Is 7.62×25 appropriate for self-defense? New on AllOutdoor

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11 Responses to Is 7.62×25 appropriate for self-defense? New on AllOutdoor

  1. Ray says:

    Dirt cheap,and built to survive the battle of Stalingrad. Killed more people than smallpox. So what’s not to love?

    • RandyGC says:

      “Killed more people than smallpox”

      Of course, considering who was carrying those pistols, before, during and after, the Great Patriotic War, you have to wonder how many of those kills were combat kills (i.e. relevant to discussion of the round’s usefulness in self defense) and how many were executions.

      I don’t know the answer to that question (though I have some suspicions), but when picking my defensive ammo, it’s performance in the back of the head of a kneeling prisoner in the basement of the Lubyanka isn’t exactly high on my criteria list.

      That being said, good write up Oleg, and raised some points for me to ponder.

      • Y. says:

        The bulk of 7.62x25mm was likely used up by Soviet troops armed with the famously quick-firing PPsh-41. Later on, entire units were formed with squads that had submachineguns, no rifles.

      • Peter(BE) says:

        Seems that 25 acp was preferred for executions: “each prisoner was brought in and restrained by guards while Blokhin shot him once in the base of the skull with a German Walther Model 2 .25 ACP pistol.[13][14][15] He had brought a briefcase full of his own Walther pistols, since he did not trust the reliability of the standard-issue Soviet TT-30 for the frequent, heavy use he intended. ” from Wikipedia 😉

  2. Lyle says:

    Nice write-up.
    I believe the Vz. 52 has a firing pin safety though, so in proper condition it should be about as drop safe as anything.

    • Colby says:

      I own a CZ-52, use it as my EDC in either a pancake holster or my FOBUS. If you have a “stock” firing pin you have to be careful not to dry fire. Mine has had zero problems in 2 years of carry.

    • Y. says:

      vz.52 wasn’t designed to use 7.62x25mm ammo originally, it was a hasty adaptation of a 9x19mm gun. Result was that the gun was expected to last ~5000 shots. Many older guns have cracks in the frame around the action.

  3. Linoge says:

    Hm. I know where that holster came from… 😉

  4. Jim R says:

    Very interesting. I’ve wondered for some time if the Tok round could be useful for personal defense. I admit to being surprised that the PP ammo performed so well; it must be of better design and consistency that I thought.

  5. revjen45 says:

    The Vz.52 is not retarded blowback, ala H&K. It it a roller locked short recoil.

  6. Firehand says:

    With a good hollowpoint, sure.

    Couple of years back I tried loading some Hornady 90-grain XTP hollowpoints over W231, probably ~1400fps. Penetrated four water jugs completely(~24″ of water). The core jumped the jacket, jacket found in the fourth, core in the fifth jug, nicely expanded. I do believe something like that would leave a mark

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