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Cartridge of the Week: The .25 ACP/Auto

Talyn

Talyn

SAINT
Founding Member
The .25 ACP/Auto
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The .25 Auto/ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled centerfire pistol cartridge introduced by John Browning in 1905 alongside the Fabrique Nationale M1905 pistol.

The cartridge is of semi-rimmed design meaning that the rim protrudes slightly beyond the diameter of the base of the cartridge so the cartridge can headspace on the rim. Though the .25 ACP was designed for semi-automatic pistols, various .25 ACP revolvers were produced in the early twentieth century by Belgian, French, and German gunmakers such as Adolph Frank and Decker. In the late twentieth century, Bowen Classic Arms produced a custom Smith & Wesson revolver in .25 ACP.

The use of the .25 ACP allows for a very compact lightweight gun, but the cartridge is relatively short ranged and low powered, putting it in the same class as the .22 LR rimfire cartridge but at a significantly higher cost. The .25 ACP is viewed by some as a better choice for personal defense handguns due to its centerfire-case design, which is inherently more reliable and more powerful than a .22 LR rimfire cartridge.

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I carried a ( Colt) .25 for a minute back in the dark ages, when carrying a gun in this state could get you a couple years in prison. It N was my great uncle's "Tank gun" in WW II. Not daily or anything. At one point I was carrying it with Glaser Safety Slugs. In reality you might as well just load it up with FMJ. It will perform about as well as anything else.

Wish I still had that gun.
 
.25 ACP is one of the few handgun calibers that I have never fired. I have gotten curious about the round and the pocket guns that shoot it in the past, but I've heard so many negative things about it that I never made a purchase. Are modern .25 ACP guns and ammo better than they have been in the past, or is it still generally considered to be an underpowered round fired from mostly unreliable guns (ex. Phoenix, Jennings, Bryco, Jiminez, etc.)?
 
wmg1299 said:
.25 ACP is one of the few handgun calibers that I have never fired. I have gotten curious about the round and the pocket guns that shoot it in the past, but I've heard so many negative things about it that I never made a purchase. Are modern .25 ACP guns and ammo better than they have been in the past, or is it still generally considered to be an underpowered round fired from mostly unreliable guns (ex. Phoenix, Jennings, Bryco, Jiminez, etc.)?
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I carried a 1917 vintage Colt 1908 Vest Pocket as my “covert carry” piece for a while. It was better than harsh language, but I was also very cognizant of its shortcomings. Carried it with S&B FMJ’s.

That’s a quality .25, as it’s Browning counterpart, the “Baby”. There’s a few others; Beretta Jetfires, Walther PPK’s, HK4’s…but yeah, a lot of .25’s are cheap crap…Lorcin, Raven, Jennings, et al.
 
HansGruber said:
I carried a 1917 vintage Colt 1908 Vest Pocket as my “covert carry” piece for a while. It was better than harsh language, but I was also very cognizant of its shortcomings. Carried it with S&B FMJ’s.

That’s a quality .25, as it’s Browning counterpart, the “Baby”. There’s a few others; Beretta Jetfires, Walther PPK’s, HK4’s…but yeah, a lot of .25’s are cheap crap…Lorcin, Raven, Jennings, et al.
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My colt was Army issue, I can't remember the year, but it was a good gun. Like a miniature 1911.
I semi-restored a Tanfoglio .25 about a year ago for my buddy across the street. I think I made a thread here about it with pictures.
 
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