[PT1980]

I know what you are fixin to type, your gonna tell me how I need to carry a different handgun, or how weak a .25 auto is. This is not my primary weapon, but I do own a .25 auto pistol and am thinking of carrying when I need something small when being active. I was just curious if anybody knew of a manufacturer that was superior to others. I will be shooting ball ammo no matter what, for penitration, but I was looking online and was amazed how little I can find on this caliber. Any of you guys got any advice. (besides getting rid of it, not gonna happen)

Thanks

 

[kruizer]

the trouble with .25 cal is that almost nobody shoots it.

 

[JR]

Winchester makes a pellet nosed cartridge for it. While it may not expand, it feeds well. MagSafe makes a really hot load for it, as well. Remington, Federal, Fiocchi, Hornady, Sellier & Bellot, and Magtech all make similar ammunition to each other. Just about every manufacturer advertises a load or two for the little cartridge. The Fiocchi 50 gr. load, at 800 fps, is about the hottest non-exotic load for power.

 

[Magnum_Gauge]

Theres nothing wrong with carrying a 25. Even a pellet gun can be deadly at close range. As for the 25 ammo, buy whatever you can find and good luck finding it. My wife has been sitting on 30 rounds for a good 4 months. She cant even use it at the range because we cant find even target loads. So Ill end with good luck.

 

[charliemike]

Any good ammo manufacturer is going to produce ammo that you can rely on. 25 auto is usually a 50gr bullet traveling 750 fps. So you are talking 62 ft-lbs of energy and .114 sectional density (Sectional density - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). There aren't very many offerings to choose from, so I don't think there is going to be a "Superior" manufacturer. I buy Buffalo Bore for my .380, they make heavy hardcast bullets, and max them out velocity wise. With the 25 I would only concern myself with my own accuracy. As long as you can put your rounds on a 3x5 index card quickly from he draw that round will serve you right.

 

[Qwiks draw]

The top load for the .25 ACP for the last few years has been this one.
Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: 25 Auto

This one has a excellent real world documented track record.

This load expands and gives deep penetration for the cartridge.
There is this.

Realize that the first link the shot is going into 20% gelatin when normally 10% calibrated gelatin is used for such things.

 

[Qwiks draw]

Please read some of the first replies to the test below at the link.

 

[mingaa]

I don't know - looking at ballistics 101 the stats don't bring much to the table. The Magtech looks like a 22 CCI Stinger:

25 ACP Ballistics Chart | Ballistics 101

Read 'em - mostly manufacturer's posted stats.

 

[chuck_in_texas]

I had a chance to buy a little .25 auto from a buddy last year. 2 reason I didn't: (1) You can't get any ammo for it in the midst of this shortage. At least in these parts. (2) I like to reload my own ammo and the little cartridges are a pain. And, try to buy brass for them. Cost almost as much as ammo, if you could get ammo.

 

[jr612]

If you are set on keeping I I'd stay it's time to start reloading. The 25acp is a dieing round destined to disappear, and when is does you'll be left with is a cool looking paperweight.

 

[madscott]

Lucky gunner has 50 round boxes of Fiocchi 25 ACP in stock for $22/bx
25 Ammo | Bulk .25 Auto ACP Ammunition For Sale Cheap

AIM surplus gets about 3 shipments a year of PRVI PARTIZAN PPU . 50 round boxes for $12.50 just go to their site and click on the item , then click on notify me when back in stock.. I usually get about 5 boxes a year from them. I have an Excam GT 27. would probably sell it if it wasn't such a sweet shooting firearm. absolutely love the thing.
I keep a magazine of Hornady XTP HP 35 grain for the rare occasions I carry my 25. They were $25.00 for 25 rounds

 

[Qwiks draw]

Ammo :: Ammunition :: Ammo For Sale : Cheap Ammo : Find Ammunition at AmmoSeek.com , GunBot find 223 5.56 AR-15 ammo in stock , and AmmoNow.com - Searching the web for the best ammunition prices, 25+ retailers all in one place are all good sources to find .25 ACP.

 

[JR]

While the .25 ACP is a marginal self-defense load by modern "experts" declaration, it seems to have been quite popular for decades. As late as the 1980's, even Massad Ayoob and Charlie Petty were advocating it as a back up gun. They even advocated the little Raven .25 as THE gun. Nobody wants to bleed, and the .25 ACP, like the .22 rim-fire can enter a large blood vessel, and travel to a constriction, cutting off blood flow beyond it.

