25 Acp

[Ranch Dog]

This could be titled... It Never Hurts To Ask [smilie=1:

It is time to reload a batch of ammo for my 25 ACP. I do it in large lots and things have changed since it was last done. Couldn't get the Winchester brass anymore but MagTech has taken up the slack. I also wanted to switch to cast boolits but a search for a mold wasn't working to well. I guess the Lyman 252435 isn't made anymore as I couldn't find it for sale anywhere. The RCBS is available but just couldn't make myself pay over $100 for a 2-cavity mold.

I was on the phone talking with Lee about the TLC molds I'm working on and mentioned I might want to work on a mold for the 25 ACP. Low and behold, guess what they have sitting on the shelf... a 252-50-2R. Didn't ask why but when it was offered I quickly gave my shipping address!

Cast with it today. Super looking little boolit. One lube groove and weighs in at exactly 50-grains with 10 to 1. Now, might have to do some adjusting... change that lube groove to a Micro-Band for a T252-50-2R 8-)

[9.3X62AL]

Ranch Dog--

I took a moderate amount of feedback for DARING to acquire a 25 ACP die set--for the purpose of using its sizer to neck-size 25-20 WCF casings. Stand by for a blitz of backwash from this assemblage of over-caliber enthusiasts.

[onceabull]

Ranch Dog: BUY a lottery ticket while you are on a roll.!! I tracked a 25 acp mould @ e-Bay last fall,with the intent of surprising the good Deputy with a gag gift last christmas,but the competition took the price well above my gag gift range.. If one has the patience,reloading those things is certainly a high value deal... Onceabull :mrgreen:

[45 2.1]

I have the RCBS and the NEI molds for the 25 acp. The best shooter is the NEI.

[Poygan]

Ranch Dog, Interesting experience with Lee. I asked them a few years back about making a mould in .25ACP and their response was that there wasn't sufficient demand for them to make it. Wonder when they changed their mind? Or, perhaps it was a special order over run. I bought a hollow base mould for the 45 Colt some time back that was a special order that wasn't picked up. BTW, I also cast for the .25 and use a 2 cavity RCBS mould. Does take a while to get it up to casting temp with those small cavities.

[biggome]

I just happen to have a 2 cavity Lyman 252435 as well as dies and brass I aquired but have never used. I don't even know where my 25 is (A Spanish Bronco made between 1919-1935), I haven't seen it in a decade or so. I bought it for $10.00 when I was 18 and I still have half of the only box of ammo I bought for it and don't really see shooting the rest of the box any time soon. As I remember, it was pretty hard to hit a 55 gallon drum much less a tin can with it.

I have read that the cheapo Raven 25's are fairly accurate though so ugly that I doubt I would want one unless $20.00 or so.

Ranch Dog, what kind do you have and what do you do with it?

Paul

[Dale53]

Poygan;
>>>Does take a while to get it up to casting temp with those small cavities.<<<

Just put the base of a closed mould in your molten bullet metal for TWO minutes. You will be able to immediately start casting. This info for a steel mould. For aluminum, thirty seconds is time enough.

Dale53

[Ranch Dog]

I think the mold was a special order extra and the box was yellowed from age.

The pistol is actually my fathers, I moved him out to the ranch last June, but I've always done a fair bit of shooting with it. It is a Raven P25 and it shoots very good with the FMJ loads. I haven't run any of the cast boolits through it as I just started that project today.

I actually have three kills this year with the pistol. Two skunks and a stray dog that weighed about 50 pounds. All have been short range about 15 to 25 yards. My dad and I walk up to the cattle guard every morning, a walk of about 300-yards. My dad always has the pistol in a small clip on holster on his hip as he has made several skunk kills with it since moving here. As we approached the cattle guard one morning I saw a stray dog coming hell bent down the Farm to Market road toward us. The dog was pretty upset and moving fast. I told my dad to pop it but he got kind of flustered trying to draw as his t-shirt was getting in the way. I drew the pistol off his hip and shot the dog at 15-yards as it leap across the cattle guard after us. The dog hit our side in a cloud of dust, shot in the chest, deader than a hammer. We both were actually a little spooked because I've never had a dog come at me like that. I handed my dad the pistol back and BANG...BANG!!! I thought the pistol accidentally discharged but my dad shot the dog twice in the head for making him upset! Don't know who the dog belonged to.

Since then I find I carry the little gun quite a bit. I haven't used it except for the two skunks and some plinking. I haven't had any accuracy problems. In fact, I don't use it for scaring ducks away from my house feeder any more as I'm actually afraid I might hit one. The little booger sure is loud!!!

Before the last big reloading for this pistol, I tried to get a Lee Factory Crimp Die from Lee but that wasn't possible as they didn't offer it even special order. When I called them this time my intent was to buy a second bullet seating die to have it setup on my turret head to serve solely as a crimp die. To my surprise, Lee does offer FCD now but it is a special order. I'd rather have the FC die so that I don't have to worry about uniform case length.

I had absolutely no problems with the little Lee two-cavity mold. I made several hundred bullets with it.