Confession time - let's see those .25 autos

[italiansport]

Here's one of mine. A Mauser 25 auto i bought in parts at a garage sale. The owner had brought it to a "gunsmith" who couldn't fix it. I had it working again in short order as the biggest problem with it was being gummed up!
Jim



I have several but here's one more. I bought this Browning Vest Pocket from the original owners daughter. it had resided in a bedroom drawer in the original fitted case since new. The box of original ammo came with it and it had exactly one magazine thru it over the years!

 

[KSDeputy]

I had a stainless Jennings many years ago. I sold it because the .25acp round is about worthless. I would rather have a .22lr, which I have in my TPH.

 

[kwill1911]

Thanks, turnerriver. I wish I had a holster like that. I do have the little Heiser shoulder holster as seen in this picture. (Sorry to OP for thread drift.)

 

[robertrwalsh]

They are neat little toys. I own four of them, an older Colt, a Colt Pony, an older Beretta and a vest-pocket Browning. On RARE occasion I actually carry one, when I am in a situation where anything bigger would be too difficult to hide. Any gun is better than no gun, though I do consider a .25 sub-minimal for effectiveness. That being said, nobody wants to be shot with one.

 

[H Richard]

This isn't my first, I had a 1910 Mauser back in the 50's, and like a fool traded it away. This little one shoots surprisingly well.

 

[Old cop]

Western Auto sold me a .25 auto that I carried laced into the top of my Corcoran combat boots until I got my first J frame for b/u to my service thirty-eight. I gave that little gun to a relative long ago and don't know what happened to it.

 

[KEN L]

You do know that a rubber band is not a real effective substitute for a lost slide spring, don't you???

John

You are mistaken. It should be obvious the rubber band is being used in place of a missing mag catch. DUH!!

 

[labworm]

Purchased new in 1990 for $195.00.

I have had it for 27 years and it ain't going nowhere, my favorite mouse.

 

[DWalt]

Back when I was a kid, the guard at the local bank carried a .25 auto (I think a Colt) in a belt holster. I guess he thought it was big enough. He usually wore a bow tie and had a cigar in his mouth. You could do that back then. That had to be a really boring job just standing around in the bank lobby every day.

 

[Lonestar57]

Here's a 102 year old one I picked up on a local gun board: Don't have a lot of information on it but it's believed to be engraved back in the day by Wolf and Klar of Ft Worth, Texas. Also don't know who or what the initials stand for. If you do please contact me.

 

[loc n load]

25's

Back when I started in 73, the 25 was commonly accepted as a "bug". My TO was alive due to the 25 he carried on his ankle. His sage advice to me on my first day with him, was " carry a second gun and a sap."
As far as real world results, I have seen it go both ways. DRT or shot several times and barely inconvienced, but I have seen that with other cartridges as well.
I own four, a baby Browning, a Berretta, a Raven and a Jennings. "Mouse" gun in my book, but they launch bullets and as such have my respect.

 

[crsides]

this one I used to own. Baby Browning engraved with ivory grips.

last two pics are of the colt shown in post 30 above in a later Colt marked holster.

Charlie

 

[Coastie762]

Timely thread. I picked up this Colt 1908 Vest Pocket pistol a couple of weeks ago. According to a table I found online, the serial number dates it to 1910.

It came to me via one of my wife's friends who had it for awhile and had no use for it. According to her, she received a phone call from an assisted living facility where here mother had been staying at the time, stating that she had a gun and to please have it removed immediately. When she asked her mother why she had a gun, her mother stated " Well a women must have protection!". Can't say I fault her reasoning...

The gun came in a cheap leather holster and as such I was a little surprised at the relative lack of corrosion. There was a bit of minor pitting in the bore but not enough to prevent shooting it. After a quick clean and lube, I ran about a half a box of FMJs through it without a hitch.

The microscopic sights didn't aid my accuracy; however I think my aim was spoiled more by my constant giggling as I pulled the trigger. Great fun!

 

[joebiker]

Baby Browning, the fist handgun my dad bought for himself, he had inherited a colt 1911, but never had a new pistol, until the Browning.He carried it many times, as have I. Love it and it will be with me till the end.

 

[2152hq]

CZ47 25acp. DAO, no safetys, levers, switches or buttons to push.
Just pull the trigger. Nice smooth easy DA pull.
Made in 1947. A touch larger than most 25 autos but it fits me better because of that. Was Louis Seecamps inspiration for his series of small semiauto pistols.
I added the engraving one day for something to do while recovering from a med issue. It had some pitting on the left side and was a good candidate for some embellishment.

 

[Cyrano]

Not a 25, but a bullet mould that produces 25 ACP bullets. You get a lot of bullets from one pound of lead, and a lot of loads when you use 1.1 gr of Bulleye.

 

[les.b]

CZ47 25acp. DAO, no safetys, levers, switches or buttons to push.
Just pull the trigger. Nice smooth easy DA pull.
Made in 1947. A touch larger than most 25 autos but it fits me better because of that. Was Louis Seecamps inspiration for his series of small semiauto pistols.
I added the engraving one day for something to do while recovering from a med issue. It had some pitting on the left side and was a good candidate for some embellishment.

Good Grief!!

What a beauty!!! If this is what you can do one day when you're not feeling well, I'd like to see what you could do if you were in tip top shape and took a little longer!!! That is an absolutely beautiful job of engraving, and on one of the nicest designed pocket automatics ever!!!

Thanks for sharing with us!!

Best Regards, Les

 

[Cyrano]

I've told this before but I think it bears re-telling in this string. I have a friend who apparently had more time than sense. People were boasting about the double rifles they were going to build and he said to himself: "I'll show you". He took a cheap Brazilian 410 shotgun, the only weak link in the whole thing. He had some .252" barrel blanks from the P.O Ackley sale. He fitted them to the shotgun, chambered them and reworked the extractors and made himself the only 25 ACP double rifle in the world.

He decided to regulate it so he could use only one set of sights. He said that was more work that the rest of the project but he got it so the two barrels would shoot within 3 inches at 50 yards. If you want a rifle that will shoot within 3 inches at 100 yards, you can pay in the high five figures for an H&H double and wait five years.

I've shot it, and it's great fun. I made a right and a left on charging beer cans at 25 yards, and it absolutely anihilates grapefruit at that range. I told him if he ever wanted to sell it, I'd like first refusal. He told me: "you'd have to get in line". I know a very good gunsmith, and asked him if he'd duplicate it; he politely declined. I asked him what about a K 25 revolver, and he was interested, but I've never taken him up on it.

 

[KEN L]

I only have 3, and since S&W never made one........
I suppose they do share the same DNA though!

Colt Junior (1973) with original Colt holster.

Colt Model 1908 (1936)

Bauer Automatic early 70's ?

Will have to try and get them all together sometime for a combined photo shoot.

 

[OLDSTER]

.25 acp

What a fun and interesting thread this is

Here's a little German Ortgies .25 acp. ca. 1922. These little guns ( made in .25 and .32-as well as a few "rare" in 9mm Kurz/.380 acp) were manufactured from 1918 to 1924 and display fine early German machining and a unique "striker" design. Reliable and surprisingly accurate at 5 to 7 yards