I know this is not a S&W gun, but since Smith never ventured into this territory I am compelled to ask if anyone here as experience with this pistol. I have been considering getting one for my elderly grandmother for defense, she is willing to learn, but cant handle a slide or even a J-frame revolver. I know the .25 is tiny, but I will say several policemen in my family carried them for years as a "boot gun" and spoke highly of it.

I plan to get one, having done a lot of research on them. They seem to be regarded as the most reliable .25 of all time, and pretty accurate at close range.

Your grandmother can use the tip-up barrel feature, but will still need the strength to cock the hammer. You may wish to let her try that before buying.

Don't underestimate the .25. I read a book by an OSS agent stationed in Spain during WW II. She used a .25 Beretta (probably a model 318 or 418) to kill a gypsy coming after her with a knife. It's not a .45, but it can and has killed a number of people. If that's what's available, it can give someone a fighting chance. I'd rather rely on a .25 than on a knife.

Thanks. Cocking the hammer is no problem at all for her. She just really seems to like the feel and size of those little tip up autos. I have a Taurus PT-22 that she likes but it jams so much I refuse to trust it (or any rimifire semi-auto) with her. Was leaning towards the Tomcat .32 but they too are unreliable. That leaves with the .25 Bobcat and Jetfire. I feel kind of bad about giving her such a small caliber, but she really seems to be more comfortable with it.

I've had 21a's in .22 and .25, and 950's in .25 and .22 short. I'd stick with the 950 for your grandmother. The traditional DA on the 21a and it's consequential transition from DA to SA after the first shot might mean a second or third unwanted shot under stress from someone not totally familiar with that gun. Some 950's don't have a thumb safety, watch for that if you buy one. I'd rather see her with a .22 revolver, but that's your call. Taurus now makes a cute DAO .25 polymer gun. It's too bad their junk doesn't work.

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SOS USA

I like the 21A in .22LR. Stoked with Stingers it's a pretty effective face gun. The .22LR is not a great stopper but it is a killer. Have Grama keep it cocked and locked and that will make the DA/SA transition a non issue. I like mine as a shoot and scoot or back up. Too bad the shoot thru wallet is considered an AOW by the feds. "Gimme yer wallet" will get someone more than they expected while you're reaching for your primary gun.

There's a new shoot thru wallet available that's "fed acceptable"

http://www.desantisholster.com/store...EW/pocket-shot

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SOS USA

I'd avoid any .22 rimfire as a defense gun. Modern quality control is letting far too many rounds of .22 ammo reach the market that doesn't have the priming compound all around the rim. Misfires are fairly common, especially in some brands. Not usual, but more misfires than with centerfire ammo.

That's one reason why I'd choose the .25. The other is that the ammo is better sealed. And the rimless cases feed better in most autos.

Beretta's .32 Tomcat seems to have a problem with cracking frames. I see a lot of posts about that.

THEEEEE problem with the .25 is that very accurate shot placement is absolutely required (NOT center of mass, btw) to STOP an attacker.
If she only has the ability to make a gun go bang and not to accurately aim it and hold that aim through the firing sequence then I'd suggest something other than a pistol.
A short .410 or 20 gauge shotgun might be a better choice if this is for home defense. If for CC then maybe a K frame snubby (I don't understand not being able to handle the J though) with a quality trigger job.

ALSO ---- Training. If possible take her to a female NRA Certified Instructor.

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In dog years I'm dead.

Was in OK just last month visiting wife's mother. She comes out with this littel .25 jet fire, loaded and cocked, safety off. Hands it to me and wants it unloaded, she's scared of it. (scared me too the way she was waving it around).

I take it and unload it. Checked it out and it didn't to have anything wrong with it. Took it out the next morning and shot it. Every piece of brass that came out of this gun came back and wacked me in the forehead. Every one. Right smack dead in the middle of my forehead.

It had fail-to-feed problems, didn't have enough ammo to play with it enough to find out why.

Anyway, brought it home (MIL certainly didn't need it, she's scarey without a gun she knows nothing about). I'll get some ammo and play with it some more.

Cute little sucker if nothing else.

The 950 is a great little gun. Combine with it with the right knife and you'll be well protected.

Seriously, with some training, grammy should do well with the gun.

......moon

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NRA Life Member

Google up Vasili Blokhin. He had much "success" with the .25 acp. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I had a 950 for about 18 years. And I bought a DeSantis shoot through when they first came out in about 1980. It quickly made the Beretta a "one shot wonder" as it would press against the magazine release and drop the magazine. I brought it to DeSantis (I was living on Long Island at the time) and DeSantis himself came out and cut the relief hole to prevent the dropping of the magazine. But since the wallet was designed to accommodate several pistols he never added that to the design. Check to make sure that the wallet does not drop the magazine.

The gun was always reliable and accurate and easy to shoot.

An alternative you might want to consider is a S & W 351C. This is a centennial design (covered hammer) in .22 Magnum. About as powerful as a .32 acp it carries 8 rounds (as I recall), and weighs about 10 ounces. Recoil is said to be negligible. They are now offering .22 mag in short barrel loadings.

