Pocket .25 Automatic

[CajunBass]

I've often been tempted to buy a 25 but only have one time. It was a Taurus tip up barrel model, I have no idea what the number or name was. Sort of like the Beretta I suppose. I got it because my wife thought it was "cute" with it's pink "MOP" grips. I don't think we ever fired it, and it went on down the road pretty quickly. Seemed awfully fat as I remember it.

I've always thought a Baby Browning or some other vest pocket pistol would be neat if it would fit in the watch pocket of my jeans, but I've never actually tried one. I don't use that pocket for anything else.

 

[MedWheeler]

CajunBass writes:

I've always thought a Baby Browning or some other vest pocket pistol would be neat if it would fit in the watch pocket of my jeans, but I've never actually tried one. I don't use that pocket for anything else.

I've been using that pocket for a NAA mini, turned butt to left (I'm left-handed) and hidden behind a cellphone holster. My Bauer .25 fits there, too, though I've never left the house with it there, as I don't carry it. The cellphone holster won't cover the Bauer as well as it covers the short Mini.

 

[Autodidactic]

i have a bunch of bond arms derringers, none are the cheaper, cheaped-out, inconsistent, ill-finished, rowdy/roughneck models. my original gen2 b.a. derringers carry ok in a jacket pocket but too heavy for pants pockets; keltec p32 or naa bugout1 with cv revision grips are my pants pocket edc, ymmv.

the lighter-weight b.a. stinger derringer, but chambered in 327/32 or 32acp, would be a great pocket carry derringer.

Agreed. Original BA are quite heavy. This does mitigate the recoil in the heavier calibers, although not enough for .357. The worst handgun recoil I’ve ever experienced was my BA shooting .357.

We need a lighter, quality derringer that is in a lower caliber than the 9mm. The Stinger in .380 maybe is doable, but I’d like a .32 acp, .22, etc.

 

[Shivahasagun]

i have a bunch of bond arms derringers, none are the cheaper, cheaped-out, inconsistent, ill-finished, rowdy/roughneck models. my original gen2 b.a. derringers carry ok in a jacket pocket but too heavy for pants pockets; keltec p32 or naa bugout1 with cv revision grips are my pants pocket edc, ymmv.

the lighter-weight b.a. stinger derringer, but chambered in 327/32 or 32acp, would be a great pocket carry derringer.

This is the first I've ever heard of the Rowdy / Roughneck models being referred to as cheap.

I have one and it's fine. The only difference seems to be they did not include the set screw locking mechanism on the safety and they don't polish it up and put a nice finish on it. You also get the base rubber grip.

They handle, function, and shoot exactly the same. The trigger, hammer, internal parts, and barrels are exactly the same as the more expensive models.

 

[bannockburn]

CajunBass

I've always thought a Baby Browning or some other vest pocket pistol would be neat if it would fit in the watch pocket of my jeans, but I've never actually tried one. I don't use that pocket for anything else.

Sorry but this is as far as a Baby Browning will go into the watch pocket of my jeans.


This is what I usually carry there: a Schrade SP2 and a SAK Classic SD.


And this is the "Small But Mighty Pocket Trio":

 

[amd6547]

For a while, I had identical Beretta Bobcats, one a .25, one a 22lr. The idea being to shoot the .22 mainly, for cheap practice, and carry the .25.
After a lot of trouble free rounds through that .22, and having shot both into similar things and seeing little difference in effect, I sold the .25.
I did pick up a Bauer Baby pretty cheap. I got it as a project gun, and eventually got it working well. But, as pointed out, the safety doesn’t inspire much confidence for carrying chamber loaded.
For pocket carry, I have also joined the P32 club. After carrying other small pistol in the pocket, I think the P32 is the best of the bunch.

 

[Autodidactic]

i have a bunch of bond arms derringers, none are the cheaper, cheaped-out, inconsistent, ill-finished, rowdy/roughneck models. my original gen2 b.a. derringers carry ok in a jacket pocket but too heavy for pants pockets; keltec p32 or naa bugout1 with cv revision grips are my pants pocket edc, ymmv.

the lighter-weight b.a. stinger derringer, but chambered in 327/32 or 32acp, would be a great pocket carry derringer.

This is the first I've ever heard of the Rowdy / Roughneck models being referred to as cheap.

I have one and it's fine. The only difference seems to be they did not include the set screw locking mechanism on the safety and they don't polish it up and put a nice finish on it. You also get the base rubber grip.

They handle, function, and shoot exactly the same. The trigger, hammer, internal parts, and barrels are exactly the same as the more expensive models.

I have to agree with this. I have the BA roughneck base, and have a replacement non-roughneck .357/.38 barrel. I’ve had zero functional issues with mine. It’s worked 100%, and built like a tank. I’d love the nicer ones, but a $500 derringer isn’t a priority right now.

For a while, I had identical Beretta Bobcats, one a .25, one a 22lr. The idea being to shoot the .22 mainly, for cheap practice, and carry the .25.
After a lot of trouble free rounds through that .22, and having shot both into similar things and seeing little difference in effect, I sold the .25.
I did pick up a Bauer Baby pretty cheap. I got it as a project gun, and eventually got it working well. But, as pointed out, the safety doesn’t inspire much confidence for carrying chamber loaded.
For pocket carry, I have also joined the P32 club. After carrying other small pistol in the pocket, I think the P32 is the best of the bunch.

