.25 ACP Ammo: Need Advice

[Flattop5]

I have a little, and almost-new, Galesi .25 ACP semi-auto pistol, made in Italy in the 1950s. The recoil spring seems very strong. The current ammo that I am using (PMC Bronze and Aguila) seems not to be hot enough to fully "blow back" the slide, at least not always, just sometimes. I know that European ammo is often hotter than American ammo.

Can anybody recommend an easy-to-find brand of "hotter" ammo?

Thanks in advance.



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[murphydog]

It seems all the 50 gr .25 ACP ammo is loaded about the same, and the 35 gr defense loads may generate about the same recoil energy. Probably worth trying some other brands, or you may want to go at the issue from the opposite direction and see if Wolff makes a lighter recoil spring.

 

[DWalt]

I also have a 1960s Galesi .25 pistol. In fact it is my carry gun and has been for years. If I ever need to use it, it will be enough. Through thorough testing of about every brand of .25 ammunition on the market, I determined that CCI Blazer (50 grain FMJ) is the only 100% functionally reliable ammunition I have found for my gun (but not necessarily for yours). And most agree that the 50 grain FMJ bullet is about as effective a .25 round on human targets that exists. I advise you to avoid using anything else. Expansion and penetration of the so-called "Defense" load bullets is minimal. 50 grain FMJ bullets provide superior penetration into vital areas, and that's what does the job.

BTW, I looked up in my old records. The average MV of the CCI .25 loads (10 rounds) from my Galesi was 761 ft.sec, high was 808 ft/sec.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

50 grain FMJ is the correct ammunition for these little guns. I had a Galesi like that and it worked fine with standard 50 grain ball ammo. The only .25 I ever loaded HPs in was a Beretta 950BS and it is a very different gun from the get go. Try Sellier & Belliot (sp?) rounds or the CCIs recommended above.

 

[DWalt]

I located a website with some .25 penetration data. In the standard 10% ballistic gel test, penetration of the 50 grain FMJ bullet is 15"-18". The lighter 35 grain "expanding" bullets are less than half that, usually 5" to 6". No question which bullet is the better for defensive use. Typical MV of the 50 grain FMJ bullet is about what I found it to be, upper 700s.

Joe Stalin's personal executioner, Vasily Blokhin, killed many thousands of Stalin's enemies with bullets fired from a .25 Walther pistol into the backs of their heads.

 

[S&WIowegan]

This is a very important point! Back in the early 90s I bought a new Beretta 25ACP pistol and a box of Fiocchi ammo. I figured Italian gun, Italian ammo. No way! That ammo would absolutely NOT run the gun. Winchester had the necessary power and eventually, I handloaded 25 ACP for practice ammo.

ALWAYS make sure the ammo will run the gun!!

 

[Brasky]

I'm not sure about 25 auto but PPU tends to load their ammo hotter

 

[Genetically Swiss]

I use this in my Beretta Jetfire. Unlike the above poster, I have no issues, excellent ammo. My little Beretta runs perfectly and the ammo is clean, accurate and reliable.

GS

 

[cgt4570]

My 2 Berettas (a 950B and 950BS) both like Hornady. It's pricy and somewhat hard to find, but it has always worked and is actually accurate. I only shoot Remington FMJ in my Colt 1908 Vestpockets.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

A family member uses Fiocchi 25 ACP ammo in their Beretta without a single problem. When I carry a Kel-Tek P-32 I load it with 60gr Fiocchi 32 ACP JHP ammo.(not the XTP bullet) Both the .25 & .32 ammo are hotter than the American made ammo.

 

[chief38]

In my experience Fiocchi ammo is a bit hotter than it's American made counterparts. IIRC Buffalo Bore does NOT manufacture .25 acp so Fiocchi might be the best available.

I would hope the .25 acp is not a main defense gun - there are better caliber for that.

 

[2152hq]

When trying to find something to be reliable (100%) in my CZ45 and in a Belgian Melior 25,,I ran through quite a bit of 25 ammo.
Finally found PPU (fmj) did the trick.

I will admit the CZ didn't have much trouble with most anything you gave it,,the Belgian Beauty was very picky though.

Every gun is different of course, but that's what I found for these two.

 

[S&WsRsweet]

If you are new to small pocket pistols I would also take a really good look at my grip . Depending on hand size it doesn't take much just a slight touching of the slide across your skin on therearward movement to cause function problems. I have had several folks come to me because their small 22 ,25,32 caliber pockets pistols were not functioning about half were unknowingly touching the slide on rearward movement just slightly ,after grip adjustments the guns worked fine .

 

[DWalt]

"I would hope the .25 acp is not a main defense gun - there are better caliber for that."

It is for me, and has been for many years. And that is primarily because is is so small and fits in my front pants pocket without showing. It is so light I hardly know it is there. It's just habitual to keep it in my pocket like my keys and cell phone. If I do ever need it (and I hope I don't) it will be up close and personal, and it will do the job. I am fully aware that there are "better calibers" but not for me.

 

[Flattop5]

I would hope the .25 acp is not a main defense gun - there are better caliber for that.

No, it's not my main gun, just a back-up gun.

(By the way, my own web research says that Fiocchi .25 ammo is indeed somewhat hotter than domestic ammo. I'll have to try some).

As for a .25 ACP being a bad self-defense round: if used properly (aimed at the head/neck), it will work, although granted, I'd rather have a .38 snubby.


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[Brasky]

"I would hope the .25 acp is not a main defense gun - there are better caliber for that."

It is for me, and has been for many years. And that is primarily because is is so small and fits in my front pants pocket without showing. It is so light I hardly know it is there. It's just habitual to keep it in my pocket like my keys and cell phone. If I do ever need it (and I hope I don't) it will be up close and personal, and it will do the job. I am fully aware that there are "better calibers" but not for me.

They make 380s with the same capacity and size as 25. I own a 25 but I would easily pick one of my pocket 380s before I would grab the 25

I shot a cardboard barrel (the kind you use to pour concrete in) and the 25 did not even penetrate both sides. The 25 is a very poor performer

 

[BC38]

They make 380s with the same capacity and size as 25...

I haven't found a 6+1 round 380 that even comes close to being is as compact as this.
Without the holster it will actually fit into the watch pocket of several of my favorite pairs of jeans.

 

[RGVshooter]

Monarch sold at The Academy is loaded kinda hot, Perfecta, Fiocchi, S&B, to name a few.

 

[OLDSTER]

Hundreds of thousands of cadavers lying in the ground around the world would, if they could talk, attest to the lethality of the "little" .25acp pocket pistol. I frequently carry a little Ortgies .25 in my "cargo shorts" pocket during the summer.

 

[Arik]

Hundreds of thousands of cadavers lying in the ground around the world would, if they could talk, attest to the lethality of the "little" .25acp pocket pistol. I frequently carry a little Ortgies .25 in my "cargo shorts" pocket during the summer.

True but how many cadavers laying in the ground that would say I wish I had a more powerful round so that the guy I shot didn't have time to kill me too!

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