.25 ACP
.25 ACP | |
---|---|
.25 ACP cartridge with scale | |
Type | Pistol |
Place of origin | Belgium |
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 | .043 in (1.1 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 | |
Test barrel length: 2 in Source(s): Guns & Ammo Magazine |
The .25 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) (6.35×16mmSR) is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled centerfire pistol cartridge introduced by John Browning in 1905 alongside the Fabrique Nationale M1905 pistol.
Design
The cartridge was designed by John Browning for early blowback pistols that lacked a breech locking mechanism. The cartridge was designed to duplicate the performance of a .22 Long Rifle cartridge, when fired from a 2" barrel. The .25 caliber was the smallest case Browning could use that still had space for a primer pocket. The greased, coated lead bullet design, standard for the .22 long rifle of the day, was replaced with a copper jacketed round nose profile for more reliable feeding in self-loading pistols. The bullet weight was typically 50 grains, keeping with the sectional density of the 40 grain .22 caliber bullet. 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.[1] A recessed extractor groove allows an extractor to grab the cartridge reliably. It is one of the smallest centerfire pistol rounds 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.[2] In the late twentieth century, Bowen Classic Arms produced a custom Smith & Wesson revolver in .25 ACP.[3]
Following World War II, the Italian Lercker machine pistol was chambered for the .25 ACP, but achieved little distribution.
Performance
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 .22 LR 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.[4]
Manufacturers have loaded commercial hollow-point bullets to higher velocities than standard 50-grain (3.2 g) full metal jacketed 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, and Beretta 950 Jetfire. The tiny cartridge has also been used in some precision crafted target pistols.
- FN 1905/6
- Modern jacketed hollow point loads for the 6.35mm/.25 cal.
Synonyms
- .25 Auto (pronounced "twenty-five auto")
- .25 Automatic
- 6.35 mm
- 6.35 mm Browning
- 6.35×16mmSR (SR—semi-rimmed)
See also
References
- ↑
- Wilson, R. K. Textbook of Automatic Pistols. Plantersville, SC: Small Arms Technical Publishing Company, 1943. p. 258. ISBN 978-0-935632-89-7.
- ↑ Hogg, Ian; Walter, John (2004-08-29). Pistols of the World. David & Charles. ISBN 0873494601.
- ↑ Bowen, Hamilton. The Custom Revolver. Privately printed, 2001. ISBN 978-0-9713366-0-5.
- ↑ Jerry Ahern (2010), Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed-Carry Handguns, Gun Digest Books, pp. 19–20, ISBN 1-4402-1383-6
External links
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