Posted on 12/08/2017 5:41:10 AM PST by w1n1
These days most concealed carriers refer to smaller handguns less than a .45 caliber as “mouse guns.” We’re talking about the Browning .25 ACP.
Yes, its is considered an antique self-defense gun from the early 20th century, some would say it was a fad that never faded.
Most people that do have these .25’s are collectors and a small minority that actually have this as a backup.(ankle or throwaway guns) But is it a reliable self-defense gun?
Nowadays thanks to smart gun folks have put this caliber to the test against gel. The ideal penetration is “twelve inches” according to FBI protocol.
Here’s Youtuber mark3smle tackling this question of whether or not the .25 ACP is reliable for self-defense.
Yes this little piece is the ideal size for concealed and lightweight, but it may not be the caliber to have to stop someone in its track. Probably best as a last resort. See the full footage testing of this .25 ACP for personal defense video here. Anyone carrying a mouse gun?
***Yes, and it was a cheap RG-14.***
You realize that back in 1968 or 69, after the murder of Bobby Kennedy,in a government effort to sort out “good” guns from “bad” guns, the H.P. White labratories tested all guns for function and accuracy, and to everyone’s surprise the RG brand of revolvers were some of the THE MOST ACCURATE.
took everyone by surprise. Now, function was a different thing.
The Browning Baby is a dandy pistol for the healthy gentleman to carry in a vest pocket during his daily aspirations. Whether on horseback or velocipede, he can be assured of security against dogs and miscreants in auto-mobiles. Until the future brings us personal steam ro-bots and aero-plane dreadnoughts, the .25 caliber pistol is here to stay.
I obtained an RG-14 and tested it for accuracy. Not bad for such an inexpensive revolver. I shot, as I recall, a 1 3/4 inch group at 50 feet (from a rest) single action.
Firing double action, some of he bullets did not stabilize.
The trigger was terrible, the sights poor. But it was far better than nothing.
Never did publish the article. Might have an old picture of he group, somewhere.
Remember the old HANDGUN TESTS and PISTOLERO magazines from the 1980s? They came about after high dollar guns failed.
The editors often went to Mexico to test their handguns of live pigs. In one, they tested the .25 and a crossbow on hogs destined for market. The .25 to the brain worked well. Restored my faith in small guns after a lifetime of Jeff Cooper indoctrination.
Now, once when I pulled into an isolated I-40 gas station in the middle of the night, I grabbed TWO 9mm high pistols, A Browning Hi-Power and an an Italian version of a Czech 75. when I didn’t like what I saw there.
I have preached this for years.
The first rule of a gunfight is "have a gun".
You can spend gazillions on the next best thing...but if you don't carry it, it's useless as teats on a boar hog.
My .380 weighs in at about 23 ounces, loaded 8+1 with ARX loads.
Out of a 3.5 inch barrel, it's pushing about 1100 fps with a wound channel of about 8 inches in ballistic gel from 15 yards.
If I shoot you in the eye with it, it only has to penetrate about two inches of soft tissue to put you down.
And I carry it...period...every day, every place I go...unless of course I have to go into a federal building, which I own part of, but can't carry even a damned pocket knife into...and that's a whole 'nother story.
Bottom line...if you don't carry a gun...then this whole argument is nil and you are a victim.
That said, an old .25 pistol like the Phoenix Arms HP25A weighed 20 oz and was 5.5 inches long and 4.1 high. A modern 9mm Glock 43 subcompact is 18oz (22oz loaded), 6.26"x4.25", so what's the point of .25ACP when you can get a 9mm just as small? And better built?
I carry a .45 only because they don’t make a .46.
I don’t know what Browning actually carried but you are on target with the .32.
In the book, J.M. Browning, American Gunmaker, his Brothers mentioned that his favorite gun of all those he invented and that is saying something, was the little .32 automatic.
He loved to go hiking in the hills around Ogden and would carry the .32 auto with him and do a lot of plinking on the trail.
The .25 ACP is basically a center-fire .22 LR. If you’re a patrol officer dealing with drug addicts, you may want a bigger caliber than .25 ACP.
But if you’re Joe CPL carrying for self protection, any gun is better than no gun, and you are much less likely to run into a crackhead hopped up on PCP able to take several hits and keep coming at you than Officer Patrolman would be.
Do people obsess over the size of the fire extinguisher they keep in their kitchen because it isn’t as big as the ones the firefighters carry? Or do they keep the smallest one they can find and probably never have to use it once in their lifetime?
It sure beats a .24
Women actually have it a little easier because they carry a purse. When all you have is pocket’s, you have to do what you have to do. Pull the trigger 5 times instead of 2.
They do make a .50 Action Express
My neighbor killed her husband with one shot from a .22.
...
Was it justified?
Never carry your gun in a purse.
1) Your purse will be the first thing a mugger will snatch
2) You do NOT want your lipstick or keys to get in your trigger guard...
At close range? Yes...
Drill out a tiny cavity in the tip of the projectile (think hollow point). Insert a drop of fast-acting deadly poison. Seal with a drop of wax. Size no longer matters; any hit is a kill.
Admittedly, I havent really looked at .25s since some time in the 80s. Is there such a creature today?
Im not sure I could justify the when, how , and why for such a thing rather than another but just in case I run across a good deal...
And a ticket to the pen for the rest of your life.
It is usually the presence of a pistol and not its caliber that defuses the situation. Even very small pistols will drop someone if the pistol is used by someone who knows what they are doing. Most antagonists won't take the risk of finding out if the person brandishing the pistol knows what they are doing or not.
If you take a round from a .25, it's probably going to ruin your day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.