25 acp?? (Yeah, I know...)

[deltaenterprizes]

Well, this is sounding promising. Glad I wrote in.

Some of you misunderstand though, and are thinking of the common, classic cheaper air rifle little skirted pellets. That's not what these are. These are proper little flat based, hollow point bullets weighing 55 grains and intended to be shot out of high end air guns at 1000 fps more or less for hunting. They're really very cool and I like them.

See pic.

Oh, and they are exactly .250". Powder coating them might be the best, both for size, and because of how soft they are??

Vettepilot

Those are really nice! 25ACP Bullets are shorter, beware of the bullet taking up case capacity and raising pressures!

[deltaenterprizes]

Oh yes! The high end air guns routinely shoot these over 1000 fps. A 25 acp won't reach that velocity.

I wrote the company asking about loading these in smokers, but they said they had no experience and couldn't comment.

BTW, they have these in several weights, from 33 gr. in small graduations up higher than 55 I believe.

Vettepilot

I would try the 33gr version!

[Vettepilot]

Thanks a bunch for the responses guys!! You're great! ;~)

The reason I ask about the seating depth possibilities, is that my last fear is that these bullets, with their deep hollow point, might be too long for 25 acp. I might have to order one of their shorter, lighter bullets. (They've got several like this, in various weights.)

Vettepilot

[jim147]

A 55 grain fmj is .460 long. So,I think those might be too long to feed but give one a try.

[rintinglen]

(209)-874-4322,
Bear Creek Supply.
They have a cast bullet suitable for the 25 ACP listed. They are phone or mail orders only right now, due to problems with their website, but a phone call will let you talk to them. They are a small outfit that caters to the fanciers of the old and odd.

[Mk42gunner]

I measured both the 50 grain FMJ and the 35 grain JHP that I have. No idea what brand they were, they came in a couple of tobacco tins. The 50's averaged .444" in length, the 35's were .330 average. Neither were very consistent, they varied from the average +/- 0.002-3".

Given a max OAL of 0.910" and a case length of .615", the 50's have a seating depth of 0.139". The 35's in Hornady's and Lyman's have a OAL of .870" giving them a seating depth of 0.075".

Hope this helps,

Robert

[Vettepilot]

Thanks a bunch. I'll have a look today and see if I think they'll load. I was thinking I'd need to make a shell for testing max length to the lands, but it looks like mag length is the limiting factor in this case, as my factory bullets are right at mag length I see.

It'll be close... I was hoping factory rounds might have been seated one caliber deep, but your numbers say no. We'll see. Worse case being I'll need to order some of their lighter bullets. The 33 grain might be interesting to try anyway!

Thanks again!
Vettepilot

[Vettepilot]

Ok. These bullets are .484". To get a COAL of .910" would require them to be seated .184". That's .043" deeper than your number. That's a lot, and I was afraid of this. I don't know how much of a factor it might actually be because we don't know if your .139" is a hard number. Other conventional bullets might be seated deeper.

Well, now to see if the .910" is a hard number as regards chamber/throat/lead/rifling, or the magazine. I'm thinking I'm going to find myself making a jig to whack these guys a little shorter with my baby chop saw...

:~(

Edit: Yeah, not good. I could go maybe .010" longer in the magazine. Since that won't get me where I need to be; there's no use bothering to check CBTO to the rifling. So I'll need to cut .040" off the nose of these to use them.

They have an identical bullet except that it's 43.5 grains and .400" length. That'll work! I just ordered a box. 19 bucks for 225 bullets=8.5 cents each.

Vettepilot

[jim147]

Good luck with the shorter bullets. Stay safe.

[mdi]

Ae you going to tumble lube or PC, depends. Your OP stated PCing, and since that's what's on your mind, PC!

[Mk42gunner]

Yeah, the .25 has a very small combustion chamber. I would not want to arbitrarily shorten it by .043" and not expect bad things to happen, especially since most .25 ACP pistols are not the strongest guns around.

My little rifle project is intended to be a replacement for a .22 rifle as a small game getter, and maybe for a bit larger critters.

Robert

[Vettepilot]

Yeah, the .25 has a very small combustion chamber. I would not want to arbitrarily shorten it by .043" and not expect bad things to happen, especially since most .25 ACP pistols are not the strongest guns around.

My little rifle project is intended to be a replacement for a .22 rifle as a small game getter, and maybe for a bit larger critters.

Robert

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I think I can come up with a quicky little jig to whack .040" off the nose of these using my mini chop saw. That's probably right at the kerf of the saw blade; not much to trim off, and being a hollow point, it should go quite easy. That will allow me to use up this box, then I've got slightly shorter, 43.5 grain versions on the way.

Your rifle project is quite interesting, and sounds like something I would do. Keep me posted on progress??

Where did you source a barrel?

Thanks,
Vettepilot

[Vettepilot]

A while back, I began an adventure to make a little pistol for back yard plinking. The idea was to use 22 cal air gun pellets, launched with a magnum shotgun primer. Just short range; like camp or back yard plinking at cans.

The 22 cal for air guns is a different size than 22lr, but I sourced a suitable, rifled barrel. However, I've got WAY TOO MANY projects going, and before I got any farther with it, this dam reloading component shortage hit. My LGS has not received a single primer shipment in over a year!!

Then, at 10 cents a primer, the luster of the project rather faded. It's on the back shelf now...

:~(

Vettepilot

[Mk42gunner]

I've got a Stevens Model 101, a .44XL shot gun that really isn't too impressive as a shotgun (even though my Great Grandma is supposed to have killed a goose with hers, Dad said it only took four shots). I bought this one with the express purpose of putting a .32 S&W Long barrel on it. Tried the .44 shot cartridge, decided to go ahead with making it a rifle.

Fell into half a .30 cal ammo can of .25 ACP brass, and it kind of snowballed. Got interested in the .22 Ladybug, couldn't find a cheap .22 barrel. Another member had a rifle length (~26") .251" barrel liner from TJ's.

My main hold up is making a piloted 7/16 drill to install the liner, that and getting the time to do it. I will rent a chamber reamer when I finally put the parts together.

I would like to see small pistol primers readily available on the shelf before I go much farther, seems like everything I want to shoot these days uses the spp.

Robert