reerc
Member
Kinda wish I hadn't read it, but ... like the train wreck, hard to look away.
A special place in hell awaits ...
.25 ACP ballistic test-vs .22 Long Rifle
- Thread starter David LaPell
- Start date
Kinda wish I hadn't read it, but ... like the train wreck, hard to look away.
A special place in hell awaits ...
A friend of mine, i'll call him Charlie, because thats his name, was caught carrying a 25 auto by some of the gun shop crowd. Every one gave him a good razing, but Charlie felt confident as he had it stoked with the newer "PowerBall" rounds. They have a plastic ballistic tip.
So I conned Charlie to give me a few round to test. I tryed the same test as you did Dave, both with liquid water and ice filled jugs. Never got the bullets to expand. They just dont go fast enough.
So I conned Charlie to give me a few round to test. I tryed the same test as you did Dave, both with liquid water and ice filled jugs. Never got the bullets to expand. They just dont go fast enough.
Kinda wish I hadn't read it, but ... like the train wreck, hard to look away.
A special place in hell awaits ...
"He reportedly sank into alcoholism, went insane, and died in February 1955 with the official cause of death listed as "suicide".
What a tragic ending.
Krull
Member
I don't hate the .25 or the .22 for that matter,I just accept they are both of rather limited use for defense.
To me I list both as "deep concealment,contact range" weapons i.e. you'll have to actually put the gun against your attacker for it to be of any use,face it even a weak 50 odd gr. FMJ with sixty odd foot lbs of muzzle energy is going to have a desired effect at ranges of a few feet.
If you get it in your head that you can deploy ether at five or ten yards like a reg gun you need to get some help.
To me I list both as "deep concealment,contact range" weapons i.e. you'll have to actually put the gun against your attacker for it to be of any use,face it even a weak 50 odd gr. FMJ with sixty odd foot lbs of muzzle energy is going to have a desired effect at ranges of a few feet.
If you get it in your head that you can deploy ether at five or ten yards like a reg gun you need to get some help.
7shooter
Member
Here is my post on the .25 from another thread :
"I agree with the importance of shot placement. There was a recent homicide in a trailer park in my town where there was a physical altercation between two card players where in the course of the fight one man pulled a .25 auto from his pocket and placed it in contact with his opponents chest killing him with one shot. You've probably heard the joke about the .25 that if you shoot someone with it and they find out about it they will be really mad. In this case it was a one shot stop. "
That being said I saw a .25 being shot at a toilet seat cover ( don't ask ) a few years ago and the bullet bounced off.
"I agree with the importance of shot placement. There was a recent homicide in a trailer park in my town where there was a physical altercation between two card players where in the course of the fight one man pulled a .25 auto from his pocket and placed it in contact with his opponents chest killing him with one shot. You've probably heard the joke about the .25 that if you shoot someone with it and they find out about it they will be really mad. In this case it was a one shot stop. "
That being said I saw a .25 being shot at a toilet seat cover ( don't ask ) a few years ago and the bullet bounced off.
"He reportedly sank into alcoholism, went insane, and died in February 1955 with the official cause of death listed as "suicide".
What a tragic ending.
Please note the rolleyes. If you read the article, you will see that the quote is the only upbeat part.
rocketdog
Member
Rereading some of the older Spenser novels, tonight ran across Spenser using a .25 acp to good effect. 
The Widening Gyre (1983) p 162-166.
Robert B. Parker, author of Blue Screen
The Widening Gyre (1983) p 162-166. Robert B. Parker, author of Blue Screen
Newfyman
Member
I have a cell phone holster with double pouches. My phone rides in one and a Baby Browning rides in the other pouch. NO ONE has ever asked what is in the second phone pouch and it goes with me EVERYWHERE. My primary CC is a S&W Bodygurad and the little Browning is always there as a backup. I too have shot the .25 into jugs of water and I know for sure that I don't want to get hit with one. In my opionion the .25 certainly has a place as part of my personal defense and I'm going to continue carrying it.
