Glock 25: One of the rare pistols that was banned in the United States

Glock 25 is banned in the United States by the Gun Act from 1968 (Photo: XY)

Glock 25 (G25, Model 25) is a specific pistol of small dimensions equal to those of the Glock 19, making it perfect for concealed carry. It was introduced at the IWA Outdoor Classics in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1995. It is chambered in .380 ACP (9 mm Short), which wasn’t so popular in the United States at the time.

Design

The market indicated that Glock should add a model in this caliber to expand the range of its products. So, the Glock 25 is, in fact, a blowback derivative of the compact Glock 19. The length of the barrel is 102 mm (4 in) and has a hexagonal profile with a right-hand twist of 250mm. It has a standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds and can use a special magazine to extend the capacity up to 17 rounds. Nevertheless, it is only 30 mm wide.

Glock 25 is a Austrian-made pistol chambered in .380 ACP
Glock 25 is an Austrian-made pistol chambered in .380 ACP (Photo: XY)

The standard fixed sight elevation is 6.9 mm, unlike the 6.5 mm elevation used for the 9×19mm models. Glock 25 has a total length of 174mm. The height of the weapon is 127 mm, and the weight is 570 g without the magazine. The trigger pressure is about 2500 g.

Saturday Night Special

The magazine capacity and caliber are one of the main reasons why Glock 25 was banned in the United States until 2004. The American Crime Bill at the time prohibited a magazine capacity of more than ten rounds for civilian use. Because of this restriction on the magazine capacity and heavy competition, this model was not for sale in the USA at the time.

Well, it was technically “banned,” but it was mostly a marketing trick because it wasn’t imported to the United States because of the low interest.  In 1968, the Gun Control Act cut off the supply of cheap handguns from Europe into the US. Those weapons were known as Saturday Night Special. New Gun Control Act established a point system that makers had to follow to get their guns eligible for import.

Sadly, the .380 ACP chambered Glock 25 does not grade out enough points to make it legal. The points system was introduced to determine a handgun’s “sporting purpose.” These points are awarded based on criteria including the gun’s length, height, weight, caliber, construction, safety, features, sights, and grips. (1968 Act, 935(d)(3)).

Many pistols were banned because of the 1968 gun control act. Import pistols have to earn so many points to be legally imported. It is why the Walther PPK post 68 had to be made in the USA, and Walther created the PPK/S (PPK slide and barrel on PP frame) to get German-made pistols imported. Today, some countries still don’t allow citizens to have firearms of the same caliber as the military and police.

Technical specifications: Glock 25

Manufacturer: Glock Ges.m.b.H., Austria
Type:  short recoil, locked-breech, semi-automatic
Caliber: .380 ACP
Barrel: 4.02 in (102 mm)
Weight (empty): 22.75 oz (645 grams)
Magazine capacity: Standard: 15 rounds; Optional: 17 rounds
Share This Article
10 Comments