Gordon
Member
My first handgun purchase was made in Ga. when I was 18 and a freshman in college in 1965 . It was a Beretta 950 Jetfire in .25 acp and I bought a box of ammo and carried it in a pocket on my ramblings around on my Royal Enfield 350 Motorcycle I had down there . I had left the High Standard Sentinel snub my cop uncle had purchased for me at Chick Gaylord's NYC when I was younger in NJ with my dad . I felt I needed a little something and the accurate and reliable Jetfire(as I found out) fit the bill well in my two year university stint before I went in the Army in 1966 (after two years ROTC) . I kept the Beretta happily until I returned from my second tour of RVN in 1970 when I took to carrying it on the East coast as a brief civilian in 1972 in NJ and Baltimore , out of habit ,extra legally ,as I knew it was very reliable and relatively safe with the tip up barrel. It was with me until the 1980s when it became my wifes defensive gun.
I have had many .25 since, I replaced the 950 with a Beretta 20 in the later 80s. That gun was a DA 950 with a thumb safety made in Maryland , of all places. The one I have is superb and just as reliable as the old and long gone in a divorce 950. I quit carrying it everyday in the early 90s, but collected many .25s since. They range from Browning Baby lightweight guns from the early 60s , Colt 1908 Vest Pockets, Colt Juniors, Bernardelli VP , Astra FireCats , and the most unusual Le Francais "Police Model" 6,35mm. I also had a velodog .25 and an American Derringer made .25acp pen gun, and others I can't remember. I fixed many Ravens and other .25acps for people along the line also.
Anyway I am well aware of the limitations of the .25 and also know ball ammo is more reliable than .22 rimfire in small guns. The ball ammo penetrates at least a foot of ballistic gelatin , but not much more than a knitting needle wound channel, still it is a hole ! I don't like any thing but European ball ammo as it is a little hotter and feeds well., Geco was the Gold standard .
Although the Astra Firecat gets honorable mention as a tiny reliable carry gun with its grip safety and smaller size than a 1908 Colt (which are VERY reliable) , I default to the Beretta 20 after my 50+ year experience with them. I dont like the Beretta 21 as it is a chunky as the Colt 1908 and in .22lr I never got it to feed 100% . I think my Model 20 will be around me as long as I am around here .
Le Francais "police Model " 6.35mm
I have had many .25 since, I replaced the 950 with a Beretta 20 in the later 80s. That gun was a DA 950 with a thumb safety made in Maryland , of all places. The one I have is superb and just as reliable as the old and long gone in a divorce 950. I quit carrying it everyday in the early 90s, but collected many .25s since. They range from Browning Baby lightweight guns from the early 60s , Colt 1908 Vest Pockets, Colt Juniors, Bernardelli VP , Astra FireCats , and the most unusual Le Francais "Police Model" 6,35mm. I also had a velodog .25 and an American Derringer made .25acp pen gun, and others I can't remember. I fixed many Ravens and other .25acps for people along the line also.
Anyway I am well aware of the limitations of the .25 and also know ball ammo is more reliable than .22 rimfire in small guns. The ball ammo penetrates at least a foot of ballistic gelatin , but not much more than a knitting needle wound channel, still it is a hole ! I don't like any thing but European ball ammo as it is a little hotter and feeds well., Geco was the Gold standard .
Although the Astra Firecat gets honorable mention as a tiny reliable carry gun with its grip safety and smaller size than a 1908 Colt (which are VERY reliable) , I default to the Beretta 20 after my 50+ year experience with them. I dont like the Beretta 21 as it is a chunky as the Colt 1908 and in .22lr I never got it to feed 100% . I think my Model 20 will be around me as long as I am around here .
Le Francais "police Model " 6.35mm
Last edited: