25 Auto pistol is one of the lightest, smallest and easiest to conceal firearms around. That said, the first rule of gun fighting is to bring a gun and the sub-compact. 25 pocket pistol owners reload for their pets. Standard small pistol primers and a pinch (typically 1.0 to 1.5 grains) of a fast burning powder, such as W231, 700X or Bullseye, are the ticket. 25 ACP cartridge can be reloaded, but its small case size makes it a finicky project for reloaders and there is little ballistic gain possible. 25Īutoloaders would probably be hard pressed to keep six shots in a 5" The mid-range trajectory is 2"Īt 50 yards and 8.7" at 100 yards, but the chances of hitting anything at 25 ACP factory ballistics call for a 50 grainīullet at 760 fps muzzle velocity from a 2" barrel. 25 ACP autoloader is the least effectiveĪnd, for most purposes, the least desirable alternative. Something to fall back on if a rifle or shotgun is unavailable. The handgun is regarded as an emergency weapon, Or rifle, which is why long guns are the primary personal weapon used by every Purposes, there are many more effective weapons, including almost any shotgun The handgun is basically a defensive weapon. Percentages achieved by any modern handgun cartridge. 25 Auto load is not high, about 25% with the best expanding bulletsĪnd about 23% with FMJ bullets. The chances of immediate incapacitation from the first shot Immediate incapacitation of the aggressor should be the result sought byĪnyone having to use a handgun for self defense. The goal is that he or she be immediately incapacitated and unable to doĪnyone harm. Whether that individual later lives or dies is irrelevant in thisĬontext. Stopping power, for our purposes, means that the bad guy cannot continue hostile action against the shooter or anyone else afterīeing shot. Killed more people than any other civilian cartridge, because it has beenĪround a long time, is so widely used and the waxed or greased lead bulletĬarries a lot of foreign matter into the wound. Of stopping power, these are the least effective of all common handgunĬartridges. Neither cartridge has achieved impressive results in actual shootings. 22 LR, on average, having a smallĪdvantage in stopping power (-2% to +9%, depending on the loads compared). Short barreled pistols is similar, with the. The terminal performance of the two cartridges from very 25 ACP in such pistols,Īlthough the difficulties can be overcome. 22 LRĬartridge is inherently less reliable than the. Longer overall length and the fact that it is a rimmed design, the. Is a very small rimless cartridge intended specifically for reliable function Semi-automatic (autoloading) pistols chambered for the. 25 caliber handguns are almost exclusively