I Wouldn't Want To Be Shot By A 25acp....

[Skans]

Many people talk about a 25acp like its an airsoft gun. Still it fires a 50 grain bullet at over 800fps. It would really hurt to be hit by such a bullet. Unless I'm hopped up on drugs, I don't see challenging anyone who might just be carrying a 25acp. Its still a gun capable of delivering real pain and even death.

While I know there may be better options, the 25acp is a nasty round which is capable of stopping a normal (not meth-crazed) attacker. Just food for thought.

[bamaranger]

At the risk of sounding trite, but honestly truthful, I don't want shot with ANYTHING. Current gunfight video indicates that many assailants flee at the first exchange of gunfire. They won't mind shooting you,..... but their desire to fight you is less. We cannot count on that however and must be prepared to fight if necessary (and unavoidable) and win. Part of the win equation is enough gun.

Here are some things to consider about the .25acP:

-absolutely the .25 is capable of a serious or lethal wound and should not be considered anything less than what it is, a firearm capable of such.

-a percentage aggressors have been in previous gunfights, and have been shot before and survived. Such a "vet" assailant may not have the same reaction to a gunshot wound as the uninitiated and pain deterrence alone may not stop their attack.

- the track record of the .25acp does not instill a great deal of confidence in
its ability to stop an assailant. You are correct in stating there are better
choices.

-in this day of the micro 9mm and .380, the advantage the sub calibers (.22, .25 and .32) offered, small size and great convenience, are largely diminished.

-the .25 does offer the advantage of centerfire priming, which is superior to the rimfire priming of the .22lr. My experience has been that .22 lr cartridge can contaminate and fail to fire when chambered in a handgun and holstered in deep concealment, exposed to sweat and humidity. Even repeat pocket carry may spoil a .22 ctg. Failure to fire of a .22 lr is not uncommon, even when factory fresh

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[Paul B.]

Elmer Keith once said that if a person was shot with a .25ACP, he would be in need of some serious surgery. I imagine he said that tongue in cheek.
Paul B.

[Bill DeShivs]

The .25 auto has been working for 125 years, as a rule. If it didn't, it wouldn't still be around.

That said, I attended a woman (who had very recent open heat surgery) who was shot 5 times with a .25. She lived.

While there are better options for carry, any gun is better than no gun. While there are small 9mms and .380s-the simple fact is you can not build a minimal size 9mm as small as a minimal sized .25. While there are larger .25s, a Browning or Bernardelli .25 is tiny and can be carried where a larger gun can not be.

If you can shoot your .25 accurately, it more than likely will stop an aggressor. No handgun is a death ray.

[WmMunny]

If you're forced to defend yourself, the "best" gun is the one you have with you.

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by Paul B.

Elmer Keith once said that if a person was shot with a .25ACP, he would be in need of some serious surgery. I imagine he said that tongue in cheek.
Paul B.

No he wasn't because there's no telling where they will end up.

[Sharkbite]

I have a small Kel-tec 3AT that is not much bigger then the little 25 autos, but offers more punch. Its the gun i carry when i cant carry a gun. Lol

[1972RedNeck]

If I carry for the purpose of self defense against two legged varmints, I would never carry less than 9mm. I don't like 9mm, but I have several of them.

4 legged varmints, my M&P 22 Mag does fine. Although I prefer my 460 XVR...

[Pumpkin]

My cousin gave me a new in the box impulse buy Phoenix Arms 25.
I have to say, it shot perfectly, point of aim, feeding, perfectly.

My problem was it weighed more than my Shield or 642 and of course, it was a 25.

About two years later we happened to be talking guns and it came up.
He asked, so it really shoots that good, I said yea, it does. He said, man I should have kept it.
He got it back.

[JohnKSa]

I know a guy who accidentally killed a large dog with a .177 pellet gun. He was just trying to chase it away and thought the pellet would just sting it. It ran a ways after the shot and then piled up.

Start poking holes in bodies, even little holes and if they are in just the right place, the body will quit working. And if they are not in the right place, even if they are much bigger holes, the body will keep working.

I'm not saying to carry .25ACP for self-defense, but I am saying that some folks are far too cavalier about the effects of these lighter pocket pistol calibers.

[4V50 Gary]

John's "just the right place, the body will quit working" is correct. Woman (now deceased) killed a doe with a pellet rifle. Lung shot. Pesky deer were eating the flowers of her garden.

[bamaranger]

This thread will quickly degrade into another stopping power discussion but I'll stay a while longer.

To say the .25 has "worked" for over 100 years is a bit of overstatement. The horse horse has served for transportation for thousands of years, and may be the best choice in limited circumstances, but nobody chooses a horse over a car in normal use. And yes, a pellet rifle can be deadly, I had an acquaintance at work who lost a nephew to a .177 that penetrated the poor kids heart. But nobody expecting to go in harms way arms themselves with a common pellet rifle. Nobody intentionally hunts deer with .177 either.

