Reloading 25acp

[katastrof0]

Hi all!

I will be buying a Baby Browning in the near future and i got some questions regarding reloading the tiny cute little "aaww" 25.

Factory fodder in this calibre is priced at around $.42 (Fiocchi 50gr FMJ) here in Norway which really aint that bad when you compare it to other calibres. Still.. Being the reloading nerd ive become over the years i feel the itch to reload for it.

My reloading data lists 2gr of minimum and 2.2gr maximum for Vith N340 using a 50gr FMJ. That pretty much rules out using a powder measure. Im not even sure my Hornady/Lee measures will throw charges that small and precise enough not to exceed .2gr

Guess i have to manually weigh all loads using the RCBS scale. But hey.. I got enough spare time on my hands.

Ive heard rumours that the SP primer is kind of overkill for the little 25 case causing "over-ignition" with variable muzzle velocity as a result. Is this true?

BB John

 

[rcmodel]

I would probaly throw the charges from the measure into a scale pan and weigh them all.

A 10% error at 2.0 grains is not very much!

As for Sm Pistol primers not working correctly in .25 ACP?

No, I haven't heard that, but there is no other option anyway, so I guess you are stuck with them.

rcmodel

 

[snuffy]

I used to load the 25 acp. I used to have a Bauer 25 acp. No more on either account, but I still have the dies, some empties and some bullets,(50 FMC remingtons. I even got a lead boolit mold for it!

Handling those little buggers takes large doses of patience, and being in just the right mood. Also finding them among the ground littered with 22 rimfire empties is another exercise in futility!

I used bullseye powder, measured in a RCBS uniflow with the pistol metering drum in it. 1.8 grains is a very small charge, but it metered reasonably well.

Ive heard rumours that the SP primer is kind of overkill for the little 25 case causing "over-ignition" with variable muzzle velocity as a result. Is this true?

No, I didn't experience any problem in that category. Since you're dealing with a very fast burning powder in a blow-back action, I doubt there could be a problem. It's been 30 years since I did those, things could have changed, or I didn't notice.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Only thing I'd worry about is pinching my fingers in the press when handling those very small cases. Ouch!!

 

[Clark]

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

I have a Browning and a Cheap ancient Spanish Vesta[Ruby].
I overloaded them to see what happens.
The firing pin hole on the Vesta was too large, and the primer would pierce at a little over double loads.

The Browning would go all the way to case full.

Someone gave me a new Beretta unfired.
I could tell by looking at it that the case support, case wall thickness, and firing pin hole were all of the quality of the Browning. So the Beretta's first shot in a work up was a double load [how's that for risk?]. It worked all the way up to where the Browning had trouble, and then had the same trouble with the same loads.

The good 25acps can take a case full of Power Pistol. But if a magnum primer is was used, the primer fell out and the case failed to extract. The case had to be pounded out the the chamber. None of the 3 pistols had a real extractor, but were blow back extracted as well as blow back action.

I pounded out allot of cases. The magnum primer is no good for me. It adds more pressure than velocity.

I started out with the Bullseye loads that are published, but as I worked up from there, I could not fit enough Bullseye ih the case. I switched to Power Pistol [Bullseye 84], and that is the powder of choice for me.

I also experimented with 800X and did ok for a while, but then as I worked higher the loads got wimpier until the gun hardly shot.

I tried some AA#5, but that had pressure problems before it could reach the Power Pistol levels of recoil.

 

[katastrof0]

Ok. Guess the primers shouldnt be a problem then.

How about case life?
What kind of pressures are we talking about in this calibre?

BB John

 

[rcmodel]

In the U.S.A., SAAMI spec for the .25 ACP is 25,000 PSI.

Case Life?
I have no idea, as I have never heard of anyone reloading .25 ACP enough to find out.

Even the best made .25 ACP pistols, like the Baby Browning for instance, were not designed to be high volume range guns.

Then there is the problem of even finding the empty cases to reload them more then once or twice.

I would think though that you could continue to reload them indefinitely until you run into case neck cracks, just like any other of the ACP calibers.

rcmodel

 

[ShunZu]

I would think though that you could continue to reload them indefinitely until you run into case neck cracks, just like any other of the ACP calibers.

+1

My fingers are too fat and I don't have the patience for the .25.

 

[Clark]

I don't subscribe to SAAMI, but see it second hand.
I think the 25acp is registered at 25,000 c.u.p. and I have never seen it in p.s.i.

There is a problem with old 25acp dies being scratched, and then scratching the brass. Maybe I have just seen allot of bad 25acp dies, but something was going on there.

 

[David Wile]

Hey katastrof0,

I have been reloading 25 ACPs off and on for over 40 years. I never used hot loads, always used regular small pistol primers, used both cast and jacketed bullets, found my RCBS powder measure would throw consistant charges just under 1 grain, and never had any problems with them working properly.

Having said that, I should also point out they are a pain in the fingers as well as the neck. I reloaded the same brass perhaps two dozen times over the years and never had a neck crack. Like I said, I was not loading anything hot. I would suspect if you use light loads, you will either lose the brass or get tired of reloading the little 25s before you wear out the brass.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[katastrof0]

Thanks for the answers.

The Browning wont be used all that much. Ohwell probably in the beginning but it doubles to me as a conversation piece. Its always fun when people bring along rare guns to the range. I wish more people could do that here..

Regarding the loads i am not planning to make a 25 Magnum here. Aslong as the gun works i`ll probably settle on the minimum load of 2gr. That is if the POI isnt way off. And then it has to be waaay off.

I think the load data listed the 2gr load at somewhere around 690-700fps out of a CZ Duo. I dont have the data infront of me so i cant verify that. If someones interested i have some verified and printed data on that calibre with vithavouri powders which i could scan and post. I noticed that the online Vith manual doesnt list 25acp.. I guess they thought that noone in their right mind would reload for it. Well here i am

Replacement parts like spring and such is readily available in the US in case something goes wrong i hope? Im not too fond of buying used firearms (Done a few bad deals) but in this case i have no other option. Is there a certain time period during manufacture i should be vary about that you know of?

BB John