Quoth the Raven: "Pop"

C

Coinneach

Staff Alumnus
I'm ashamed to admit this, especially in light of the fact that my main carry guns are a Springfield V10 and a Taurus Ti .357.

I stopped at the shop yesterday on my way to the range, as I needed some targets and a new scope for my .22 rifle. I've been considering getting a cheap little backup, something I can have when I can't have a real gun and disappears in a fanny pack or pocket. Something I won't get upset about losing to The Cops.

Well, there it was, at the bottom and back of the pistol case: a Raven .25. Chrome, even. 6-round mag. Plain wood grips.

I bought it. :eek:

As I was going to the range anyway, I also got a couple of boxes of Blazer. Normally I won't put that crap in any of my guns, but normally I buy *nice* guns. I figgered, hell, cheap gun, who cares if I beat it up.

Range results: it goes pop when I pull the trigger. Usually. The safety likes to go on during rapid-fire. It ejects straight back over my head, which means I'll get bonked in the forehead when shooting from retention. Trigger pull is a nasty, creepy 6 pounds. It hits about 2" high and right, but I can get .5" groups out of it.

What the hell, at least I have a Pocket Weasel... although I did ask Sue to get me a P-32. ;)
 
So now you have a Project! You take it all apart, use a very fine stone, very carefully, and clean up the trigger. I guess I'd suggest leaving the trigger-spring alone. :)

And when you're all done, put it back together. Oops, call George! :)

Ta, ta, Art
 
When you get it all stoned and smooth you take the box of ammo you bought with it and put it in the toe of a long sock.Makes a good sap.The raven goes in the tackle box for river fishing weight.

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Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
Truth be told, the Raven is one of the more reliable cheap .25s out there. Sure it needs a little work, but for the intended use its one of the better choices. Enjoy!

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Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
 
Good God, Coin, we're going in opposite directions! I just bought my first Sig and you just bought your first Raven....kinda weird.

But if it works, who cares what it says on the slide? Now all you need are ivory grips with dice carved on them.
 
Guys, I promise... no more SNSes for me. Look at it this way:

1. Like I said above, if I have to use it, I won't cry when the cops take it. Of course, that'll look funny... "Let me get this straight. You have a $500 .357 in your glovebox, a $600 .45 in the console, and you capped the guy with this?!"

2. If Sheriff Anderson or Chief Kramer decides to do a buyback (sic), I'll make a profit. Afterwards I'll protest the illegality and inanity of buybacks. ;)

3. It's now in the hands of someone who can use it safely, instead of someone who hasn't the slightest clue which end the bullet comes out of.

4. I can carry it when I can't carry a gun (as my friend Dave says).

Hey, at least it isn't a Jennings. Not really, anyway... although they do have identical actions. :)
 
Coinneach:

I am glad to hear that you are having fun with your Raven, but remember Jeff Cooper's staement
"The trouble with a .25 automatic is that it gives you the delusion that you are armed with a lethal weapon."
 
Hard Ball: tell that to Sammie Foust. ;)

Yeah, fun(?) is about all it's good for. Kinda like the .50 muzzleloader I'm picking up at lunchtime. :D
 
Who was it who said:
"The danger in using a .25 acp for combat is that you may be forced to fire it and, if you hit someone, he may notice and feel obliged to harm you."

I thought it was Cooper, now I'm not sure.
 
Coinneach...I have a P-32...just wait 'till you fire one...it's not a precision instrument, but it is a joy!

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Frontsight!
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Why is everybody all boud up about the AK-47? YEAH, I GOT ONE, WHAT'S IT TO YA?!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Coinneach:
I've been considering getting a cheap little backup, something I can have when I can't have a real gun and disappears in a fanny pack or pocket. Something I won't get upset about losing to The Cops.[/quote]

Your life is worth more than a "cheap little backup".
 
i have one to , i like my raven,its small and more reliable than any of the berretta's ive owned were and more accurate as well. what to do on the safety is take the grip off , remove the slide and lift it out , now enlarge the detent holes very carefully a little bit at a time and then file the little stubs on the back of the safety disc. this will give you a positive detent klik that keeps it where it should be, on the trigger just hone the faces it rides on with a 600-900 grit stone.also if you want the stupid spring that keeps it from firing when no clip is in can be removed as well,or at least bent some so it doesnt wear a notch in the magazine.as far as the killing power goes , make the 1st two glasers then hollow +p then last 2 hardball. more poeple have been killed by 25 autos than most think.a sternum shot kills no matter what you hit them with including the .22,mine sits on the ankle in a holster as a last resort while main carry is a cz52 stoked with subgun ammo or a another cz with 9mm glaser then talon then hardball.if its cold and i need heavy jacket then the 1911 comes out when concealability becomes an issue,if i have to go somewheres where i know the large frame will scare poeple or concealibility is an issue , better the 25 than a sock and stone or a knife.we all know the one about never bring a knife to a gunfight and how that one goes .more poeple have been killed by 25 autos than most think the teacher in fla 2 months ago being the last one i know of by a student with his dads raven.ive toyed with the idea of also cutting a dovetail for a rear adjustable sight,but im too lazy too blow 14 bucks on a new slide. the ravens were discontinued BUT, the poeple at phoenix will still sell you spare parts, i called for a new recoil spring and they sent me one free, mine was just compressed a bit from sitting cocked in a box in my dealers shelf for ions.feeding was markedly improved as well.also theyre is a guy in fla who is making soild copper conicals or bronze conicals that pierce 55 gal drums and close range kevlar vests....yep all in a .25
 
Sucker, I agree, but my employer doesn't. Good thing about the Raven is that it's more or less invisble.

Hawk, I've had the thing down to bare frame and see where there are wear marks. The question is, do I want to do a trigger job on something I'm not gonna use regularly?

Nah. ;)
 
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