I would like both a Bobcat in .22, and a p32.

 

[jstert]

This is the first I've ever heard of the Rowdy / Roughneck models being referred to as cheap.

I have one and it's fine. The only difference seems to be they did not include the set screw locking mechanism on the safety and they don't polish it up and put a nice finish on it. You also get the base rubber grip.

They handle, function, and shoot exactly the same. The trigger, hammer, internal parts, and barrels are exactly the same as the more expensive models.

i had a bad experience with a b.a. 357/38 roughneck that locked up tighter than a drum after each shot and wouldn’t accept other barrels. i had to literally pry open the barrel. next came a long telephone tussle with b.a. i was finally given a repair authorization and i sent it to granbury at my own expense. it came back sort of fixed, still wouldn’t accept all my other barrels. when you purposely build a machined-product that is less-finished don’t be surprised when it’s unstandard across the board. i sold it at a loss. ymmv and i pray that it does, seriously.

as for price, all of my original, gen2 b.a. derringers were under $300 and used, save one which was a fluke low-bid win on a gb.com auction. since they are single action and robustly built they can’t be shot-out. if one is patient one needn’t settle for a cheapened rowdy/roughneck.

 

[Shivahasagun]

i had a bad experience with a b.a. 357/38 roughneck that locked up tighter than a drum after each shot and wouldn’t accept other barrels. i had to literally pry open the barrel. next came a long telephone tussle with b.a. i was finally given a repair authorization and i sent it to granbury at my own expense. it came back sort of fixed, still wouldn’t accept all my other barrels. when you purposely build a machined-product that is less-finished don’t be surprised when it’s unstandard across the board. i sold it at a loss. ymmv and i pray that it does, seriously.

as for price, all of my original, gen2 b.a. derringers were under $300 and used, save one which was a fluke low-bid win on a gb.com auction. since they are single action and robustly built they can’t be shot-out. if one is patient one needn’t settle for a cheapened rowdy/roughneck.

I have been on the lookout for a good used one / other barrels.

I don't see many for sale, actually. I suppose folks really hold on to them.

Thanks for relaying your experience.

 

[Autodidactic]

i had a bad experience with a b.a. 357/38 roughneck that locked up tighter than a drum after each shot and wouldn’t accept other barrels. i had to literally pry open the barrel. next came a long telephone tussle with b.a. i was finally given a repair authorization and i sent it to granbury at my own expense. it came back sort of fixed, still wouldn’t accept all my other barrels. when you purposely build a machined-product that is less-finished don’t be surprised when it’s unstandard across the board. i sold it at a loss. ymmv and i pray that it does, seriously.

as for price, all of my original, gen2 b.a. derringers were under $300 and used, save one which was a fluke low-bid win on a gb.com auction. since they are single action and robustly built they can’t be shot-out. if one is patient one needn’t settle for a cheapened rowdy/roughneck.

I do think you may have gotten a lemon. Most people with roughnecks aren’t experiencing the low level QC you are reporting.

I have been on the lookout for a good used one / other barrels.

I don't see many for sale, actually. I suppose folks really hold on to them.

Thanks for relaying your experience.

I haven’t seen used ones for sale in LGS, although I have online.

 

[tommy.duncan]

These are the 2 I have. They are fun to shoot. I am a big guy and I can easily conceal full size pistols.
I don't go smaller then my P365.

 

[Great Scot]

Not intending to hijack post, but as an Ian Fleming fan, I feel obligated to defend his choice to arm Bond with the .25. Fleming’s Bond started as very much a spy, and only morphed into the gunslinger as the character developed. A thin .25 for a spy makes sense because it has to be concealed all the time. Gun fights didn’t really happen that often in Fleming’s novels, and when they occurred, they were pretty limited and Bond always counted on accuracy over power. In fact, on a couple occasions, Bond even acknowledged that the Beretta was “light” in terms of stopping power, but it always worked and “he could hit with it”. Not suggesting folks ditch there 9mm for a .25, but Fleming shouldn’t be shamed for choosing the Beretta 418!

 

[Jimbo80]

Here's a sampling of some of my little ones.

 

[Pete D.]

Bernardelli VP
Baby Bulldog

 

[aaaaa]

My Colt Vest pocket was reliable- but only if held in a death grip.

IME, most .25s, .32s, and even some very lightweight .380s are extra susceptible to limp-wristing or even just a "normal" grip. The low-powered cartridges coupled with a low-mass frame, do not lend themselves to full-length slide travel.

Although I have certainly carried mouse guns at times over the years, at this point Id trust a .38spl snubby over any auto smaller than a .380.

I had a lot of jams with the Seacamp .32 and attribute it to limp wrist and in fact with only 1.5 fingers around the grip, it is very hard to actually get a good grip. The Kel Tec P32 works much better and gets 2 fingers on the grip, but my Beretta Tomcat has a lot more mass and does not appear to have the small-gun limp wristing problem.

