Reloading .25 ACP

[Charlie Foxtrott]

It sounds to me to be something on the order.

Of trying to artificially inseminate a cockroach. Just sayin.

 

[HKSmith]

Of trying to artificially inseminate a cockroach. Just sayin.

We were down on Hilton Head Island a few years ago and the cockroaches were much bigger than a .25 ACP round.

 

[bigjeepman]

I have medium size hands/fingers and the smallest I have reloaded is the 380 (on a single stage) with no problems except a much slower pace. I do not wish to go smaller ... I applaud those who can and do.

The only reason I reload the 380 is because I bought one 380 EZ in 2018 and just recently fell right into a new 380 Performance Center EZ. I seem to shoot both well but brass chasing has been a challenge. I will have to rethink how I can improve that part.

 

[k22fan]

A long time ago I got a .25 ACP die set in a box of used reloading tools. I'd like to try it but only in a pistol that is large enough for me to shoot accurately. That's a problem. As far as I know the 1910 or 1914? Mauser was the largest ever commonly available. I have not stumbled into one inexpensive enough. A reloader posted the story of his custom .25 ACP Ruger Single action on a Ruger forum. That would be a fun project as would a .25 ACP Thompson Center Contender. A tiny pistol would have to be a gift.

 

[Trooperdan]

We were down on Hilton Head Island a few years ago and the cockroaches were much bigger than a .25 ACP round.

I believe the Chamber of Commerce prefers to refer to those as "palmetto bugs".. as if that makes any difference!

 

[cgbach]

I have 3 .25's and love to play with them. I have used W231, WSF and 20/28 powders. The Hornady 35 gr HP can be pushed to just over 1000 fps with no problems. Accuracy at 10Y is surprising but those sights are small. Factory ammo seems to be pretty anemic, barely functioning in the Colt. Somewhere I managed to pick up some 50 gr. cast bullets and they also shoot well. I have found the .25 ACPs to be much more reliable than the very small .22LRs.
C.G.B.

 

[Jellybean]

...Someone mentioned a rimmed version of this cartridge; it is already a rimmed cartridge and headspaces on the rim (see SAAMI specs). I used a roll crimp and so do the commercial manufacturers. There were revolvers manufactured in .25 ACP in Europe before WW II, but I've never seen one. I read that Bowen Classic Arms once did a custom built S&W revolver in this caliber - it would be neat as an I-frame caliber.

It's not a rimmed cartridge, it's a semi-rimmed cartridge. It has a rim large enough to headspace on but small enough to reliably feed through a magazine and small enough to need an extractor groove for positive extraction. In a revolver design that doesn't use the rim for extraction it would be fine, but in a revolver that does use the rim for extraction it would be a nightmare. It could be done with an extractor design like the 547 uses, but having a true rimmed case would be much simpler. I was hoping for something along the lines of a K-25.

 

[martyd]

I have 35 rds of range brass I picked up.
I would be glad to send it to you for free.

I am sending you a PM.

By FAR the most frustrating round to reload is the 17 Remington.

Having to use tweezers to seat the bullet in the case mouth convinced me to go to a larger caliber.

 

[minconrevo]

Folks that mention reloading the .25 ACP also mention "tweasers". Certainly for putting the bullet atop the case. Some for handing the empty case itself.

 

[Grayfox]

I have a fondness for mouse guns and have several .25s. But I don't reload the caliber. As others have said, I have enough trouble with .32s. 25s would probably just piss me off.
But .25s were always cheap and plentiful. So I'd just pick up a couple of boxes at gun shows when I thought about it. I usually have plenty on hand. Even now I have a pretty good supply.