigger, heavier and is double action only. The closest thing to your 950 that you will find is the Beretta 2021 Tomcat. It's bigger and heavier. The first shot is D/A, or you can cock the hammer for S/A.
Your 950 Jetfire should last you a very long time.
 
I have the PT22, the 22lr version, and enjoy it very much.

The Beretta Tomcat is pretty much the same thing, but in 32acp. I like my Tomcat, too.
 
I had a PSP baby browning clone that was accurate and reliable. I eventually traded it off to get an LCP. Although it has a larger profile, the LCP actually weighs less. It's not as pretty, though.

I shot hardball in mine. I doubt that you get much expansion out of a little .25 anyway. I bought some hot .25 MagSafe rounds once, but the first one jammed my little single shot pen gun so bad that I was afraid to try it in anything else.
 
my only experience with the Taurus pT-22/25 was their .22lr version. I was going to buy it from a co-worker and he let me try it out over a weekend. it was a jam-o-matic.

I ensured it was cleaned and lubed, tried stingers, yellow jackets, vipers, thunderbolts, mini mags, wildcats, and the "gold" bullets. I could not go two magazines without a failure to feed or two, no matter which ammo I used.

my advise if you want to stick with a .22lr or even still the .25acp, is to get the Beretta model 21 in either caliber.
 
I don't know the guns. but I know the round. It is underpowered for self defense. Example from my home town: Man was shot with .25 auto. Walked across the street in the middle of the night to call for help. Police came, questioned him, got him to the hospital. He died two days later from the wound.
The conclusion I made from that event is that the round can be lethal, but it is not a round to stop an assailant.
 
JimPage, shot placement as well as follow up shots are the key. the example you gave is good, but we had basically the same thing with two .45acps but the guy lived, go figure.
 
Out of curiosity, is it a 950, 950B, or 950BS?

The first two models were made in Italy prior to the enactment of the Gun Control Act of 1968 and lack thumb safeties. The final model was made in Maryland with a frame mounted thumb safety.

As I once read, it's no small irony that the 950 model designed to comply with a gun control law is called the "BS" version. ;)
 
I have the Taurus PT in the 22Poly version. Other than being a bit picky about the ammo it likes, like a lot of other rimfire pistols, it is a good gun. As mentioned, the PT is a bobbed, partially concealed hammer DAO design. But being very similar in function, and feel to my LCP it makes for great practice at a lower cost than 380 in the Elsie Pea.
If you are intent on staying with 25acp, but want something newer than your trusty Beretta, a PT25 would fill the bill.
But with the small, light weight mouse guns in 32, and especially 380 being made today that are as easy to carry, and conceal as the old 25s were it's no wonder there are so few 1/4 inch autos made now.
 
Man was shot with .25 auto. Walked across the street in the middle of the night to call for help.
Click to expand...

Now, I don't know what the fellow shot with the .25 was doing, but whatever it was, he STOPPED doing it and went for help.

I kinda thought that was the idea? :confused:

Now, I admit that I don't really want a .25 for self-defense, but it beats crying and begging "Please don't hurt me."
 
According to the Ellifritz study more people were shot with a .25 auto handgun than with a .32 or .44 magnum caliber between the years 2001 and 2011. http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/alter...stopping-power
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I looked at the study. Interesting. But I think you are drawing the wrong conclusion from the numbers in the above quote.

Ellifritz's data, while no doubt accurately reflecting the information he had, is a tiny, tiny slice of the actual numbers of people shot. This is not a reflection on the author, or his conclusions, simply an observation.

He had data for 68 shootings with the .25acp, more than he had for the .32 cal, or the .44 Mag. Which means, what, exactly? Don't take the larger number as meaning any kind of endorsement of the .25's effectiveness for self defense. It simply means that more people have .25s (because they are cheap, and they ARE a gun), and because people have them, they get used.

Another thing you might consider about the numbers, and what might skew the conclusions from them is that the .25 auto was, for generations the "weapon of choice" for thugs, punks, gangbangers, and other low level criminal types, as well as being the gun often chosen by honest poor folk, because it was the only thing within their price range.

