Raven .25 auto

moosemike · April 23, 2018, 03:36 PM

I have one of these. I guess I only keep it because there's no money in selling it. But it shoots to the sights, is accurate, and always goes bang. I can't say anything bad about it.

Fishbed77 · April 23, 2018, 04:20 PM

A friend of the family has one that I've shot before. Despite the ever-present fear of slide-bite (or a potmetal explosion), it's actually an accurate little pistol with a surprisingly good trigger.

moosemike · April 23, 2018, 08:11 PM

My Grandpa had one he kept in the house for my Grandma. Me and my cousin got a hold of it and took it out in the woods and were shooting at squirrels with it. We were just kids at the time. The adults never found out about that. Maybe that memory is why I got one for myself?

JERRYS. · April 23, 2018, 09:33 PM

I had one in the late 80s, it never malfunctioned. I can't say that for some name brand guns I've had.

ma96782 · April 24, 2018, 01:59 AM

Raven Story......

I had this GF once. She was left the Raven by her ex-husband, for home defense. I took it out shooting and it was a pretty good experience. Similar to what you said. But, ammo was expensive for it. And, she was not a fan of the semi-automatic nor of it's capability as a home defense firearm.

Anyway, I traded my Charter Arms revolver in .38 Special for her Raven.

Later down the road we broke up and I sold the Raven with whatever ammo I had for $150.

Aloha, Mark

Hal · April 24, 2018, 03:17 AM

Quote:

I sold the Raven with whatever ammo I had for $150.

Wow!! Did you wear a mask when you sold it - - or did you have several hundred rounds of ammo thrown in?

JK--

I seem to recall I paid roughly $49 each for both of the ones I bought.
One for me and another for my father in law.

My experience was the same as above - decent shooter for the price, but, I never trusted the gun or the caliber.

moosemike · April 24, 2018, 05:30 AM

Wow, $150! Somebody offered me 150 mine would probably be gone too!

CajunBass · April 24, 2018, 05:44 AM

I remember years ago in I think it was "Gun Test" magazine they did a comparison between an ATM Hardballer (SS 1911 type), and a Raven 25.

The Raven won, because it worked every time they pulled the trigger. They couldn't say enough bad stuff about the Hardballer. Apparently, IIRC, they couldn't get it to run a full magazine.

I used to lust for one. Back then they sold for about $30.00 or so brand new. That I could at least imagine being able to afford. No way I could have gotten anything else. A hundred bucks? Might as well have been a million.

Carmady · April 24, 2018, 06:30 AM

Here's a rare bird. A first year Raven made in the Baldwin Park plant. Note the dinged sights with the factory finish.

Oysterboy · April 24, 2018, 09:06 AM

I had a Raven, the real mccoy. Damn good pistol. I shot at the range in the 15 yard lanes and it grouped well.

The shooter next to me asked what is that toy you're shooting?

TruthTellers · April 24, 2018, 09:40 AM

I have one and like it. Would like to shoot it more, but .25 is way more expensive than it should be.

I was at a gun store last month and saw a tiny as heck .25, can't remember what it was, but it made me realize the Raven is too big to be a .25, but it's a blowback action with a zamak slide, so there is no getting around that. The nice thing is it is reliable and I've only had one malfunction in 50 rounds, a FTE on the last round.

HisSoldier · April 26, 2018, 10:02 PM

Work in the metals trade long enough and you'll develop a strong dislike for Zamak and other zinc alloys.

Hal · April 27, 2018, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Work in the metals trade long enough and you'll develop a strong dislike for Zamak and other zinc alloys.

Heck, be a kid growing up in the 1950's & watch your toys disintegrate & you develop those same feelings

!

dgludwig · April 27, 2018, 05:53 PM

I have a Handgun Tests magazine, published in 1979, that has a chapter entitled: "Why a $49 Raven .25 Is Better Than a $220 S&W 9mm Model 59!" The author/tester Phil Engeldrum concluded that the Smith was one of the worst pistols, a "really scary" one, that he had ever tested because "it doesn't fire every time you pull the trigger".

Though Mr. Engeldrum conceded that the Raven "is not a great gun", he considered it to be a better gun than the Model 59 because "...everytime I pull the trigger on that little turkey, it shoots."

All that said, if given a choice between the two today, I would pick the...

CANIS · May 1, 2018, 12:41 PM

Way back in the late 80's, the first gun I ever bought was a Raven .25. I am pretty sure it was maybe $50 or $60 dollars. I bought it at the Holiday Inn gun show in Midland Texas. Before the internet and every armchair gun expert in the world told me it was a POS, I loved that little pistol. It never jammed, was accurate and did what it was supposed to do. I carried that little gun in the pocket of my utes in the USMC and it withstood the challenge through dessert, snow and whatever.

I traded that gun off to another Marine for a pair of boots prior to joining the mishmash of suckiness that is the civilian world.

I would love to have that old gun back... it is kind of like my Rosebud of firearms... a simpler time when we made our own choices and learned our own way without the relentless machine of marketing and fake experts spouting off about endless silly drills, multiple backup guns and the latest wonder zapper ammo...

