Why am I jonesing for a .25acp?

[jackstinson]

One may as well ask why someone joneses for ANY gun, regardless of cartridge: Because you want one!
.25's are addictive. They are simply fun to shoot, generally reliable, and there have been a ton of varieties made to choose from. I bought my first one for giggles, then found myself buying more of them (more giggles!).
.25acp ammo is not really expensive online. Sellier & Bellot, CCI Blazer, Aquila, etc usually run $11-$13 for a box of 50. Sure, if you buy Winchester .25 it IS expensive....so I don't buy .25's at Walmart or Gander Mountain. Sure, they are more than 9mm WWB, but not by much.
The Astra Cub (Colt Jr) is a great little gun! If you are interested in that design, I usually see the Astra for less than the Colt...same gun. I see Astras for $175-$250 at shows, the same gun marked Colt for $300-$450. I paid $120 for the .22 short version last year at a show. FIE, QFI, and Heritage offered some quite reliable .25's, mostly based on Tanfoglio GT25 or GT27 or Astra Cub designs. Their Titan model is inexpensive, reliable, and easy to work on, and easy to get parts for.
Of all my .25's, my favorite is the Beretta 950B. Tip-up barrel, reliable design, a fun shooter. I shoot it a lot in my basement with primer-fired .25 air gun pellets. I load H&N pellets into primered .25acp shells and they are great for basement shooting. Sort of a .25acp "Colibri".
Jack

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[gopguy]

The original Colt 1908 was a thing of beauty. The workmanship was top notch. Lovely dark blue with case hardened trigger... I can understand lusting it. I have five .25 autos. Two are Colt 1908s, One early FN, a Beretta 418 and 950 that my wife used as a backup when she first got into carrying a gun. None are used now, if we need something small the Keltec P32 gets the job.

The later Colt Jr. I never cared for them much. It is a Spanish Astra design and the pre 1968 pistols of course were made by Astra. As many have said, if you want it go for it.

 

[FranklyTodd]

I have both an Astra and an FIE, and the quality of the Astra is way above that of the FIE, I'll not buy another FIE The FIE looks like heck, and it's obvious that it came from the factory like that.

I'm honestly not trying to defend the honor of my FIE that I inherited from my dad, but...

I did some research on the gun after I got it last fall when my dad passed. I think the imported FIEs are of pretty high quality. I forget the dates, but I think those are from the 60s, maybe into the 70s. Later, some outfit if Florida started making FIE, and they sucked (out loud, as my 8 & 10 year old like to say). So, if you find an FIE, and it says made in Italy, you probably are ok. I shot 50 WWB through mine and it was actually a hoot to shoot, and no failures of any kind.

 

[Sniper X]

I had a GF who carried a Beretta Jetfire in .25acp till I showed her how anemic it was compared to a .22.....she sold the jetfire and got one in .22.

 

[Confederate]

I don't know, perhaps small guns remind you of your childhood toys. Anyway, I certainly wouldn't sell them short as weapons. Those little .25s have prevented many crimes and have dropped many a bad guy, a surprising number who died.

 

[rklessdriver]

A few months ago walking around a gun show I spotted and then bought a little Bauer .25Auto. Direct copy of a Browning Baby except in stainless and a very well made little pistol. I thought it would make a nice addition (one I would actually carry every now and then) to my other .25Auto, a Colt 1908 Vest Pocket, I've had for ever but don't carry anymore due to it's collector value. The little Bauer disappears in my pocket and its great for all the times when you "don't need a gun".


To all the nay-sayers out there, how many of you volunteer to let someone shoot you with a .25ACP? I'd think a 50gr ball round at near point blank range would ruin your day... possibally your entire week.

I agree for truly "pissed off Cape Buffalo" stopping power the .25ACP is far from ideal, but we can't drive our M1 Abrams everywhere/everyday. I believe a .25 in your pocket is a damn site better than what ever you left at home.
Will

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Why am I jonesing for a .25acp?

Because they are way cool?

1908 model Colt made in 1926

 

[Defensory]

Yes, there are people who have used tiny guns with tiny bullets successfully for self-defense. There are also people who have jumped out of airplanes with nonfunctional parachutes and survived. It is respectfully submitted that neither is a promising model for the rest of us to follow.

Massad Ayoob
The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery, 6th Edition

 

[Stoney]

Better then a rock and twice as fun.

 

[TehK1w1]

I had a 1908 vest pocket for a while, it was a hoot at the range. Surprisingly accurate, once you get used to the grip safety

 

[Confederate]

With all due respect to Mr. Ayoob, there are probably more people around who have successfully used .25ACPs against bad guys than people who have jumped from airplanes with nonfunctional parachutes and have survived.

Although his advice is good, I believe he and others very much underrate the value of this caliber.

 

[Defensory]

".25 ACP...Probably the most widely used cartridge for the untrained and non-knowledgeable person seeking a self-defense pistol....It is an extremely inadequate choice for self-protection even when chambered in premium grade pistols like the Walther TPH or the Baby Browning. This round lacks penetration, projectile expansion or even velocity. It has nothing to offer..."

