Going to buy a Baretta .25 pop-up barrel

[IndyGlockMan]

IMHO, anything smaller than 9mm or .38 Special is not sufficient for carry & self defense.
People can make a good argument for .380, but 9mm is still way better... IMHO.
Little guns are nice, but this isn't 1955 anymore, no offence.

 

[cosermann]

1. Not at all, I value input of others who are years ahead of me in research and experience: truly! ...

Another excellent way to move forward on your experience curve would be to seek out structured training (HIGHLY recommended).

 

[doddg]

This must be the video you watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr5a15I9ztg
In pocket pistols it looks as if the .25acp is the better choice for penetration using round nose ammo.
I would like to see water jugs getting hit with Hollow Point ammo from both calibers and see. Or just from a .22lr

1. I saw them in a vid last evening: the 22 went through 4 water gallons and the 25 went through 4 and put a "dent" in the 5th gallon using:
using the same grain ammo of Hornady Critical Defense fully copper jacketed Hollow points with both having either 35 or 36 grain:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQnHgx8ifXQ

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6igNKDR6kac

Of course hollow point ammo probably wouldn't penetrate a 2x4.

2. One of the vids I saw last evening put a 2x4 in front of 2 or 3 bottles of water, and the 22 did not go through the 2x4, but the 35 went through the 2x4 and into the 2nd water gallon, if I remember right (it is in an earlier post you must not have seen. Also, it was from 3 feet away.

I would buy it too..... Beretta has always made good firearms, and like you said if you don't like it you can always sell it.

3. Exactly: I might even get a collection of them for fun. there is no accounting for someone's collecting taste.

IMHO, anything smaller than 9mm or .38 Special is not sufficient for carry & self defense.
People can make a good argument for .380, but 9mm is still way better... IMHO.
Little guns are nice, but this isn't 1955 anymore, no offence.

4. I totally agree. I have my Colt Mustang 380 for small CC, and if I needed smaller, today 380s are tiny.
5. I have sold my Ruger LC9 and I think I'll be selling my Taurus 709 when I get it back from the factory.
6. If I feel I need a tiny CC I will get a smallish 9mm.
7. I even have my NAA 22 magnum 5 shot single action left over from the last 80s, so I have a small 22 is I desire.
8. The idea of having all the calibers rings a bell with me, also.

Another excellent way to move forward on your experience curve would be to seek out structured training (HIGHLY recommended).

9. I will grow into such things.

 

[IndyGlockMan]

The only problem with having all the calibers is having so many mouths to feed, mags & holsters to buy, and good enough familiarity & confidence with them all enough to stake your life.
I'd rather be 100% locked in & confident with my Glock 19 9mm, have 25+ mags (which I do), and have 5000+ rounds for it (which I do)... than have 20 different calibers with maybe 100-200 rounds each and be so-so wishy-washy.
Not that you are a so-so shooter, but I think you can see where I'm getting at...

My advise is to pick a main gun fills the bill and concentrate all your effort on it.
For carry, dress for your main gun, don't pick a gun for the way you want to dress.
Treat all the other guns like they are just for plinking & fun shooting. Especially guns smaller than 9mm.

 

[4651feeder]

Have always thought of .25 and .32 pistols as good carry protection against dogs or rabid vermin when out for a walk or ride. The Taurus PT25 that I had proved itself too bulky and heavy for comfortable carry in khaki pockets. That was back when 25 acp shells could be had for $6.95 a box, the cost of .25 acp ammo today has priced any desire for the caliber away for me.

 

[IndyGlockMan]

Another excellent way to move forward on your experience curve would be to seek out structured training (HIGHLY recommended).

2nd this...
You don't have to already be an expert to take training.
Plus, they teach you skills you can practice afterwards so you can do more than just plink at the range.
I did the majority of my hand gun training at Tactical Defense Institute -- Ohio Firearms - Gun - Rifle - Shotgun - Pistol - CCW - Concealed Carry Permit -- TDI --www.tdiohio.com -- Cincinnati - Dayton - Columbus - Cleveland - Lexington - Louisville - Wheeling - Huntington - Indianapolis
Awesome place and great instructors.

 

[doddg]

This can sum up alot:

I don't use hollow points with my .25 because I want max penetration with the lower powder charge in the .25.

 

[doddg]

The only problem with having all the calibers is having so many mouths to feed, mags & holsters to buy, and good enough familiarity & confidence with them all enough to stake your life.

