The amazing .25 acp

General Firearms Handguns - Semi Auto
1

What a survivor.

In the 2013 panic .25 stock was wiped out. I figured forever and it would take a spot next to .32 S&W “Short”.

But it came back.

Then in 2020 it was wiped out again.

And yet it has returned!

.25 acp is less expensive than .32 acp!

There are hardly any .25’s made anymore. And of those who do own them, do they really fire them much? (I do but I’m “special”)

So, in America today, .25 acp is more popular than .32 acp and based on the price & availability of ammo, are shot more.

Crazy, eh?

I’d like to see more guns chambered in it. Larger pistols, mainly. More reliable than .22lr and jacketed bullets that don’t clog up suppressors.

2

I finally got a Beretta M21A .25 acp threaded.

It’s hearing safe with my Omega 9K! And reliable!

And no lead residue!

3

Knew of a thug (from ER Doc that saw him) that was shot in temple with .25 ACP FMJ.
Didn’t penetrate his skull.
And yes, a .25 ACP would beat a (small) rock and No Id not care to be shot with one.
At my advanced stage of life I’ll carry a 9mm at a minimum thank you.
I’m willing to accommodate the inconvenience of carrying a micro 9. : )

4

I was going to get a carry gun in .25 ACP but decided to go with .17 HMR.

5

Pff…rimfire sucks…it’s your funeral, pal! :jester:

The little Berettas are fun to shoot. When they work. The .22lr’s can take alot of trial to figure out what “mostly” works. The .25’s work very well once broken in. And they hold an extra round. Now I find it’s Hollywood quiet with a small 9mm can.

Fun and reliable? Yes! Great for self defense? No, no gun this size is. But it’s better than no gun.

My real point is how amazing it is that this caliber is still selling. How many .25’s are out there? Still? How many people actually shoot them? And when they do, how much?

I never see them at a range. But the ammo is selling, and possibly more than any .32 (.32 S&W, .32 mag, .32 acp, .327 mag, .32 SC) except perhaps .32 S&W Long. But .32 S&W Long is still somewhat popular in competition in other parts of the world.

6

If you shoot someone with .25ACP, and they ever find out, they are gonna be pissed. :wink:

7

Where are you hearing that more 25ACP is sold than 32ACP? I know there are a lot of old guns, but I find that hard to believe. In all of my life, I don’t think that I’ve ever seen another person shooting 25ACP.

8

The same lack of penetration is documented for many handgun calibers to include the 9mm. And then again, it’s documented the .25 auto has penetrated the skull as have other handgun calibers.

9

Sure, but the lack of penetration isn’t equal among handgun cartridges. 25ACP is as weak as it gets when it comes to centerfire pistol cartridges. It’s better than nothing though and fun to shoot.

10

Amazing? More like anemic.

11

I think you are forgetting bullet bounce which typically creates more grievous wounds than even .357 magnum. God forbid you get one inside your body armor…it would bounce forever.

12

Wait 'til you read the Responding Offier’s report about a .25ACP One-Shot Stop… https://thelawdogfiles.com/2006/06/darwin-is-rotter.html

13

On ammoseek it seems more available and less expensive than .32 acp.

At each panic it gets bought out and then manufactures crank it out to replace it.

They wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t selling.

That’s what I find amazing about it.

14

You missed my point.

15

Economies of scale aside, it should cost less because less materials are required to produce it. Availability does not equate to sales. Perhaps more is available because it doesn’t sell?

16

It does sell though.

Like I said, the last three panics or so it was wiped out. But the manufacturers crank it out again because there is demand.

If there was less demand it would cost more. I think that’s where .32 acp is, sadly.

17

Consider this:

.32 magnum is $1 a shot. .327 Federal sometimes not available at all.

There must be so little demand it’s not worth an ammo maker to take a loading machine offline to switch calibers and make a batch.

But .25 acp is.

I think there is more demand for .25 acp than the following:

.32 acp,. 32 mag, .327 mag, .38 S&W, .41 mag, .44 spl, .45 gap, .480 Ruger and several other older /obsolescent cartridges.

The ones I feel bad for are .32 acp, (superior in blowback guns compared to .380) .32 mag, (a wonderful revolver cartridge for those who don’t want .38 spl recoil) and .44 special (because it’s so good from a large revolver or levergun)

18

There’s nothing wrong with liking .25 ACP. But being in denial that it sucks and isn’t popular is a whole nother thing.

19

After seeing this thread I noticed that Scheels had .25acp but not 32. A little surprising yes.

20

I’ve made no statements regarding its ballistic performance. That wasn’t the purpose of the topic.

The purpose was to discuss why / how it’s still popular, more so than several other pistol cartridges one would think would be more popular, and simply to acknowledge it.

I’m “raising awareness” that somehow .25 acp is still a considerable seller.