Bill DeShivs
New member
Quality .25 automatics don't "jam" with any more frequency than any other gun.
Got a .25 ACP question.
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nightowl64
Inactive
It's what I have been told...right or wrong.
royal barnes
New member
I carried a Colt Junior .25 acp for a couple of years as a backup gun to my service revolver. I accepted it's limitations and knew I would have to be very close and aim for the face. Someone mentioned "wound channel". If you want to see a bloody one just grip the pistol too high on the backstrap and watch the blood fly. There isn't a lot of grip to work with. Not a good defense round but if you choose to carry it practice a lot. 
The way it was explained to me, back in the days before modern medicine, most people did not die from the gunshot, they died days later from infection. A .25 acp could be easily concealed and persuade a would be attacker that they had urgent business elsewhere, rather than risk a slow painful death or gangrene.
I did not mean to give the impression I was suggesting he should handload. I was suggesting that factory Gold Dot loads looked promising based on my handloading exerience with the bullets. Used ot be a 50gr FMC was your only choice. I don't know when these GD's came out, but I really like them, and they are far more accurrate in my gun as well.
I too have heard .25acp are prone to jam from people who have also heard that, but don't actually shoot them. I've only had one, a Raven, probably the cheapest ever made, and it's as reliable as my S&W 439, HP or FMJ, or cast.
Buzzard Bait
New member
shot placement is important
Don't kid your self the 25 acp will kill and there are plenty of examples in grave yards all over. Some years back there was a trial going on, I think in California it involved a child molester. The child's mother had a terminal illness maybe cancer and was a only parent mom. The trial was not going well for the child's side and it looked like the molester would get off or receive a light punishment and be back to attack the child again. The mom knew she wasn't going to be around to protect her child. Mom snuck a 25 acp into the court and emptied it into the back of the child molester's head Mr. molester was DRT. Some, I say some might say justice was served others were horrified. This was before the days of all the tight security in court rooms. A 25 acp will kill, and a mother pushed into a corner will fight like a wild cat to protect her child.
Don't kid your self the 25 acp will kill and there are plenty of examples in grave yards all over. Some years back there was a trial going on, I think in California it involved a child molester. The child's mother had a terminal illness maybe cancer and was a only parent mom. The trial was not going well for the child's side and it looked like the molester would get off or receive a light punishment and be back to attack the child again. The mom knew she wasn't going to be around to protect her child. Mom snuck a 25 acp into the court and emptied it into the back of the child molester's head Mr. molester was DRT. Some, I say some might say justice was served others were horrified. This was before the days of all the tight security in court rooms. A 25 acp will kill, and a mother pushed into a corner will fight like a wild cat to protect her child.
Cheapshooter
New member
So with a 25 you need to let an attacker get right up on you so you can shoot him point blank in the hacks f the head!
I'll take attempting to stop him at 7 yards with a more effective round over five inches with a 25.
So will an air rifle, but I'm not going to carry one for SD!
http://www.guns.com/2013/06/18/teen-killed-by-pellet-gun-accident-video/
Like it has been said, last ditch BUG.
I bought a Bauer in 1980 . Still have it and still shoot it. It has never failed in any way. Neither have my 2 Beretta Jet Fires and my Model 20 . Today like many here I carry a 32 or 380 KelTec and the 25's spend more time in the safe . I fell better armed with a 25 than those people that run around with those little 22 LR or 22mag mini revolvers. That are SA and 4 or 5 rounds depending on company .
Bill DeShivs
New member
The 25 would do the same thing at seven yards. What difference do you think 20 feet makes?
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
I find this interesting... I have 2 lil 25 autos, & built a custom 25 ACP revolver ( to replace the 22 LR ), & have shot many reloads & factory loads in all 3 guns...
a couple of "my" findings...
old ammo & "some" brands are unreliable in my Colt & Berdinelli compact autos... I've had both light strikes, & miss fires... everything but the oldest "junk drawer" loads fire in my revolver... however I have run into some that are too long to work well in my tightly chambered revolver...
Reloading... I've learned a lot... since the revolver was to replace the 22 LR, I wanted 2000 cases available to reload for this gun... so I've bought many 1000's of mixed head stamp range brass in an attempt to get matching head stamp cases for each gun... I chose to keep R-P brass for the revolver, & FC brass for my lil autos ( mostly based on numbers collected )... in 2000 R-P cases, I noted 3 different sizes of flash holes, & a range of .015" of case length... the 25 ACP is supposed to be semi rimmed, so guns may be set up to chamber on the case mouths, in which case .015" is way too much variation in length ( I've learned from buying a reamer for my revolver, that there are actually at least 2 chamber profiles, & that many European manufactured guns use a tapered case mouth, where the rim is critical for stopping the cartridge in the chamber, & most American manufacture guns have a stepped mouth in the chamber, so the cartridges index solely on the case mouth ) so there are a lot of variables... Within minimum & maximum SAMMI specs, there can be issues in gun function...
