How About A .25ACP Ruger Single-8 SA Revolver ?

[Pete44ru]

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I happened across this very interesting thread, about a fella that's having a .22LR Single-Six converted to .25ACP and a .32H&R SSM converted to handle .32 S&W Shorts, .32 S&W Longs, .32 S&W Specials, .32 H&R Magnums, .32 Long Colt, and .32 Short Colt cartridges - and though it might be of interest here.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... agnum-Auto


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[AJMD429]

With the price of 22 LR, and its value as a hoard-item in the event of a social or economic crisis, I can see why a 25 ACP firearm would be of value in the interim.

There is a poorly-filled niche between 22 LR and 38 Special in rifles, revolvers, and pistols...the 32-20 and other "32's" fill it a bit, as do cartridges like the 22 Hornet, 218 Bee, 25-20, and 22 TCM, but more 25 caliber 'reloadables' would certainly be welcome, and the little 25 ACP round has a potential role beyond the Baby Browning pistols.

I saw a 16" Encore rifle barrel chambered in 25 ACP, and almost bought it....'just because'...

[Sixgun]

Pete,
I think it's kind of a waste of money to spend on a waste of a cartridge. There's nothing to gain unless someone gave you 4 or 5 thousand loaded rounds. Ahhhhh...maybe the guy has nothing else to do and the last I heard it's still a free country.

Brian Pearce had an article a couple of months ago on a 25 caliber conversion that shot a cartridge pretty powerful...as 25 calibers go.

My 32 mag revolver shoots shorts, longs, or whatever else in the way of small 32 cartridges as it came from the factory.----6

[Merle]

I'm kind of curious about what a 32 S&W special is.

[AJMD429]

There is room for a 25 caliber straight-case round of more capacity than the 25 ACP, like the "257 Magnum" which is a 22 Hornet blown out to 25 caliber (there is also a '25 Hornet' with similar ballistics). From a handgun they both got about 1400 fps with an 86 grain bullet, 1500 or so with a 60 grain one.

1200 fps or so with a 60 grain bullet is possible with the 25 ACP from a 12" barrel.

The other possibility would be the 357 Mag case necked down to 25 caliber - as the 256 Winchester Magnum - there were four firearms I know of chambered in it - the short-lived Ruger Hawkeye, Marlin 62, Universal M1 Carbine, and of course a few Contenders. A 60 grain 25 caliber bullet at 2700 fps from a rifle and 2000 fps from a handgun is pretty hot. Probably too hot for the 'niche' I'm thinking of (reloadable 22-Mag or better ballistics).

Like others have posted, the straight-case "32's" are pretty hard to beat, though. They can 'get by' with subsonic velocities, so less noise, and moving into the 90-110 grain class does give a better thump on the receiving end.

Still, if I had a 25 ACP revolver, I'd likely reload for it and mess around with it....just because...

[kaschi]

It would be economical in a revolver. You could at least gather up the empty cases, which is not easy to with a semi auto. Even finding larger cases (like 9mm) is not easy easy on grass. You'd never find any 25s.

[Old Savage]

The .32 will already handle all of those.

[Pete44ru]

Ahhhhh...maybe the guy has nothing else to do and the last I heard it's still a free country.

My 32 mag revolver shoots shorts, longs, or whatever else in the way of small 32 cartridges as it came from the factory.----6

No bout adoubt it

From the hyperlinked thread:

"Patience and Perseverance seem to Serve with a Restricted Budget to get The Projects done eventually.
I am Presently 73 years plus months old and my retirement is basically a Fixed Annuity with rising Taxes, Utility costs, and other Items growing in costs.
My Hope is to get the Projects done into a shoot-able condition while I still have Some 'Discretionary Spending Funds' left in my Budget."

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[Sixgun]

I have also shot all of the 32 straight wall cases and even the 32 auto out of 1892 Winchesters chambered in 32-20. With the auto case you have to stick something in there to pry it out or just drop a rod down the barrel.---6

[Malamute]

He wasn't saying it was anything different to fire the commonly used shorter rounds in the 32 mag, just that he had a spare cylinder fitted up that was chambered for the 32 Colt series of cartridges as well.

Looks like a fun project. The 32 Ruger looks nearly as cheap, and like a LOT of fun to shoot.

[Pete44ru]

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And, since he's converting single-action revolvers, ejection is N.P.


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[mikld]

I'm of the mind to say "go for it!". Despite all the naysayers condemning the conversion, why not? A weak cartridge? Yep, so is the 32 ACP, 32 Long and even the 32 Magnum. And .22 rimfires ain't no elephant gun. Reloading and casting can help in that area (not confined to a light blowback action with a 1 1/2" bbl.). A lot of folks were really giving the .380 ACP a bad time as small and weak, but with a little support, the 25 ACP could be made better just like what happened to the 380. But better for what? For my personal defence I have my 45 ACP, and a couple of my pocket guns are a 2" .38 and a small 9mm (and sometimes those two seem small).

I have a lot of guns that would be hard to justify their existence, so if someone wanted to concvert a revolver to 25 ACP, I'd say do it, and give us a range report, no need to justify "why"...

[Malamute]

Interesting and fun are both good enough reasons.

That it could stand in for small bore practice and small game and pests and be reloadable has a lot going for it when 22 rimfire ammo is a bit flaky in the supply lines.

[Rusty]

I was having a campfire chat with an older friend years ago. He always wondered what a .25 ACP would be like in a handgun that was capable of better accuracy than all those little pocket autos. It might be interesting.

I'd like to see a long gun in .327 Federal. It would handle all the lesser .32s, would give near .32-20 velocity, and be easier to reload.

[AJMD429]

A common theme in the handgun world now is to go from the high-velocity wonder-mags back to larger-caliber, and heavier-for-caliber bullets, so it makes sense that for the niche filled by 22 LR and 22 WMR, a slightly-larger, slightly-heavier, slightly-slower bullet would be a naturally attractive option - thus the 25 ACP. When the original niche is rimfire, the advantage of reloadable/centerfire makes the choice even easier.

So from that standpoint, a 25 caliber revolver certainly sounds 'interesting' to say the least. ACP is as good a start as any...

[Hawkeye2]

[quote="Rusty"]I was having a campfire chat with an older friend years ago. He always wondered what a .25 ACP would be like in a handgun that was capable of better accuracy than all those little pocket autos. It might be interesting.

I've wondered the same thing for 30 or more years. I wouldn't be surprised to find that its quite accurate. The tip up barrel Beretta looks like it might be a natural to fit a 4" to 6" barrel to. Given a decent sight radius and trigger in a tight gun we might see its real potential. The .25 ACP has always been kicked in the groin by gun writers who generally compare it with the .22 LR pistols and I have never read a single test in anything over a 3" barrel which pretty well emasculates any of the smaller pocket pistol calibers. Of course the other thing that gives it a bad rep is that 90% of the pistols that chambered it were made of pot metal and sold for $35 new. It isn't much in a pocket pistol but believe me you wouldn't want someone to empty a mag into your center of mass.