So... What good IS the .25 ACP???

[labworm]

Cute little thing I purchased new in 1990.

9 rounds, throw it in any pocket without much noticeable weight.
Can and will cause damage.

Sorry Fellas, not for sale.

 

[huthike]

Not to carry, but to collect. As you said, jewels of a bygone era.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mule Packer]

This FN .25 acp belonged to my dad's Uncle Vern, an attorney who was disbarred after tying to bribe a jury back in the 30's. He then became a fight promoter for so-called "wrestlers" who would travel around to the various county fairs to put on exhibition matches. From what my dad told me, he later landed a job as a prison guard, but I don't know how long that lasted.

Uncle Vern probably wasn't the most scrupulous character in the world and was known to frequent local brothels...at least that's what the family gossip claims. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that's where he acquired this little gem...formerly tucked in the hem of Miss Mazie's bodice.

I met Uncle Vern only once that I can remember. I was about ten years old and I remember being totally enthralled as he told me how they'd "fix" the wrestling matches in order to entertain the crowds. They'd put on a few of these phony matches, collect their money, then jump on the bus and go on to the next county that was having a fair. Pretty impressive to a ten-year-old.


Anyway, when he gave this gun to my dad, he said, "Don't ever shoot anyone with it. You're liable to make them very mad." Oh, if it could only talk.

 

[THEmodelof1989]

Nope, not even close.

Keltec P32 dimensions: 5.1"L x 3.5"H x .75"W
Baby Browning dimensions: 4.1"L x 2.5"H x .75"W

So the P32 is the same thickness but a full inch longer and an inch taller than the Baby.

Putting that in other terms the P32 is 25% longer, 40% taller and the same thickness.

The Baby literally fits in my jeans watch pocket. The Keltec will barely fit in a large shirt pocket.

AFIK, the Baby Browning design is about the smallest multi shot pistol ever built in a common caliber and sold in mass quantity.


Yeah the Seecamp is probably closest
Seecamp dimensions: 4.25"L x 3.25"H x .75"W
But even it is 5% longer and 30% taller.
Though to get a .380 caliber for that small size increase is a pretty powerful argument in its favor.
The other drawback to the Seecamp is the cost. A .32 costs over twice what I paid for my little Bauer - and the semi-rare .380 version is even more expensive than that - more like three times what I paid for my Bauer.

if your goal is to just be as small as you can, how about the life-card? They are certainly smaller than the baby browning. Less expensive too.

 

[Univibe]

I had a thought.

A 50 grain .25 bullet against a 200 pound man is the same proportion as a 300 grain .44 bullet against a 1200 pound brown bear.

 

[clang444]

I think the Walther 9 and it's clone the Bernardelli are a little smaller, but basically the same thing.

Correct:

The Walther Model 9 makes a Baby Browning feel large.

 

[les.b]

I've got a few... Disregard the 1903 .32....

Best Regards, Les

 

[kaaskop49]

Since we're touching on which gun is smaller, let me stray off-topic momentarily by citing the Lilliput semi-auto in .17 caliber. IIRC, this would put out about 25fpe. I'll leave the dimensional computations to my fellow tiny gun aficionados!

Great thread, BTW, people. Everyone's opinion is respected. I guess that's because only one poster (myself) used the "derringer" word...

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Gamecock]

I LOVE it when people make up statistics to argue against my point. 99%+huh? Erroneous. Straight bull-ogney. Cite your source please.

That would be the NRA.

 

[VaTom]

See the picture of the Colt Vest Pocket .25 (made in 1913 according to ser. #) that belonged to my grandfather (1889-1953). He passed the year I was born. He was a meat cutter by trade and eventually built his own meat packing house. He also had several other businesses during the 1920's and 1930's. I assume he probably carried this pistol with him as he carried cash to pay his workers each Friday. Probably put down a number of hogs and cows with it when brought to him for processing. The finished is all but gone but functions perfectly. It came to me from a great aunt about 25 years ago before she passed. It had been stored away in a cedar chest for 40 years after he passed wrapped in newspaper secured with rubber bands.

 

[kaaskop49]

Attn VaTom

Great story, and all wrapped around a gun, so to speak! Lotta small guns "back then" toted by folks who had no choice but to carry cash, as was common. Poster Les B. ran a great thread a few years ago about guns of the 20s: many .25s and .32s showed up in photos. Worth a look-see. Be safe, partner.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Chubbo]

.25ACP

This is a very interesting discussion about the small, and deadly .25ACP pistol cartridge.

My guess is, that most of the opponents of the use of the .25ACP, never had to completely conceal a self defense, weapon, or else, do without one.

Back in the very early days of, 'racial unrest' in Columbus, Ohio, I made the choice of using a Baby Browning pistol, carried concealed behind my billfold, in my pants pocket. That little pistol gave me a small feeling of security, while watching hostile faces, glaring at me, while I worked. This was before CC permits etc, was even thought about.

I had to sell my Baby Browning pistols, to finance silly things, such as house payments, Taxes, college tuition, etc. I only have one .25ACP pistol left, a .25ACP Junior Colt.

I would like to ask for volunteers, for an experiment, from the many people that have such high contempt, for the .25ACP. I would like to have those volunteers, face me, at 25 yards, and let me fire my .25ACP Colt Junior pistol at them. I am sure that they would disdain the use any type of protective clothing. How about some volunteers? Thanks, I thought not.

