# advice on Baby Browning .25 caliper



## ClayC

Hello
My name is Clay and its been so long since I posted here I forgot my password and had to re register
I need some advice as I am a novice and most the people here are experts on hand guns
My wife just got her ccw permit (we live in North east Alabama)I own a ruger 22 sr and a M and P 9c -I love them both My wife wants a small lower caliper hand gun. She is petie and is uncompfortable with higher caliper handguns. So i hopped on line and typed in .22 then .25 caliper handguns. Low and behold I came across the baby Browing .25 caliper pistol. I like the Browning name, everything I read said they were really good guns, and it would be like owning a peice of history as they w made in the late 50's and through the 60's. My wife really liked it also. I was all set to buy one and I read a sentence in a review that basically said " I would not carry a round in the chamber cause if it was dropped the gun could go off." does that mean they have no safety? or does that mean the safety isnt very good. 

Well I also ran across a company called Precision Small Arms that makes the same pistol as the Baby Browning. Are they still in business and do they have safety's? Are these guns well made and worth the 600 plus dollars they go for 
Thanks in advance
Clay


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## TurboHonda

I love Brownings. I hate .25s.


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## Sgt45

I would not carry the Baby for several reasons, but dropping it and having it go off isn't one of them. I have a copy of the BB made by Frasier Arms out of Michigan (no longer in business). It's a beautifully made pistol in stainless and I did carry it as a backup when I was a cop BUT, the .25 is woefully inadequate for self defense - yes, it's better than a sharp stick in the eye. The sights are almost non-existent, the gun is very difficult to shoot accurately and more than a few feet. As a piece of history, they are great. If your petite wife is only going to shoot little people then maybe. Little guns also apply to 2" snubbie revolvers. My recommendation is that she try a larger pistol or revolver in 9mm or .38 special. She really needs to get over the idea of carrying a cute little gun, when push comes to shove, a little gun is not the thing to be relying on. Combat mindset is the greatest weapon that she can possess, once that is instilled, choice of weapon becomes a no brainer. Education from someone that really knows what they are talking about might be a more logical/important first step. A place like Front Sight, Gunsite, Thunder Ranch among others. Expensive? Yes, but compared to a funeral or several years in jail because you goofed, CHEAP.


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## ClayC

thanks for the advice- I think I may go to the next size up .32 caliper- wife is scared of anything large caliper . 
plus gun needs to be small enough to fit in medium size purse
not sure who all makes .32 caliper NAA and Kal tech do but not sure who else
are NAA and or Kal Tech very good quality guns?


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## Harryball

ClayC said:


> thanks for the advice- I think I may go to the next size up .32 caliper- wife is scared of anything large caliper .
> plus gun needs to be small enough to fit in medium size purse
> not sure who all makes .32 caliper NAA and Kal tech do but not sure who else
> are NAA and or Kal Tech very good quality guns?


First, its caliber, not caliper. Im not trying to be an ass, but we should use the proper terms here.

Second, Have her shoot some weapons. You really are not doing her any favors by putting a jam o'matic in her hands.

Third, professional training. A qualified instructor should do. Get her into a basic pistol course so that she learns the fundamentals of how to shoot. Then go from there.

Forth, and the most important. Let her pic the gun, after steps 1-3 are completed. You will be happy, because mama is happy. Do not force her into something she might not like.


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## hideit

i own a 25acp baby browning for historical collection
in 1971 i bought a colt Jr and shot it at a 55 gal drum and the bullet richoched off of it an hit me in the shin
enough of that
i own a keltec 32acp - I LOVE IT
the next step up is a ruger 380 but it hurts the hand and you will not shoot it a lot - max 25 rounds at a time
if you have the money get the Sig p238 - IT IS A WONDERFUL GUN and a lot less recoil
if you want a revolver then get the S&W 637 in 38 special - it has exposed hammer and is easy to cock for SA firing


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## rex

Welcome back.

