32acp or 25acp?

[justin22885]

im wanting a very small, lightweight, mechanically simple blowback pistol purely for the purpose of killing small game, something thats ballistically similar or better than .22lr, but centerfire and reloadable that uses minimal brass and soft lead bullets.. i think ive narrowed it down to 32 or 25, but anything in this category and rimless is possible, basically im looking to match or surpass .22lr pistol ballistics with the smallest cost in powder and lead to do so

 

[Jim Watson]

There are very few .25s I would consider accurate enough to even kill a trapped varmint.
There are a lot of serviceable .32s around.

I would also consider a .32 revolver which would not throw your brass in the weeds.

 

[mavracer]

What Jim said, lots of serviceable 32s.

 

[Ron James]

I have reloaded .32 ACP in the past, a pain in the butt, I can't imagine reloading .25 ACP. I know there are people who reload that tiny cartridge and my hat is off to them, I couldn't put up with the aggravation. For your stated purpose, I would forget the auto factor and just pick a a .22 magnum revolver, but if you are welded into the ideal of a 32 auto, just remember it is not a long range cartridge in most short barrel autos ,in fact most small game or small varmint's aren't going to let you get in to range to shoot them. JMO and I'm sure there other opinions out there.

 

[Monac]

There are a tiny number of 32 ACP target pistols around, but I've never heard of a target 25 ACP. The closest might be the Phoenix HP-25, which at least has a rear sight movable for windage.

Given your parameters, I would suggest a revolver in 32 Long. I have read that 32 Long is very economical to reload, and it is said to have good killing power on small animals while destroying very little fur or meat. I do not reload or hunt myself, though, so this is all second-hand information. Some off-brand 32 target revolvers, like Arminius, can be acquired at fairly low prices.

For sticking to your plan, I would suggest 32 ACP, since that is substantially more effective than 25 ACP. It is also easier to reload, IMO, because 32 pistol bullets are much more available than 25 caliber ones.

There is currently a thread going about good 32 automatics right in this forum; that would be an excellent source of advice for you.

 

[bannockburn]

I would also go with .32 ACP (or .380 ACP given a choice), over a .25 ACP. To me the sole purpose of a .25 ACP pistol is to be the final "in your face" option against the BG. If it's primarily for use on small game I think something like an older Walther PP in .32 ACP would fill the bill nicely.

 

[Bama Drifter]

Seriously may want to rethink if reloading is stated goal. Try anything in .380, especially Ruger LCP or Walther. If you have small nimble fingers and can handle the frustration, a .32 might work. But I'd not consider anything smaller than .380... YMMV!

 

[justin22885]

hmm, those .25s are weaker than 22s, thats just sad

 

[joem1945]

My neighbor reloads .25 auto. It's getting harder to find components like brass and bullets. He lucked out at a auction and got a box full of brass cheap. I had to search for bullets for him.

 

[justin22885]

im not worried about bullets, i will just cast them.. curious, how reliable is .32acp in a double stack mag with it being a semi-rimmed case? does this cause reliability issues?

 

[mavracer]

hmm, those .25s are weaker than 22s, thats just sad

Only when you compare 25s from a 2" and give 22lr a 18" rifle

 

[justin22885]

what is the max pressure on .25acp?.. i just got this quickload program and it says 17kpsi, SAAMI says 25kpsi

 

[cfullgraf]

Besides 25 ACP cases being expensive and in short supply, the guns, at least my two, spew cases all over the world. Policing them is not an easy task.

A 22RF gun would be the best choice for varmint control but if you must reload, a 32 caliber revolver would be next. At least you would not be groveling on the ground recovering your expenses cases.

 

[justin22885]

thats a good point about the brass.. my idea was to have (even if i had to make it) a high capacity 20rd+ pistol that could kill squirrel and rabbits.. unfortunately the 32acp being semi-rimmed, its rim is almost as large as the .380, so its almost pointless to not just use a .380

you bring up a good point about the brass, and i was considering a .31 pocket revolver that could be fitted with a conversion cylinder for a very light, compact .32S&W pistol.. its fixed barrel/frame would have better accuracy too

 

[viking499]

Colt 1903 in 32. My dad has one and it is a sweet little gun.

