NAA Mini LR or Baby Browning

[Gun1]

If you could only carry 1 gun and it was between either a NAA Mini LR or a Baby Browning which would you choose and why?

[smokeless joe]

I'm going with the mini. Why you ask? I don't own a Browning 

[Uncle Fatso]

Own both, carry a Black Widow .22 magnum NAA.
Variety of ammunition available (such as shotshells for snakes) plus I find it much easier to make good hits with because of the excellent sights.

[top dog]

I would go with the mini for basically the same reasons given by Unclefatso.

Although the Baby Browning is an excellent piece,I have mixed feelings of having a cocked pistol in a pocket holster.

Yes,the safety is fairly positive but nowhere near that of the hammer of the mini in the safety notch.

I have a Colt 25 auto that is basically a safe queen. A mini is always with me.

                                                                                                                Top Dog

[heyjoe]

I would go with the mini for basically the same reasons given by Unclefatso.

Although the Baby Browning is an excellent piece,I have mixed feelings of having a cocked pistol in a pocket holster.

Yes,the safety is fairly positive but nowhere near that of the hammer of the mini in the safety notch.

I have a Colt 25 auto that is basically a safe queen. A mini is always with me.

                                                                                                                Top Dog

i really like my baby browning, but im not sure how positive that safety is. the hook on the sear is tiny and they do wear  down with use. i had to change mine. i wouldnt carry with one in the chamber. 

[SteveZ-FL]

Depends where I am or going.   The NAA .22LR in a pocket carrier gets a lot of time in either the pants or shorts pocket.  The Baby Browning is carried, in a jacket pocket (in a leather carrier) when the weather requires a jacket.

Have never had a problem with the BB safety and have had it for a long time (in tte family since the '60s). 

[bill_deshivs]

The Browning .25 is almost 80 years old. Millions have been carried loose in the pocket since it's inception in 1936.
I have never heard of one going off in the pocket, nor has anyone I know.
The .25 is much easier to get into action on the first shot, and subsequent shots are almost instantaneous.

[bearcatter]

The Baby is a very nice gun, with the dependability of centerfire ammo. I don't think SA makes a good pocket gun though, for reasons stated. My DAO Guardian 32 is definitely safer, and quicker.

[RICKS PLACE]

I have carried a Baby Browning in a pocket holster I made myself back in the day.  Never heard of a Baby Browning going off by accident.  Why I don't trust the safety, I don't know.  That said, I would have to vote for the mini.  But no one can argue the Browning is a fine piece of craftsmanship.

[autofull]

baby for me. empty chamber though. i do love my minis but im a serious mouse gunner and as long as i have two hands i can rack one in. now, there is always a pug in a pocket holster on me. always. baby in the waistband.

[miker]

I've heard of a BB going off in a pocket by accident. No one hurt tho, as it was in his coat pocket hanging in the front closet! =:O

I'd hate to have to carry either - the LR mini is too small for me to shoot well and the single-action is cumbersome; the BB I wouldn't feel safe carrying with the chamber loaded and that striker sitting cocked.

NAA magnum size would be somewhat better. Jetfire in condition 2 is a *much* better option than the BB.

miker

[top dog]

Miker,
As always,it is best for what suits you that you will be comfortable with.

I agree that the magnum size grip is much better to handle.

With (lots of)training,the single action is not that slow at all.

But again,it is what you are most comfortable with.

                                                                                      Top Dog

[heyjoe]

The Browning .25 is almost 80 years old. Millions have been carried loose in the pocket since it's inception in 1936.
I have never heard of one going off in the pocket, nor has anyone I know.
The .25 is much easier to get into action on the first shot, and subsequent shots are almost instantaneous.

read up two posts....now you heard of one

[autofull]

aww, yer all correct.

[Uncle_Lee]

The Browning .25 is almost 80 years old. Millions have been carried loose in the pocket since it's inception in 1936.
I have never heard of one going off in the pocket, nor has anyone I know.
The .25 is much easier to get into action on the first shot, and subsequent shots are almost instantaneous.

read up two posts....now you heard of one

And you heard of it on the internet so it MUST be true.

[heyjoe]

The Browning .25 is almost 80 years old. Millions have been carried loose in the pocket since it's inception in 1936.
I have never heard of one going off in the pocket, nor has anyone I know.
The .25 is much easier to get into action on the first shot, and subsequent shots are almost instantaneous.

read up two posts....now you heard of one

And you heard of it on the internet so it MUST be true.

isnt Miker an impeccable source?  dont you carry your mini with the hammer down on an empty chamber?