1. I understand.
2. I don't think we are on the same wavelength.
3. I would not be staking my life on all calibers b/c I wouldn't be using all calibers for CC.
4. I will have my carry gun: S/W Airwieght 642, 5 shot, 1.87 barrel in my DeSanti Superfly sticky pocket holster (w/extra flap for handle coverage), which can be used in my ankle holster as well, but if needed I could put my Colt 380 there or a small 9, if I felt I needed to carry two. I can also use my Shield 9mm or Shield 45 on occasion.
5. The 25, and in the future when I find it, the 32 are more for collecting and not any serious carrying, but I would not be averse to it being a back up.
6. Since I really don't want/need all the calibers, as I get some experience (only been doing this since May), I will figure out which I want to carry and keep for the range, and sell the rest that I'm not using.
7. Since I can afford to purchse at "sale" prices and can sell them quickly for more/other purchases: I'm just having so much fun.
8.. Analogy: Once I had 6 antique cars. I now have 1 car for work and pleasure. I got smart. It took me 2 years to learn, though.
9. If we buy a house (looking at another tomorrow evening) or I just remodel our kitchen, I'll have to sell most everything and start over later just for the liquidity.

I'd rather be 100% locked in & confident with my Glock 19 9mm, have 25+ mags (which I do), and have 5000+ rounds for it (which I do)... than have 20 different calibers with maybe 100-200 rounds each and be so-so wishy-washy.
Not that you are a so-so shooter, but I think you can see where I'm getting at...

10. I'm not going to win any gun battles that I'm in regardless of whether I have 5 rounds or 20 rounds. I am not going to spend the time necessary for that level of interaction. That is why after 30 yrs. I'm back to CC, b/c I'm getting old and need an emergency defense.
11. I will not pull my gun on someone unless they have already hit me and/or b/c I couldn't run away. In my scenario, I'm on the ground after being punched/shoved or kicked into that position, and to my attacker's surprise, I then will pull out my weapon and unload everything in my hand. It's like the woman who was asked by the courts of why she shot the man 12 times when he broke into her house. Her answer, "Because I did not have 25 rounds in my gun." I'm getting old though, and I know I can't take the punches of when I was younger, so I might have to revise that to shooting in defense before I hit the ground. But, after what I've read, you better make sure of that decision.

My advise is to pick a main gun fills the bill and concentrate all your effort on it.
For carry, dress for your main gun, don't pick a gun for the way you want to dress.
Treat all the other guns like they are just for plinking & fun shooting. Especially guns smaller than 9mm.

12. Good advice.

Have always thought of .25 and .32 pistols as good carry protection against dogs or rabid vermin when out for a walk or ride. The Taurus PT25 that I had proved itself too bulky and heavy for comfortable carry in khaki pockets. That was back when 25 acp shells could be had for $6.95 a box, the cost of .25 acp ammo today has priced any desire for the caliber away for me.

13. Maybe that's where I'll end up when I have more than 5 months experience.

 

[Ggreen]

I've hit a squirrel in the gut at 25 feet or so with a 22lr, it climbed up a tree and died. I have friends who have shot people in warzones with fmj 9mm only to have them stay in the fight. Any self defense situation I can think will have both the aggressor and the defender juiced up with adrenaline. Short ear or eyeholing the aggressor I don't think 22lr or 25acp are viable defense options. Even as a backup. Shoot them for fun, but don't waste the weight of carrying one with any real intention of self defense. There are plenty of 380 options out there that weigh next to nothing that you can ankle carry as an "I hope this works". I carry my honor defense when I know I'll be in a low threat area, and I carry my cz p07 in 40sw anywhere that I think I would need a back up gun. I will not carry a pistol I haven't wrung out so I really don't worry about malfunctions. And I just wont go anywhere that I think could require more than 30rds of 40sw.

If I were a jogger, my waistline says i'm not, I would consider an NAA in 22 mag for pests, but even when I did run everyday I never felt threatened enough by an animal to go through the hassles that would come with shooting one. I chose not to run outside when the mountain lion warnings were up when I was stationed out west, and I did not run where I knew people had loose dogs. In Indiana I really see no logical purpose for a pest carry pistol, but i'm not against someone who wants to carry one.

Buy these small caliber pistols for the pure enjoyment of having something different and fun to shoot at the range. There are plenty of ways to justify a firearm without self defense being one of them.

 

[Leadeye]

I'm a big fan of the small pocket Berettas and have a nice little collection of them (a 418, a 950 Jetfire, 2 Bobcat 21s in .22 and .25, and a 3 Model 70s in .22, .32, and .380).

The 950 is slimmer than the Bobcat, but you lose the double action trigger in favor of single action. Both are fun to shoot. $225 is a frickin steal for one of these, particularly if that includes ammo too.

Nice collection of Berettas!

 

[Leadeye]

Some day I'll probably buy a 25 ACP, maybe an old Colt, never have owned one to date.

I did get partial to Savages a while back, the Americana and art deco look was appealing and I already reloaded 32ACP.

 

[doddg]

Yes about the ammo, and Bill/Townmarshall has some more he says he'll give me when he finds it.
Hard not to like a guy like that.
I offered to pay him something for the ammo (knowing it would probably be a 10 cents each), but he declined. Wow!
There is another guy that lives not too far from me (I would tell you who but he spoke to me in a pm so I don't know if he would want me to) that is going to give me some 25 caliber, as well.

