25 acp

[dkoffee]

I've always heard that 25 acp is a terrible round.It will bounce off clothing,might as well throw it at the assailant ...I have a 25 acp and it goes through 10 in. of packed cardboard then into a 2 by 6 and then into the ground at least 4 inch.It is the smallest of all centerfire rounds but it can get the job done. My wife can handle it if necessary which is the most important.

 

[alwslate]

Check out the long thread in the Lounge forum on the 25 acp vrs the
22 LR.

 

[Springfeildkid585]

It will make a bad guy dead alright, but I'd invest my money in something more reliable.... like a sharp stick...or you know a .45

 

[venomballistics]

two issues ...
first is the available loadings which run the gambit from bunny puff to fly fart. much of the ammo is useless while the better stuff might work.

second ... shot placement.
With lesser calibers, your effective target zones shrink dramatically, while some, valid with more serious calibers, are entirely eliminated.
can you hit an eyeball, tonsil, or ... testicle >cringe<, under stress, while these items are violently thrashing about, with a sighting radius that is shorter than the barrel of my carry piece?

personally I'd like to see the caliber morph into a sort of magnum variant, and find a home in a larger piece like a ruger Mk3 ... it would be a joy to shoot and "magnumized" would make it less hairy to reload.

 

[badge]

If thats all I had I would use it. It's certainly better than a sharp stick in the eye friend.

 

[HeyJoe]

It will make a bad guy dead alright, but I'd invest my money in something more reliable.... like a sharp stick...or you know a .45

am i the only one who has grown tired of nonsensical comments comparing small calibers unfavorably to a rock or stick?

 

[venomballistics]

am i the only one who has grown tired of nonsensical comments comparing small calibers unfavorably to a rock or stick?

yeah ... 357 is a small caliber ... 25 is a nonsensical one

 

[shouldazagged]

am i the only one who has grown tired of nonsensical comments comparing small calibers unfavorably to a rock or stick?

Nope.

I carry .38 Special +P and don't want anything less for my comfort. But lots of folks have been rendered null and void with .25 ACP. If it's what you have and what you can shoot, and you feel comfortable with it, more power to you--no pun intended. It's just not for me.

 

[mc5aw]

I have a 25 acp and it goes through 10 in. of packed cardboard then into a 2 by 6 and then into the ground at least 4 inch.

Sure it does.

 

[tac803]

There may be circumstances that require carrying a small gun that can disappear into small spaces or pockets. My advice, carry the largest gun in the largest caliber that circumstances allow.

 

[cmort666]

I can't imagine somebody who could handle a .25acp who couldn't handle a .32acp as well or better, ESPECIALLY given that most .32s have better human engineering qualities, sights in particular... and that's with the caveat that I'd NEVER trust my life to a .32acp, given ANY alternatives.

You might want to look into a 2" or 3" .38 Special revolver and 148gr. wadcutter bullseye loads. The mid-range targets loads cut a nice clean hole which promotes blood loss and they're very pleasant to shoot.

 

[Stirling]

Ineffective the .25acp may be but better than nothing and it is light and very concealable. I have a Beretta and it's accurate inside 7 yards and has never skipped a beat. I use Winchester expanding points and use it as a backup as necessary. That said, I do think a .32acp would be more effective for not much in the way of a gain in size. I like the .32 Beretta too and would prefer it over mine.

 

[Old cop]

The caliber wars go on forever. If a .25 is all you have learn to use it and practice often. During my 30 yr. LEO career I saw a lot of people put down by .22 & .25 cal. guns.

 

[venomballistics]

I've always heard that 25 acp is a terrible round.It will bounce off clothing,might as well throw it at the assailant ...I have a 25 acp and it goes through 10 in. of packed cardboard then into a 2 by 6 and then into the ground at least 4 inch.It is the smallest of all centerfire rounds but it can get the job done. My wife can handle it if necessary which is the most important.

Opinions vary .. results ... not so much
when it came time to teach my lady to shoot, I pretty much knew she'd meet it with limited enjoyment and intended the skill for defensive purposes.
I gave it some thought and put a 44 magnum in her hands.
The first 6 were 240 grains at a fair pace of 1350 FPS. the next 6 same bullet at 1200 then a lighter 226 grain bullet at 1200 where she kinda settled in with it.
that established a baseline for her as to what to expect in terms of recoil.
she became effective with a 45 auto after less than 50 rounds fired in her entire life, and downright proficient within 200 rounds.
starting small and working up as we commonly do, it'd take at least 3K rounds to coax them up to a 38.

