.25 ACP

The .25 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) (6.35x16mmSR) centerfire pistol cartridge is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled pistol cartridge introduced by John Browning in 1905 alongside the Fabrique Nationale model 1905 pistol. In more-recent years, most pistols available in .25 ACP are also available in a more-effective calibre.

Design
The cartridge was designed for early blowback pistols that lacked a breech locking mechanism. The cartridge is of semi-rimmed design meaning that the rim protrudes slightly beyond the diameter of the base of the cartridge so the cartridge can headspace on the rim. A recessed extractor groove allows an extractor to grab the cartridge reliably. It is the smallest centerfire pistol round in production, and is commonly chambered in small, so-called "vest pocket" pistols. The .25 ACP achieved widespread use after Colt introduced the Browning-designed Fabrique 1905 Vest Pocket (sometimes referred to as 1906) to the United States as the Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket.

Though the .25 ACP was designed for semi-automatic pistols, various .25 ACP revolvers were produced in the early twentieth century by Belgian, French, and German gunmakers such as Adolph Frank and Decker. In the late twentieth century, Bowen Classic Arms produced a custom Smith & Wesson revolver in .25 ACP.

Following World War II, the Italian Lercker machine pistol was chambered for the .25 ACP, but achieved little distribution.

Performance
The use of the .25 ACP allows for a very compact lightweight gun, but the cartridge is relatively short ranged and low powered, putting it in the same class as the .22 LR rimfire cartridge but at a significantly higher cost. Although the .22LR is slightly more powerful when fired from longer rifle barrels, the .25 ACP is viewed by some as a better choice for personal defense handguns due to its centerfire-case design, which is inherently more reliable than a rimfire cartridge.

Manufacturers have loaded commercial hollow-point bullets to higher velocities than standard 50 gr full metal jacket loads. Firearms chambered for the .25 ACP cartridge run the gamut from inexpensive, simply made guns like the Raven MP-25 to higher quality and relatively expensive guns like the Baby Browning or Beretta 950 Jetfire. The tiny cartridge has also been used in some precision crafted target pistols.

Synonyms

 * 25 Auto
 * .25 Auto
 * 6.35 mm
 * 6.35 mm Browning
 * 6.35×16mmSR (SR—Semi-Rimmed)