Raven Arm MP 25?

Question

Can anyone tell me how good the raven arm MP 25 is? Would it be safer since it's a lower caliber? What's the penetration power for most lower cals?

Answer 1

To be honest, it's not really much safer. It will still penetrate pretty well through a wall, but the smaller caliber will be less likely to stop an intruder. If you can actually empty the whole magazine on a pistol that has set a standard as being one of the most inexpensive and unreliable mass produced pistols on the market, and get hits, the 25 ACP won't be likely to stop the theoretical drug-crazed felon that just smashed your front door in. Most people with firearms experience say that a pistol chambered in 9mm Luger or .38 Special is the minimum you should use.

If you're worried about penetration, there are companies making low penetration, shot-filled safety slugs, and frangible 9mm ammunition that would be less likely to be a threat to neighbors or roommates. Also, 9mm cartridges are one of the most common, and they're easy and cheap to get ahold of.

In the link below, notice the lack of much of a cavity left behind after the bullet passed through. Even on the hollowpoints, the lack of a cavity is going to equate to no stopping power from these rounds. They just don't have the power to do damage to a soft target.

Answer 2

Raven Mp-25

Answer 3

Never had any problems with my Raven 25 cal.* I traded it in on a 357 Magnum because of being more deadly or lethal if I ever had to use it for self defense. At the time I could not afford any other handgun except the Raven 25.* No one should have anything less than a 357 Magnum for personal protection.* It is actually two(2) guns for the price of one, because you can shoot 38 caliber ammo in it also.* Great value & a great handgun for self defense.*

Answer 4

Everyone I know hopes their opponent is armed with one of these junkers, if the situation ever arises!
I knew a Cobb County, GA trooper who was shot 5 times by a liquor store robber using a .25ACP at less than 10 yards (don't remember if it was a Raven). It was cold, and the trooper was wearing a heavy coat. Three of the rounds stuck in his clothing, not even touching the skin. One creased the back of his 'off' hand, and one hit him in the forehead, 'running' under the skin to stop above his left ear. Without hardly missing a step, the trooper dropped to one knee and answered with 'two to the chest' from his S&W M-66 .357 Magnum.
Results:
One trooper requiring minor surgery to remove the bullet from his scalp & patch his scratched hand.
One liquor store bandit D.O.A.

Forget .25's, buy a weapon that WILL get the job done.

Answer 5

The Raven MP25 is PURE JUNK..Pot metal, poorly made and has the honor of being the #1 worst Saturday Night Special (Junk Gun in the U.S.) This gun is actually "banned" from sale in several states here in the U.S.They are far from safe due to their poor construction and materials and are best known and prone to failures.(Especially the Safety's failing)

The 25 ACP cartridge is an extremely weak cartridge as far as velocity and stopping power, regardless of what firearm it is shot out of. It is not recommended for any type of concealed carry or personal protection for any situation. It's poor ballistics's speak for themselves and the 25ACP is considered a NOVELTY caliber and isn't even taken seriously as an effective caliber for anything short of "plinking"You would be wise to avoid any 25ACP firearm these days and get yourself a decent well made firearm instead...The old retail price of $79.95 should tell you a lot.Junk..Pure 100% Junk..

Answer 6

The Raven was the first of the pot-metal zinc framed pocket pistols. Appearing in the 1980's for around 50 bucks, it actually recieved good reviews from the magazine Gun Tests, known for their "no bs" reviews....
....Well, they blew it on this one.
I bought one of the first Ravens, and quickly encountered one of the common problems with it - broken firing pins.
I broke two through the course of about 800 rounds. They only cost 3.50 to replace, but I have to question the quality of a gun that can break them so quickly.
The safety is a sliding afair above the grip panel, and has a nasty habit of turning ITSELF to the off position without informing you, first.
Not too cool....
Being a smaller caliber does nothing to make a gun safer. The whole point of owning a gun is to have a dangerous insturment that can be utilized in that capacity if need be.
You can be killed by a .25, yes, and it would be a particularly slow and painful death as far as gunshot wounds go. Problem is, if you have to resort to shooting someone with this caliber,
-they may just get mad enough to kill you as they wait - a long time -(in many cases) to expire.
Did you mean safer for you?
Real gun safety involves going to great pains to not shoot yourself accidentally.
The Raven's trick safety does nothing to help you accomplish this goal.
I suppose if you have to be shot accidentally by a gun,
a .25 IS the one you wanna get shot with...
...Your chances of making it to the hospital alive are statistically best from a .25 gunshot wound.
A shot to the heart or brain or major artery will kill you no matter what caliber you are shot with.
All guns CAN kill.
The .25 just ain't very GOOD at it.
Power?
I've seen several cases of attempted suicide come through the ER, in which persons had shot themselves in the head with .25's, and the bullet had entered the scalp, "skidded" across the top of the skull, and lodged under the skin on the opposite side of the head!
Not much power there.
This does not bode well for a cartridge if you intend to use it for self defense.
The ugly truth is, If you do ever have to use a gun in self-defense, you don't want the attacker to survive to testify against you.
That means you shouldn't rely on an underpowered round like the .25 for defending your life. It is not a man-stopper in any book.
Although it is often used as a back-up gun...theory being a pipsqueek gun is better than nothing, there are better choices for this role, including the smaller (but arguably hotter and more efective) .22LR.
A .380 is the minimum for a serious back-up gun...and it should be playing second-bananna to a real gun like a .38, .357, 9mm, .40, or a .45.
For that matter, They make 9mm's as small as a .380 now, leaving little excuse for not using this full-power round instead.
Plinking?
A .25 is too darn expensive to plink with.
The only reason I shot that Raven 800 times back in the '80's was that I worked at a gunshop, and could get ammo on the cheap. It wasn't accurate, and the tiny fixed sights were useless. We just point-blasted at targets and beercans for the sheer heck of it, TRYING to destroy the little "toy" gun.
-We succeded.
So much for that idea.
These guns along with all .25 guns are best looked at as curiousities, or last-ditch defensive weapons at best.
Get yourself something useful.
Are you new to guns?
Are you intimidated by the idea of recoil?
Do you need some experience under your belt to start off with? That's cool. Everybody starts somewhere. Welcome to the club.
If you're unfamiliar with guns, start with a Ruger MK II .22 pistol. Plinking, hunting, target shooting, -all can be done with this gun.
And if worse came to worse,
And I was called upon to defend my life or the lives of my loved ones,
While I'd PREFER to have a .38, 9mm, .45, etc...
....I'd certainly rather have a Ruger .22 in my hand than a Raven .25.

Answer 7

I just wanted to second the previous comments about Raven being junk. Unsafe in any caliber.....

Answer 8

I had one, ran less than a box of ammo through it before the lower frame broke. Yeah, just broke off. I would recommend you buy one and hand it to the bugler, it will be more dangerous to him than you.
Sarge

Answer 9

two options either don't pull the trigger or invest in a snap cap.

Answer 10

It is a .25 Auto, and it is made of pot metal. Stictly a last ditch gun. This is one gun I would NOT bank my life on.