These days, it can just as easily be 32ACP, another one of Browning’s creations. But the older, high quality pistols like this Beretta or the 1910 Mauser have the advantage of great triggers and minimal recoil. 22LR can also work, especially if of a reliable brand like CCI. In a 2 inch barrel, 40gr 22LR produces 850-880fps while 25ACP comes out nearly 100fps slower for which the heavier 50gr jacketed bullet compensates somewhat. Ignition and feed reliability are with 25ACP, but the differences are minor.
.25 ACP has a place in my heart, mostly because of this account (click on first story) of how one man’s .25 ACP saved his life from, not making this up, a lunatic would-be ninja. It illustrates perfectly that being armed with anything is better than being armed with the gun you forgot about.
Wow. I do actually have a recollection of reading that story on rec.guns, back in the day.
In another country, a long time ago, I had a Bernardelli .25 because calibers larger than .32 were prohibited to civilians. Had I had a choice, I would have gone bigger – much bigger. Do I love living in the USA for this exact reason? I certainly do . . .
PS I sold the little Bernardelli, beautifully made as it was, and bought a Webley Mk III revolver in 32 Long when I could afford it.
Bangladesh?
That’s a pretty nice font. What’s it’s name?
You can easily outrun an attacker after putting a half-dozen .25″ holes through his lungs.
Stopping power is not everything.
I had a Budischowski TP-70 (smaller Walther PPK clone) in .25 ACP, carried it for years as my police back-up gun. Sold it, have had regrets since then.
Heh! How about the old saw that a .25 makes the best bear gun? Kneecap one in your party then you don’t HAVE to outrun the bear….
I’ve always heard that a 25 was pretty wimpy. Though I suppose “pretty wimpy” is still better than nothing at all.Conserve
Would I prefer a .45 over a .25? Yup.
Would I prefer a .25 over “Please don’t hurt me?” Yup.
I was not aware of “caliber control” . . . . . i’m going to look at that further. That said, Beretta do make some nice lil’ guns. One of my favorites is the bobcat. . . not for ooorah manliness, just plain fun to shoot.
Went shooting yesterday, tried a subcompact single-stack 9mm Sig, and I have come to the conclusion that my meathooks don’t agree with anything smaller than .45ACP. Granted, it’d be better than nothing, but I prefer carrying .45s openly and damn the hairy eyebals from the sheep and rabbits, not carrying concealed and having to poke little holes in predators due to social niceties.
Deterrence is a valid self defense method. People rarely break the law in front of uniformed cops, so why should that courtesy (for lack of a better word) be the explicit domain of government agents? I can’t bring a cop to bear faster than I can a large pistol that looks like the caliber is ‘.freighttrain ACP’ when you’re looking at the business end.