[miker]

I'm impeachable, maybe...

But yeah, just something I read online, guy seemed reasonably legit. It reinforced how I already felt about cocked strikers... now if a BB had a real solid firing pin safety, maybe I'd be ok with that.

Here's a BB AD story, guy shoots self in hand. Read down for the comment on the long firing pin nose - I had forgotten about that, worth considering.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/dsm-gun-show-dealer-shoots-himself-in-hand.698900/

miker the impeckable

[Warthog]

Well,, back to the original question, I wouldn't carry ANY 25ACP firearm unless it was all I had period.  Even then, I would be reluctant just having it.  Remember,this is my personal opinion and isn't meant to cause a stir.

I'd carry a 22 LR before a 25ACP.

[SteveZ-FL]

Well,, back to the original question, I wouldn't carry ANY 25ACP firearm unless it was all I had period.  Even then, I would be reluctant just having it.  Remember,this is my personal opinion and isn't meant to cause a stir.

I'd carry a 22 LR before a 25ACP.

To me, anyway, there is no appreciable difference in the ballistics for .22lr and .25acp.  It all boils down to the type of handgun.  For carry, .22lr in a revolver and .25acp in a semi-auto pistol.  I have had too many hang-ups in a .22lr semi-auto to want to rely on it. 

[adp3]

The .22LR bullet will at least deform in tissue a bit. The .25ACP will not. From '76 to '78 I worked in a textile mill here in SC. One of the guys in shipping wife left him. He was depressed and drank half a fifth of Jack Daniels, and then took a Galesi .25 auto and shot himself in the chest. The bullet completely penetrated his heart.

When he returned to work two weeks later he was a bit embarrassed and poorer from the medical bills, but those were the only lingering effects. He decided he was better off without the wife.

Best Regards,
ADP3

[Warthog]

Well SteveZ-FL, he was asking about a Mini so it would be a revolver rather than a semi-auto pistol in 22LR....I am not a big fan of 22LR Pistols either as the round was more designed for non-semi-auto firearms.  In any case the 25 ACP round isn't  very good choice for self defense which is sort of a fact as the ballistics of the round fired from one of those little pistols is not very good and doesn't really provide a good way to stop and attacker.

[Canoeal]

The best answer is neither. That is why I chose a BW in 22 mag.

[Uncle_Lee]

Yes, I carry all single action revolvers without a transfer bar with the hammer down on an empty chamber.
That is a habit started in the 40's and there is no use trying to break it now just for one extra round.
I do carry a 25 with a striker now and then but without a round in the chamber.

[Canoeal]

Yes, I carry all single action revolvers without a transfer bar with the hammer down on an empty chamber.
That is a habit started in the 40's and there is no use trying to break it now just for one extra round.
I do carry a 25 with a striker now and then but without a round in the chamber.

I carry the BW as designed; 5 rounds, hammer in a safety slot.

[bearcatter]

A little .25ACP history.

I understand that John Browning designed the .25ACP in 1905 as a centerfire replacement for the .22, so that it would function well in a small semi-auto. The .32ACP was Browning's first pistol cartridge, in 1899.

The FN1905/6 was the first .25 pistol, and designed by Browning. It was made from 1906 to 1959.The Browning Baby was a redesign by FN's Dieudonné Saive, who later designed the Hi-Power. The FN Baby was made from 1931 to 1979.

Precision Arms began producing Babys from 1984 to now. 25 different versions (they say on the home page, I only see 17), starting with basic stainless from $800. Fancy models up to $5500 !  Lots of accessories and parts; I understand the parts interchange with originals.

https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/

[heyjoe]

Yes, I carry all single action revolvers without a transfer bar with the hammer down on an empty chamber.
That is a habit started in the 40's and there is no use trying to break it now just for one extra round.
I do carry a 25 with a striker now and then but without a round in the chamber.

i seemed to remember that about the mini. just curious would you carry that way with all striker fired semi autos such as glock?

[SteveZ-FL]

Well SteveZ-FL, he was asking about a Mini so it would be a revolver rather than a semi-auto pistol in 22LR....I am not a big fan of 22LR Pistols either as the round was more designed for non-semi-auto firearms.  In any case the 25 ACP round isn't  very good choice for self defense which is sort of a fact as the ballistics of the round fired from one of those little pistols is not very good and doesn't really provide a good way to stop and attacker.

