The .25 ACP is viewed by some, including
Gun Digest magazine, to still be a relevant choice (with it being over a century old) for a personal defense handgun when compared to more modern subcompact handguns & cartridges due to its small size, low recoil, centerfire primer, effective penetration, and proven track record of being reliable. However, more modern ammunition offered from manufacturers such as Buffalo Bore
hard cast lead,
Federal "Punch", and
Hornady Critical Defense are designed to be closer to the cartridge's full potential. Some more powerful loadings of the .25 ACP can even get close to
.32 ACP ballistics. The .25 is viewed by others as inadequate for personal defense. Self-defense instructor Greg Ellifritz conducted a study using statistics from almost 1,800 real-world shootings. Of the 68 people shot with a .25 ACP, 35% of them were not incapacitated. 25% of the hits were fatal, one-shot stop was 30%, and 49% were incapacitated by one shot. The .380 ACP, on the other hand, left 16% of people shot not incapacitated. This was a 30% increase from that of the .25 ACP. Ellifritz stated: "I would skip carrying the "mouse gun" .22s, .25s and .32s." However, he also pointed out that shot placement is more important than caliber (a common argument from .25 users) and concluded his review by stating: "caliber really isn't all that important." Other critics of the .25 ACP have pointed out that the round has trouble penetrating through bone and typically does not have enough energy to ensure the reliable expansion of
hollow-point projectiles, and that even if the projectiles do expand, that results in a decrease of penetration. However,
urban legends about .25 ACP's inadequacy (such as claims that the .25-caliber bullet will bounce off a skull or be stopped by thicker clothing materials) are inconsistent with the cartridge's historically proven track record. The reputation of the .25 ACP has long suffered from the cartridge only being offered in low-capacity pocket pistols with barrels. This short barrel length limits the
velocity and
energy that a .25 ACP offers and contributes to the popular belief that the .25 ACP is less powerful than the
.22 Long Rifle. The .22 LR is a rifle cartridge and, as such, is typically tested in rifle-length barrels, which is why the .22 LR appears to be more powerful than the .25 ACP. In an barrel, a .25 ACP performs similarly to a .22 LR being fired from a barrel, with a projectile traveling at about and producing in excess of of energy, while .22 LR gets such energy with twice the velocity from a barrel pocket pistol. Comparing the .25 ACP to the .22 LR fails to take into account a few things, namely that the .22 LR is far more popular and has had decades more of development. The .22 LR largely replaced the .25 ACP as a pocket pistol cartridge, but in addition received development for hunting purposes. As such, there are far more defensive loads for the .22 LR than the .25 ACP. That being said, most .25 loadings are still very comparable in performance to the .22 LR in short-barreled pocket pistols. File:Browning 6,35 (6971783925).jpg|
FN 1905/6 File:25 Caliber Jacketed Hollow Point.jpg|Modern jacketed hollow point loads for 6.35mm/.25 cal. File:Walther's Patent Mod 9-103.jpg|The
Walther Model 9 pistol uses 6.35mm File:Bauer .25 Auto pistol.jpg|
Bauer .25 Auto pocket pistol File:Raven_MP-25_Chrome_with_faux_mother_of_pearl_grips.jpg|
Raven MP-25 .25 ACP chrome with faux mother of pearl grips and push up safety File:Colt Vest Pocket.JPG|
Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket used .25 ACP ==See also==