What powder for .25 acp?

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Darth-Vang said:
I remember reading somewhere that you can just take a case that your loading for and file the case down until you get the correct weight charge for the particular powder and just dip the powder and throw them in, and solder a copper or iron wire to the filed case and essentially you now have a known weight by volume and just keep throwing them without weighing it.(of course check to see if the weight and technique you use is consistent…)
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That's funny. You just described how ALL my handloading was done when I started in the 80s. Was an old retired guy that hung out at the Ft Ord Sportsman's club, he made cut down 38 SPL, .357, and 45 ACP scoops with a brazed handle on them, cut to provide a specific charge of the most popular powders of the times for specific bullet weights and types. I used those for years and years.
 
vongh said:
Was looking through some 25 brass and found a bunch that were berdan primed. They were not old brass either. It was from Hornady.
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Yep, discovered over the weekend as I was depriming the .25 acp brass lot I had and discover that hornady has berdan primers, and Sellier and Belliot has berdan primer, some Remington’s and Herters have small out of spec flash hole(was unable to deprime those…).
 
Darth-Vang said:
I was told that if I was to reload .25 acp, I should use AA #2 due to the powder being tinier thus better for small cartridges like the 25 acp. Guess I’ll try to look for AA #2 if it’s not available then I’ll use Unique or Bullseye.
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Shooters World Clean Shot is supposed to be the same powder as AA #2. I just got a 5lb jug from Graf & Sons and have loaded some 38spl with it but haven't shot any yet. I haven't read every post in your thread but read enough to know you were giver good advice about fast powders. Just follow what the reloading manual says and don't try to make magnum loads. The gun is a low power weapon and no over charged load will change that.

I have a Beretta 950 25acp that sees a lot of time in my pocket. Its just so easy to carry. I recognize its limitations and accept it for what it is. To its credit its easy to do a mag dump at 15 feet and keep all the shots in a tight group. Thats good enough.
 
ThomasT said:
Shooters World Clean Shot is supposed to be the same powder as AA #2. I just got a 5lb jug from Graf & Sons and have loaded some 38spl with it but haven't shot any yet. I haven't read every post in your thread but read enough to know you were giver good advice about fast powders. Just follow what the reloading manual says and don't try to make magnum loads. The gun is a low power weapon and no over charged load will change that.

I have a Beretta 950 25acp that sees a lot of time in my pocket. Its just so easy to carry. I recognize its limitations and accept it for what it is. To its credit its easy to do a mag dump at 15 feet and keep all the shots in a tight group. Thats good enough.
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Guna give Shooters World Clean Shot a look into.
 
HowieG said:
The Ortgies 25 is smaller. They also made the gun in 9mm Kurz (380 ACP), but you don't see them very often. All of the Ortgies pattern pistols, made by Deutsche Werke, Erfurt, Germany are stout, wellmade pistols. The desirable grips are wood with the Sphinx emblem. If the magazine is original, it will have the caliber and the sphinx on the bottom. They are usually pretty reasonably priced because they aren't from a big name like Mauser or Walther.

View attachment 1044735 View attachment 1044736
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Maybe I'm not tracking, but if that pic of the bottom of the mag is supposed to be the Ortgies 25........it isn't. 7.65 is 32 ACP. I also have an Ortgies, in 32 ACP, which I got from my grandfather, but I've never shot it.
 
Cliff6 said:
I went to the range yesterday, and while there, I test fired a 25 auto that my dad left me. I fired 4 shots, all were quite accurate, but lost all 4 cases in the 100's and 100's of 22 long rifle cases:(
I have a couple dozen cases left, but l'm going to have to find more. If anyone knows of a source of 25ACP brass, please PM me.
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Ask and ye shall recieve: https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/74057
 
Darth-Vang said:
Yep, discovered over the weekend as I was depriming the .25 acp brass lot I had and discover that hornady has berdan primers, and Sellier and Belliot has berdan primer, some Remington’s and Herters have small out of spec flash hole(was unable to deprime those…).
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That stinks.

I've reloaded PPU and Fiocchi .25 brass. No problems with the brass.
 
Last edited:
Check the Alliant and Hodgdon websites. Both have many choices that will send a 50 grain bullet into the mid-700 fps range.

As others have already posted, a lot of guns chambered for 25 ACP have zinc frames and slides and may not be able to stand up to extreme pressures, so be conservative.

As others have also already pointed out, the difference between Starting and Maximum load can be as little as 2/10 grain, so I strongly recommend you weigh each charge by hand.

I have always loved my 25 ACP. It is a joy to shoot. I hope you have a similar experience.

Good luck.
 
hdwhit said:
Check the Alliant and Hodgdon websites. Both have many choices that will send a 50 grain bullet into the mid-700 fps range.

As others have already posted, a lot of guns chambered for 25 ACP have zinc frames and slides and may not be able to stand up to extreme pressures, so be conservative.

As others have also already pointed out, the difference between Starting and Maximum load can be as little as 2/10 grain, so I strongly recommend you weigh each charge by hand.

I have always loved my 25 ACP. It is a joy to shoot. I hope you have a similar experience.

Good luck.
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Excellent advice.
 
Cliff6 said:
Loaded up some more 25 ACP today. Other than having to check weigh every powder throw, I have no problems. 1.1 grains of W231 doesn't meter very accurately in my powder drop.View attachment 1049718
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I'm curious to know how OAL went.