One of the toughest parts of collecting the statistics on shootings is getting the information on the cause of the shooting, and keeping things properly classified by type. Often simply because the data is not available. The study did not include suicides. That's a good move. But how many murders get filed as defensive shootings, and vice versa? The raw numbers might include a large percentage of crook on crook shootings, and this might skew the conclusions.

He said he included hits anywhere on the body, so the data includes both physical and psychological stops. Good information for general observations, but not the best data for rating what works, as the percentage of stops cannot be relied on to be constant.

Psychological stops range from "OMG he's got a gun, get out of here" to "oh crap, I've been shot, time to find a new game to play", to no effect at all. It totally depends on the attacker. Physical stops depend on YOU, and your ability to put a bullet where it will matter.

The .25 is good on the psychological stops, much less so on the physical ones. Not saying it won't, or can't deliver a physical stop, only that it is about the least effective round available to do so.
 
With my small handgun, I have never felt unarmed when I go to the mall or walk my dog. Unfortunately the Beretta 950 is not manufactured anymore.

That´s why I have been considering a Taurus PT-25.
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I'm not quite following... did your 950 break?

There are several other 25 options; Colt, Browning, Beretta and Walther just to name a few.
Look this over.

Then there is a new twist... the North American Arms 25NAA.
Its a 25 bullet pushed by a necked down 32 case.

fwiw... I've always wished someone made a high quality poly version of the Baby Browning or Colt.
Think tiny and light Kahr, Glock or the NAA above would be great in poly.
 
The Taurus PLY pistols seem to be more reliable than the PT versions.

The Taurus PLY (polymer frame) pistols seem to be more reliable than the PT (metal frame) versions.

I bolded seem because I only have anecdotal testimony,,,
No real concrete numbers or statistics.

Taurus' nomenclature is a bit strange though,,,
Both of the pistols use the same slide,,,
Both are marked PT-22/PT 25.

I own the .22 and .25 versions of the PLY,,,
Both are reliable as all get out.

Some people are a bit turned off by the DAO action,,,
I don't mind not having an external hammer,,,
Because it does have double-strike.

Neither of mine have ever jammed,,,
I have had a few rimfires not fire,,,
But a second strike set them off.

The .25 has simply worked every shot,,,
Winchester, Sellier & Bellot, and Aguila ammo.

In short,,,
I am pleased with mine.

Aarond

.
 
I'm not quite following... did your 950 break?
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From the post it seems he wants a different gun because the 950 is no longer in production. If it works fine and it's a familiar companion for 12 years then why bother getting another .25acp handgun to replace it? Parts and mags can still be found and it's a quality little handgun.

I hope the OP comes back and if so, my recommendation is to keep carrying your 950. I'd only recommend something else if you want to move up caliber wise.
 
Quote:
According to the Ellifritz study more people were shot with a .25 auto handgun than with a .32 or .44 magnum caliber between the years 2001 and 2011. http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/alter...stopping-power
Click to expand...
That just tells you more carry 25's than carry 32's or 44's

You'll probably find MOST were shot with 35 cal and 40-45 cal

The 25 is popular due to size, and due to the fact the overwheling majority will never fire one for defensive purposes

If you do need a defensive weapon, you'll wish for something bigger

There are numerous tales of people shot with a 25 that didn't even realize the fact until much later
 
And there are numerous tales of people being shot with a .25 and dropping like a rock- just like ALL the other handgun calibers.:rolleyes:
 
There are numerous tales of people shot with a 25 that didn't even realize the fact until much later
Click to expand...

Yeah, the internet is full of stories of 25acp rounds deflecting off egg shells or lodging harmlessly in a soiled diaper.

Those are internet stories.

My 25 shoots right through jugs of water, 2x4s, that kind of stuff. All day long.

I don't carry my Jetfire 950, because the 25acp is admittedly anemic. But don't kid yourself; it's lethal.
 
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