This was my hideout back when I worked in the Dick bureau. I saw many homicides, and some suicides by .25. A hideout is a last ditch, up close and personal, contact range weapon. When someone would make fun of my Colt, my old partner would pretty much end it by saying in reference to my .25,"it'll kill ya'".
There are newer, more powerful platforms now, but I still know working coppers way younger than me that have one on their person somewhere. John
MrJT
US Veteran
bmcgilvray, thanks for the info! Just what I hoped to see... a comparison between .22 and .25 out of the same length barrel.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/members/109006-bmcgilvray.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/members/109006-bmcgilvray.html
venomballistics
Member
honestly I'd like to see the 25 "automaged" lengthen the case a quarter inch and get that pressure up there a bit ...
As a kid in a small town I heard a fairly stable account of a 25 in action. A tavern owner of reptilian nature (read snake) started an altercation with a customer. (rumor has it as a pot transaction gone stupid) The Taveren owner then met the second party out back with a Louisville slugger.
Prior to making physical contact the customer produced a 25 auto, firing and hitting twice which resulted in some broken ribs by the more authoritative Louisville slugger.
they say dont bring a knife to a gunfight. If facing a 25, there may be an exception
As a kid in a small town I heard a fairly stable account of a 25 in action. A tavern owner of reptilian nature (read snake) started an altercation with a customer. (rumor has it as a pot transaction gone stupid) The Taveren owner then met the second party out back with a Louisville slugger.
Prior to making physical contact the customer produced a 25 auto, firing and hitting twice which resulted in some broken ribs by the more authoritative Louisville slugger.
they say dont bring a knife to a gunfight. If facing a 25, there may be an exception
bmcgilvray
Excellent info, excellent posts.
I carried a Baby Browning for several years.
Many times as a second or third, but sometimes when it was all I could tote.
I shot it a fair amount and at conversational distances it was plenty accurate enough.
I have seen several people killed with a 25 ACP and a 22LR.
Once upon a time I saw a fella shot on the left side of his chest, just at the top of the heart.
He was dead when he hit the ground.
This thread makes me wish I still had my "Little Baby".
Excellent info, excellent posts.
I carried a Baby Browning for several years.
Many times as a second or third, but sometimes when it was all I could tote.
I shot it a fair amount and at conversational distances it was plenty accurate enough.
I have seen several people killed with a 25 ACP and a 22LR.
Once upon a time I saw a fella shot on the left side of his chest, just at the top of the heart.
He was dead when he hit the ground.
This thread makes me wish I still had my "Little Baby".
The Lyman number is 252435. I don't know if it's still in the line. I got mine many years ago. I went to my local gun store over lunch hour and he had 4 of them on the shelf! i asked what happened and he looked a little sheepish. Seems a customer wanted one so he orered it. His distributor back ordered it so he went to another distributor, and on and on. When Lyman finally made a run of that mould, he had 5 of them. I gladly took one home with me.
It was made on the old, single cavity sized block, but you couldn't overheat it; there was too much mould and so little cavity. A run fo 400 bullets wasn't much.
The late, lamented Hensley & Gibbs also cataloged a 25 ACP bullet. I often thought a 10 cavity H&G mould in 25 ACP would be the ultimate in something...I don't know what, possibly ridiculous.
I've told my friend that if he ever decides to part with that 25 ACP double, to let me know. He said I'd have to get in line.
So Bowen will make a 25 ACP revolver!! Hmmmmmm. I wonder if it would be better to use a K 38 and not have to mess with modifying the firing pin to hit a centerfire primer. Guess it would be a lot or $$$$s,... sigh.
It was made on the old, single cavity sized block, but you couldn't overheat it; there was too much mould and so little cavity. A run fo 400 bullets wasn't much.
The late, lamented Hensley & Gibbs also cataloged a 25 ACP bullet. I often thought a 10 cavity H&G mould in 25 ACP would be the ultimate in something...I don't know what, possibly ridiculous.
I've told my friend that if he ever decides to part with that 25 ACP double, to let me know. He said I'd have to get in line.
