Best .25 ACP Pistols?

T

TruthTellers

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I'm not a big advocate of .25 ACP because it clearly has a lot of limitations, but some gun is better than no gun. When it comes to the .25, used guns that have been out of production for a long time appear to be the best options. Two that I've seen that are often highly regarded are the Baby Browning and the Beretta 950.

I tend to think more favorably with the Beretta because it's newer and parts can still be found, especially magazines, compared to the Baby Brownings. I'm sure that the Browning is a fine pistol and because I'm not too familiar with it or the Beretta Jetfire, I wanted to make this thread.

What are some of the best .25 pistols made and what ones do you own and carry?
 
You might also consider a Colt 1908 Hammerless. You'll have to deal with a grip safety, though.

Mine (DOM 1920) is absolutely reliable with factory loaded FMJ ammo (however, never say never). I don't carry, but I'd carry the Colt rather than my .22LR S&W Model 61.
 
I owned a Beretta 950 (.25 ACP) years ago, it was very reliable, I cant recall any malfunctions. I carried it in my back pocket while working on the farm most of the time. Although not my choice for a defensive gun it was better than a pocket knife. Killed a few snakes with it now and then. Sold it and bought a Beretta Model 21, .22 CAL. The Model 21 was also reliable, I sold it later on. Like I say those little pistols were compact and easy to carry while working on the farm. Years later I bought a Berretta Tomcat, .32 ACP and still own it. It has proven to be a reliable little pistol, but I very seldom carry it. With good hollow points it would beat a pocket knife if that is all a man had at the time and it could be a last ditch back up pistol.
 
Vest Pockets and Baby Brownings aren't drop safe.

Honestly, I'm not sure .25's are still relevant. Your carry needs would have to be very specific and extreme to make a .25 a first choice, and even then... maybe not.

A P32 is lighter and thinner than either Browning, if somewhat longer in the other dimensions.

An LCP is slightly lighter, shorter, and thinner than the 950, except with a somewhat longer slide.

Otherwise, NAA .22 revolvers are smaller and lighter still.
 
When my Seecamp was in the shop for it's 25 year tune up, I carried a Walther TPH. Small, very thin and reliable, the TPH is almost as easy to conceal as the tiny Seecamp. Beautiful pistol too IMHO.
 
I'd look for a Beretta 20. It's similar to the 950 B/BS, but it's DA on the first shot and SA for the rest. I've never seen one in person, and I've read mixed reviews. They were only made for a couple of years in the mid-80s.

I have a 950 B, and love it. Compared to the Baby Browning...
9 rounds vs 7*
drop safe (I think)
safe to carry with a chambered round
lighter
the grip on the 950 is surprisingly nice

*the Browning is cocked and the safety is on (not a safe way to carry according to many); or you could have an empty chamber and have to rack the side (and only have 6 rounds)

I'd take the Colt 1908 with the grip safety over the Browning, but the added expense, added weight, and reduced capacity make the Beretta look even better (to me).
 
BIGR said:
PSP, is your Walther TPH a .25 ACP or .22 CAL. ?
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One of each when I carried the TPH, both Interarms stainless models. Found another NIB .22lr a few years ago. Great collector items I think.

 
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I have a Taurus 25-PLY that performs well,,,

I have a Taurus 25-PLY that performs well,,,

MouseGuns.JPG


It's the polymer version of the older PT-25.

It's a DAO action with 9+1 capacity,,,
I've fired over 500 rounds through this fun little gal,,,
It has never jammed or had a failure to eject of any kind.

Just tossing this out because it exists.

Aarond

.
 
Carmady said:
I have a 950 B... [it's] drop safe (I think)
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The Beretta 950/20/21 have inertial firing pins and no positive trigger-actuated firing-pin block, so they can potentially fire if dropped hard enough on the decocked* hammer or the muzzle, just like an M1911.