I had some 55 gr Rim Rock bullets I gave away because I could not get them deep enough to avoid them getting stuck on the rifling.

I since found and bought what seemed to be the last bags of Remington fmj .25 bullets on the internet.

And I bought PPU brass out of panic.

I thought after the run on everything in 2013 .25 would be dropped enmasse by manufacturers after the stock was bought up.

Nope, it came back!

Then 2020 hit and .25 acp was gone like everything else. So I bought what I could because "This is the end of .25 acp".

Nope!!! It's being cranked out and available!

How many .25 guns could there be?? Havent they been replaced by all the .380 pocket guns?! For the .25 guns out there, who the hell even fires them more than a mag or two every few years?

(Besides me...I've fired 550 rds of .25 in a day through four pistols) :D
 
Shivahasagun said:
How many .25 guns could there be??
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At a rough estimate, globally: billions. Since its introduction in 1905 the .25ACP has been made by the Kings and paupers, high priests and charlatans, of the gun world. And some were made in sparse lots while others were made en masse. Some have been exceptional works of modern machining while others... well, let's just say there've been some real clunkers made in that caliber. FN, Colt, Walther, Bauer, Davis, Jennings, Sundance, Phoenix, Jimenez, Lorcin...and that's the short list.
 
Shivahasagun said:
I'm curious to know how OAL went.
(snip)
:D
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No problems here. I loaded 55 gr. bullets from Bear Creek Supply at 0.900"OAL They plunk just fine in the Raven Arms 25 my dad left me. My wife like to fire it. She fires other pistols also like 38 special, 9mm and .380, but after a while her arthritis kicks in and it is time for the 25. Hey, as long as she enjoys going to the range with me I'll load whatever she wants;) Have to say though that sometimes I find it a hoot to shoot:rofl:
 
Cliff6 said:
No problems here. I loaded 55 gr. bullets from Bear Creek Supply at 0.900"OAL They plunk just fine in the Raven Arms 25 my dad left me. My wife like to fire it. She fires other pistols also like 38 special, 9mm and .380, but after a while her arthritis kicks in and it is time for the 25. Hey, as long as she enjoys going to the range with me I'll load whatever she wants;) Have to say though that sometimes I find it a hoot to shoot:rofl:
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Thanks.

I've got 5 Beretta .25's. All but one only tolerate short ammo. PPU and Fiocchi is ragged edge and about 1/2 of them hit the rifling. Theyre safe to fire but a chambered round wont always eject by gravity unless poked out from the muzzle. Remington not a chance. Wont even close on it.

Aguila, Hornady XTP, Magtech are fine and plunk.

So I have to load to the shortest OAL I can manage. The 55 gr Rimrock bullets I tried were too long. I had stoppages, too but that could have been bullet shape.

I had a few fly at 900 fps! Oops..thankfully they didn't break my Beretta. Or me.

My dream is to be able to load a 50 gr fmj to about 875 fps average as a carry load.

Factory fmj runs 700-750 fps from my guns. Fine for practice and Zemak-made guns but the Beretta's can tolerate a few of these from time to time.
 
At one point I was able to score 500 once fired cases from Top Brass. about 10% ended up being Berdan primed, but they had noted that fact in the details, and included about 25 extra cases to make up for it. I'd buy another batch from them (if they ever became available).
I've got a Beretta Model 20 that eats just about everything I can feed it, but I don't like to use uncoated lead projectiles in the mini barrel. Unfortunately, FMJ 50 grn projectiles are as scarce as hens teeth right now.
 
Akula69 said:
(snip)
I've got a Beretta Model 20 that eats just about everything I can feed it, but I don't like to use uncoated lead projectiles in the mini barrel. Unfortunately, FMJ 50 grn projectiles are as scarce as hens teeth right now.
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I should have mentioned that the Bear Creek bullets I used in the photo above are coated lead bullets, not bare lead. They do just look like lead in the photo.
 
Akula69 said:
At one point I was able to score 500 once fired cases from Top Brass. about 10% ended up being Berdan primed, but they had noted that fact in the details, and included about 25 extra cases to make up for it. I'd buy another batch from them (if they ever became available).
I've got a Beretta Model 20 that eats just about everything I can feed it, but I don't like to use uncoated lead projectiles in the mini barrel. Unfortunately, FMJ 50 grn projectiles are as scarce as hens teeth right now.
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I have to wonder about swage-forming .22 rimfire cases into jackets for a .25 …??
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I have to wonder about swage-forming .22 rimfire cases into jackets for a .25 …??
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While the size is very close, the rimfire is...well rimfire and the 25 ACP is center fire, so there is a big problem.

Do'oooh, you meant for the bullet. That might work. I misunderstood at first:rofl:
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I have to wonder about swage-forming .22 rimfire cases into jackets for a .25 …??
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Funny you should mention swaging, I got a set of swaging dies for .25 acp! I can use .22 short rimfire casings as jackets or cut off .22lr to the appropriate length and use it as well. Haven’t use it yet though. I don’t ever have to worry about bullets. But one of these days I’ll get around to it and post them on here of the process. :D:D:D
 
Darth-Vang said:
Funny you should mention swaging, I got a set of swaging dies for .25 acp! I can use .22 short rimfire casings as jackets or cut off .22lr to the appropriate length and use it as well. Haven’t use it yet though. I don’t ever have to worry about bullets. But one of these days I’ll get around to it and post them on here of the process. :D:D:D
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Ausgezeichnet!
 
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