Bauer .25 acp

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Just picked up a very nice Bauer .25 S/S at the gun show yesterday . It is in excellent condition. Gun functions fine but I don’t know much about them. Is this the gun that later became the one being made by PSA ? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
its the gun that was modeled after the baby browning, which is the gun psa is copying now.
 
Importation of the Baby Browning was halted by the 1968 GCA because it didn't meet the new standards for minimum size. In 1972, Bauer, of Fraser, MI, got permission to make a version here, since the GCA didn't ban domestic manufacture of these guns. The primary difference is that the new gun was made from stainless steel instead of the blued steel finish the BB was. Most of the parts, in fact, are interchangeable. One difference is the barrel twists in the opposite direction during takedown.

The Bauer was made from 1972-1984, and then an additional two years under the Fraser name. Precision Small Arms does indeed make a current version.

I bought a Bauer in 2015. It performed poorly at the range the one time I had it out. Later, while dry-handling it, I noticed a distinctive click that occurred while inserting the magazine right before it was fully seated. It's possible that I had not been seating the magazine properly, but I haven't gotten around to trying it again. Still, I find the little gun intriguing, kind of jewel-like in size and build quality.

YouTube user Sootch00 has a nice video on his Fraser 25 (his was made under that name, but by the same company, which had simply changed names.)
 
Yes intriguing. So small but looks to be a quality build. Seems it’s more for looking at than shooting. Iv only ran 40 rounds thru it and no failures. Are they known to be well built or did I just get lucky ?
 
I have one. Cute little thing. Haven’t shot it much. Internet rep is mixed. Some people say they’re high quality guns, others consider them junk/a mere knockoff/cheap copy of the Browning. They were apparently popular as LEO backup guns back in the day, and some say they’re the first stainless steel semi-auto pistol made, at least in the US.

Mine appears to be a nicely made piece, but it’s not the kind of gun one really wants to buy 300 rounds of ammo for to thoroughly put it through its paces.
 
Baby Browning magazines are reportedly compatible.

The Bauer is built as a quality firearm, but stainless steel does have a tendency to gall somewhat on repeated friction points. Still, I'm willing to bet few Bauer guns have been fired so much that this would be common in used samples lying around in gun shops today. They're certainly not range guns.

Mine is dwarfed by a Kel-Tec P32.. 20150615_153833.jpg

Carrying of one with a chambered round is somewhat questionable, as the sear isn't being held back by much. I've tested mine by tossing it around, dropping it on a carpeted floor, smacking and slapping it, and just kind of rough-housing with it with the striker cocked to see if I could get it to drop. Haven't yet. I'm not carrying this gun, though, nor do I plan to.
 
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MedWheeler said:
Baby Browning magazines are reportedly compatible.

The Bauer is built as a quality firearm, but stainless steel does have a tendency to gall somewhat on repeated friction points. Still, I'm willing to bet few Bauer guns have been fired so much that this would be common in used samples lying around in gun shops today. They're certainly not range guns.

Mine is dwarfed by a Kel-Tec P32..View attachment 885882

Carrying of one with a chambered round is somewhat questionable, as the sear isn't being held back by much. I've tested mine by tossing it around, dropping it on a carpeted floor, smacking and slapping it, and just kind of rough-housing with it with the striker cocked to see if I could get it to drop. Haven't yet. I'm not carrying this gun, though, nor do I plan to.
Click to expand...
That photo nexts to a P32 is a little shocking. I knew they were small but not that small.
 
I hesitated posting cause I didn’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but since we’re being honest— I have a Bauer .25 as well. Cute little thing. Tiny. Solid. Seems well made. I want to love it and carry it as a backup, BUT it’s not reliable. I’ve swapped in a new spring set, tried different magazines, cleaned & lubed, done some minor polishing of parts.

But it still won’t run an entire 6 round mag without a misfeed.

So mine’s a pretty little range gun. Fun to pass around & a good trainer for clearing jams.
I’d hoped for so much more.
 
I looked at them "back in the day" but even then there was some negative feedback going on about the Bauer .25. Do believe that Baby Browning magazines will work in the Bauer but can be a bit pricey (might try Precision Small Arms for selection).

I happened to come across a Baby Browning Lightweight Model like new in the box at a local gun shop at an unbelievable price! I couldn't get my wallet out fast enough! I bought it mainly for the amusement/collector factor as I have always been fascinated with miniature guns. With a KelTec P3AT in the fold I really don't have any plans to ever carry my Baby Browning.

cKxXMLp.jpg
 
I have a few .25s in my collection. My Bauer works just fine and looks to be a well made gun. The synthetic grips are thicker than those found on the Browning light weight model or the plastic ones found on the blued model. The Bernadelli Baby is slightly smaller than the Browning and is available in .22 short or .22 long as well a .25 acp. If I was going carry one I would go with a Beretta model 20 it is the same size as the 950 but is double action, and it will hold 9 rounds with one in the tip-up barrel.
 