some brands of ammo have larger rims ( which can inherently be more difficult to feed reliably ) others have almost no rim... I've also noted some brands ( Aquilla ) that the cases are so soft the rims deform, & can even cup... some ( Winchester ) are so brittle, that even in tight chambers of my revolver, & in both my lil autos, that I get a higher percentage of split cases than I'm willing to put up with... & we haven't even mentioned the wide range of quality guns available... So I recommend you try several brands of ammo & see what works best in your particular gun
so now on to best ammo to use... If "I" were needing to rely on a 25 ACP to put down an assailant, with my compact autos, I'd use FMJ on the 25 ACP... but then I also switch ammo in my 380 from hollow points in the summer, to FMJ ammo during the winter months, when I might need more penetration... I have shot the Gold Dot ammo in 25 ACP, & it "might" be better during the summer months, but think I'd much prefer a FMJ bullet in a compact auto, for additional penetration... incidentally, they do work well in my revolver which has a 6" barrel & which can be loaded both with more, & slower powder better suited to the longer barrel... BTW... the 25 ACP FMJ puts a much noticed increase in "smack" on my steel CAS targets out of my compact autos, than the 22 LR, even out of a 6" barrel 22 LR... may be the FMJ bullet instead of a copper wash, or the 50 grain bullet over the lighter 22 LR bullet, but IMO, the 25 ACP is a better self defense round than the 22 LR... & neither are as good as a 9mm
a couple of "my" findings...
old ammo & "some" brands are unreliable in my Colt & Berdinelli compact autos... I've had both light strikes, & miss fires... everything but the oldest "junk drawer" loads fire in my revolver... however I have run into some that are too long to work well in my tightly chambered revolver...
Reloading... I've learned a lot... since the revolver was to replace the 22 LR, I wanted 2000 cases available to reload for this gun... so I've bought many 1000's of mixed head stamp range brass in an attempt to get matching head stamp cases for each gun... I chose to keep R-P brass for the revolver, & FC brass for my lil autos ( mostly based on numbers collected )... in 2000 R-P cases, I noted 3 different sizes of flash holes, & a range of .015" of case length... the 25 ACP is supposed to be semi rimmed, so guns may be set up to chamber on the case mouths, in which case .015" is way too much variation in length ( I've learned from buying a reamer for my revolver, that there are actually at least 2 chamber profiles, & that many European manufactured guns use a tapered case mouth, where the rim is critical for stopping the cartridge in the chamber, & most American manufacture guns have a stepped mouth in the chamber, so the cartridges index solely on the case mouth ) so there are a lot of variables... Within minimum & maximum SAMMI specs, there can be issues in gun function...
some brands of ammo have larger rims ( which can inherently be more difficult to feed reliably ) others have almost no rim... I've also noted some brands ( Aquilla ) that the cases are so soft the rims deform, & can even cup... some ( Winchester ) are so brittle, that even in tight chambers of my revolver, & in both my lil autos, that I get a higher percentage of split cases than I'm willing to put up with... & we haven't even mentioned the wide range of quality guns available... So I recommend you try several brands of ammo & see what works best in your particular gun
so now on to best ammo to use... If "I" were needing to rely on a 25 ACP to put down an assailant, with my compact autos, I'd use FMJ on the 25 ACP... but then I also switch ammo in my 380 from hollow points in the summer, to FMJ ammo during the winter months, when I might need more penetration... I have shot the Gold Dot ammo in 25 ACP, & it "might" be better during the summer months, but think I'd much prefer a FMJ bullet in a compact auto, for additional penetration... incidentally, they do work well in my revolver which has a 6" barrel & which can be loaded both with more, & slower powder better suited to the longer barrel... BTW... the 25 ACP FMJ puts a much noticed increase in "smack" on my steel CAS targets out of my compact autos, than the 22 LR, even out of a 6" barrel 22 LR... may be the FMJ bullet instead of a copper wash, or the 50 grain bullet over the lighter 22 LR bullet, but IMO, the 25 ACP is a better self defense round than the 22 LR... & neither are as good as a 9mm
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Among my .25's I have a pristine little Star pistol, it is beautifully machined and totally reliable with FMJ ammo......I carried it one day....only time I really felt under gunned while out in public. Fun to shoot but a bit more oomph! is needed in a CYA situation in my opinion.
Bill DeShivs
New member
It still means the possibility of death.
For some reason, I have quite a few .25's. a Baby Browning. A Bauer. A Beretta 21a. A Raven (somebody gave it to me).
The Beretta is actually a shootable and carry able gun. The Browning clones really need to be carried empty chamber.
But, dang, you can wrap the Browning-Bauer in a handkerchief and hide it anywhere. They are tiny.
Don't think I'd want it as my only gun, but, no desire to be shot with one. I've seen people ticked off that they got shot with a .25 and people DRT from a .25. (Though I can say that about most any caliber)
The Beretta is actually a shootable and carry able gun. The Browning clones really need to be carried empty chamber.
But, dang, you can wrap the Browning-Bauer in a handkerchief and hide it anywhere. They are tiny.
Don't think I'd want it as my only gun, but, no desire to be shot with one. I've seen people ticked off that they got shot with a .25 and people DRT from a .25. (Though I can say that about most any caliber)
+1 on the heaviest gr FMJ you can find (I can't even fathom for a moment considering a HP load in .25acp...). I carry one every so infrequently as a BUG but even that has taken a back-seat to my .22lr mouse-guns using HV ammo only (.25acp is simply and completely IMO WAY over-priced to practice with at the range).
I always think of this absolutely indelible story of which I came across many moons ago when like the OP I was considering "mouse-guns"...The .25acp just literally barely saved this victim's life from a psycho:
http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2012/03/on-25acp-and-stopping-power.html
I always think of this absolutely indelible story of which I came across many moons ago when like the OP I was considering "mouse-guns"...The .25acp just literally barely saved this victim's life from a psycho:
http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2012/03/on-25acp-and-stopping-power.html