Reloading .25 ACP???

[Salmon-boy]

Ok, with the addition of a Tarus PT25 to the safe I've been wondering if it would be worthwhile setting up to cast and reload .25 ACP.

Am I going insane that I'm even thinking this?\

Anyone have any experience?

[pumpguy]

.32 ACP is about as small as I have ever loaded and it was kind of a pain. I can't imagine .25.

[45 2.1]

NEI produces the best mold for the 25 ACP. Not to difficult to reload these provided you don't have big fingers.

[HeavyMetal]

You'll want to buy Dillon 650 to keep you stocked up!

Seriously why a .25 auto instead of a .22 rimfire? Same size gun, ammo is cheaper, power level equal ( AKA mouse gun).

[No_1]

Chuck,

You are not insane. If it is what you want to do then do it. If you are planning to shoot the snot out of this gun then over time you will recoup your money invested however if you are just using this as a carry gun and want some practice ammo then I suggest you purchase factory stuff because the expense of reloading will far outweigh the cost of factory.

R.

[Poygan]

I reload the .25acp for a Beretta. I cast for it using an RCBS mold. Because of the tiny size, its a slow process. The commercial fodder is anemic and reloading can do better...but not much. I think there is also a Lyman mold, .252435?? If you are already reloading, its just another set of dies and shell holder. I prime with the Lee and I don't think they make a shell holder for the .25, so I have to prime using the press. And because of the tiny powder charge, I weigh rather than use a powder measure. Did I mention its a slow process? Maybe that is why I can't remember the last time I reloaded this round.

[Jim]

I reloaded a few boxes of .25 ACP for a close friend a few years ago. He paid for all the dies, bullets, brass, etc.. If I had known how much of a PITA it was gonna be, I'd have never even mentioned it to him.

[AZ-Stew]

Though I've never used them, I have a set of dies passed down to me from a late gun magazine writer that were made by Corbin and are designed to make jacketed soft point .25 pistol bullets from the copper "battery cup" from used shotshell primers.

I have a suspicion this would have to be a labor of love, or a job for someone who has a LOT of time on his hands. I also have a .25 ACP setup for my Dillon RL-550B, but I haven't loaded any yet.

I know, this isn't much help, but it looked like a good place to mention the odd Corbin die set. Thought someone might be interested. No, it's not for sale.

Regards,

Stew

[Echo]

With those bitty bitty boolits smaller than a green pea, it would be a labor of love. +1 with No1...

[shotman]

one note about stews the primer cups are all steel now so you would mess up a barrel

[1Shirt]

Jim and I had the same experiance with 25. I thought I would have a good deal when I agreed to load some for a friend if he bought the dies and gave them to me in return for loading. After 100 rds (all the new brass he had), almost had cookie cutter holes in my fingers of 25 cal, and the air was blue with profanity. I gave him the loaded rounds, the dies,and told him that I am sure that he could find some other reloader who would be willing to screw around with the little guys. Shipped out shortly thereafter, so don't know follow on results, but it will be a cold day is south pergatory befor I ever consider loading them again.
1Shirt!

[MikeH]

Yes, I've loaded 25 ACP. With a load of Bullseye slightly over 1 gr, and an itty bitty bullet. Real PITA! Tough getting the powder correct with a balance beam, and don't trust my powder measures with that small of a charge. Since then I use a digital scale. Would I do it again? Probably not, unless I insulate my gun room to keep my wife from hearing all the cussing. Got a bunch of brass and bullets if I ever get a wild hair again, though!

Mike

P.S. I carry a little Beretta along on hunting trips in case I need a coup de grace on an animal. (Don't see any reason to use good hunting loads for that chore). Have only used one bullet in about 15 years so the ammo is lasting me a while.

[Cherokee]

I have loaded 25 ACP using 231 and did not find it a pain, plus the ammo was more accurate than factory.

[Ranch Dog]

I personally enjoy reloading my 25 ACP. I happen to have a Lee custom order mold from some long ago group buy. I have big hands but don't have a problem with the cartridge on my Lee Turret Press with Lee Dies including a SO Lee FCD. I use the Auto-Index to cycle the stations and use Auto-Disk with the Micro-Charge Bar to deliver powder. There really is no load development with this cartridge as load development pretty much consists of trying single charges of different powders. I've just finished up 2# of Unique. That took awhile and I just switched to Universal.

I've got a Jimenez Arms JA-25 actually needs a .256" bullet and I've always wondered if this is typical for the cartridge. I lapped the Lee mold I have but have just about finished up on a design that Tom Myers has been helping me with. Here is what, I'm working on for my JA-25. Tom is working on a final drawing that includes some changes made yesterday. I also have bullets in the works for my 32 ACP, 380 Auto and 9mm Luger.