This is larger than the Beretta, but if she is going to carry off-body in a purse I think the low weight and greater power would be an advantage.

Carried a M950 .25acp as a "Deep Cover" for many years.
100% dependable. Used FMJ ammo even tho JHPs were available.

I have one in 22short. Completely reliable,,but,, only with Remington HS 'golden bullet' ammo.

Said to be better than a sharp stick in the eye.

I don't know about the effectiveness comparison,,but it's probably easier to apply from a distance.

Thanks. Proper training in order first of course. I have considered the .22 Magnum, but I also know it has a good bit of noise and flash compared to even a medium velocity 38. .

After my experiences with most rimifire semi-autos, I tend to think of them as fields guns. I like the Jetfire because of its reliability, and size (she likes that frame of autos). I just have mixed feelings about the caliber. Though my grandfather carried one as back up for years, his idea being 9 rounds of 25 to the face area is more useful than a 357 at home.

This is not a man stopper round, and I always trained to shoot for the neck. There is nothing but soft tissue there and the central nervous system.

The other alternative is to shoot in the shoulder as the pain would disable the use of the arm.

In the winter, torso shots would be problematic due to the heavy clothing.

Head shots are too, due to the heavy bone in the skull.

We used to "stitch up" starting with a shot to the sternum, and progressing up to the neck.

I still think that neck shots are the best bet, and since this is an easy gun to shoot precisely, I think it is the best way to train too.

There are new .22 magnums that are designed for short barrels. Muzzle flash should be reduced.

I carried the 950 in my hip pocket for so many years that when I traded it in there was no bluing left on the slide and half of the black annodizing was gone too. Still worked fine. But watch to make sure that the ammo remains fresh in the gun. The only misfires I ever had was from ammo that had been in my pocket for so long that the primers had corroded.

The 950 is certainly a good choice for someone who lacks the strength to rack back a slide. Easy to clean too.

I have a 25cal. beretta jetfire and it goes with me a lot as a my mouse gun.I use the hornady 35 grain XTP ammo.Very light and reliable pistolcoobie

I only recommend a semiauto for someone that is very well trained and is a "shooter". These small semiautos are cute, and handy.

For many years I carried a Baby Browning, 25ACP as a No2 or No3.
I carried a Browning 1910 in 380 a fair amount, and a SIG 230 a little as well.

But for most people, especially not well tained not "shooter" wifes, mothers, grand mothers, and even manly men, I recommend a revolver.
Easy to load, easy to shoot, very little chance of malfunction.

Even I prefer a revolver when it comes to small hideout guns. I no longer have any small semiautos. My only exception is my old High Standard 2 shot Derringer in 22 Mag. It is Double action, and totally reliable, very small thin and light.

For even highly trained people, under severe stress, with a close in threat, especially at Grappling distance, the revolver is the best choice, IMHO of course.

The poster stated that his grandmother cannot operate a revolver. Trigger pull is probably too heavy for her.

With a good trigger job and some practice, maybe she could.

If not, I would she if she could shoot the Beretta in 380 that has the same tip up barrel design. They are much more reliable than the 25ACP semiautos, more powerful too.

Picking a handgun for some one of limited strength, or severe "arther ites" can be difficult.

The bottom line is she needs to shoot what ever gun she can work a fair amount, untill it becomes second nature for her.

Same for anybody else.

Just because you have a gun, it does not make you any safer, if you are not trained in its use, maybe even less safe.

I think every law Abiding Citizen should have guns, but they should take the time and money to know how to use them.

A few years ago I was in a remote "village" in Idaho, staying at a buddies cabin.

One of the people I knew there came by one day and asked me if I would teach his mother how to shoot one of the Jetfire 22LR seniautos. He had bought it for her.

So I did. She had all sorts of trouble with it.

I then let her shoot my S&W Bodyguard. She really liked it, as did my buddies dad.

So My buddy came by and looked at the S&W, wrote down the info about it, and the next time I was up there, I was training his mom, and his dad, with their Bodyguards.

I pity the fool, that breaks in on them...

Well, I can't argue with that, but he did say that he will work with her on the issue. I do share your concern. Using a gun and being safe with it requires a certain mindset, which not everyone has. I have a brother who is pretty naive and who probably lacks the killer instinct. He probably shouldn't have guns. Another brother and I wouldn't be without them. Our mother hated them, and wouldn't ever own one, let alone have the mindset to use it effectively and safely.

I have been very favorably impressed by the reliability reports re the 950's owned by those posting. But just because I want one doesn't mean that it'll be carried when I can lug a more powerful gun.

Long ago, I was in a gun shop looking at a Browning Baby .25. After comparing it to a S&W M-36, I paid the difference for the .38. It was larger, but built better, more powerful, and more reliable. But I still want a Beretta M-950, and not just because I liked the opening credits of, "Silk Stalkings", where the babe stuck one in her stocking. I liked the larger (9mm) Berettas on the show, too. Not that I choose guns based on a glamor image, but it doesn't hurt, if the gun is also actually the best in its class.