However, given the comparatively small mass of both the firing pins and the pistols as a whole, I suspect that it would probably take a deliberate strike or a fall from an abnormal height to cause an AD with the Berettas. Despite this, IMHO it's fair to characterize these pistols to be not as drop-safe as newer designs with firing-pin blocks.

*Disclaimer: The Berettas should NEVER be carried at half-cock, or full-cock and off-safe. (The 950B and no-suffix 950 have no thumb safety, so they can only be off-safe when cocked.) Carrying in this manner greatly increases the risk of an AD if the pistol falls on the hammer; Beretta officially advises against this practice because the hammer notch, sear pin, and/or sear could fail. :eek:

The pistols were originally designed to be carried with a loaded chamber and a fully decocked hammer; the hammer rests against the slide in this mode, so a hammer strike is theoretically transmitted mostly to the slide and not all to the firing pin. Later versions with thumb safeties add a cocked-and-locked option.
 
One other thing...

Carmady said:
I'd look for a Beretta 20. It's similar to the 950 B/BS...
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I prefer the 950 because I find the double-action feature to be superfluous on these pistols, and it adds parts that can potentially break. Also, the 950 is smaller, both because it lacks double-action and because it wasn't designed for .22LR. A .25 ACP cartridge is slightly shorter than a .22LR one, so a .25-specific design can be smaller.
 
Other than a novelty from bygone years why would anybody want a 25?
With the Kel-Tec P32 smaller and lighter than any 25, the P3at and all the similar 380 mouse guns not much bigger there is no reason for a 25. At least for a "hidden" weapon.
 
Don't sell the wee thing short. A .25 ACP FMJ will go right through a 2 x 4 at 100 yards.
I'd be a Baby Browning for me, except they've been declared too evil for anybody to own.
 
I had both the 950B and the Baby and I have gone with the 950B and sold the Baby.

The 950B feels safer with the chamber loaded and has higher capacity.

grBxftXl.jpg
 
Cheapshooter said:
Other than a novelty from bygone years why would anybody want a 25?
With the Kel-Tec P32 smaller and lighter than any 25, the P3at and all the similar 380 mouse guns not much bigger there is no reason for a 25. At least for a "hidden" weapon.
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I've thought the same in the past, but as I think more about it, I just don't trust a center mass hit to have enough power to stop a threat with the first shot with either .25 or .32. What I do trust more is a shot to the face/head/neck in which I don't think .32 is any more effective than .25 is.

The .32 can penetrate deeper into the body, but for the areas I mentioned above, you don't need that penetration. Also, a lot of the .32 pocket/mouse guns are DAO and they're not as fast to shoot or as accurate when trying to shoot fast. Kel Tec and North American Arms are DAO, I don't consider the Beretta 3032 because it's so large for the caliber, and the Walther PPK is too heavy for the role of a tiny gun.

With the Beretta and its single action trigger and lower recoil, you can fire off several rounds in under a second... you can't tell me that shots to the throat, mouth, cheek, eye, or into the brain wouldn't stop a threat with a .25 ACP.

Also, not responding to you, but the Beretta doesn't have a European style mag release, so it's faster/easier to reload with.
 
I prefer the 950 because I find the double-action feature to be superfluous on these pistols, and it adds parts that can potentially break.
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I'd rather be able to draw and shoot without manually cocking the hammer. That's the only thing I'd change on the 950, but that's from a user viewpoint with no consideration of the mechanical changes. I didn't realize was larger, other than the grips which envelop the backstrap.
 
While the P32 is a great gun-and my personal choice for my carry gun, it's not as small as a baby Browning. Apparently, the Browning is pretty darned safe, as I have NEVER heard of one going off when dropped. You can't make a .32 or .380 as small as the Browning, Bernardelli or Walther 9 .25s.

No handgun has the "power" to stop a threat with one shot-it's all about what the shot hits. Doesn't matter much if it's .22 or .45.
There is much to be said for a barrage of .25s from a 950 or Browning.
 
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