Frank James
Effective Handgun Defense: A Comprehensive Guide to Concealed Carry
Gun Digest Books

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I always thought the Beretta 950BS "Jetfire" to be a neat little gun. Would I carry it for defense? Highly unlikely, but I would never say never.

 

[CSG]

You know what, most of the people who badmouth the .25 ACP really don't know what the hell they're talking about. True, larger calibers offer more potent rounds but so what. I've carried a Beretta .25 (950 BS) many a time and never felt naked with it. 9 rounds of .25 is potent enough if you use the right ammo and realize you're not carrying a shotgun.

Plus, .25's are just plain cool little pistols and fun to shoot. Try running some hardball through some 2x and get back to me.

 

[denfoote]

Because when that's all you have, it get's the job done!!

I was anti .25acp...until I read this!!!!

http://www.westvalleyview.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=31630&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=1&S=1

Armed men try to take baby, shootout ensues in Avondale

At that point, the man pulled out his .25-caliber handgun and the three robbers started shooting at the man and the house.

"The victim shot back at them," Espinoza said.

 

[Defensory]

"The 25 Automatic offers surprising velocity for such a small cartridge. However, delivered energy is quite modest. This, combined with the full-metal jacketed bullet of the conventional load, adds up to very poor stopping or killing power on anything. Lighter, expanding bullets lack adequate penetration or delivered energy to suggest any significant improvement. The 25 Auto is not powerful enough for hunting anything but pests, nor is it adequate for serious self-defense."

Frank Barnes
Cartridges of the World, 11th edition
Gun Digest Books

 

[Onmilo]

Feel not alone Original Poster!
I have been lusting for a Walther Model 8 for better than twenty years now.
Right time and right price have yet to materialize for me yet.

 

[skoro]

I get the same strange urge from time to time. I can't really explain it other than to say that mouse guns are cute. I too like the Colt Junior and its look-alikes.

 

[weisse52]

DO YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ THESE POSTS!!!!!!!

OP says he wants a mouse gun for fun. Others discuss how much fun they are.

THEN it starts to go down hill with people talking about how inadquete the .25 is and how he will be doomed if he even puts it in his pocket.

I am pretty sure he was talking about how much fun they are. Guess what, we do not all buy guns to keep back the dregs of society.

Give it a break folks, I AM SURE everyone will agree that a .45 is much better than a .25, but I am not sure that that was the subject of the post.

 

[tinygnat219]

I can answer this one. Because it interests you.

Go for it!

 

[pocketgun]

I love .25s! I have a Seecamp LWS25, a Colt Vest Pocket (1908), a PSP-25 (Browning Baby licensed copy) and would love to buy a few more. Enjoy - not every firearm needs to be for self-defense, even if that was its original purpose.

 

[R.W.Dale]

The 25 Auto is not powerful enough for hunting anything but pests, nor is it adequate for serious self-defense."

Frank Barnes
Cartridges of the World, 11th edition
Gun Digest Books

See this is the kind of useless drivel that passes for writing in the gun world. Serious self defense.....***...... versus what casual self defense. Authors today just literally write crap for no other reason than to fill the page

Cartridges of the world is so chocked full of errors and useless opinion I just use it for comic relief.

News flash all handguns kinda suck at stopping people. If you're "SERIOUS" about self defense then you shouldn't be using anything other than a long gun.

 

[HisSoldier]

I shoot my Astra .22 short in the machine shop at 30 feet. As I've said the tiny gun is very accurate even with such a short sight radius. It wasn't designed for target shooting but for self defense! A .22 short for self defense! I find that for target shooting it answers many questions that my 1911 doesn't, mainly, how can I shoot in my shop without getting the neighbors all riled up! The factors that allow ever tighter groups with a 1911 target .45 are there in the .22 short, hold the sights on the target and squeeze the trigger. If I miss the 1/8" sheet steel backstop after missing the 14 1/2" diameter 5/16" thick AR plate gong (with target stuck to it) the slug will not go beyond the field beyond my shop, that .45 would. I suspect the .45 might make it through the 1/8" backstop. So, for not much money nor noise I get to shoot indoors to my hearts content.

 

[jfrey]

I was given a little 1908 vest-pocket and it is fun to shoot. A lot more accurate than I ever thought possible. I never thought about it as being much better than a knife in a gun fight, until I read an article about a shooting in a nearby town. Woman killed her husband with one shot from a .25. Proves shot placement is everything. The older ones are neat and a part of history.

 

[metrotps]

I have owned a bunch of .25's over the years. From garbage to the best. I currently have a Beretta 950 and an engraved nickel plated Galesi that will be my daughter's at 21. I never buy the ammo at retail and have always found cheap ammo at gunshows or estate sales. Do youself a favor and go for a Colt if you can afford it.