25 Auto Ammo

[m41]

I was wondering what would be the best defensive round for a Bauer 25 Auto. I know this isn't much of a round but it is all I can get my wife to carry. I think I can get her to carry a NAA 22 mag if this would be a better defensive round. I am trying to work her up to at least 380 or 9mm but I have to start somewhere where she is comfortable

 

[DWalt]

The best .25 ACP defensive round is the old standby original 50 grain FMJ. You need all the penetration you can get, and the lighter "expanding" bullets in the .25 ACP often don't expand much, if at all. Functional reliability with the FMJ bullet is also better. I've tested them all, and for my .25, CCI Blazer FMJs give the best reliability, like 100%. My carry gun is a .25.

 

[MichiganScott]

Friends don't let friends carry mouse guns (I don't know Dwalt). They certainly don't let a friend's wife carry one.

That being said, I have carried a Baby Browning with factory ball. I doubt the round has enough penetration to carry anything that might expand in some over muscled, PCP addled freaks pecs.

Try your wife with a 4" K or L frame 'smith loaded with .38 Special wadcutter target loads until she gets more comfortable with shooting. If she can't shoot those you may need to re-think the whole carry thing.

 

[DWalt]

The tradeoff is that there is no problem having the .25 with me at all times. Small enough to carry in a sheath holster in my front pocket, its weight is next to nothing, and no one knows I have it. And if I need it, it will be up close and its six shots will be enough.

 

[Prodigal Son]

I have a .25 that I sometimes carry...I also have a 5 shot .22mag that I sometimes carry. They may or may not stop the threat...but they definitely increase my odds of winning the fist fight that follows.

 

[Lee's Landing Billy]

Attended an inquest in the 1900s. About 70 or so. A friend of mine had to shoot a man who was 6 foot 4 inches and weighed closer to 300 than 250. He shot once. The testimony was that the shootee said..He shot me!. Within 5 seconds he was on his back and another half minute or so he had shuffeled off hi mortal coil. DRT!! Valuable lesson to me. I never argue the use of small calibers, I just relate this story. By the way, no billed by the Coroner.

 

[30-30remchester]

I get to add a story I know about a shooting with a 25 ACP. While working in Washington state one of my employees failed to show up for work on Monday morning. Danny had had some extended weekends before so when he showed up on Tuesday I was expecting the usual excuse. This time he had a real excuse. He had been dancing with a married woman in a bar when her husband objected and invited Danny outside to discuss the matter. Danny was a big boy used to hard labor and the offended hubby was a slight man. Danny thought this would be a quick encounter and he was correct. When hubby pulled out a 25 auto and shot Danny in the left thigh, the fight was over. Danny said all he remembered was a load noise and seeing the pavement meeting his face. When taken to the doctor the bullet had lodged under the skin after passing through the thigh. The doctor cut out the bullet without pain killers. When Danny objected the doctor said anyone stupid enough to mess around with a married woman does not deserve mercy.

 

[Trooperdan]

In 1976, I was in a German bar near Drake-Edwards kaserne near Frankfurt when a german woman put a .25 against her big boyfriends back, told my buddy, "Play Misty for me" at the juke box, fired once and her B/F said "hummf" and went face down and did not stir. She owned a bar down the street that had a long room with a mural of a German countryside on the back wall and she used to take target practise using the mural as a target. at contact distance she didn't need the practise..

Oh, and lesson learned, leave BEFORE the Poliezi show up next time!

 

[m41]

Thanks I will get a box of 50gr FMJ and start working with her.

 

[robertrwalsh]

I also go with ball ammo. Preferably European stuff, I understand they load to a slightly higher level than the Americans do, though I could be wrong about that. Just remember, a .25 auto can not be counted on to stop a really pissed-off hamster without a central nervous system hit.

 

[JJEH]

I was wondering what would be the best defensive round for a Bauer 25 Auto. I know this isn't much of a round but it is all I can get my wife to carry. I think I can get her to carry a NAA 22 mag if this would be a better defensive round. I am trying to work her up to at least 380 or 9mm but I have to start somewhere where she is comfortable

PM me your address if you like. I have about a half a box of Remington High Velocity 50gr. Metal Case I'll ship to you next time I go to FedEx (probably next weekend).

 

[shouldazagged]

If the size and weight of the Bauer are a factor, perhaps she might work up to a Kel-Tec P32 (negligible recoil) or, better still, a Ruger LCP. Either would be dead easy to carry, including in a pocket, and more likely to be effective than .25 ACP.

 

[DWalt]

I have never felt undergunned with a .25, mainly because I would avoid getting into any gunfight situation at all costs. Nor do I frequent locations where gunfights would be more likely, such as risky parts of town, seedy bars, etc. If I ever need to use it, it will most likely be at distances close enough that I could hardly miss vital areas of an opponent's body - upper torso or head. Otherwise, I will find a spot to hide.

 

[HeyJoe]

with the baby browning design of the Bauer, for reliability you are better off with FMJ or Winchester Expanding Point, if you can find it. I carry a 25 ACP, a Seecamp, which i bought new recently. Carrying any gun puts you on better footing than 95% of the population who doesnt carry any gun. I have a baby browning and would not carry with a round in the chamber though. The sear is very small and if dropped i wouldnt trust it to hold.

 

[jimmyj]

IMHO : Any caliber less than 9mm = FMJ

Not knowing your circumstances, I will not suggest you trade the .22 mag and .25 acp in for a double action .38 spl revolver, so practice with what you have.

 

[petepeterson]

I concur with the FMJ.

If that's all she's willing to shoot or carry, go with it. At least she has something.
When you get her to the range for practice (on her terms), hopefully she'll ask to try something different once she's comfortable.

 

[KSDeputy]

I owned the same pistol you do. I sold it not long after I bought it. A .22lr is better than a .25. I have a TPH in that caliber, but it is a collector's gun. I prefer a Ruger Custom LCP .380 for carrying around the farm. I carry a .45 when I leave it. Why not try the new Ruger, it's about the same size as the Bauer, and a lot better caliber. It has a red trigger and good sights.

 

[Lee's Landing Billy]

We keep all rounds here that do not go Bang the first time they are struck. I have a Folgers coffee can 2/3 full of factory ammo that did not fire. Half of that amount is .22. Not ONE .25. Just an observation.

 

[DWalt]

"A .22lr is better than a .25."
I assume you have chronographed the MV of a .22 LR bullet fired from a 2" barrel, and you are certain that is the case.

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

My dad has one mostly for my mom to use.

I agree on FMJ only. After taking it to the range with a chrono, I'd strongly suggest S&B. Fiocchi or other European ammo would probably be a safe bet also. I found American ammo to "weak" at best.