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Thread: .25 ACP Pistol Suggestions

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    .25 ACP Pistol Suggestions

    I'm thinking about getting a .25 ACP pistol and would like some suggestions. I can buy used or new, but not looking to spend too much. I've been looking at Colt Automatics/Juniors and the Phoenix Arms HP25. The former usually sells for $300+ on Gun Broker, the latter can be had for under $150, I think. However, I am open to anything so long as it is made well and doesn't have a lot of/serious know issues.

    Suggestions?
    Last edited by WarEagleEd; 01-22-2018 at 06:19 PM.

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    I wouldn't go with the Phoenix, I have had one and it is junk. I have had several Colt Juniors and they have been very good. Right now I have an Italian made 25 ACP, for the last 35 years, and the only thing I have had to do with it is replace the barrel at about 5,000 rounds as it became a smooth bore. I am still partial to the Colts. I have 2 Llamas one in 32 and one in 380, I am just a 1911 kind of guy.

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    My dad has an old llama 32acp 1911 style. I learned how to shoot with that little thing.

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    Long long time ago, I had one. But the ammo costs way too much and there is not a lot of bang for your buck. They are hardly worth even trying to reload for them. I got rid of that and just got a small .380.

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    Cappie, I have been reloading the 25 ACP for about 15 years, I purchased the conversion for the Dillon 550 and it is a breeze to reload. The 25 that I have id the one I started my children on when they reached the age of 6. I also shoot and reload for the 380 and 32 ACP, with the Dillon they too are a breeze to reload.

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    I'm interested in the .25 ACP for the novelty of the tiny round and the fact the John Browning designed it. I'm not interested in using as a defensive carry gun (for that I have a .380). I am leaning toward a Colt Junior/Astra Cub/FIE A27.

  7. #7
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    Actually, I have had a LOT of experience with the 25 ACP, both in terms of reloading, and choosing a good gun.

    After going through a bunch of guns that always seemed to jam, the one that was hands down reliable is the Beretta Model 21-A. Beretta calls it the "Bobcat" model. It loads with the first round manually placed in the flip up barrel. I have thrown a bunch of different rounds through it, including many factory cartridges and my own reloads, including a cast lead bullet load. Not a single failure to function.

    I bought an out of production Lyman mold that casts wonderful 50 grain Round Nose bullets. I also managed to acquire an out of production conversion kit for the Dillon 550b. Those are very rare and hard to find. I use Titegroup powder for the loads, and it seems to work great.

    That's my two cents worth.

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    So I have pretty much settled on a Colt Junior/Automatic/Astra Cub or a Beretta 21-A Bobcat in .25 ACP. But, I'm feeling kind of cheap right now and don't want to get in a hurry to get one and end up spending too much. So, I will keep my eyes open for a good deal on one of those (could take years to find one at the price point I'm satisfied with). However, in order to "scratch my itch" short term, I bid on and won a FIE Titan .25 on GunBroker. I got it for $97 shipped, plus I'll have to pay a transfer fee to a local gun store. I know it is an American made frame that is an alloy with a high zinc content (ZAMAK). I don't really care so long as it goes "mouse toot" when I pull the trigger. It will be, after all, a stop-gap measure and a plinker to shoot at the range just for the fun of it.

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    That sounds like a pretty decent deal. I'm tempted to order one too. Do tell us how you like it when you get a chance to try it out at the range.

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    I should have the Titan in about a week or so.

    I think I'm going to add the Star Model CU or CK to my list with the Colt & variations and the Beretta Bobcat.

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    It took about three weeks to get the gun delivered. I took it to the range a couple of weeks ago and fired it. It fired the 25 or so Remington rounds I had with no problems at all. 4 of the 50 Winchester rounds didn't fire the first time through, though I think this was due to the age of the ammo because the firing pin appeared to be striking the primer with sufficient force (made a nice, consistent dimple in the primer). 3 of the four fired on a second try, 1 refused to do a thing. I recovered the majority of my cases, but the gun tends to throw them all over the place. It is fun to shoot and is pretty accurate.

    Titan sm.jpg

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    Now you can use your night vision and ambush those pesky mice.

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    They don't stand a chance. The Titan is a pretty accurate little gun.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check