So Bowen will make a 25 ACP revolver!! Hmmmmmm. I wonder if it would be better to use a K 38 and not have to mess with modifying the firing pin to hit a centerfire primer. Guess it would be a lot or $$$$s,... sigh.
When I was going to Vietnam, I told my dad, a WWII Combat Veteran of what I planned to do. He said,
"Don't buy a .25 cause,
if you buy it, you might carry it,
and if you carry it, you might get brave and
pull it on someone, and if you pull it on someone,
you might pull the trigger, and if you
pull the trigger it might go off, and if it goes off,
you might accidently hit someone and if you hit someone,
they are going to be real mad and will probably kick your,
butt." Needless to say, I didn't buy a .25, but I did pick up
a nice GP35 in Fayettville and the armorers on Smoke Bomb Hill parkarized it for me. Gave it to my dad, before I left for Vietnam. I picked up another pistol in Nha Trang when I got in country. I have a .25acp now that I was given by a friend's widow when he passed away. Safe Queen.
Rule 303
"Don't buy a .25 cause,
if you buy it, you might carry it,
and if you carry it, you might get brave and
pull it on someone, and if you pull it on someone,
you might pull the trigger, and if you
pull the trigger it might go off, and if it goes off,
you might accidently hit someone and if you hit someone,
they are going to be real mad and will probably kick your,
butt." Needless to say, I didn't buy a .25, but I did pick up
a nice GP35 in Fayettville and the armorers on Smoke Bomb Hill parkarized it for me. Gave it to my dad, before I left for Vietnam. I picked up another pistol in Nha Trang when I got in country. I have a .25acp now that I was given by a friend's widow when he passed away. Safe Queen.
Rule 303
Cyrano and NKJ Nut, thanks for the info. Looking at the profile of the bullet I'm guessing the bullets I bought are from a Lyman mould. If my guns like them I might try to track a mould down. The caster is charging $5.65 for 100, he also had a 500 pack for $25 something.
Lt. JL, great picture, I always wanted a Colt or Browning .25, or even a Bauer or other quality piece.
Lt. JL, great picture, I always wanted a Colt or Browning .25, or even a Bauer or other quality piece.
cballman
Member
Well I hate to admit it but I own Two Raven .25 Autos. I had always wanted a auto and found one at a gunshow about 25 years ago. The gun is fun to shoot. The second one I bought for my father around the same time after he shot mine. It was probley the most inaccrute gun that I have ever shot but it was fun to shoot side by side with my father. When we were shooting at the targets we hit the clothesline and laughed at that for quite a few years. Now that my Father is gone I have both guns. I keep one loaded ready to shoot when someone rings the doorbell late at night since it would be a short shot. Would I rather use a larger one yes but when my kids were younger I keep the 357 in the closet. Now I hope to be able to teach both my kids to shoot and have respect for the firearms that I have.
ChadW
US Veteran
The only issue I have with stories with this is the fact that two ill placed shots of .45 acp could end with the same result.
For one thing, it would be the ultimate in heavy molds, with ten little bitty cavities in those huge blocks.
BTW Jellybean, that is a reasonable price for .25 bullets. They don't require hardly any metal but you do have to go through the same process as "real" bullets.
if you decide to make your own just remember that the size is not the same as .25 rifle bullets.
venomballistics
Member
The Tavern owner later in his career ultimately found it useful to display the scars as a leverage tool in "debates".
while not perfect hits they are both chest cavity.
He eventually was run out of the tavern bizz for his multiple scrapes with the law and other technical difficulties, but last I heard he was still on this side of the turf.
Honestly I'd like to see the cartridge developed with a COL somewhere between a 380 and a 9MM and pressures in the 40 auto range.
the result could make for a full sized auto with a bottomless mag down to a slightly beefier pocket pistol with all points in between.
Entered into rifles and carbines, even sub gun options as was largely done with the 22LR ... the concept of a 25 auto magnum becomes a lovely little thing of great potential