I had one and it ran fine. Only trouble was when one of the grip panels cracked and then broke, it turns out they help hold the internal parts in place. Replaced them with original Browning grips and all was well after that.

Not drop safe when the chamber is loaded.
 
nwmousegunner

I had an Astra Cub, quite a few Beretta Jetfires, and a couple of Beretta Model 21s but the one mousegun in .25 that was actually decent and safe to carry was the Beretta Model 20 that I had. The double action trigger was fairly good, especially for a pocket auto and I loved the tip-up barrel (and even got a kick out of the tiny frame mounted thumb safety). I had some problems with rust on the blued model that I had so I had it hard chrome plated by Ron Mahovsky at Metalife and it was good to go!
 
test drive said:
“ Not drop safe “ good to know. Thanks.
Click to expand...

To expand on this a bit. The manual safety locks the sear. If the manual safety is not in SAFE position the trigger can pull itself if dropped on the rear. I tested this by slapping the rear of my Bauer on a wood table with leather to protect it. It dry fired. I think this would be the same with any of the baby browning types.

It has also been noted that the firing pin provides ejector service. Needless to say, ejecting a live round should be done with great care.

I replaced my original firing pin with a titanium one from PSA. Needed a small bit of sear fitting but it fits very well. Their mags, marked "made in Italy" work fine. I think they are probably Mecgar.

The PSA is an "official" Baby Browning, or at least is licensed. The Bauer is (was) an unauthorized clone, which is why at least one internal part is not the same, and the barrel removal direction is reversed. Neat little guns, I love mine. Though I would be leery of carrying it with one in the pipe after looking hard at the internals. The way it is made the sear is not going to slip from firing pin engagement, but still, it has no passive block....
 
Did Cooper really say you should never shoot somebody with a .25 because it might piss them off?

I went to the Browning Museum in Ogden. The guide pointed to the 1881 Browning (senior) lever action and said it was the first lever action ever made.
I said, "Whoa, what about the Henry? The Spencer?
My two friends looked at each other smiling.
He quickly corrected himself and said it was the first by Browning. On notice that he would have to bring his A game, he gave us a good tour.

So to bring this back to miniature guns, they had some miniature machine guns including a scaled down 1919 belt fed in .22LR that was reputed to be very reliable !!!!
 
I bought one new in 1973. It worked well and gave me no problems. I probably put 4-500 rds thru it over the years (7-8?). I traded it for some thing else I wanted more at the time.

That's all I really know about them.
 
I am shocked to hear people say the Bauer 25 is "reliable and fun" or "never had any trouble with it"! I bought a new Bauer 25 in 1977, and in more than forty years of firearms experience (including a few fussbudgets such as the P08 Luger), the Bauer is the WORST piece of junk I have ever had the displeasure of owning! Attractive and seemingly well-made, mine couldn't get through a single six-round magazine of factory ball ammo without multiple (I mean multiple!) failures. In fact, it would rarely cycle two rounds in a row. Best self-defense use for a Bauer would be to hand it over to your assailant and then knock them out while they were distracted trying to make it work. Mine was a new gun, mind you, with new magazines and factory ammo. I concluded from my experience that the .25 acp was just too weak a cartridge to cycle an auto pistol, but I am probably wrong in that. It was the Bauer. Sold it within months, and shudder whenever I think of it.
 
Koroner writes:

Did Cooper really say you should never shoot somebody with a .25 because it might piss them off?
Click to expand...

Supposedly, and it's one of the most-stupid gun-related quotes that refuses to simply go away and die, and it's too-often taken as gospel simply because of the name attached to it.

While someone shot with a .25 caliber handgun will likely be upset, and possibly angry (assuming they survive; an overwhelming majority of people shot with handguns in any caliber do), those shot while trying to commit a crime do typically stop whatever they were doing and cease being a threat.
 
I have a nostalgia for little 25`s
I'm 71, my grandpa carried one for years and taught me to shoot with it an other guns. As the oldest grandson, it was written I would Inherit them.
Didn't happen!
I came home on leave when Pa died to find a cousin had stolen and sold all the guns and sold them for drugs.
I beat him so badly he needed to be hospitalized. He knew better than to rat on me and blamed a random mugging as the cause, but every one in the family knew I did it.
He O D ed shortly thereafter
Rot in he'll junky scumball!
Some day I will find one just like grandpas.
 
Always have one of my 25acps handy. Probably my favorite is an FN Browning 1906 that was made in 1913 or 1914. I have had two instances of light strikes but that was when about half of the original striker spring coils had finally broken off. Putting in a new striker and recoil spring made it good to go; likely for another century or so. Reliability has always been as fine as any handgun I have ever owned. My Colt 1908 Vest Pocket and Beretta 1919 come close. I take points off with the Colt because they never provided a slide lock back position that lined up with the slots to turn the barrel, but the Beretta 1919 sometimes has feeding issues and the barrel needs to be tightened I believe.

standard.jpg

The little FN has the grip safety, a fairly heavy SA trigger AND a manual swipe down safety. In fact all three have those features and so really are pretty safe as true pocket pistols.
 
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