Why fool around with a Beretta or any other semi-auto if your not willing to spend a bit of time (quite a bit actualy) on maintainance and operation training?

Tilt up Bbl. because of arthritis or lack of hand strengh a issue? There is no reason a DA revolver can't be fired SA.

Love mine.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

The old jeff cooper non-sense that having a gun doesn't make you armed is rediculous.

If you have a weapon you are armed. Having a camera makes you a photographer if you have the simple ability to point and shoot.

A gun is not much different. yes you can take bad photos and make bad shots.

BUT YOU CAN DO NEITHER WITHOUT A GUN OR CAMERA.

The problem with having a gun, and being non trained/prepared to use it is that it can be taken away and used against you.

I have been asked to "train" several of my friends and coworkers family members over the years. Some were totally against any type of firearm.

So I went about their "protection" in a different manner.
First Target Hardening, then Alarms, then pepperspray, stun guns, etc.
Having a cell phone, kept next to the bed, in addition to a land line.
Having a "secure" door to the bed room...

Awareness of your surroundings, and dangerous area avoidness...

Now all of the above, AND GUNS, is the best way to go, IMHO, but some people will not include guns in the equation. They can still do "things" to increase their safety.

I disagree, having a gun with no training... Is like...

Buying a plane does not make you a pilot.
Buying a boat does not make you a sailor.
Buying some knives and a saw does not make you a Butcher.

IF you want to be able to truely protect yourself, you must get some training.
The problem is, most schools are not geared for the average individual. If you do not have a 1911, or some sort of semiauto you will not do well.

Many times I have trained people["civilian citizens"] with 5 shot S&W's, or small semiautos, for their real world survival. Much different from law Enforcement/Military "stuff".

You might want to take a look at the Beretta 86 if it's the tip-up feature that she likes to operate. This upgrades you to the 9mm short (.380 Cal), instead of the 25 acp. Recoil is still very mild.

The Beretta 86 is a little bigger than the 950, although not much, so if this is for CCW purposes maybe this is not an option for her (I didn't see in any posts if this was to be a CCW pistol or for one around the house).

These are not cheap guns, but they are very reliable. I've seen them sell on Gunbroker for as low as $475, although they usually go for more like $600.

Anyway, it's an option to consider if you're concerned about the small caliber of the 950.
BTW, it can also be carried cocked & locked.

Yeah I am always on the look out for the Beretta 86. In my opinion, they need to make more tip-ups in .32 and .380. I love the idea of the Tomcat but I will not tolerate an unreliable semi-auto, or one that cracks.

The .22 Magnum snubbie revolver sounds like another plan but I have little experience with those other than long barreled single actions. How is noise and muzzle flash compared to a .38+P snub nose?

Quite a bit of muzzle flash, but not much recoil. Very little if a steel frame gun.

I didn't say you would be extremely proficient, but I am saying you are ARMED.

If you possess a weapon and the will to use it you are armed. Heck, if you possess the will to defend youself and you don't have a weapon but you are willing to turn anything around you to your advantage you are the weapon.

I have taken many classes both NRA and other, I even was a NRA certified instructor for a few years. I found many instructors take Jeff Cooper's statement to justify their brand of instruction.

I know a LOT of good shooters who are self-taught, some who learned through competition, scouts or hunting. I also know a lot of good shooters whose only training is military service.

I know a couple of old grandmas who are armed. Training is nothing more than going to the range a few times. I don't doubt at least one of these ladies will use the gun if need be.

No owning a boat does not make me a sailor, but if I am willing to learn I can sail that boat, and I don't need anything more than my state class to know the rules.

I don't need a Shaman to tell me I am worthy.

I've owned a 950 for years. It's accurate, reliable, and easy to use. I've shot mostly FMJ loads in it, and while the recoil gets your attention, it's not really all that bad.

I remember the "Stitching" method of shooting. I could not recall the name of the method. I wonder if the method is still taught?
Jimmy

I guess I'm an "old timer"; I was taught this in 1978 - 1979 when I first started shooting. I don't know if it is still taught. But it was a logical way to shoot a small caliber gun. Your first shot would be to the center of mass (a large target area) and then you needed just to incrementally raise the point of aim. You can make small left/right adjustments as you go up.

We were taught to stitch up from the sternum to the forehead. But I read once that a .25 failed to penetrate the skull of a victim, so I would practice ending with 3 shots to the neck. The neck seems to me the most vulnerable of the larger target areas (a shot to the eye would work, but it is a much tougher shot to make).

I have a 950 "Minx" in .22 short that I purchased new in the early '80's. It's one of the funnest guns I own. Very accurate for such a tiny gun and it's never had a FTF even once in hundreds of rounds and will shoot ANY shorts I load it with.

It's one of the few guns I own that I would never sell. Just a fun little gun!