25 Auto

Best round for what? Defense? Ball or ideally another caliber.

Ball is best since penetration is more important. Think of it like driving a 1/4 inch rod into a body. The face is the best target. In the past some manufacturers have downloaded the round. You might consider reloading it and using a chornograph to verify the velocity. You do not want to end up with ammo doing only 650 fps that I saw in one test.
Here are results of one chronograph test

Read more: https://www.ammoland.com/2017/11/power-25-acp-thin-line-inadequacy/#ixzz5w98yPyW9
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Remington 50 grain FMJ 856 fps
Fiocchi 50 grain FMJ 718 fps

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I would prefer 850 to 720 fps in such a minimal loading.
The smallness of these pistols and their tiny sights also makes accurate shooting difficult.

Bedfordtec said:

Best all around

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I'm out

Whatever FMJ shoots best in it, that's what's the best all around. Hollow points are worthless in .25, none of them expand it seems and when they do you lose a lot of penetration. Even with FMJ, I think penetration is only about 10 inches.

I would not advocate reloading it. You're dealing with extremely small charge weights, too much and you're over pressure and could cause damage to the gun, yourself... not worth it when factory ammo is available at $14 for a 50 rd box.

I only have one .25, the Raven, and that's more because I was interested in the gun than the caliber. I'd much rather spend the money on a small .32 like the Seecamp or Kel Tec. I do wish someone would make a scaled up Colt or Baby Browning in .32 tho, something that didn't have a DAO trigger. All the single action .32 pistols are on the larger side for a modern CCW pistol.

I would say that those firearms would make great ammo:



Sorry, couldn't resist.

Yes FMJ is your best bet.

TTv2 said:

I do wish someone would make a scaled up Colt or Baby Browning in .32 tho, something that didn't have a DAO trigger. All the single action .32 pistols are on the larger side for a modern CCW pistol.

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Check out the H Pieper Bayard 1908 7.65 mm.

My favorite is my Mauser Model 1910. It's surprisingly accurate.

I agree with the other posters who recommend ball ammo. I have a Beretta 950BS that runs well.

FMJ. Nothing else.

I have several .25's and have not shot any of them in years. For reloading you must weigh your charges and use a fine particle size powder. The reason I did it was one cheapo .25 that I had would not cycle with the factory ammo that I had and upping the powder charge got it to work. Likely there was a lot of friction in that poorly made gun.

Fiocchi 50gr FMJ FN bullet. Part # 25AP

This one takes me back. In the 1960s, my grandmother started carrying since the world was becoming more dangerous. Her weapon was a Baby Browning. I have it and the identical one her sister kept in her desk drawer. I used to shoot it once and a while just for fun. As others have said, there is better stuff out there for SD, but that wasn't the question. Any reliable FMJ is what you want, and you should find something to scratch that itch here:

https://ammoseek.com/ammo/25acp.

And thanks for posting Bedfordtec, you brought back some great memories.

I personally wouldn't opt for a .25acp in anything for defense against anything other than an angry house cat, but I do respect the .25acp as being lethal (plenty have died from wounds caused by the lowly .25acp).
That said, I do like to collect such firearms and this is one is on my radar:


A Colt 1908 Vest Pocket Hammerless.
I may not bid on this exact one as the going price will likely leave my comfort zone.

A couple of weeks ago, I carried a Colt 1903 as a primary, a Kel-Tec P32 as a backup, and a Colt Vest Pocket just to even out the weight.

The Vest Pocket is always loaded with plain old FMJ. I saw a test somewhere-- Lucky Gunner maybe?-- that got 12 inches of penetration with .25ACP ball. That's not horrible, though I'd have some doubts about it penetrating bone.

Over the years I have stuck with FMJ in my .25 Autos. Remember having some of the ammo with the BB at the tip of the bullet but never saw any expansion from using it. Had a lot of Beretta Jetfires back in the day but the only .25 I have now is a lightweight Baby Browning.

European made ball ammo is my preference for my 25acp’s. I’ve only carried a 25 a couple times and it was a Beretta model 20. Thin as the 950 but with a double and single action trigger.

I wish Underwood or Buffalo Bore would make a hot hardcast 25acp. The proliferation of cheap zamak 25's resulted in ammo companies dumbing the round down.
The higher quality pistols can go hotter.

I bought this Bauer Baby cheap, it was sold as a parts gun. Replaced some parts, and now it works.

Never carried any of my three pistols in the caliber but, since I have little use for an unloaded gun, they're all loaded with FMJ (from PMC, I think.)

The guns are a Bauer 25 and two Taurus PT25 pistols. The Bauer does have an empty chamber, though. I think I might have carried that one a few times as a BU, actually.

Funny how folks badmouth the .25 acp, but none are willing to get shot by one. Sometime a .25 is all one can have. Would you go unarmed or take a .25 acp?
I keep one for such times. Although I'm the first to admit reloading for it is a pain.

When I hear people talk down the 25acp, I think of this story...
https://www.njgunforums.com/forum/i...s-ninja-sword-harrowing-tale-of-self-defense/

lincen

I had a Beretta Model 20 too at one time. It had a pretty decent DA trigger on it as I recall and I liked you could carry it ready to go versus the cocked and locked Condition 1 carry mode of the Jetfire.

jeepnik said:

Funny how folks badmouth the .25 acp, but none are willing to get shot by one. Sometime a .25 is all one can have. Would you go unarmed or take a .25 acp?
I keep one for such times. Although I'm the first to admit reloading for it is a pain.
View attachment 854457

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I wouldn't want to get shot with a pellet gun either, but that doesn't mean it would be ideal for self-defense. If a tiny gun is needed, then something like a Baby Browning is better than nothing, but moving up to Beretta size, there are other options. The NAA Guardian and Seecamp in .32 ACP are virtually the same size, but with a little step up in ballistics.