Whats the best .25 pistol

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andrewdl007

andrewdl007

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I've been working my way through all the James Bond books and of course in the early novels he carries a Beretta 418 in .25 ACP. It got me thinking about the .25 pistol which I don't know a lot about and I wanted to ask what you all thought was the best .25 pistol ever made. Pictures are always appreciated.
 
The best made - the Colt Model 1908. Period.

The best for carry - the Beretta, CZ, or Le Francais because they are double action.

Today, very small pistols can be made in more powerful calibers, but prior to about 1980, the smallest and most concealable handguns were automatic pistols in .22 Short or .25 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol - named for the guns it was first used in). A real spy might have carried such a small pistol because it would be concealable, but the power was quite limited and it would have required a very close shot or a very good shooter to effect a lethal wound with that small gun.

His "upgrade" to a Walther PPK in .32 ACP (aka 7.65mm Browning in Europe) was some improvement, but not much. (The PP and PPK were also made in .25 ACP, but they are larger guns than the tiny pistols usually associated with that caliber.)

Jim
 
I've owned quite a few .25s and enjoy shooting them. I've never carried one but if I were to do so (condition 3) it would be either a Colt 1908 or Baby Browning.

I prefer to carry narrow pistols and many of the other decent quality .25s are wider than the two I named.
 
Colt 1908 in good condition are work horses and very accurate. A Beretta Model 20 is pretty darn good tho IMHO. The Colt Juniors were good too. My Baby Brownings are cute and little but not in the same class accuracy wise. Yes my 4" barrel Le Francais target model is the most accurate and weirdest .25 I have ever seen.
 
I like to carry the Colt Junior 25 as it is a pocket gun. No bulge to worry about. The big drawback is the weak cartridge.
Be Careful! the 25 pistol is about as dangerous a pistol as you can get, as it is TOO EASILY pointed where you don't want it to point. I have to be super careful in handling it.
 
Early Walther guns were beautiful, early colt guns were workhorses, baby brownings were tiny. Pick your poison based on what you want it to do.
 
If I was going to carry?

Taurus PLY25. It has a full grip, doesn't have a 6 round capacity, and is extremely light.

Nicest to collect? Browning vest pocket or Colt 1908.
 
I can second Kiln,,,

I won't say this is the best .25 out there,,,
Because the term "best" begs for more than anecdotal evidence,,,
But I have owned this one for well over two years and it always performs very well for me.

I ran through the first 250 rounds with no malfunctions,,,
I'm 1 box into the second 250 rounds and still no problems at all.

Taurus 22-PLY,,,
Polymer frame

PLY-hand.jpg

Not to be confused with it's cousin the PT-22,,,
All the examples I have seen have PT-22 on the slide,,,
But that's because the slide is interchangeable and Taurus didn't make new slides.

Aarond

.
 
Don't know if there is ANY objective criteria for "Best". I certainly like the only one I've ever owned. It's a 1908 Colt.
 
I have several .25 ACP pistols. Of them, I like the little Beretta Model 950 the best. With the original plastic factory grips, it's very narrow, and just big enough to get a grip on. With the tip-up barrel, you don't have to worry about racking the slide, either.

It holds 8 rounds in the magazine, and as it has a safety (albeit tiny) it COULD be carried cocked and locked for a total of nine rounds.
 
IMHO, the Walther TPH is one of the best if not "the" best. Certainly the best looking. Very small, light and thin - the perfect accessory for any British spy.
tph25010.jpg
 
I have always been partial the Beretta Model 950 and the Baby Browning in .25 ACP pistols.
 
I have many .25's, four Baby Brownings, several European guns etc. I've shot them all, and for me there is no contest, the Astra Cub is the best. For some reason it's much more acurate for me, maybe because most .25's have miniscule sights.
Also, it has an exposed hammer, a must to be in my top spot. It doesn't have the heel mag release, which I personally despise, though it's not far off. Unlike a true heel release it could drop a mag with one hand, and there is no mag safety.

I loaded a bunch of .25 ACP really hot, and the BB can take it, except the cocking indicator won't, it got damaged. The Astra cares not about such hot ammo, has no reason to.
The Astra has a forged frame and slide,and is all steel except the grips, it can take abuse.
But the main thing for me is the clear accuracy advantage over all other .25's I've shot.
 
I have a Colt 1908 somewhere in the house...but just couldn't shoot it well enough to carry.

I really like the Beretta 950 and it shot very well...but there was just something troubling about how it ejected spent shells.

My favorite to shoot, it wasn't mine, was the Seecamp LWS
 
My favorite to shoot, it wasn't mine, was the Seecamp LWS
Click to expand...

There's a rumor that the new owner of Seecamp will produce the .25 again. That's good news for anyone that owns one now and needs a new magazine, not to mention a new pistol. Time will tell.
 
In my limited experience, the best I've come across is the Beretta 950bs. Well made, accurate, reliable. And a real hoot at the range.
 
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