 

[SMSgt]

Carry whatever makes you feel comfortable. No one else has to answer for it but you. But you might consider a pointed stick as a backup.

 

[chief38]

Nobody said the .25 acp won't penetrate. The problem is that a bad guy might die hours later of the wounds or simply bleed out, but as far as I am concerned it is severely lacking in shocking power to instantly stop an attack. By that I mean it might not have enough power to stop an attacker from doing you harm which is the main reason to shoot in the first place.

Is the 25 acp better than a knife? Of course, but if you are going to carry I would strongly suggest something better than a 25 acp. I own a Colt .25 acp pocket pistol and love the gun for the gun - NOT the caliber it is chambered in, and NEVER use it as a CCW gun.

 

[JPriest]

I once stopped a charging hamster at 20 paces with a .25acp.

 

[shouldazagged]

I once stopped a charging hamster at 20 paces with a .25acp.

Twenty of your paces or his?

Forget I asked that. I'm not downing .25 ACP, just being a jerk.

 

[venomballistics]

Twenty of your paces or his?

Forget I asked that. I'm not downing .25 ACP, just being a jerk.

well there's no need to do unto it what it does unto itself

 

[HankG]

A good friend was killed with a .25 acp bullet. He was shot across the roof of a car directly in the chest. Before he died he grabbed the shooter by the throat and held him down so his friends could grab him. He then died. The bullet bounced around in his chest cavity and tore his heart to ribbons but he still lasted long enough to grab the shooter and hold him down. So much for .25 acps.

 

[planojack]

I am never unarmed, except for the places where carry is illegal. At the minimum, my little .22 NAA is in my pocket. As reasonable to the season and circumstance, I go to a small .380, then a small 9mm and the preferred is a .45 Kahr. I've yet to choose a sharp stick. I've thought that I might have to apologize to the bad guy that I hit with a .22 for under kill, but it was better than sharp stick.

 

[M3Stuart]

Ah yes, a good ole' fashioned CALIBER WAR!

I used to have the Beretta 950 SA in .25ACP. I sold it and bought the MIGHTY BOBCAT (Beretta 21a) in .22LR. Not because I had any problems with my 950, but because the .22LR ammo was soooooo much cheaper, and, alas I was poor

Hey, if you like your .25 ACP, ignore all the flak and BE HAPPY

 

[alwslate]

One of the best 25 acp designs ever, the 950 B without the added on
safety. Along with it's big brother, the 1934 Beretta in the MIGHTY
380 acp. The Italians thought it powerful enough to be their military
cartridge in WW2, alas now inadequate to stop a charging field mouse.
One well known gun writer pronounced the 1934 the best blow back
design of all time in any caliber. I'm glad the Italians didn't realize
their 380s were inadequate back then or the great 1934 might not
exist.

 

[mc5aw]

One well known gun writer pronounced the 1934 the best blow back design of all time in any caliber.

After he fired it, a summer breeze blew the round back at him.

 

[mkk41]

People have dropped dead on the spot from a hit with a .25 and people have run away after absorbing 5-6 hits from a .45.

No handgun is a guaranteed 1-shot fight stopper.

 

[Old TexMex]

I have a hard time handling the ammo, it reminds me of tying flies or threading needles. Sort of fiddly...

 

[USAF385]

The OP, having only posted once on the forum, is probably having a good chuckle reading these responses.

Personally, I'm happy carrying this little number:

2 mm Kolibri - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Lost Lake]

I've always heard that 25 acp is a terrible round.It will bounce off clothing,might as well throw it at the assailant ....

It is the smallest of all centerfire rounds but it can get the job done.

They say if you keep repeating something eventually you will begin to believe it.

Good luck!


.

 

[Springfeildkid585]

am i the only one who has grown tired of nonsensical comments comparing small calibers unfavorably to a rock or stick?

I was just having a little fun sir. I know that caliber means little and shot placement is everything.
Now there are some handguns that I truly would prefer a sharp stick (or more practically, the knife I used to sharpen the stick)to for personal defense, these would be those small-caliber tiny revolvers that have too short of barrels for any kind of precision beyond five yards. The Tuller drill shows that knives have the advantage at seven yards or less.

 

[venomballistics]

Well ... thats a practical experience right there. never over estimate your gun, its not as hot as most think.
what the sheep gave you, besides mutton, was a fair estimation of what a 38 wad cutter target load can do .. or more to the point, cant.