The small guns are going to discourage her because accuracy is generally poor on these.Not that the gun is necessarily hinnaccurate,but handling caractristics are poor.They are quite small which compromises a good grip,the triggers andsights are usually poor,and 22,25,32 and most 380s are blowback design.That design has a fixed barrel and the weight of the slide coupled with a stiff spring are what hold the slide closed until pressure drops to a safe level to open.Except for the 22,that tends to make their recoil snappy.The 22 can be used for SD,but it's not recommended at all,it requires a different set of rules and a high level of accuracy.You basically go for head shots and there isn't a large target zone in the head,plus you'll need a really good gun lawyer to prove it wasn't assasination.

The 380 is considered the bare minimum for SD,but this will be quite snappy compared to the others.Sig makes one as a 1911 based design with a locked breech,and I believe there is another,but I've never shot them.I had 2 Sig 230s (now 232) and they were a good gun,but the stainless one was quite heavy and the aluminum framed one carried nice but was very snappy.The weight is going to tame recoil,but it would be up to her if it's going to be too heavy to carry.

She can handle a 9mm unless there's a physical problem,most of the problem is mental.She needs to find a gun she can get a good solid grip on with the trigger in reach,then shoot it.Weight will also help,light carries nice but recoils more.When the basics are there from shooting 22s,all that's different is recoil,and it's nothing that's going to hurt her.That's the part people freak over-the kick.They don't kick,the gun pushes back and the muzzle rises just like a 22 on a larger scale.A good solid grip (not a death grip),stance,and a gun that fits with a bit of weight is something she can handle without problem when she forgets the fear of it kicking.My ex was about 5'6" and had small to medium hands and never shot a handgun.All I had was my 1911 45 when she wanted to try one,and after the first magazine she fell in love with it.The 9's recoil is less,she can hadle it.


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## TurboHonda

ClayC said:


> thanks for the advice- I think I may go to the next size up .32 caliper- wife is scared of anything large caliper .
> plus gun needs to be small enough to fit in medium size purse
> not sure who all makes .32 caliper NAA and Kal tech do but not sure who else
> are NAA and or Kal Tech very good quality guns?


'
Many times when someone is afraid of a larger caliber, they think it is because of the recoil. If that was the case, they would avoid smaller guns in any caliber because the smaller the pistol the harder the bite to the hand. What they are really fearing is the noise. I always caution people that are new to shooting to use good hearing protection before they even get close to another shooter, when practicing of course. When shooting while hunting, or when protecting one's self, the noise will not even be noticed.


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## Steve M1911A1

...To all of which I have to add: She must learn how to carry her defensive pistol _on her person_, not in her purse.

In the purse: It's called "off-body carry." And off-body carry is dangerous, to her and to the people around her.

Women put their purses down, and then walk away from them-for instance, at a friend's home.
And then the next thing she might hear is: "Mommy, what's this thing in your friend's purse?" And that would be followed by: "BANG!"

My own wife left her purse in the stall of an airport restroom, and, because she was also carrying luggage, she remembered it only after our plane had taken off.
Yes, we got it back intact. But what if it hadn't happened in an airport, and someone had found a gun in it while searching for her address?

And how about a purse-snatch on the street. Now a felon has her money, her address, her keys, _and her gun_.
Does she want to be in the business of arming felons?

There are lots of ways to carry a gun on a woman's body. Just ask.
Some of them are less comfortable than others. But a gun should be _comforting_, not comfortable. (Thanks to Clint Smith for that one.)


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## rex

And that's another thought to ponder,and true.She is the only one that can pick her weapon of choice.there's a balancing act to be had that only she can decide,comfy to carry doesn't mean you can use it under duress.The spell check gets weird so I don't even bother, but that doesn't seem to be spelled correctly.If she can shoot something well now,have her run to the point of breathing heavy and place hits as normal,you're still not close to a serious addrenalin dump.A 38 revolver with a trigger job may be her best start until she gets over the "kick" deal,sometimes it takes a while for them to get it out of their mind.

