My Dad carried a Colt Vest-Pocket .25 ACP pistol. It was state-of-the art, for 1908. Heavy, inaccurate, no real sights, in an ineffective caliber. It had been his father’s back-up in the railroad police.
He didn’t even carry it all the time, mostly traveling and fishing trips. He thought of getting a Summer job one time, and went to a security guard company. He was incensed when they wouldn’t hire him with his .25, as an armed guard!
In the interest of laziness, I, too succumbed to the appeal of the tiny gun. I bought a Kel-Tec .32, with a hard-chromed slide. Technology had developed in 83 years to a largely plastic frame, and about half the girth of the Vest Pocket. And 6.6 oz. v. 13 oz.! And a slightly larger caliber. Drop in the pocket – done!
A few years back, I attended a relative’s daughter’s wedding. I brought along the trusty Kel-Tec. It was good that I did, because two family factions, two brothers, in fact, almost came to blows! I was asked to separate them, which I did.
And, my first thought was “*^%$, what if someone gets more physically violent (and pulls a knife or something), and I had to pull a weapon?”
Then I remembered. All my real weapons were home in the gun safe. At best, I had a talisman. And, if I had to shoot someone, they might stop behaving badly, in a few hours! Not exactly the reason I carry in the first place. And, not very efficient.
Now that my choices are more limited, it’s .38 or .45 for me. If I had a small 9mm, I might be tempted.
But Jeff Cooper’s voice rings in my head: “If you have a .25, don’t load it, if you load it, don’t carry it, if you carry it, don’t use it. If you use it, you might hit someone and make them angry!”
Carry enough gun.
I like flying bricks too. Go big or go home!
Posted by Tango Juliet | April 26, 2011, 7:57 amI expect to see a "starts with a 4" post shortly. *touches my .40 gun at my side*
Posted by North | April 26, 2011, 8:13 amRemember the saying about the .25? If you shoot someone – shoot them in the forehead. Then, while they are wiping the blood out of their eyes run away. We carry .32 when nothing else is practical or as a back up. Keltec makes them in pretty colors, too.
Posted by Karmann | April 26, 2011, 8:28 amThe old CPO who spoke to us about sidearms in the Navy mentioned that various other armed forces issued pistols as small as a .25. He said, "If you shoot someone with a .25, and they find out about it, it's just going to make them mad."Then he distributed the Colt M1911-A1s to the class. 38 years later, I'm still carrying one.
Posted by Rev. Paul | April 26, 2011, 8:53 amI have an old post on the Colt .25's I will repost!
Posted by Keads | April 26, 2011, 10:52 pmGreat post! – Many have succumbed to the siren song of the tiny little .25, including me! A Colt 1908 “Hammerless” was also my first carry gun. It has that minuscule safety but to be more safe I carried it with a loaded mag and empty chamber. Real smart me! Soon enough I got tired of that and “smartened up” more, trading the little Colt in for a little Beretta .25 with a tip-up barrel. It was still a .25 but at least it was safe to carry loaded. It wasn’t until I actually started paying attention and started reading numerous gun articles that I started thinking about moving up the power scale. But it took a person that I know actually being shot with a .25 and hardly being effected (he didn’t even know he was shot at the time) before I finally and reluctantly gave up my little “mouse gun” and moved up to something bigger.
Posted by Wilson | April 29, 2011, 5:39 amHeh – I know what you mean about "talismans." In the past I've even gone smaller than .25, though possibly no less effective. Back in my California days when it was more dangerous to get caught with a gun than without one, I used to carry my .22 NAA minirevolver. I lived in fear of the day I had to draw it, because I didn't want to listen to the laughter.These days when I go to the city I carry a 9X18 Makarov, which compared to my normal carry gun leaves me feeling pretty poorly armed.
Posted by Joel | April 30, 2011, 12:06 pm@Joel…the 9×18 may not be a 'flying ashtray', but, it's a definite step-up from a .22 NAA.'They' say the first rule of a gunfight is have a gun. I'd amend that to have a gun in a decent caliber.Thanks for your comments.
Posted by Guffaw in AZ | April 30, 2011, 12:21 pm