I had a 25 once and it was completely unreliable, which I have read is common with some 25's.

 

[Monac]

The most common double stack 32 was the Savage 1907/1915/1917. I never heard of the magazines giving more problems than a single stack. The only modern double stack 32 ACP's I can think of are the CZ-82, the Berreta 84, and the FIE Super Titan. None of them are common in 32 ACP though.

Oh, there is the big hulking Czech Skorpion in 32 ACP as well, but that's barely a pistol.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

im wanting a very small, lightweight, mechanically simple blowback pistol purely for the purpose of killing small game, something thats ballistically similar or better than .22lr, but centerfire and reloadable that uses minimal brass and soft lead bullets..

If that's your goal, I'd avoid an automatic -- unless you enjoy crawling around on your knees in the leaves looking for your brass. A revolver would be your best bet, and a .32 Magnum would meet your specs -- but a light loaded .38 Special would be easier to find and do just as well.

For small game, I like a 148 grain wadcutter loaded over 2.7 grains of Bullseye.

 

[justin22885]

yeah, very good point about the automatics forcing you to chase brass.. i REALLY like that VZ61 though, as an SBR in .32acp it would make a nice small game hunting too, with no moving slide, fixed barrel im sure it would be very accurate.. and id imagine something like a mini mac-11 would be possible too

the 32 revolver you guys speak off.. are you referring to 32 colt or 32 S&W?

 

[Jim K]

Why an auto pistol, Justin? The use you mention seems perfect for a Ruger Single Six in .32 H&R Magnum or a Single Seven in .327 Federal Magnum. In the double action line, there is the Ruger SP 101 or S&W 632 in .327 Federal Magnum. You will have great flexibility, with a range of cartridges - .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, and .327 Federal Magnum - from low power, noise and recoil, up to a small game/self defense round about equal to .38 Special.

And of course, reloading means even more flexibility.

Jim

 

[Vern Humphrey]

the 32 revolver you guys speak off.. are you referring to 32 colt or 32 S&W?

The .32 H&R Mag and the .327 Mag are what you'll find nowadays. The .32 S&W is the parent case and can be used in those revolvers, just as the .38 Special and .38 Colt can be used in a .357.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Kel-Tec P32. Hands down the most cost effective route. Mine works superbly.

I use fmj and Silvertips.

Deaf

 

[dirtengineer]

Kel-tec P32 has my vote if it must be a semi-auto. Maybe get a crimson trace laser because their sight are pretty rudimentary.

 

[rcmodel]

VZ61 or MAC-10 as a small game gun??

This thread is getting Strange now!!

1. You don't need a 30 round mag to hunt small game.

2. You need a very accurate handgun with adjustable sights.

(Whether it's a six-shot revolver, 10 shot .22 pistol, or even a single shot pistol.)

I have shot my daily bag limit of rabbets more then once without reloading a 10-round .22 pistol.

rc

 

[justin22885]

VZ61 or MAC-10 as a small game gun??

This thread is getting Strange now!!

1. You don't need a 30 round mag to hunt small game.

2. You need a very accurate handgun with adjustable sights.

(Whether it's a six-shot revolver, 10 shot .22 pistol, or even a single shot pistol.)

I have shot my daily bag limit of rabbets more then once without reloading a 10-round .22 pistol.

rc

the idea for the big mag would be as a survival tool, keep a mag in, chamber empty and you have all the ammunition you need, the mac-11 can be made to be barely any larger than a typical fullsize pistol and are very accurate, and you dont need adjustable sights to actually fine tune your sights, i prefer the simplicity of fixed sights for most close range applications

 

[walnut1704]

You might also consider a 9x18 (9mm Makarov).

There's plenty of good inexpensive guns around (I have a FEG PA63). Brass is easy to make from 9mm Luger. You'll use a bit more lead but brass is easy.