25 Auto

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lincen said:
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.
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, having carried one on and off since 1965 and shot them quite a bit i think the Geco Ball with polished silver cupro nickle FMJ bullet is the most reliable feeder, snappy velocity makes the pistols function better and will penetrate well .Interesting info

http://www.ballistics101.com/25_acp.php
 
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?
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I'm not willing to get spit on, that does not equate to spit quickly incapacitating.
can have =/= does have
If the best one can do is a small pocket gun, a 380 at least has potential with some (few) loads to expand and penetrate at least 12''
If the only gun a person owned was a 25, then yea "better than nothing" - which is not a criteria I would prefer to bet my life on.
 
I carried a Baby Browning for many years in South Africa. At first it was my only gun and then it became a backup when I got a 9mm.
I originally thought JHPs would be the thing to carry in the mouse gun. And the Speer Gold Dots look kind of cute when shot in water:

upload_2019-8-11_19-33-38.png

But I have to agree with the other guys who say FMJ is best.

We had one memorable case involving a .25 FMJ. This was back in Johannesburg in the 90s. A guy was abducted, assaulted in a car, then shot once before being thrown out of the car.
He got to us non-responsive, with a small skin breach in the lower abdomen. On the radiograph was a .25 FMJ.
The guy didn't make it because he bled out internally. The bullet clipped something vital, possibly an iliac artery.

upload_2019-8-11_19-54-20.png
 
I’ll add that these small pistols are fun to shoot and most are surprisingly accurate and reliable. Yes, I carry a larger caliber yet feel absolutely no need to defend my enjoyment of these neat little guns.

Most of the internet stories about 25’s bouncing off of people are not the fault of the caliber but the ammo. American made ammo is underpowered and all ammo can be compromised by age and improper lubricants.
 
I have owned a Raven .25acp for many years but rarely shoot it. I prefer FMJ rounds for penetration should it ever get used. I am under no illusions as to its power or lack thereof. True, nobody wants to be shot and the little .25 does shoot. Sometimes it's all you have or you need the smallest package. In that case it beats "nothing at all" exponentially! When I carry it's usually something bigger, often much bigger. I have .32 auto and .380 acp on the small side and a Kimber .45 acp Ultra Carry. But there are times when the .25 is all I can carry.
 
JN01 said:
I wouldn't want to get shot with a pellet gun either,
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I can tell you from experience it's no fun.

It happened when I was 11 years old.
I remember being scared, but calm.
Probably in shock to be honest.
I still have it in my right tricep.
Went in in the bicep & traveled to the back of my arm.
 
I have noticed that there are now bullseye target pistols in 32 ACP and I bet the .25 ACP would be superior as a target load compared to .22 rim fire that is loaded with heeled bullets. The .32 ACP is used in the place of the .32 S&W long by some target shooters. The .25 ACP should have an advantage.
 
I have the Excam, bought for my father, in 1977 or so. It has a middle left side safety. It cannot be fired quick enough, as if that mattered. I made a kydex sheath that ended up inside a leather belt holster... permanently. It can be carried ready to fire and really snugly, in the double holster... but doesn't. EDIT to read...isn't
 
Peakbagger46 said:
I’m calling BS on that story.
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Not that story but I do know a reliable source for a gas station attendant that killed and wounded 3 perps although he too was wounded. I had a 25 ricochet off my stomach and it hurt like hell. I have no doubt it can do damage but be prepared to run ;)
 
I own all three you mentioned in the OP. The 950 is the best to carry IMO with just about any FMJ.
 
Almost all of my handguns are for range fun, and the Astra Cub is my favorite .25 ACP, clearly the most accurate of the many different .25's I own.
I altered a 45-70 shellplate for my progressive press (RCBS didn't make .25 ACP plates!) so I could fit 5 .25 ACP single shell holders into it, it works great and makes about 200 per hour (Checking the powder level is tedius, even with the RCBS lockout die) which is about half as many as I can load .45 ACP per hour. Still, I control the velocity whether 50 grn FMJ or Hornady 35 grn HP, I load them a little hotter.

All the talk about stopping power is meaningless when you are target shooting or plinking. If you need a serious combat pistol for that then it wouldn't do I guess, but I always enjoyed shooting the .25's.
 
Well that's a dead link, but it should be easy enough to confirm, the story has been all over the self defense forums.

Here's the guy's obituary;

James David Phillips


Service:
Saturday, May 12, 2007
11:00 AM
Tobias Funeral Home
Far Hills Chapel
5471 Far Hills Ave
Dayton, OH 45429

PHILLIPS, James David, 56, passed away in Porto Seguro Brazil after a brief illness. David was a former resident of Centerville, OH. He graduated in 1969 from Centerville High School where he was a member of the marching band. David was a long time resident of Crystal River, FL. He was a member of Springs Lodge #378 Homosassa Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Florida and the Ridge Lodge #399 in Beverly Hills, FL. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Ocala. Throughout the years, he was a long haul truck driver for various companies and was the owner of A-1 Pawn Shop in Crystal River. For a number of years he served as an auxiliary officer for the Florida Marine Patrol. He moved to Porto Seguro Brazil in 2006. David was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jane Phillips and his niece Kimberly Daum. He is survived by his parents Luther and Esther Phillips of Centerville.
 
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I had a Beretta (21?) years ago. It did what it did. In the years since manufacturers have squeezed 380 into the same size package.
I can't see choosing a 25 or 32 with the 380's that are available now.
 
I can't imagine trying to reload a .25. I find .380 moderately annoying and I won't go any smaller. YMMV of course.
 
Rodentman said:
I can't imagine trying to reload a .25. I find .380 moderately annoying and I won't go any smaller. YMMV of course.
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You have to use a trickler every time, no way it can be done on a progressive, so the amount of time to make 50 rounds would be better off working some overtime to pay for a $15 box of factory ammo.

The smallest I'll go is .32 ACP. With the right powder and charge it can be done on the press and not have to have every charge weighed.
 
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