The question being pros and cons for pocket carry by a slightly built female family member with small hands. Her dad gave her one, I own the other but would gladly give it to her if she wanted it and thought it more suitable.

Please, please, please, this is a .25 ACP only conversation. I also have a couple of .32 ACPs but she is quite proficient with Saint John's smallest offering and does not want to "supersize" to .32 or .380.

I'm asking because there are things I really like and dislike about mine and there are things that her dad really likes and dislikes about his. Basically I just would like other likes and dislikes based on first-hand experience.

Things like mag capacity, and blowback vs extractor...

Fiocchi 50 gr hardball does 13 to 14 inches in uncovered Jell-O-- lime flavored of course-- and 11 to 12 through 4 layers. So, it is the only load I would use. (Especially considering that out of a couple inches the lighter 45-ish gr HP loads only expand to .26 to .27 inches.)

Thanks

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My carry, 360 PD, 135gr GDSBs.

FWIW: I have and occasionally carry a PSA (Precision Small Arms) copy of the Baby Browning in .25 ACP., made in W. VA., I consider it to be "bet your life reliable" (to quote a departed friend on this forum). I have had it 25 years, shoot it enough to stay competent, and carry it when I have to be dressed better for meetings (suit & tie). I have never had a failure to feed, fire or extract. I can't speak about the Bauer you reference, but if it's a true copy of the Baby Browning, I would think it's OK, until I was able to test it myself.

My wife has a Beretta 950 Jetfire in .25 ACP I bought her 20 years ago. Like my PSA Baby Browning, it is "bet your life reliable" for the above mentioned reasons.

I do not know the Bauer you mentioned, so I would have to go with the Beretta if given the choice between it or the Bauer. Good luck with your decision.

I have owned both. I believe with the pop up barrel feature, and the exposed hammer, the Jetfire is the safer, more user friendly gun. The Bauer, a stainless steel copy of the Baby Browning, is a little smaller than the Jetfire, more rust resistant. But, there is no way to lower the hammer once a round is chambered, and you are dependent on the hammer sear and the safety only - not something I am comfortable carrying unless it is in a holster. Reliability wise, the Beretta was great thru a case of 1000 rounds of hard ball. My Bauer had far less rounds thru it, and it was never close to 100% reliable.

I would pick the Jetfire out of the two, and agree with your feelings R/E hardball in the .25 acp. I attached a pic of my old Bauer.

Larry

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I currently own two of the Baby Brownings. I have used several brands of ammo, and have never had a reliability problem. I only shoot at max distance of 10 yards. and can keep them within a 8"-10" group at the 30 feet. They are small, they are concealable, they have minimal recoil, but they are small and you need small hands to feel comfortable with them.

The individual needs to shoot both and make their selection from actual use.

I will say I have had a couple of Beretta Mod 21(?) .22RF with the tip up barrel, and would not recommend them for a small person. The slide is very difficult to rack when the need may arise, and the safety isn't as secure as the Browning. (My opinion).

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I had one of the Beretta Bobcats in .22lr and since it had a tip up barrel and no extractor I never had reason to manipulate the slide.

To load a round into the chamber you tipped up the barrel and just dropped it in.

To remove a chambered round you also needed to tip up the barrel and pull it out with your fingernail or push it out with a short rod.

Since there was no extractor, racking the slide wouldn’t remove a chambered round.

The pistol was reliable when it was kept fairly clean.

I have owned both, the Beretta over fifty years ago, the Bauer over forty. As I recall, both were reliable, but I owned an Astra Firecat at the same time as the Bauer, and the fit and finish of the Astra were much more confidence-inspiring. Again, the Bauer DID work for me.

Nowadays, I could carry a Jetfire, but not the Bauer. I, too, will pass on a striker-fired gun in my pocket. I don't even want to holster one.

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Formerly Model520Fan

I’m on the Beretta side.

