| .25 ACP | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 .25 ACP cartridge with scale | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Pistol | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of origin | United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Production history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Designer | John Browning | |||||||||||||||||||
| Designed | 1905 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Case type | Semi-rimmed, straight | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bullet diameter | .251 in (6.4 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Neck diameter | .276 in (7.0 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Base diameter | .278 in (7.1 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rim diameter | .302 in (7.7 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rim thickness | .027 in (0.69 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Case length | .615 in (15.6 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Overall length | .91 in (23 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rifling twist | 1:16 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Primer type | Boxer Small Pistol | |||||||||||||||||||
Ballistic performance
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Test barrel length: 2 in Source(s): Guns & Ammo Magazine | ||||||||||||||||||||
The .25 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) (6.35x16mmSR) centerfire pistol cartridge is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled pistol cartridge introduced by John Browning in 1905 alongside the Fabrique Nationale model 1905 pistol. In more-recent years, most pistols available in .25 ACP are also available in a more-effective calibre.[1]
Design[]
The cartridge was designed for early blowback pistols that lacked a breech locking mechanism. The cartridge is of semi-rimmed design meaning that the rim protrudes slightly beyond the diameter of the base of the cartridge so the cartridge can headspace on the rim.[2] A recessed extractor groove allows an extractor to grab the cartridge reliably. It is the smallest centerfire pistol round in production, and is commonly chambered in small, so-called "vest pocket" pistols. The .25 ACP achieved widespread use after Colt introduced the Browning-designed Fabrique 1905 Vest Pocket (sometimes referred to as 1906) to the United States as the Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket.
Though the .25 ACP was designed for semi-automatic pistols, various .25 ACP revolvers were produced in the early twentieth century by Belgian, French, and German gunmakers such as Adolph Frank and Decker.[3] In the late twentieth century, Bowen Classic Arms produced a custom Smith & Wesson revolver in .25 ACP.[4]
Following World War II, the Italian Lercker machine pistol was chambered for the .25 ACP, but achieved little distribution.
Performance[]
"Baby" Browning
Modern Jacketed Hollow Point Loads for the 6.35 / .25.
The use of the .25 ACP allows for a very compact lightweight gun, but the cartridge is relatively short ranged and low powered, putting it in the same class as the .22 LR rimfire cartridge but at a significantly higher cost. Although the .22LR is slightly more powerful when fired from longer rifle barrels, the .25 ACP is viewed by some as a better choice for personal defense handguns due to its centerfire-case design, which is inherently more reliable than a rimfire cartridge.[1]
Manufacturers have loaded commercial hollow-point bullets to higher velocities than standard 50-grain (3.2 g) full metal jacket loads. Firearms chambered for the .25 ACP cartridge run the gamut from inexpensive, simply made guns like the Raven MP-25 and Jennings J-25 to higher quality and relatively expensive guns like the Baby Browning, Walther TPH, or Beretta 950 Jetfire. The tiny cartridge has also been used in some precision crafted target pistols.
Synonyms[]
- 25 Auto
- .25 Auto
- 6.35 mm
- 6.35 mm Browning
- 6.35×16mmSR (SR—Semi-Rimmed)
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jerry Ahern (2010). "Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed-Carry Handguns". Gun Digest Books. pp. 19–20. ISBN 1-4402-1383-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=ulWbH-4xtd8C&pg=PA19.
- ↑ *Wilson, R. K. Textbook of Automatic Pistols, p.258. Plantersville, SC: Small Arms Technical Publishing Company, 1943. ISBN 978-0-935632-89-7
- ↑ http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20allemande/artisan%20c%20d/a%20decker%20walter%20gb.htm
- ↑ Bowen, Hamilton. The Custom Revolver. Privately printed, 2001. ISBN 978-0-9713366-0-5
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to .25 ACP. |
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The original article can be found at .25 ACP and the edit history here.