A case for 25ACP: new on AllOutdoor

20 Responses to A case for 25ACP: new on AllOutdoor

1. Lyle says:

   July 13, 2015 at 6:48 pm

   Nice write-up.

   I had a Beretta Tomcat (32 ACP) for a while. Their tip barrel design has a lot going for it. I eventually traded it off for a larger caliber pistol, but I occasionally think of getting another one.
   • Mannie says:

     July 14, 2015 at 5:54 pm

     I had the .25 with the tip up barrel. I don’t think much of the cartridge, but I like the tip up barrel. You can surreptitiously clear or load the weapon in your pocket with one hand.
     • Sigivald says:

       July 15, 2015 at 3:24 pm

       I have the Taurus PT-25 (like the PLY Oleg reviews, but steel).

       It’s a fun plinker; I wouldn’t really consider it as a carry gun with the modern competition.
2. Andy says:

   July 13, 2015 at 7:02 pm

   .25ACP: Adequate for executing captured counterrevolutionaries, dissidents or political prisoners if you insert the barrel into their ear canal first.

   For anything else? Better than the 9mm pistol, .40 S&W pistol, 10mm pistol, .45ACP pistol, carbine, rifle or shotgun you left in the safe because it was too big, heavy and/or overt/unconcealable for the prevailing conditions.

   Would I?

   If I had to. Though there are equal or (arguably) better options that are just as concealable.
   • Oleg Volk says:

     July 13, 2015 at 7:17 pm

     Such as? I could think of NAA mini revolvers and that’s about it…
     • Lyle says:

       July 13, 2015 at 7:48 pm

       Agreed; the little 25s are extremely small guns. The 32 Tomcat would be a runner up but, small as it is, it’s larger than the 25 of the same design.

       Some forethought (and compromise) in wardrobe selection though, and you can almost always carry a larger gun. I pack a large frame gun every day, even when wearing shorts on the beach, etc. I’d see a really small gun more as a backup to the larger gun, but in any case it’s good to have choices and we certainly have a lot of those.
     • Andy says:

       July 14, 2015 at 7:24 pm

       Kel-Tec P3AT.
       ” ” ” PF9.
       Beretta Nano.
       Kahr PM9.

       Arguably.
       • Sigivald says:

         July 15, 2015 at 3:27 pm

         A Baby Browning is an inch shorter in both length and height than a Nano.

         The P3AT is a trifle narrower, but still longer and taller.

         Likewise the PM9, which is also half again as heavy.

         “Very concealable”, yes, they all are.

         “Just as” concealable? Not quite.
3. Bill Fogel says:

   July 13, 2015 at 8:00 pm

   I hate to mention it, but what about a Bond Derringer chambered in 410? Only 2 shots but I think more effective, and as concealable even in a cigarette case.
   • Oleg Volk says:

     July 13, 2015 at 8:49 pm

     410 is extremely ineffective from short barrels. The gun is also 22oz — twice as heavy as the biggest 25 and a bit larger. It is however, more efficient in terms of barrel length vs. overall length, so would work fine with 45LC.
     • 937 says:

       July 14, 2015 at 8:35 am

       “410 is extremely ineffective from short barrels.”

       Is this including slugs, buckshot loads and defensive loads like the PDX1 and Critical Defense?
4. Backwoods Engineer says:

   July 13, 2015 at 8:51 pm

   Oleg,

   A nice article, as usual for you, but I must ask: if the Kel-Tec P32 is on the menu, why not then the P3AT (380ACP) which is virtually identical in frame size? Love my little P3AT. I wouldn’t want to shoot a match with it, but it conceals when nothing else I own will.
   • Oleg Volk says:

     July 13, 2015 at 8:54 pm

     I have both P3AT and P32. I carry the .32 by preference for the following reasons:
     – less recoil, so less chance of limp-wristing and quicker follow-ups
     – one more round in the magazine
     – more accurate in my hands under field conditions (equally accurate slow fire)
     – locks back on an empty magazine, making reloading quicker and disassembly easier

     Penetration of 32 and 380 is similar, while 380 does produce a bigger wound track.
   • Backwoods Engineer says:

     July 13, 2015 at 9:03 pm

     I’ll have to think more about the .25ACP, for my recoil-averse spouse.
     Again, good article.
5. Ray says:

   July 14, 2015 at 6:58 am

   I know a man in Kentucky who was shot in the head with a .25ACP back in the ’70’s. The bullet bounced off the skull and he had the bullet lodge under his skin. I had a cop tell me the story of a drug dealer who was shot five times in the head with a .25ACP and had ALL FIVE rounds bounce off the guys skull. I knew a girl who tried to kill herself with a .25 auto at a party in Lexington in 1979 and had the bullet stop on her breast bone. NO THANKS! No .25’s for me. If I wanted a belly gun I’d go with a .32 or better yet a .380both are about as small as you get in effective “man killing” handguns
   • Sigivald says:

     July 15, 2015 at 3:29 pm

     You can collect anecdotes about .45 and 9mm not penetrating a skull, either, all day long.

     But equally the morgue’s full of bodies with a .25″ entry wound.
6. john says:

   July 14, 2015 at 9:43 am

   Vasili Blokhin’s favorite cartridge . A man in this area was shot in the head twice, with a .25, and lived, As far as size goes , I guess if I ever have to hide a gun in my speedo (MY EYES, MY EYES) I would consider a .25, till then I will muddle thru with my .38 snubby
7. Andy says:

   July 14, 2015 at 7:01 pm

   F=0.5MV
   A .410 slug masses 88 grains. (And I’m too lazy to dig up data on barrel length vs muzzle velocity. 20″ gets you around 1300 FPS.)
   A .410 shell loaded with (3) triple-aught buckshot pellets masses 220gr.
   A .45LC masses anywhere from 225 to 325 grains. A 7.5″ barrel gets you roughly (+-400FPS) the same 1300 FPS.

   Using a .410 is illegal for turkey in most states for a very good reason: It can’t take one cleanly and ethically. I wouldn’t trust a pistol loaded with .410 with my life.

   .45LC? Yep. It’s proven to work.

   .410 in a Taurus Judge or a S&W Governor is a gimmick.

   Use .45LC.
8. Sean says:

   July 15, 2015 at 12:59 am

   I have a cop friend that told me about a shooting he went. The “victim”(it is Detroit, few innocent victims here) was shot 5 times with a .25acp. Not one round went through the guys thick leather jacket and sweatshirt. The shooter went to jail for attempted murder and various other charges. The victim walked away just bruised. Even a .22lr is a much better choice. Have heard some terrible shooting stories with .22lr.
9. Paul Koning says:

   July 17, 2015 at 9:49 am

   If you want small, an NAA Mini can be mounted on a belt buckle. (Does that count as concealed or open carry?) But it stings, at least when I load it with the high velocity 22LR I foolishly purchased a while ago.
   For small and effective and modest recoil, I like the Boberg XR9-S.

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