I’ve got and carried both. The Beretta is larger but wins out everywhere else. The replacement cost of the 950 would be significantly less should it get “locked up.” Im not saying they aren’t high quality because they are excellent.

As was said, with the Beretta there is no need to ever cycle the slide to load the chamber. There are several choices in aftermarket grip panels so they can be customized a bit.

The Baby Browning is so minuscule that it almost fits in my watch pocket. It’s the smallest semi I have but still easy to shoot. At least in my experience.

I’m not recommending a .25 for defensive carry but in a pinch something is better than nothing at all.

Jim

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Take her out to the range and let her shoot both guns.
Let her decide which one she is most comfortable with.
What we think really ain’t that important.
It’s what she thinks.
Mindset is important in any number of things.
Handgun selection is high on the list.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

They weigh the same, and have the same length barrel, but the Beretta has a larger grip. Her hands are smaller than mine. I like the larger grip of the Beretta (which allows two more rounds as well). But I'm not the "customer."

She can grip the Bauer just fine and shoots both equally well at close distances (which is what a .25 is made for). If all things are equal (which they never are) she will go with the Bauer because it is smaller. I'm not saying that is wrong-- for instance I prefer an extractor even though the Beretta is fine through 20-30 rounds of .25 ACP. (My newer Beretta 21 in .22 LR consistently fails to eject at the end of the second or beginning of the third magazine-- ca.15 rounds-- probably dirtier ammo, clean it and it's fine.)

So hammer v striker, extractor v none, 6 rounds v 8 rounds, larger grip v smaller, tastes great v less filling...

Thanks

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My carry, 360 PD, 135gr GDSBs.

An actual Baby Browning is my choice…..shoots anything I put through it.

For CC there is really no comparison between the two. The Beretta is far superior due to it’s exposed hammer and firing pin compared to the striker fired Browning. Way more reliable and can be carried without springs compressed like the Browning. I have owned both and the Beretta gives higher velocity with all loads than the little Browning.

I gave my daughter my Beretta Bobcat 21a and she can shoot it well. I like the double action 21a vs. The single action jetfire. It is as reliable as most any automatic.

I've owned both, shot both and carried both at one point or another.

Without a doubt the Beretta.

Many have already stated why and they are correct.

I own both. Both have been reliable with FMJ ammo from any of the major manufacturers. I agree with the others who have said she should shoot both and then decide. For some, the tip up barrel and not having to rack the slide will be a good feature. For others the diminutive size of the Baby will be important. None of those matter if she's not 100% comfortable with her choice.

The important thing is to take her to the Range and shoot both…Than She can decide which one She likes better and will be happy with.

The Browning has a Magazine capacity of 6, plus one in the Chamber and has a loaded chamber/ pistol cocked indicator in the form of a pin protruding from the center rear of the slide..It has a lever safety that clicks into place…

The Beretta 950B has an 8 round magazine capacity, plus one in the Chamber…It has NO safety, relying on a quarter cock notch on the hammer…The 950 in the pic is ON this notch…slightly up from resting on the firing pin..The Beretta uses the tip-up barrel and has NO extractor, so quality ammo is a must for reliability… Also the firing pin is prone to breakage if dry fired…The 950 in the pic has a new pin and spring from Midwest Gun works I installed….It’s important to count your shots as neither pistol lock the slide on an empty magazine…The Browning I’ve had several years, it was a rescue project from a Hurricane, the Beretta was gifted me more recently.

I like the Browning due to its small size, the Beretta because of where it came from in 1966.

Edited to add: When I received the 950B, I ran a function test AFTER replacing the broken firing pin and cleaning the pistol. I had some older Remington Green and Red box ammo and after loading a single round into the Chamber and closing the barrel and than using the lever to flip up the barrel ,the unfired round did NOT eject…I had to remove it using a cleaning rod…I shot the remainder of that ammo in the Browning with no issues…including the round that wouldn’t eject...I have some Fiocchi ammo that runs 100% thru the Beretta…The Remington green and white box ammo functioned as expected…test your ammo to make sure the pistol functions reliably….