Most .22 ballistics are still listed for rifles, or for 4" revolvers. Both of these give a false reading in comparison to the 2.5" barrel of the .25 ACP. The .22 loses quite a bit of velocity in short barrels, as the powder burn time is altered.

As far as being a dying caliber, there are literally millions of .25 ACP chambered pistols world-wide. In countries where military calibers are illegal in civilian hands, the .25 ACP is often a viable option. It will remain in production for the near future. After all, we still can buy new ammo for the 7.62 Nagant revolver, the various Velo Dogs, the .455 Eley, and the .38/200. Those are truly dying calibers, as there weren't nearly as many guns chambered in them to start with.

 

[Qwiks draw]

As one of the gun writer/ballisticians said back a few gun magazine issues, the small rounds like the .22.lrf, 25 ACP, and the .32ACP find their ways into important organs, blood vessels, and other areas quite well. The number of deaths he saw from the .32ACP ball ammo alone were pretty high in his district. That was with one shot.

 

[PT1980]

the trouble with .25 cal is that almost nobody shoots it.

I know. Imagine my frustration that the shelves keep getting bought out of a rarely used caliber. I probably order something.

 

[PT1980]

Any good ammo manufacturer is going to produce ammo that you can rely on. 25 auto is usually a 50gr bullet traveling 750 fps. So you are talking 62 ft-lbs of energy and .114 sectional density (Sectional density - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). There aren't very many offerings to choose from, so I don't think there is going to be a "Superior" manufacturer. I buy Buffalo Bore for my .380, they make heavy hardcast bullets, and max them out velocity wise. With the 25 I would only concern myself with my own accuracy. As long as you can put your rounds on a 3x5 index card quickly from he draw that round will serve you right.

It would be a back up most likely, and then used a a gut gun. Shouldn't miss at contact range. Hopefully I never have to stake my life on it.

 

[PT1980]

If you are set on keeping I I'd stay it's time to start reloading. The 25acp is a dieing round destined to disappear, and when is does you'll be left with is a cool looking paperweight.

I dont think it will ever disappear. Though it is not popular in an age of bigger is better, but this round has been around forever and I beleive that it will continue to shot by the few of us that care to keep them. As long as there are shooters, there will be ammo. Availabilty is a whole nother story.

 

[olfarhors]

Well I base my feelings on the 25 Auto from actual shootings, not books, u-tube , or testimonials.
AS in MY opinion this is a very marginal self defense caliber, and due to the very low actual weight of the projectile and the limited speed, I don't really know if there is a superior cartridge(projectile)?
there are ammunitions that you can pay a lot more for.
SO as always use the ammo that functions 100% of the time in that particular gun.
I personally if was caught in a pinch (you know couldn't find a really good sharp stick) would likely buy a fmj or lead round and hope penetration found some vital organ and i could keep away from the assailant until he bled to death?
and i know someone is going to say well no one wants to be shot with one!
yea, well who wants to step forward and be stabbed with this sharpened piointed stick?
IS that really a argurement for the 25?- that you don't want to be shot with it?
what you carry is your decision, but i just don't see any ammo thats going to really improve the odds much if any over any other ammo in that caliber.

 

[olfarhors]

I dont think it will ever disappear. Though it is not popular in an age of bigger is better, but this round has been around forever and I beleive that it will continue to shot by the few of us that care to keep them. As long as there are shooters, there will be ammo. Availabilty is a whole nother story.

Heck NO it ain't gonna disappear!
thats the caliber of choice in almost every Ghetto in every large city in America!
the 22 LR is there or second in popularity!
the guns are basically cheap and available!
same way you find more 410 single shot shotguns in those areas than anywhere.
ITs simple economics.

 

[Qwiks draw]

There have been many documented cases in the NRA magazines and other recent gun magazines for the last year or so, where older seniors have been using the "sub-caliber" cartridges, including the .25 ACP (quite a few cases for it), firing one shot, and the oldsters win the fight. The 25 ACP and other sub-calibers were used because the seniors could not shoot any other cartridge for a myriad health reasons.

There are plenty of those out here who are not a older seniors but are in the same boat.