"hot" .25 ammo?

[Arko]

I have a cool old Galesi .25 pocket gun, that I'm ALMOST tempted to carry as a BUG, but the prevailing opinion on .25 makes me nervous that with anything but an eye or throat shot it's just slightly warmer than a pea-shooter.

Does anyone know if there are any "hot" .25 rounds out there to load this little bugger with?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Sheldon J]

My opinion for what it is worth... If you want a small cal lightweight BUG carry a .22 instead more power, and keep the .25 as a curio....

[TerriLi]

As a BUG I think its a fair option. One its centerfire, and two its small. As to hot loads I dont know, but I would use only FMJs.

[Tangle]

I'm not sure 'hot' and .25 cal are compatible.

[Superhouse 15]

I have done some non scientific wet newspaper tests. IF you can get it, use the Winchester load # X25XP. It offers a bit of expansion, but still penetrates.
25 XP Load

My second choice is the Gold Dot. It expands a little bit more than the Winchester, but it's 10 grains lighter.
25 Gold Dot

Third choice is the XTP from Hornady. It doesn't expand very big, but the nose kind of flattens and makes a flat point that should cut some tissue. It should do more damage than an FMJ anyway.
Hornady 25 XTP

I just put down an injured deer with the Winchester XP load yesterday. Total penetration of the skull and neck with instant effect. Placement probably had a lot to do with it but the wound was bloody and obviously did a lot of damage for such a small round.

[David in FL]

I'll play.....

Jumbo shrimp, friendly fire, city worker.......

We are comparing oxymorons, aren't we?

[matiki]

I'm not sure 'hot' and .25 cal are compatible.

+1

Blowback guns want the right pressure. Too much or too little and they don't function right. The gas pressure needs to be sufficient to press the brass against the walls of the barrel and keep the slide from moving until pressure drops when the bullet exits the barrel, but not press so hard that the brass deforms and sticks in the barrel.

[bmcgilvray]

"My opinion for what it is worth... If you want a small cal lightweight BUG carry a .22 instead more power, and keep the .25 as a curio...."



I don't know. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that when a .22 Long Rifle is fired from something as stunted as a Beretta Model 21 with it's super short barrel it offers no more than the .25 which at least offers a teensy bit heavier bullet of very slightly larger diameter. Between the two, I'd at least give the penetration award to the .25. Forgetting any of the "hot" ammo marketed, I'd also stick with the original 51 grain full metal jacket bullet instead of trying to rely on some "super-expanding" speedy, lightweight slug in the .25 ACP which needs all the help it can get for penetration. It'd be bad to have some expanding bullet stop in an assailant's heavy jacket, or just under the hide against a rib bone.

All this theorizing goes out the window as soon as a .22 handgun of decent barrel length is employed or, of course, when considering the .22 Long Rifle as fired from a rifle. In these instances the .22 Long Rifle handily whips the paltry .25ACP. From a 2-inch barrel though the .22 Long Rifle is supremely "underwhelming."

An argument may be made that the .25 feeds more reliably than the .22 Long Rifle with it's longer rimmed cartridge shape. I know my .25s never jam.

At any rate, when considering the truly tiny automatics, arguing the relative ballistic advantages of the .22 Long Rifle and the .25 ACP is akin to arguing if throwing mosquito legs or daisy petals is most effective for self defense.

I was glad to retire my Colt Model 1908 .25 ACP in favor of the Kel Tec P3AT .380 ACP for occasions that demanded the smallest of carry guns.

[HotGuns]

The .25 is a better defensive round than the .22 just because of the bullet selection.

Since either caliber needs help in a defensive situation, you might as well get the best that you can.

[Arko]

Wow. Quite the range of answers.

Keep them coming...unless someone has a more suitable pocket gun they'd like to sell me at a reasonable price!

Seriously though, I wasn't even thinking about expanding rounds, thinking the old argument of non expansion of small/low velo rounds would definitely apply.

[Superhouse 15]

Even if the JHPs in .25 don't expand, they at least have a sharp mouth. More chance to dig into a skull or rib bone rather than slip off of it like a FMJ. You are shooting at the skull, correct? In soft tissue, it will cut a little, unlike the icepick of the FMJ that tends to slip through tissue.

In .22, for the BUG sized guns, I use the CCI Quick Shok segmented HP. I'm waiting to get my hands on the QS in .22 mag! Somehow there seems to be an ammo shortage. Any body know about that? The QS completely fragmented from my 1.25" barreled NAA mini.

After I had put down a deer with a Beretta 21 (all I had) I fired an XP into the chest from about 6 feet. Exited the chest of a 100+ pound doe.

[Sheldon J]

True story time...(not again)....
Friend had a gun shop here N some kid stood at the street level in front of the store, fired a round from a .25 auto at his second floor room....
The round broke through the single pane glass window, penetrated the window screen....
And bounced off a ceramic vase on a shelf next to the window, and did no damage to the vase other than knocking it over....
Total range was about 50'
I still vote for the .22 and go for a mag....

[bmcgilvray]

http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...on-25-acp.html

[Arko]

True story time...(not again)....
Friend had a gun shop here N some kid stood at the street level in front of the store, fired a round from a .25 auto at his second floor room....
The round broke through the single pane glass window, penetrated the window screen....
And bounced off a ceramic vase on a shelf next to the window, and did no damage to the vase other than knocking it over....
Total range was about 50'

I still vote for the .22 and go for a mag....

Well, It's not so much a choice or caliber, as using a .25 I have on hand...or nothing. If I had a choice (gun and funds available) I'd buy another mouse gun like my wife's, a .32 or .380 NAA Guardian.

Alas, my choice is to BUG with what I have, or go BUG-less.

[bmcgilvray]

It's been a long time since I've even seen a Galesi which was made in Italy but if I recall correctly they were of all steel construction. Were't considered very expensive in their day and were killed off by GCA '68. Not much parts and service about but then there's not much to go wrong with one that is cleaned and maintained. The Galesi would be a better choice than the various pot metal .25s that came along later.