My son has a post today about a little gun I gave him several years ago. An FIE Titan in .25 ACP. A friend took it in trade for some computer work, but didn't particularly want it, so I struck a deal for cash. Very little cash. I shot it a time or two, then put it in my wife's car console.
Lots of folks look with disdain at the .25 ACP. It's a lightweight, no doubt, with arguably less power than a .22 Long Rifle cartridge. In the Titan, it provides serviceable accuracy at 10 yards, but I doubt I'd be tempted to fire it at that extreme range. This is a belly gun, pure and simple. It's designed to peel someone off of you that you don't want to dance with.
Someone once said that if they were shot with a .25, and found out about it, they'd be pissed-off. Well, maybe so. But put four or five in his gut at elbow distances and he'll probably wander off looking for an emergency room. Which gives you plenty of time to call the police and make a report.
For myself, I much prefer the .38 special and I carry one daily, in my pocket.
1 comment:
Over the years, I have owned maybe 10 belly guns, mostly to use as back-ups while on patrol.
The best one I ever had was a Budischowski (German) TP-70, a miniature stainless Walther PPK. It was in .25ACP. I also used a Beretta Minx, in .22 Short (a hot .22 short is almost identical in performance to the .25ACP), but those early Berettas had no safety, and the weapon cocked itself a few times in my pants pocket, so I stopped carrying it.
Now, of course, there are a slew of higher caliber pocket pieces, and I have two of them, a Kel-Tec P3AT in .380ACP and a North American Arms Guardian in .32NAA, a wildcat built on the .380 hull (HOT wildcat, it exits the short Guardian barrel at over 1,100 fps).
I've never owned a medium-caliber derringer, but if you're happy with two shots, with some fumbling to get the second one off, a derringer might be for you.
The gun that will save your life is the gun you will carry, and in the hot months, if a belly gun is all you can manage in your summer attire, then it will have to do. Just do yourself a favor and take some range practice with that little combat piece.
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