Chubbo

 

[sigp220.45]

I would like to ask for volunteers, for an experiment, from the many people that have such high contempt, for the .25ACP. I would like to have those volunteers, face me, at 25 yards, and let me fire my .25ACP Colt Junior pistol at them. I am sure that they would disdain the use any type of protective clothing. How about some volunteers? Thanks, I thought not.

Chubbo

Now you’ll get the “I wouldn’t volunteer to even get shot by a BB gun, but I wouldn’t blah blah blah.......” argument.

Put $100,000 on a table. All you have to do is take one shot then grab the dough.

Pepper Spray? I’ve been pepper sprayed plenty. I’ll get that cash.

BB gun? I got two eyes, I’ll take the chance, and you’ll see me at the boat dealers cash in hand.

.25 Automatic? No way.

 

[Echo40]

To the best of my knowledge there is no .32 or .380 as small as this little baby (or rather COPY of a baby - baby Browning that is) but feel free to show me that I am wrong about that. I have a number of carry guns, but this is the only gun I own that will tuck into the watch pocket of my jeans!

Overall the lowly .25 acp is better than no gun at all - certainly better than a harsh word or a sharp stick...

Obviously modern .32 ACP and .380 ACP pocket pistols are larger than .25 ACP pocket pistols, but it's not really all that big of a difference, especially considering what you're getting in return.

I'm not saying that .25 ACP cannot be used in self-defense nor that it absolutely will not stop an attacker, merely that .25 ACP is no longer popular because pistols of similar size/weight chambered in more powerful cartridges like .32 ACP and .380 ACP are widely available today at prices that practically anybody can afford.

 

[Old TexMex]

A poor choice for suicide, but could be made to work, certainly.

In the era of their popularity, there were no pepper sprays, and there were no metal detectors...* These little guys could be made to slip through a reasonable search, and for sure are non- apparent to the visual search of the well dressed man. They are the child of the derringer, and have the advantage of more than two bites at the rotten apple.
I know of more than one “Leave your pistol at the door” card games that were interrupted by a disgruntled player with a .25

*or body armor

I have no reservations against one as a last resort.

 

[PALADIN85020]

The Colt doesn't do anything for me, but that Mauser is absolutely gorgeous. Darn, another quest in my future just when I decided enough is enough.

That little Mauser punched my "gotta have it" button when it walked in off the street at a gun show I was attending. The fact that it's in 99% condition, and being nearly a century old, I was hooked. I put on my negotiating hat and came away with it.

If you liked its looks from its right side, you might appreciate seeing its left side - it may launch you on a quest!

John

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Judging by the number of replies, you are NOT alone.

I carried a Beretta 950-BS for many years, admittedly long before the Texas CHL law was passed. BECAUSE it is diminutive and can go anywhere that's what happened, it went everywhere with me.

At some point in time I switched to a J-frame but I still sometimes carry that Beretta.

My PSA "Baby Browning" has issues so I have never carried it. But I like it, once I can make it work round after round. The CZ DUO was my "Florida gun"; I brought it to my mother's home and when I visited I had a little carry gun waiting for me. I was happy when Texas and Florida became reciprocal CCW states but I had that CZ in Florida long before that. The DUO came back to Texas after my mother passed away.

I recently went to Florida and the little Beretta went with me. Easy to transport on a flight and easy to conceal whilst I was there. So it is a gun if I need a gun and it's there so I'm happy that it is "there".

Will a .25 ACP save my hide when the elephant appears? I don't know - but it will be a gun when I need a gun and if don't have it with me I might never need another gun again.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Look up Vasily Blokhin.

He killed thousands of people with a .25ACP Walther Model 2.

HOLY SMOKES!!!!!!!!

That was one bad dude!!!

Vasily Blokhin - Wikipedia

Then, without a hearing, the reading of a sentence or any other formalities, each prisoner was brought in and restrained by guards while Blokhin shot him once in the base of the skull with a German Walther Model 2 .25 ACP pistol.[12][13][14] He had brought a briefcase full of his own Walther pistols, since he did not trust the reliability of the standard-issue Soviet TT-30 for the frequent, heavy use he intended. The use of a German pocket pistol, which was commonly carried by German police and intelligence agents, also provided plausible deniability of the executions if the bodies were discovered later.[15]

(c) Wikipedia 2019

 

[ISCS Yoda]

As a side note to the above post on Vasily Blokhin, I had a Walther Model 1 .25 ACP but years and years ago I sold it to a Walther collector.

The Model 1 was originally marketed as the “Deutche Selbstlade Pistole Walther, Modell 1910, Kaliber 6,35.” In 1914, when the Walther Model 2 appeared, the original pistol was retroactively named the Model 1.

Walther Model 1

(c) 2010 by Ed Buffaloe

 

[dockmurgw]

That little Mauser punched my "gotta have it" button when it walked in off the street at a gun show I was attending. The fact that it's in 99% condition, and being nearly a century old, I was hooked. I put on my negotiating hat and came away with it.

If you liked its looks from its right side, you might appreciate seeing its left side - it may launch you on a quest!

John

Your killing me John! Everyone has different taste, but there's something about that gun that clicks with me. Everyone needs a goal, and you just gave me one...finding one of those.