D.A. Revolver in .25-20

[Chuck from arkansaw]

Recently got a Marlin 1894CL in .25-20 and was wondering what revolver would work for a conversion.  Cylinder length is the main issue.  I just think it would make a sweet little carry piece.

[Mikey]

Chuck:  I'm with you on the notion of a 25-20 as a nice little carry caliber but I think the reason those have not been chambered in revolvers is because the bottle-neck rounds may have a tendency to back out and freeze up a cylinder.  How-so-ever-, here we go with the 32-20 in many revolvers, the 38-40 and the 44-40, all bottlenecks.  

I too wonder why that cartridge hasn't been chambered previously but there's nothing to say it wouldn't work, and work well at that.  I would think something like a S&W K frame, like a Model 10 with a 4" bbl, with a proper chamber and bbl would make for a nice little field piece and then a lightweight J-frame in the same chambering for pocket carry.  Nice thought.  I hope we hear from some of the others.  Mikey.

[John Traveler]

Gentlemen:

Yes, the S&W M10 Military and Police "K" frame would be ideal for the conversion you have in mind.  It can probably be done using a K-frame .22 LR cylinder.

I saw (and passed up, darnit!) a cute K22 cylinder chambered for .22 Improved Hornet at a gun show this weekend.  It was $75 and in okay, but not perfect condition.

I strongly suspect that .25-20 revolvers never caught on because of the typical American love for BIG bore revolvers.  A .25-20 revolver would offer little more than what a .22 rimfire can do, and at much greater ammo cost.  No mass marketing appeal, and therefore the gun makes have no interest in making it.

Just think about it:  Have you ever heard of a .25 ACP pistol being used for anything other than a "woman's gun" or a last ditch backup gun?

[Ed Harris]

I once had a chance to fire a custom Colt SAA which had been built in the 1930s and was rebarreled with a piece of Winchester 92 barrel and chambered for the .25-20.  I didn't have anything to try in it but factory 86-gr. Super-X softpoint loads, but it was accurate and pleasant to shoot.
I wasn't able to chronograph any of the loads, but my best guess based on chronographing .32-20 factory loads, is that they would be subsonic, around 1000 f.p.s.  At this velocity you will not get any bullet expansion at all, but it would be a good, nondestrictive turkey load.  I can tell you from experience that at over about 1500 f.p.s. the 85-86-gr. .25-20 softpoint bullets fired from a rifle are too destructive for use on eating game. I saw no problem with set back, at least in very limited firing of one box of shells in that example.

I agree that a strong modern gun in this caliber which could handle rifle-type loads useable in the Marlin 1894 would be a great small game, turkey and varmint gun.  I think a Ruger Blackhawk with 5-1/2" barrel would be just the ticket.

[KSR]

I too think that a 25-20 would be nice in a pistol. I have a 92 Win. in
25-20 and I love it. Nice quite accuarate round. I even killed a six
point buck with it six or seven years ago.