Anyways... they are surprisingly good little pistols and I doubt you could wear one out with normal use. It is not like the .25 is a high pressure round.

Oysterboy · May 1, 2018, 01:27 PM

I used to call mine my drinking buddy.

DPris · May 1, 2018, 02:40 PM

Can't recall how I came into possession, but had one in the early '80s that I finally up-traded for a Beretta Jetfire and some cash.
Kinda wish I'd kept it, the thing did function.

Last Raven I saw in person was probably in the mid '90s.
Got sent out on a "found property" call.
Turned out to be a nickel-plated Raven they'd stumbled across.
In a lake.
150 miles away.

Outside looked fine, insides were rusted.
They had no explanation of why they'd brought it home to turn in to our PD, instead of calling local LE on it.

Coulda been a dumped murder weapon, and I'm sure our guys were over-worked enough to close-case it without following up with the appropriate jurisdiction.

Denis

Jazzgun · May 1, 2018, 03:38 PM

Love these threads about the little Raven with the interesting history. Got ours working today. YAY!!!

Jazzgun · May 1, 2018, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosemike

I have one of these. I guess I only keep it because there's no money in selling it. But it shoots to the sights, is accurate, and always goes bang. I can't say anything bad about it.

Hey Mike! We got ours working so we will be heading to the range with them this weekend. I love these little pistols! Thanks for your encouragement. Btw...we paid $75 for my husbands and $84 for mine. Mine was like brand new in the box. Didn't appear to have been fired much. My hubs gun looked to have seen some action but still nice.

Can't wait to fire them!

moosemike · May 1, 2018, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzgun

Hey Mike! We got ours working so we will be heading to the range with them this weekend. I love these little pistols! Thanks for your encouragement. Btw...we paid $75 for my husbands and $84 for mine. Mine was like brand new in the box. Didn't appear to have been fired much. My hubs gun looked to have seen some action but still nice.

Can't wait to fire them!

That's awesome. Glad to hear it!

Jazzgun · May 1, 2018, 04:38 PM

Thanks!

Jazzgun · May 1, 2018, 05:07 PM

Here's a pic of my gun. Ain't she a beauty?

HighValleyRanch · May 1, 2018, 05:15 PM

I thought they were supposed to be made out of "pot metal".
Is that chromed pot metal?

Jazzgun · May 1, 2018, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighValleyRanch

I thought they were supposed to be made out of "pot metal".
Is that chromed pot metal?

Hey High Valey! The frame is made out of zinc alloy, which there is much discussion as to if it is classified as pot metal. lol The slide and all other important parts are steel and most are chromed although they did make a few in the blued version. All parts of the gun are chromed.

Pretty huh?

Jazzgun · May 1, 2018, 05:25 PM

Here's a better pic of the gun only.

April 23, 2018, 03:36 PM	#1
moosemike Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2009 Location: Lebanon PA Posts: 535	Raven .25 auto I have one of these. I guess I only keep it because there's no money in selling it. But it shoots to the sights, is accurate, and always goes bang. I can't say anything bad about it. __________________ et cognoscetis veritatem et veritas liberabit vos

April 23, 2018, 08:11 PM	#3
moosemike Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2009 Location: Lebanon PA Posts: 535	My Grandpa had one he kept in the house for my Grandma. Me and my cousin got a hold of it and took it out in the woods and were shooting at squirrels with it. We were just kids at the time. The adults never found out about that. Maybe that memory is why I got one for myself? __________________ et cognoscetis veritatem et veritas liberabit vos

April 24, 2018, 05:30 AM	#7
moosemike Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2009 Location: Lebanon PA Posts: 535	Wow, $150! Somebody offered me 150 mine would probably be gone too! __________________ et cognoscetis veritatem et veritas liberabit vos

April 24, 2018, 05:44 AM	#8
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia Posts: 4,767	I remember years ago in I think it was "Gun Test" magazine they did a comparison between an ATM Hardballer (SS 1911 type), and a Raven 25. The Raven won, because it worked every time they pulled the trigger. They couldn't say enough bad stuff about the Hardballer. Apparently, IIRC, they couldn't get it to run a full magazine. I used to lust for one. Back then they sold for about $30.00 or so brand new. That I could at least imagine being able to afford. No way I could have gotten anything else. A hundred bucks? Might as well have been a million. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

April 24, 2018, 09:40 AM	#11
TruthTellers Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2016 Posts: 3,883	I have one and like it. Would like to shoot it more, but .25 is way more expensive than it should be. I was at a gun store last month and saw a tiny as heck .25, can't remember what it was, but it made me realize the Raven is too big to be a .25, but it's a blowback action with a zamak slide, so there is no getting around that. The nice thing is it is reliable and I've only had one malfunction in 50 rounds, a FTE on the last round. __________________ "We always think there's gonna be more time... then it runs out."

April 23, 2018, 04:20 PM	#2
Fishbed77 Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2010 Posts: 4,862	A friend of the family has one that I've shot before. Despite the ever-present fear of slide-bite (or a potmetal explosion), it's actually an accurate little pistol with a surprisingly good trigger.

