Newest "Handcannon" reloading project

[Butler Ford]

While cleaning out Mom and Dad's house, I found a pistol that I didn't know dad had. It looks like a cast boolit challenge to me. Looking for suggestions about where to start, any ideas of a good mould for this "handcannon"?

Colt Automatic
25 Caliber

161183

BF

[Thumbcocker]

I have some brass that is yours if you want it.

[Butler Ford]

That would be wonderful! PM inbound

BF

[EMC45]

Tread lightly...Those things are known for their fierce recoil.

[Butler Ford]

I'm surrounded by comedians! I found an RCBS 2 cavity on Midway...$130!!! It appears that Lee no longer make the 25 so I'm still looking.

BF

[Mk42gunner]

Invest in a set of forceps for handling that mighty boolit. It just might prevent you having a semicircular divot ¼" or so in diameter taken from your fingers.

And here I thought loading for the little .32's was tedious, guess I was wrong....

Robert

[dkf]

May be time to bug NOE to make some molds of the Ranch Dog TL255-50RF. I see their cherry cutter got his machine fixed and they just ordered a tool grinder for their shop so they should be up and running new designs again soon. Or get LBT to cut one. I sure wouldn't pay that much for an RCBS.

[Handloader109]

Make sure you try several different types of ammo... Mine only feeds rn well. Hollow point doesn't feed..... Clean well and have fun. No recoil at all. And I haven't tried reloading for it. Won't shoot it enough

[Butler Ford]

Thanks to all so far, for the chuckles and suggestions. I had a goofy thought of loading with black powder but seriously, due mostly to availability, looking at HP 38 and Tightgroup. Think of anything better?

BF

[9.3X62AL]

The biggest hurdle to overcome in loading and firing the 25 ACP is dealing with the onlooker derision. I was once gifted with a steel-sizer RCBS die set for reloading this caliber, and was unwise enough to mention same on this site. The peanut gallery commentary spanned 2+ pages. What a bunch this place can be. :-)

The Colt pistols made in 25 ACP are HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS. I saw several used as (unauthorized) back-up guns by co-workers at my old shop. The FMJ 50 grain bullets have a reputation for more reliable feeding than the 22 Short or 22 LR sometimes seen as an alternate caliber in pistols of this size. The ammomakers claim 850 FPS for their commercial products, but in my chronography experience no factory round passed that polygraph exam. The usual outcome was more like 675-700 FPS from an array of pistol makes ranging from good to excreble.

I have never tried handloading the caliber. The steel sizer die--if properly adjusted--makes a dandy neck-sizer for 25-20 cases, though. Those of us owning and running 1988-93 Marlin 94 CLs in 25-20 are obliged to deal with chambers cut inordinately long in the shoulder and VERY short in the throat--the 25 ACP sizer got some use in this manner.

[AnthonyB]

I have several boxes of XTP HPs and solids available if you are interested in them.
Tony

[Butler Ford]

I have a set of Lee carbide dies on the way. I've always had decent luck with Lee's so am willing to try them. I gave the pistol it's first cleaning last night, trying a new to me product, GUNZILLA, it did ok considering my father was not a "gun guy" and didn't own a cleaning kit. It still has a little carbon/copper build up around the muzzle end but I don't think anything would have gotten it all in the first try. LBT mill a 50gr flat nose and I have in the past seen pictures of NOE .25 flat nose as well but the NOE are no longer in the inventory. Besides, I'd like to keep the costs down on this project, I just don't see me shooting enough of it to justify $100+ moulds.

AnthonyB PM on the way


BF

[Lead Fred]

I know a young lady (55) that EDCs her Mother's 25 Colt from 1912.

[rondog]

I may have a few .25acp cases stinkin' up the place that I'd give you too, I pick everything up and am too cheap to toss 'em. Send me a PM if you want 'em. Don't have a lot of 'em though.

[Butler Ford]

Absolutely! Thank You! PM on the way

BF

[Sagebrush7]

BF, we make plain base checks for a customer. He orders by the thousands. I don't know why?

[Butler Ford]

There are only two reasons I can imagine would be:

1 The hypervelocity of the 25acp

2 Small bullets are difficult to cast well and use checks for poor fill out at the base

Actually, I have no idea either

BF

[DougGuy]

I know a young lady (55) that EDCs her Mother's 25 Colt from 1912.

She may not put 'em in a grave but they will sure be pissed off that they chose to assail onto someone which carries such an annoying little stinker of a pistol! Just enough to seriously ruin one's day.

[Wayne Smith]

Thanks to all so far, for the chuckles and suggestions. I had a goofy thought of loading with black powder but seriously, due mostly to availability, looking at HP 38 and Tightgroup. Think of anything better?

BF

Bullseye. I'm guessing the gas checks are for .25 rifle boolits. I have a bunch of them for that purpose.

[Groo]

Groo here
Just be mindful of the minimum range requirements as the blast of impact might cause you harm----LOL LOL LOL

[Butler Ford]

How many milk jugs ya reckon I'll need to test penetration?

[jhalcott]

I ttried one of those mouse guns once or twice. My big hands and fat fingers could not work with the tiny gun. I couldn't get the thing to fire with one hand, with both hands on the gun, accuracy was non existent. Recoil reduced the gun to a single shot!!

[rintinglen]

It's fun to snicker, but some years ago I encountered a fellow who would have gladly reconsidered his decision to step outside with a fellow barfly.
He had been Shot 6 times with a 25, in the right hand, right fore arm, right shoulder, right side, just above the hip, right thigh and right ankle. He was limping around, crying, cradling his wounded arm with his left arm, making a squelching noise as the blood in his shoe sloshed over the side of his sneaker with each step he took. He had hidden as well as he could behind a telephone pole, which was why his wounds were all on the right side. I quit calling them mouseguns after that. He might still be walking, but he wasn't going to win a fight with anyone over the age of 12. Had he not had a pole to hide behind, there's no telling how he would have ended up.