As a side note of my ex,a friend's wife was a whole 5' and maybe 100lbs.She shot a Ruger P85 just fine.I'm no fan of Ruger's centerfire autos but they do seem to shoot tame,and she was someone I wouldn't want to piss off within 30 or so yards.


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## DanP_from_AZ

Just a suggestion on a "small gun" for consideration.

Beretta makes a "Tomcat". It's a .32 Auto. I have one, just "for fun". I sometimes carry it when "nothing else can work".
I really can't recommend .32 ACP as an SD carry gun. Except, it's much "better" than a .25 ACP.
It's an all steel gun. But, small enough that it weighs the same as "little plastic guns" like the Ruger LCP .380 ACP.
There are some "good" self-defense loads in .32 ACP. Or, as "about as good as you can get".

Being a "blowback" design its recoil spring is quite stiff. Just like all the "little blowback" guns.

But, the Beretta Tomcat has a "tilt barrel design". You insert the loaded magazine.
Then, hit the tilt lever. The chamber end of the barrel raises up, and you insert a cartridge.
And press the back of the barrel down. Now, it's ready to go, without having to pull the slide back against
the "heavy recoil spring" to chamber a round.

This takes more typing to describe than it does to just "do it".
One of it's undesirable features is it's light weight creates some "snappy recoil", even in .32 ACP.
There is no free lunch.


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## MoMan

Steve M1911A1 said:


> ...To all of which I have to add: She must learn how to carry her defensive pistol _on her person_, not in her purse.
> 
> In the purse: It's called "off-body carry." And off-body carry is dangerous, to her and to the people around her.
> 
> Women put their purses down, and then walk away from them-for instance, at a friend's home.
> And then the next thing she might hear is: "Mommy, what's this thing in your friend's purse?" And that would be followed by: "BANG!"
> 
> My own wife left her purse in the stall of an airport restroom, and, because she was also carrying luggage, she remembered it only after our plane had taken off.
> Yes, we got it back intact. But what if it hadn't happened in an airport, and someone had found a gun in it while searching for her address?
> 
> And how about a purse-snatch on the street. Now a felon has her money, her address, her keys, _and her gun_.
> Does she want to be in the business of arming felons?
> 
> There are lots of ways to carry a gun on a woman's body. Just ask.
> Some of them are less comfortable than others. But a gun should be _comforting_, not comfortable. (Thanks to Clint Smith for that one.)


Yep!! There are many purse snatchers that feel like a pistol grabbed during a "snatchin" is like hittng the lottery!!


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## dogngun

rex said:


> And that's another thought to ponder,and true.She is the only one that can pick her weapon of choice.there's a balancing act to be had that only she can decide,comfy to carry doesn't mean you can use it under duress.The spell check gets weird so I don't even bother, but that doesn't seem to be spelled correctly.If she can shoot something well now,have her run to the point of breathing heavy and place hits as normal,you're still not close to a serious addrenalin dump.A 38 revolver with a trigger job may be her best start until she gets over the "kick" deal,sometimes it takes a while for them to get it out of their mind.
> 
> As a side note of my ex,a friend's wife was a whole 5' and maybe 100lbs.She shot a Ruger P85 just fine.I'm no fan of Ruger's centerfire autos but they do seem to shoot tame,and she was someone I wouldn't want to piss off within 30 or so yards.


Old thread, and probably moot by this time, but since she is carrying the gun and relying on it, she should get familiar with several so she can choose for herself...by shooting several types, ideally, but even actually handling one in a store is far better that having someone else pick HER gun for HER.
My late wife was a small person and had several painful spine and skeletal conditions. SHE loved to go to the range and shoot various handguns... after shooting 12 rounds through it, she decided the S&W Model 15 4" .38 Spl revolver, an old police gun, was HERS. She kept it in a big purse at along with several speed loaders for when I had to work and she was home alone...she was no longer able to work.

She never "needed" it, but she loved to shoot it, and it gave her comfort when she was alone, and any form of comfort was welcome...and she was deadly with it!

I still have it, and I will always keep it.

mark


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