The .25 is still around because their are skazillion pocket pistols of assorted quality, carried by folks find comfort in the fact they are armed....albeit minimally. The great advantage the assorted .25's offer is that they are small, albeit tiny. I would offer that the vast majority of .25's serving in the SD role routinely (ie carried) are being toted because it's easy to tote one, not because of concealment issues. You drop the tiny thing into a pocket, purse (heck, maybe your undies) and presto....you're armed. No concern for belt, wardrobe/attire, printing etc. Thus strapped, they meet the caveat of "any gun" and they do indeed "have it with them". But the .25acp is far from the "best" choice and though you can use it in your defense, it may or may not save your life.

Now, handguns et al, are pretty much realized as borderline stoppers, and they may or may not save you either. There are recent studies (Elifritz?) that suggest you "carry what you want". So that is a good place for me to bow out. Just as the routine .25acp advocate gains psychological comfort in the fact they are armed, there are those who draw confidence in something bigger.

[Sharkbite]

Does any .25acp load meet the FBI standard? I just dont know.

[FrankenMauser]

I have an old German .25 Auto that I love. I only carry it when it is the last option. (Deep concealment.)
But I don't think it is as bad as people like to say.

Is it great? No. Absolutely not.
But it is roughly equivalent to getting shot with a .22 LR at 100 yd.
As with anything, if you put the bullet where it needs to go, it is better than a dull stick.

I just wish Hornady still made their 35 gr XTP bullet. Then I could load or buy something other than FMJs.

[Bill DeShivs]

I don't advocate anyone carrying a .25. As a matter of fact, in the same post I talked about a very weak woman being shot 5 times with one-and living.

But- I have also seen a man get shot in the chest up close with a 12 gauge, run off, and live to tell about it.

While I consider the "FBI Standards of Penetration" to be BS, there are several .25 loadings that exceed the 12" minimum penetration.

[JohnKSa]

Does any .25acp load meet the FBI standard? I just dont know.

The true FBI standard involves intermediate barriers. No pocket pistol caliber is going to achieve that standard with expanding ammunition.

There are a few loads in .380ACP that have pretty limited expansion that will make the FBI minimum penetration with no barrier.

[glider]

If this thread is meant to defend the 25acp as a self-defense round it aint gonna work. If it is to say that the 25acp is a dangerous round that could hurt someone badly so can a ladder!!! LOL Really, come-on folks, it's tied for the least powerful pistol caliber with a 22LR. A junior Colt would be nice to have, and I actually had a Seacamp 25 but it was basically a toy.

[Ricklin]

I would not mind adding another pony to my herd. Colt is my favorite. I think a man is a fool to carry .25 ACP for self defense when I look at the size difference of the Colt pocket .25 versus my Elsie Pea.
That said if a Colt pocket .25 is all you have for self defense? Visit your local orphanage, should not be too hard to trade that Colt .25 for an LCP or a P3AT. I would swap you if the Colt is in decent condition. I can buy another LCP.

[TailGator]

In support of BamaRanger's thoughts, the smallest .25s were referred to as "vest pocket pistols" back when men wore vests. Convenience, not effectiveness, was the point of their design and, largely, their advertising.

I own one. It is a relic, not a carry piece. I have .380s that fit in my pocket when that is the only manner I can manage to carry.

[Bill DeShivs]

There are a lot of misconceptions about the .25's ballistics.

The numbers you see for .25 are from a 2" barrel.
The .22 LR numbers you usually see are for a 16+ inch rifle barrel.
Even .22 LR handgun measurements are from 4" to 6" barrels.
When you pare the LR down to a 2" barrel, the numbers drop drastically.

From a tiny handgun, the .25 usually out performs .22 LR-both in performance and reliability.

[micromontenegro]

There are a lot of misconceptions about the .25's ballistics.

The numbers you see for .25 are from a 2" barrel.
The .22 LR numbers you usually see are for a 16+ inch rifle barrel.
Even .22 LR handgun measurements are from 4" to 6" barrels.
When you pare the LR down to a 2" barrel, the numbers drop drastically.

From a tiny handgun, the .25 usually out performs .22 LR-both in performance and reliability.

This. From a vest pocket pistol, hardly any 22 LR will break 800 FPS.

[bamaranger]

I said I was done, but I have a .25acp story.

A ranger in one of our urban parks decided to intervene in an altercation between a young woman of questionable morals and her employer. Our hero was off duty and armed with....yup.....a .25acp. In the altercation that followed Sir Gallahad drops the .25 onto the pavement......and it discharges. The round strikes the woman on the leg and she gets treatment and survives.
H er employer departs on foot most hastily never to be seen again.
The ranger........?????

He got a a transfer with a promotion.

[FrankenMauser]

I am not sure what the moral of that story might be.

[Schlitz 45]

When shooting my mouse guns I always raise the target area from COM & focus on a much smaller area of the head. I very rarely carry a 32 & almost never a 25 other than a trip to the mailbox but I’ve always felt a quick mag dump to the face would change most critters tune.

[Heavy Metal 1]

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