Yup, I know it's a bad SD load, but ........

When I started shooting in the late 80's, there were a bunch of cute little .25 ACP pistols around, mostly by Beretta, but there were other quality manufactures too. not to mention the cheap Ravens, and Jennings.

I always looked at them in the glass case of my LGS, but I never bought one, since it just didn't make sense at the time --- not a good SD load, and I could go with .22LR for most of the non-SD things the .25 ACP would do, which is the route I went.

Now I wish I had one of those little Berettas, but I get the feeling they are not being made any more. It's all about the .380 now as the smallest Center-Fire caliber from what I see.

So, anyone have a .25 ACP? Which one? What do you do with it? Is it as fun to shoot as I imagine it would be?

Or, is this just a totally dead caliber, that seemed to last about 90 years before going totally obsolete?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: radioman,

My uncle still carries an old Baby Browning when he takes his dog out for a walk. It was his dad's (my grandfather).

I always wanted a Browning or a Colt. Still look around every now and again.

I have a Baby Browning I used to pocket carry. More fun to shoot than you'd think just to look at it. It's been sitting in the safe for a few years now, untouched. It's jammed up tighter than I care to compare with a full magazine and the top round pointing just a little too skyward. Haven't the nerve to mess with it, and as for taking it to a smith, I guess it hasn't been a burning priority.

You will be dust in the ground and the .25 ACP will yet live. The .25 ACP is the smallest available centerfire pistol cartridge and there are more than a century's worth of pistols to chamber it.

The .25 will bury us all, because it functions reliably and chambers in pistols that go where other pistols cannot. Ya better reco'nize. JMB represent!

[URL= ]I often carry this one.[/URL]

I have a pair of Budeschosky .25s. Its kind of like a high quality PPK, with improvements. Its a single/double action made from stainless up in Michigan. My guns even have consecutive serial numbers, if that's worth anything. One is well used and showing signs of it. A friend/cop used it as his backup gun for years. We bought them at the same time, but he's since died.

I even reload 25s. And its painful because they tend to pinch/cut your fingers when you place the bullet on top of the case. I once fired 200 of the reloads in my employers then new Beretta. Made the action significantly looser and he could cycle the action (he wouldn't need to, but insisted on it.)

Brass scrounging is a little tedious because they're so tiny.

I have a Beretta 21a in .25 - it was my first gun, actually - and love that little thing.



My husband has an FN and an Ortgies in .25 as well.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
The .25 will bury us all, because it functions reliably and chambers in pistols that go where other pistols cannot. Ya better reco'nize. JMB represent!

Ain't that the truth. I used to hide that Baby Browning under my wallet in my back pocket. Really need to go ahead and take that thing to a smith and start carrying it again.

I had a Beretta model 20 in .25 ACP. I sold it to my BIL. It was a decent little gun...Functioned fine. But the caliber is 100% pointless, IMO. Too weak, and too expensive. Anything I would have used that gun for, .22lr could do better, and for a fraction of the price.

My 21a Bobcat is my "go to" pocket carry. It's better than nothing and I forget I have it along. It's more reliable than its rimfire brethren in the safe.

I had a box of Critical Defense for it (all the shop had in stock when I got the gun out of the used case). Every ballistics test I've seen on 32acp or 380acp indicates a FMJ, high velocity round like Fiocchi has more penetration so that's all I carry now.

Interestingly, I had a LOT of blowback with Critical Duty and not so much on the Fiocchi. Given this is a blowback gun, I got some new recoil springs to swap in just to be sure the slide isn't prematurely opening the breach.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
You will be dust in the ground and the .25 ACP will yet live.

My local Walmart almost always has Winchester .25acp in the case. Don't know who buys it, but their stock seems to rotate so the guns are out there.

A friend reloaded for his Ortgies .25 many years ago, which got me into reloading for my .32acp PPK. Pinched fingers were just part of the fun.

It was good enough for James Bond! (Beretta 418)

I own:
Beretta Bobcat
Baby Browning
Bauer .25
Seecamp .25
They are all fun to shoot and very reliable. Much more so than any micro .22 I've ever owned. I would carry any one of them if it were the smallest gun I could conceal.

I once found a Bauer .25 auto under the back seat of my patrol car.
Loaded with one up the spout.
Nice pistol. I had the local court issue an order allowing the PD to keep it.
I shot it quite a bit but never carried it. IIRC, there was a .25 load someone made that was FMJ but had a small steel ball in the bullet tip.

I've always liked the little Beretta's. This model 950 in 25ACP gets the job done with good accuracy.

Have an older Colt in .25 that was my Stepdad's. I don't carry it and I don't think I have ever shot it even. With all the small light .380s' available in about the same size weight envelope I don't really see why anyone would unless it's habit or all they had.

Got a few...cool little guns.

Worked for this guy...1908 Colt according to IMFDB

I have a Beretta 950. Nice little pocket pistol.

Yeah, the Beretta 950 was produced for more than half a century. There are pistols and parts and magazines readily available. I own a 950BS made in 1995. Just as with all examples of the 950 I have shot over the years, this one has proven to be entirely reliable. For such a small pistol, the 950 is remarkably accurate. The 950 has a beautiful economical design and they are very well made. The rimfire versions are fun to play with but the centerfire .25 ACP cartridge employs a more reliable ignition system.