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Actually the Beretta 950 does a thumb safety.

Exploded View: Beretta 950BS Jetfire | An Official Journal Of The NRA

I favor the Beretta.
Exposed hammer and tip up barrel
are a big plus along with the thumb safety.

I agree the Beretta to be the better choice -- but I am smart enough to know that the woman will decide which one she wants to carry, and that had better be the end of it...

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Pisgah

My vote is for the Beretta. I prefer the double action version but the s/a is a quality arm. I like the exposed hammer and the tip up bbl. Mine was always reliable. Sold it to a friend when I retired.

I have a bit of a thing for mouse guns.
I own examples of both guns mentioned. A Berreta Jetfire, a Browning baby and a PSA-25. All are good guns.
As far as the Bauers go, I have never owned one. However, the talk I've always heard is that they are either completely reliable or troublesome junk. Be sure to check your's to be sure.
The Beretta is a fine gun. However there's something about the grip and my hand that doesn't quite jive. When shooting, I have occasionally bumped the thumb safety to the on position by accident. She should check for that.
As far as the babies, the Browning is a classic. However, I think my early PSA (now PSP) is actually the better gun. Its trigger is much better and its been totally reliable. When circumstances require small and discreet, my PSA-25 has been my first choice for over 30 years now. I do carry it cocked and locked. Its never been a problem. JMB made sure the safeties in his designs worked.

Having said all of that, I agree that the lady should shoot both guns and see which one works best for her. But then add that once she makes a decision, she should fire at least 100 rounds through the gun to test reliability and accuracy in her hands.

I have had both, beretta hands down for me.
YMMV

Well, you said "Jetfire" which I think means a Beretta 950 and not a 950 BS. The BS has a thumb safety which I personally do not like but if that's what you happen to have and it works for the lady I'd not gainsay it. It happens to be what I carried for years and it was as hidden as anything you could possibly want.

My preference for the Beretta is because the tip up barrel makes loading it a cinch, there is no slide racking required which can sometimes be an issue for a lady or anyone with small hands. Further, it has more rounds available. I like virtually every comment above, especially the concept of shooting both to be sure of her preference.



The three guns pictured are my Beretta 950 BS, carried for years and, as noted, a wonderful little gun. Sometimes it still finds its way into my pocket. The old gun pictured is a CZ DUO, manufactured in 1944 in German occupied Czechoslovakia. At distance it never hit anything but it wasn't designed for distance and with .25 ACP FMJ I never had a problem with it. Carried it for years in Florida where I kept it at my mother's home so I didn't have to fly with a gun. The third gun is a gorgeous PSA (Precision Small Arms) version of the Baby Browning, it was my second or third of those, I can't recall, and they all sucked. Useless little piece of pretty machinery. I'm glad to see someone above liked his but I gave one back to PSA, they sent another, and I sold it because it was a jammamatic. Okay, two - one was repaired, still didn't work, replaced, still didn't work with basic .25 ACP FMJ.

I vote for the Beretta.

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Come and take it!!

Totally agree, let her shoot both and make her decision.

That being said, I would recommend the Beretta.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

The US made 950 BS has a thumb safety. The Italian made older 950B does not. The S in BS stands for safety. But the 950B does not have to be carried on half cock. The firing pin is an inertia type so the 950B is safe to carry chamber loaded with the hammer down.

If she shoots it fine with no problems and it works, but for that application I would choose the Beretta. Having had a Baby Browning for a while I love the little pea shooter, but I've had to warn some folks with even regular size hands who wanted to shoot it to be careful because it's a farmers gun . . . when the look at me quizzically and say, "farmer's gun ?" I tell them, "yeah, 'cause if you're not careful it will plow furrows in the web of your hand behind the thumb" . . .

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