[Salmon-boy]

Ok, so the consensus is that Yes, I'm as crazy as the rest of you...

Sounds like it truely is a labor of love and Ranch Dog, you seem to be the craziest of us all! I like your style!

Ok, seriously now. Michael, that's a real nice boolit you've got there. If I do take up this endeavor, I might have to buy a mould from you..

Brass is kinda scarce, and I'm not gonna go out and buy a bunch. It's more of a "recycling the brass I come by thing".. I think once the count gets up there though.....

Thanks for the opinions guys!

[deltaenterprizes]

I have loaded one box of 25s and had a lyman mold. I had to use pure linotype to get the boolits to fill out properly.

Powder charges are tricky with fast burning powders like Bullseye with a starting load of 1gr and max load of 1.1gr. Accurate Arms suggested to use a slower powder that has a max load in the 2gr range so that powder charge variations would not be so critical.

The empty plastic trays that come with the factory ammo make nice loading blocks.

If you have fat fingers use tweezers to avoid pinching your fingers!

[Ranch Dog]

Sounds like it truely is a labor of love and Ranch Dog, you seem to be the craziest of us all! I like your style!

To support that claim... here is a little video clip of using a 4-hole Lee turret press to load this cartridge.



You will notice that the process to load a cartridge really isn't any slower than any other pistol cartridge! I use the Lee Auto-Disk with the Mico-Charge Bar and it works very well at delivering a consistant powder charge. I did special order a Factory Crimp Die as getting a good crimp on the case is difficult as I don't have a way to trim these cases in that Lee cannot make a tool as they are too short. The FCD eliminates the need for consistant case length for the crimp. You will also see that I use the black plastic factory ammo blocks that the previous poster mentioned!

I've worked with this cartridge quite a bit and feel that Magtech has absolutely the best brass. It is now probably the most common thanks to the muzzleloading crowd! In turn, I think Remingtons is the absolute worse. They seem to have gone "free-style" at the base of the web and it conflicts with the shellholders and some ejectors.



Finally, I don't think I'm under-gunned with this pistol. I know what it was designed for and I know the range limitations under that consideration. If someone was to assume they could survive an encounter with the "Dog" and this weapon it would be a fatal mistake. I shoot a lot and have been trained by the best (one of my boys is a special operations small-arms instructor in the military). What sucks about just about any of the pistols that supports this cartridge is the sights despite the close range this caliber is designed to be used at. You want to make them better... try chalk. I prefer white and pink!



The chalk will take a lot of wear in and out of a holster and does well in weather!

Okay, now you know I'm crazy!

[35remington]

The Jennings, Bryco, Jimenez, etc. tend to run to oversize barrels as a matter of course. My .380 Bryco goes .362' - for a cartridge specc'd at .356' or so.

A Raven .25's dimensions came out much like yours.

Look at the rifling marks on the undersize bullets if you happen to own one - there may be some evidence that they are "traction" challenged.

Your bullet design may be just the thing. I'm wondering, however, if the oversize barrels were a deliberate idea to reduce velocity and pressure and extend the life of the zinc slides and frames. You'd think if they can make them consistently oversize that it would be just as easy to make them consistently the right size, or maybe a little over.

As a way of skinning the cat on the .380, I took to using rather soft bullets that slugged up, after a fashion. Accuracy seemed to improve, but was in the 3.5-4 inch vicinity at 25 yards.

[dk17hmr]

My dad loads for his...made a few hundered rounds a few years ago and has more than enough to last a few more years.

I have always kind of wanted a 25 ACP single shot rifle (NEF) with about a 16.25" barrel and a large scope for small game hunting. If it will push a 50gr bullet almost to 750fps out of a short barrel, it could probably do 1000 out of a longer barrel, the 35gr hollow points will do about 900 out of the short, should be pushing what 1200+ out of a longer barrel.

Sure would be nice for squirrel hunting.

[Ranch Dog]

35 Rem,

I have a JA-380 and a NIB Bryco M38 chambered in 32 ACP that I'm going to slug and take chamber casts from tomorrow to see what they are like. I have a JA-Nine which I have slugged and cast from and it is right on the SAAMI spec on everything. It is a very good shooting pistol.

Oversizing is a way to relieve chamber pressures but I suspect a hardwood frame would hold up to the less than 10K PSI of the 25 Auto.

The Lee mold I have would drop a .252" bullet before lapping which I would cast of plumbers lead. It shot very well and I think for the reasons you mentioned!