Back before the days of tiny .380’s and subcompact 9mm’s, the .25 ACP was actually a go to round. If you wanted a tiny back up gun it was that, or a .22LR. Unless you managed to get on the waiting list for a .32 ACP Seecamp. The .25 ACP was never a power house, but ammo improvements have finally made it a bit more viable. Federal’s new .25 ACP Punch load breathes new life into a 120 year old round.
The Federal .25 ACP Punch
The .25 ACP Punch
Back in the day, I used a Beretta 950BS as a pocket auto. It was a backup gun, and for carrying places where the utmost discretion was required. I knew it didn’t have much in the way of stopping power, but it was reliable and fairly accurate for what it was. I could have used a .22LR model 21A or similar, but the centerfire .25 ACP tended to be more reliable. The trade-off was less velocity, and thus less penetration.
You can read horror stories of .25’s not penetrating heavy clothing, or getting lodged in bone. I knew it wasn’t a big stopper, but I also figured it was better than harsh language. Most folks don’t want to take a magazine full of rounds to the face, .25 caliber or not. The flip side is, as a cop, I saw enough cases of people who got capped by .25’s to know it wasn’t totally useless. It could definitely be better, though.
It’s taken a while, but Federal has done just that with their .25 ACP Punch load. The Punch uses a solid 45-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 850 fps. That’s pretty good for a .25. It’s about 100 fps faster than the basic 50gr FMJ load and with a bullet optimized for penetration. The bullet itself consists of a lead core with a heavy nickel jacket. It’s loaded into brass cases and has a sealed primer. Federal claims that it outperforms any of its competitors in this caliber.
Hear What Federal Has to Say About the .25 ACP Punch
New Life to Old Guns
There aren’t a lot of new guns being made in .25 ACP. Actually, I’m not sure if any are currently being made. There are an awful lot of old ones still around, though, including the excellent Beretta 950BS like mine, and the Baby Brownings. If you have one gathering dust in the safe, it may be worth dragging it out and giving the Punch a try. Thanks to Federal, the .25 ACP Punch gives new life to Browning’s 120-year-old cartridge.
.25 ACP Punch Specs
| Caliber | 25 Auto |
| Grain Weight | 45 gr |
| Bullet Style | Solid |
| Muzzle Velocity | 825 fps |
| Package Quantity | 20 |
| Usage | Self-Defense |
| MSRP | $24.99 |
For more information on the .25 ACP Punch load, check out Federal’s website.