April 23, 2018, 09:33 PM	#4
JERRYS. Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,968	I had one in the late 80s, it never malfunctioned. I can't say that for some name brand guns I've had.

April 24, 2018, 01:59 AM	#5
ma96782 Member Join Date: November 18, 2000 Posts: 63	Raven Story...... I had this GF once. She was left the Raven by her ex-husband, for home defense. I took it out shooting and it was a pretty good experience. Similar to what you said. But, ammo was expensive for it. And, she was not a fan of the semi-automatic nor of it's capability as a home defense firearm. Anyway, I traded my Charter Arms revolver in .38 Special for her Raven. Later down the road we broke up and I sold the Raven with whatever ammo I had for $150. Aloha, Mark

April 24, 2018, 09:06 AM	#10
Oysterboy Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 970	I had a Raven, the real mccoy. Damn good pistol. I shot at the range in the 15 yard lanes and it grouped well. The shooter next to me asked what is that toy you're shooting?

April 26, 2018, 10:02 PM	#12
HisSoldier Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2007 Location: Oregoncoast Posts: 1,793	Work in the metals trade long enough and you'll develop a strong dislike for Zamak and other zinc alloys. __________________ CNC produced 416 stainless triggers to replace the plastic triggers on Colt Mustangs, Mustang Plus II's, MK IV Government .380's and Sig P238's and P938's. Plus Colt Mustang hardened 416 guide rods, and Llama .32 and .380 recoil spring buttons, checkered nicely and blued.

April 27, 2018, 05:53 PM	#14
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	I have a Handgun Tests magazine, published in 1979, that has a chapter entitled: "Why a $49 Raven .25 Is Better Than a $220 S&W 9mm Model 59!" The author/tester Phil Engeldrum concluded that the Smith was one of the worst pistols, a "really scary" one, that he had ever tested because "it doesn't fire every time you pull the trigger". Though Mr. Engeldrum conceded that the Raven "is not a great gun", he considered it to be a better gun than the Model 59 because "...everytime I pull the trigger on that little turkey, it shoots." All that said, if given a choice between the two today, I would pick the... __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

May 1, 2018, 12:41 PM	#15
CANIS Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 1999 Posts: 308	Way back in the late 80's, the first gun I ever bought was a Raven .25. I am pretty sure it was maybe $50 or $60 dollars. I bought it at the Holiday Inn gun show in Midland Texas. Before the internet and every armchair gun expert in the world told me it was a POS, I loved that little pistol. It never jammed, was accurate and did what it was supposed to do. I carried that little gun in the pocket of my utes in the USMC and it withstood the challenge through dessert, snow and whatever. I traded that gun off to another Marine for a pair of boots prior to joining the mishmash of suckiness that is the civilian world. I would love to have that old gun back... it is kind of like my Rosebud of firearms... a simpler time when we made our own choices and learned our own way without the relentless machine of marketing and fake experts spouting off about endless silly drills, multiple backup guns and the latest wonder zapper ammo... Anyways... they are surprisingly good little pistols and I doubt you could wear one out with normal use. It is not like the .25 is a high pressure round. __________________ I'm not tolerant...

May 1, 2018, 01:27 PM	#16
Oysterboy Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 970	I used to call mine my drinking buddy.

May 1, 2018, 02:40 PM	#17
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	Can't recall how I came into possession, but had one in the early '80s that I finally up-traded for a Beretta Jetfire and some cash. Kinda wish I'd kept it, the thing did function. Last Raven I saw in person was probably in the mid '90s. Got sent out on a "found property" call. Turned out to be a nickel-plated Raven they'd stumbled across. In a lake. 150 miles away. Outside looked fine, insides were rusted. They had no explanation of why they'd brought it home to turn in to our PD, instead of calling local LE on it. Coulda been a dumped murder weapon, and I'm sure our guys were over-worked enough to close-case it without following up with the appropriate jurisdiction. Denis

May 1, 2018, 03:38 PM	#18
Jazzgun Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2018 Location: Arizona Posts: 169	Love these threads about the little Raven with the interesting history. Got ours working today. YAY!!! __________________ "I ain't afraid to love a man. I ain't afraid to shoot him either." ~ Annie Oakley

May 1, 2018, 04:38 PM	#21
Jazzgun Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2018 Location: Arizona Posts: 169	Thanks! __________________ "I ain't afraid to love a man. I ain't afraid to shoot him either." ~ Annie Oakley

May 1, 2018, 05:07 PM	#22
Jazzgun Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2018 Location: Arizona Posts: 169	Here's a pic of my gun. Ain't she a beauty? __________________ "I ain't afraid to love a man. I ain't afraid to shoot him either." ~ Annie Oakley

May 1, 2018, 05:15 PM	#23
HighValleyRanch Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2005 Posts: 4,066	I thought they were supposed to be made out of "pot metal". Is that chromed pot metal? __________________ From the sweet grass to the slaughter house; From birth until death; We travel between these two eternities........from 'Broken Trail"