 

[Autodidactic]

I had a lot of jams with the Seacamp .32 and attribute it to limp wrist and in fact with only 1.5 fingers around the grip, it is very hard to actually get a good grip. The Kel Tec P32 works much better and gets 2 fingers on the grip, but my Beretta Tomcat has a lot more mass and does not appear to have the small-gun limp wristing problem.

Right, I will say though that sometimes the Tomcat will start having issues if too many rounds without cleaning

 

[SDGlock23]

I'll stick with my LCP MAX when I want small. Yeah there are smaller pocket guns but to me, the 380 is enough of a compromise in terms of power vs. gun size that I simply wouldn't want anything smaller that happens to be less powerful and even more expensive.

 

[Shivahasagun]

View attachment 1098298View attachment 1098299 Not intending to hijack post, but as an Ian Fleming fan, I feel obligated to defend his choice to arm Bond with the .25. Fleming’s Bond started as very much a spy, and only morphed into the gunslinger as the character developed. A thin .25 for a spy makes sense because it has to be concealed all the time. Gun fights didn’t really happen that often in Fleming’s novels, and when they occurred, they were pretty limited and Bond always counted on accuracy over power. In fact, on a couple occasions, Bond even acknowledged that the Beretta was “light” in terms of stopping power, but it always worked and “he could hit with it”. Not suggesting folks ditch there 9mm for a .25, but Fleming shouldn’t be shamed for choosing the Beretta 418!

I've read the novels.

I never read Bond "racked" the slide, but does click off safeties. So he carried it condition 1. His time and accuracy would both be better for the 1st shot with the Beretta because it has an excellent trigger while the double-action pull on the PPK is appallingly bad. I'm including that the PPK has a larger handle. I'm not counting sights because Bond removed it from the Beretta anyway. (Was uselessly small, perhaps)

Capacity was the same. Power? Certainly more penetration but still small FMJ bullets. Bond was normally quite a precise shot so it makes sense 6.35 mm vs 7.65 mm didn't mean much to him. The biggest deal was probably carrying / concealing a larger 24 oz gun and extra mags vs a 15 oz gun for what he saw as no real gain.

Just pondering what the Bond character was thinking.

 

[Great Scot]

I never read Bond "racked" the slide, but does click off safeties.

In Diamonds are Forever, Bond extracts the magazine, “pumps” one round onto the bed before examining his gun. This is when the infamous sharpened firing pin is discussed. I think this was a Fleming mistake. He then tests the tension of the trigger, puts the round back in the magazine (?), charges the gun and puts the safety on. Apparently he carrie’s it 7+1.

 

[Shivahasagun]

In Diamonds are Forever, Bond extracts the magazine, “pumps” one round onto the bed before examining his gun. This is when the infamous sharpened firing pin is discussed. I think this was a Fleming mistake. He then tests the tension of the trigger, puts the round back in the magazine (?), charges the gun and puts the safety on. Apparently he carrie’s it 7+1.

I recall that now. I agree he made a mistake. I think his intention was that Bond load the chamber, then remove and top off the magazine.

 

[aaaaa]

In Diamonds are Forever, Bond extracts the magazine, “pumps” one round onto the bed before examining his gun. This is when the infamous sharpened firing pin is discussed. I think this was a Fleming mistake. He then tests the tension of the trigger, puts the round back in the magazine (?), charges the gun and puts the safety on. Apparently he carrie’s it 7+1.

Is that a negligent discharge, or just a lazy way to clear the chamber?

 

[Great Scot]

Is that a negligent discharge, or just a lazy way to clear the chamber?

I think he was going for dramatic. “Carefully removing a round from the chamber” doesn’t have the same literary impact!

 

[MedWheeler]

Autodidactic writes:

We need a lighter, quality derringer that is in a lower caliber than the 9mm. The Stinger in .380 maybe is doable, but I’d like a .32 acp, .22, etc.

In researching for another thread, I just found a Bond Arms Cowboy Defender in .32HRM listed on GunBroker for a tick under $500. Never knew they were made in that caliber. I'm not sure how many of them (or just the barrel sets) are available out there.

 

[WisBorn]

Autodidactic writes:



In researching for another thread, I just found a Bond Arms Cowboy Defender in .32HRM listed on GunBroker for a tick under $500. Never knew they were made in that caliber. I'm not sure how many of them (or just the barrel sets) are available out there.

The 32 HRM must have been a special addition. I looked at Bond Arms Website and Bucksnort Outfitters Website and don't see them list the 32 HRM. They do list barrels in 327 Federal Mag.

 

[Gordon]

CajunBass writes:



I've been using that pocket for a NAA mini, turned butt to left (I'm left-handed) and hidden behind a cellphone holster. My Bauer .25 fits there, too, though I've never left the house with it there, as I don't carry it. The cellphone holster won't cover the Bauer as well as it covers the short Mini.

Also the NAA mini revolver is most likely to work properly maintained and loaded. A Bauer .25 IMHO is a real iffy piece, not near as good as a good Baby Browning.25.