I did once reload a box of 25's for a friend--those comments about forceps and tweezers are not misplaced.

[GONRA]

GONRA has hadalotta phun loading .25 ACP with Lyman case bullet 252435
(used my home made .252 inch diameter LubeSizer dies) decades ago.
Few months ago, also commercial 35 grain jacketed bullets.
All kinds of powders over the years.

Looong ago, Olin even listed a load with slowburning 630P powder.
630P fills the case Just Right to support the cast bullet
from any "push into the case on chambering" problems. Shoots great too.

[Mk42gunner]

All snickering aside, I never really wanted a .25 ACP handgun; but have thought about a single shot rifle in that chambering for 40 years.

Track of the Wolf has barrel liners, and a .410 shotgun donor action isn't that hard to come up with. Must resist temptation. Must resist temptation....

The only thing holding me back now is the need for all the stuff to load for a new caliber.

Robert

[Butler Ford]

A 25 ACP Squirrel rifle, now that's something I have never thought of! Would be an interesting concept. I had thought that a 327 in a lever gun would be fun but you've got me on this one! Interesting to hear about it if you make it happen.

BF

[Mk42gunner]

I think some one on the board made one from an H&R action a few years ago. The only problem with that idea, to me, is that the modern H&R action is large enough for a 12 gauge. I've been thinking about trying to find one of the little Italian folding .410's, no sense using a bigger donor than necessary.

Also someone converted a Winchester Model 1903 to use the mighty .25 instead of the unobtainium .22 Winchester Auto round a year or two ago.

Robert

[rondog]

Absolutely! Thank You! PM on the way

BF

Looks like around 25-30 of 'em, just brass I've picked up at the range. I'll sail 'em your way.

[Butler Ford]

Looks like around 25-30 of 'em, just brass I've picked up at the range. I'll sail 'em your way.

That would be great! All are appreciated. Thanks

BF

[Butler Ford]

You all weren't kidding when you suggested forceps or tweezers!!!

BF

[Mk42gunner]

Well, actually I was kidding, but it is an awful short and small diameter case.

More thinking on the .25 rifle project...

Robert

[smkummer]

At least 13 years ago I bought a 1908 Colt vest pocket for cheap and found the Lyman mold for it. I made a powder scoop from a 22 short case. I was worried that I would need a .251 sizer but they function as cast. I believe I still have a group of bullets from the one or 2 times I cast bullets with the mold. I bought 250 hornandy 50 grain FMJ for really cheap back then as well of which I still have. Realistically the gun is lucky to get shot now about once a year. My older eyes have trouble picking out the 25 empties from 22 empties. I have the later Colt as well but in 22 short and it works fine along with leaving the empties on the ground. If I were you, I would just try to find some factory FMJs and see how much you shoot the thing. These are best used on a B27 target at 21 Ft. or less. And yes, when I chronographed the factory FMJ ammo, non of it even hit the 750 FPS speed except come cor-bon. I do like the feel of the later Colt (made by Astra or FIE) over the 1908 vest pocket.

[BCB]

Invest in a set of forceps for handling that mighty boolit. It just might prevent you having a semicircular divot ¼" or so in diameter taken from your fingers.

And here I thought loading for the little .32's was tedious, guess I was wrong....

Robert

100% Correct!!!...

Good-luck...BCB

[BCB]

I've never shot cast out of my lil' 25acp, but the 35 grain XTP bullets work pretty well...

DEVASTATING KILLING POWER...

But, I do think before I spent much money on a mold, I would try some jacketed bullets first as this little round can be quite tedious to reload...

Good-luck...BCBB

[BCB]

Just for the heck of it, I went into my “miscellaneous” folder that contains groups of cartridges I very seldom shoot or groups from firearms I have shot but were owned by others…

I did find a couple of groups from my 25acp…

From left to right or top to bottom, depending on how it post:

1.2 grains HP-38 @ 789 fps
1.6 grains Unique @ 940 fps
USA Factory @ 718 fps
1.2 grain 231 @ 932 fps (You don’t want to make a mistake weighing this powder!!!)

All groups were shot at 25 feet through the Chrony that was about 10 feet away. The reloads were with the 35 grain XTP. The aim point is 2 inches in diameter…

Good-luck…BCB

[Butler Ford]

BCB, thanks, not bad at all for a belly gun. It's going to be tough to work up a "ladder test" with 231!! I knew it would be a small amount but would never considered that little. Interesting.
I tried some Bullseye this morning with HP/XTP this morning, got about 3" at 7 yards. The 17 lee dipper is 1.7 gr of BE and shot same POI as the factory, recoil impulse same as well. Will try the BE with some Hornady 150's this afternoon and lube some 48gr hp cast and some 49gr FP this afternoon for testing tomorrow or Sunday.

BF

BF

[BCB]

BCB, thanks, not bad at all for a belly gun. It's going to be tough to work up a "ladder test" with 231!! I knew it would be a small amount but would never considered that little. Interesting.
I tried some Bullseye this morning with HP/XTP this morning, got about 3" at 7 yards. The 17 lee dipper is 1.7 gr of BE and shot same POI as the factory, recoil impulse same as well. Will try the BE with some Hornady 150's this afternoon and lube some 48gr hp cast and some 49gr FP this afternoon for testing tomorrow or Sunday.

BF

BF

Butler...

That was a mistake with the charge of 231. It should have been 1.2 grains. Still it produces lots of fps with small charges. That actually could be heading to the maximum charge for that powder. With those super light charges of powder, a 0.1 or 0.2 grain increase can be a fair size percentage...

Good-luck...BCB