 

[1DOWN4UP]

P/u a Bobcat .25 for a bill a couple years back.The little people seem to like it.You do have to single load it if you can't cock it.It has the wallet cover which don't hurt your butt.These micro's are cool.

 

[cosermann]

... 9. I will grow into such things.

Said in the context of training.

For whatever reason, some folks think they need to be "good enough" before they take some training. It's not terribly uncommon. Have heard it before.

Not sure what exactly to say to disabuse you of the idea. Experience has shown that folks are typically much better off getting started right - with good training - than waiting (may never train), building bad habits that need to be unlearned later, buying gear with unrealistic expectations, etc. Software is more important than hardware.

Here's just one suggestion (just one example) that's coming up soon - https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...40792-gun-handling-101-november-1-2017-a.html

Not trying to be a nag or anything. Just friendly advice.

 

[doddg]

2. I got to the range today after work, and shot the .25 Beretta.
3. At 15' I got 8 of 9 in the circle (about 6-8 inches)
At 21' I got 5 of 9 in the circle
At 30" I got 3 of 9 in the circle
4. Didn't have the ammo to do anymore, but I'll order some.
5. Now I want to find a .32 Beretta.
6. Hoosier Armory sold one last week, so I missed my chance.

 

[doddg]

Got to go back to the range today.
Looked online for 25 acp to buy, but I didn't want to buy 1000 rounds to get a 21 cents each, and it said shipping was free but when I went to check out there was a shipping charge, so I didn't buy for 2 reasons,
or 500 rounds for 26 cents each (included shipping)

A paid $15/box at Tim's Shooting in Westfield (30 cents/ea) b/c 2 other places had it for $22 and $24 per box!
Really enjoy shooting the 25 tip up barrel Beretta.
I want to get a 22 tip up barrel so I can afford to shoot it.
For the price of the 25 I can shoot my Shield 45, or even my Smith 38.

 

[joncon]

I like small pistols. I have a Beretta tip up in 22lr and the same in a Taurus. Fun to plink around with. Amazingly I can hit better with the Taurus and it's double action only. I used to have a collection of 32acp,s but I sold them.

 

[doddg]

I like small pistols. I have a Beretta tip up in 22lr and the same in a Taurus. Fun to plink around with. Amazingly I can hit better with the Taurus and it's double action only. I used to have a collection of 32acp,s but I sold them.

1. Sounds like done the journey I would like taking.
2. I did some of this with small guns in the late 80s, but I sold everything as well.
3. Why don't you just PM me your advice on what to buy and what to not so I won't waste years and fortune?
4. I do enjoy the journey, though, but I've got more $$ invested than I would have believed when I started in May, but that's b/c I know I can sell anytime, and if we buy a house or I have to rebuild the kitchen, I might have to liquidate much anyway: the clock is ticking.

5. Seriously though, you could tell me what to buy as far as just sticking with Beretta, in the 22, 25, and 32, or if Taurus would be OK in any of those calibers.
6. I'm thinking that I'll shoot a 22 alot, but not so much the 25 or the 32 b/c of shell ammo costs, but that would not matter for the 25 and 32 so much as they would be just for collecting/backup, and the 22 would be more for utility.
7. Perhaps b/c of the different flavor, a person needs both?
8. That is what I found out buying and/or renting all the small 9mm out there.
9. I settled on the Shield 9mm after owning some great other 9s, like Walther PPS, Sig 290RS, Ruger LC9, Taurus 709 (1 of 3 top no failure to fire in 1000 round test by Guns and Ammo in 2015, I think), and others I've probably don't remember, and rented many Glocks and others.
10. Most of it is just personal flavor, all are good guns, and I've enjoyed the journey, but I'm running out of $$.
11. My pockets are only as deep as my wife's Social Security checks (running joke around my house) , and no, she doesn't think its funny.
12. Don't be afraid to pm me to get my number to call and process, in fact, I'll pm you mine, which you can ignore if you don't want to do so.
13. Thanks for your input!

 

[doddg]

Boogieman heard about me wanting a 22 tilt-up barrel (WTB section) and had one and I bought it today for $160 and I was quite happy with that.
He originally wanted $175, but he found a small crack in the bottom of the handle that he didn't realize was there (he got 60 guns at a time from his father) b/c it was just sitting in his safe; he never shot it.

My kind of guy, lowering the price when he found a flaw instead of seeing whether I would notice it (like the Sig 1911-22 I bought that you couldn't depress the plunger and turn the bushing to get the guide rod and barrel off, that I bought off of Dddrees).

I still would be interested in a Beretta 22, depending on price, and I still want to get a 32 tilt-up barrel (hint hint hint = oh well, it worked before.)

 

[doddg]

Question on above pic of the Taurus 22:
notice that the profile in the front barrel is different than this pic below on the current model:

Any comments about what this says about what decade this was made on the right that I just bought?