Was at the range this morning, firing off some excess .22lr and .25acp ammo.  While the .25acp will never win any awards for being able to knock someone off their feet or rip a limb off with a single shot, at 15-25 feet it still punches a mighty painful hole.  A .25acp double-tap can stop most threats.  Again, it goes back to an individual's threat assessment regarding what will work against the perceived threat.

Once again the Baby Browning outperformed the NAA mini in one category - accuracy.  I'm always amazed at how accurate the BB is.  I'm not too bad with both of my minis (.22lr & .22wmr, both 1 1/8), but am considerably better with the BB, even with rapid firing the BB. 

[RogueTS1]

I will take the Baby Browning over the .22 LR Mini. Now if we were talking something like the Pug in .22 Mag I would have to think a little bit more but would still probably choose the BB.

I am a big fan of 6.35 mm; plus the BB can be suppressed. 

PS: I have both a BB and a FN 1905 spoken of above. Maybe I can get some photos of them together for y'all.

[Uncle_Lee]

Yes, I carry all single action revolvers without a transfer bar with the hammer down on an empty chamber.
That is a habit started in the 40's and there is no use trying to break it now just for one extra round.
I do carry a 25 with a striker now and then but without a round in the chamber.

i seemed to remember that about the mini. just curious would you carry that way with all striker fired semi autos such as glock?

I don't really know anything about those but if they had a firing pin block, I would carry with one in the chamber. That is why I carry 6 in a single action revolver with a transfer bar.

I am kind of ify in the minis because that hammer don't have to come back but a very short way until the nose of the hammer is clear of the safety slot. Once it is clear of the safety slot, the cylinder is free to turn because it is not locked in place by the cylinder bolt.
When the hammer is down on an empty chamber the cylinder bolt has the cylinder locked in place and it can not turn until the hammer is around half cocked.
That is a longer pull than just to get it out of the safety slot.
I know, I know most people carry with the full 5 and the hammer in the safety slot. I just can't do it.

Some of the old black powder revolvers had 12 bolt slots in the cylinder so you could load it all the way and let the hammer down between chambers. The bolt locked the cylinder in place and it could not turn until the hammer was at half cocked position.

[Kimber1911]

       Good morning everyone. My PugT is like my American Express card, never leave home without it.    TTFN          R     

[riadat]

I would not carry a baby browning, personally.

Had one, got rid of it.  Maybe I'm wrong but I did not like the idea of it being cocked and being prevented from firing by a safety.

I would carry this instead if I carried 25

Beretta bobcat in 25 acp.

8+1 in chamber and another 8 in extra mag.  Sm-1 sticky holster works well

[RogueTS1]

I do not mind the BB but I would choose the 21a Beretta over it though. I really like the 950s even better.

[SteveZ-FL]

I do not mind the BB but I would choose the 21a Beretta over it though. I really like the 950s even better.

I've got a Taurus PT-25, which is basically the same design as the Beretta .25acp Bobcat and .32acp Tomcat (which I used to own). To have that 8+1 requires keeping a round in the chamber and relying on the on-off safety flip switch on the left rear of the rack to remain on.  I've found (personal experience) that accidentally disengaging that safety can happen.

If the chamber on the tilt-barrel is kept empty, one usually uses the tilt-barrel function to load that first round (time consuming process which requires having a loose round available). Manually racking a round requires a lot of effort and is usually avoided.  As a result, the PT-25 is never carried and has become a nightstand fixture.

I've never had a problem with the Baby Browning's safety.  It racks easily if I want to keep the chamber empty.  If if I want to go 6+1 I feel comfortable with the safety that had never failed.  BB Reload is simpler than the PT-25 because racking that first BB reload round is much easier.

Back to the mini - It may have fewer rounds than the BB and is more difficult to reload,  but I like single-action revolvers.  Having one that is fully concealable and reliable fits almost all of my carry situations, and it's in the pocket right now.

[bill_deshivs]

The PT -25 Taurus is perfectly safe with a round in the chamber and the safety OFF. It's a double action only gun with an inertial firing pin.

[SteveZ-FL]

The PT -25 Taurus is perfectly safe with a round in the chamber and the safety OFF. It's a double action only gun with an inertial firing pin.

Probably so, but I still don't like what one must go through for reloadl  Hindsight being 20/20,  the PT-25 & 22 (have both) were not my wisest acquisitions.