The FN Herstal “Baby Browning” 25ACP is the classic six shot successor to the 1905 Vest Pocket Browning design from the early 20th century.
Today, it’s viewed as more of a curiosity than a serious concealed carry pistol anymore because it’s not an easy gun to shoot. There’s not much to grip because it’s so small. That makes it awkward to grasp and fire.
Nevertheless, some still carry the Baby Browning in a pocket, just in case because it’s literally, better than nothing. Just don’t treat it like it’s a less than lethal cartridge – it’s just as lethal as any cartridge. Eventually.
The 25ACP is a center-fire cartridge that’s in the ballistic range of a 22LR but with more positive feeding, firing and extraction characteristics. That made the 25ACP more practical than the 22LR for a defensive round, especially in a tiny mouse gun. Its cost is closer to that of other center-fire cartridges.
FN Herstal made the 25 caliber Baby Browning until it was banned by the 1968 Gun Control Act, which led them to discontinue production by the 1970s, however, many of these antiques are still in circulation because of the Belgian FN Browning quality of manufacture.
https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/
But keeping them maintained and running in the 21st century is not as difficult as it sounds. There is a manufacturer named, “PSA,” Precision Small Arms (not Palmetto State Armory), that produces not only the parts but the entire pistol, in the USA.
If you’re the owner of a Baby Browning with a broken firing pin because someone had dry-fired it and found out the hard way that you can’t do that on a Baby Browning, PSA sells new manufacture firing pins. Always use a plastic snap-cap dummy cartridge.
https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/FIRING-PIN.-GRADE-5-TITANIUM.html
If your Baby Browning is getting light primer strikes and failing to fire, that’s because field stripping was attempted with the striker still cocked, which mangled the Firing Pin Spring. You’re going to need to replace it.
https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/firing-pin-spring
Failures to feed are usually indicative of a lame Magazine Spring. A new magazine spring will remedy most feeding issues, when shooting FMJ, full metal jacket ammunition.
https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/MAGAZINE-SPRING-SECOND-GENERATION-ROUNDED-FOLLOWER.html
Some hollow point ammunition could be problematic so test fire a box before depending on it for defensive use.
Double feeds are sometimes caused by a bad Extractor or bad Extractor Spring. You can replace those parts too.
https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/extractor
https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/extractor-spring
Also examine the magazine feeding lips. If those have been bent or warped out-of-spec, you’ll need a new magazine.
https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/FABRIQUE-NATIONALE-HOT-BLUE-STEEL-MAGAZINE-FLAT-FOLLOWER.html
Keep in mind, springs over a half century old can never be considered dependably safe. Some spings are going to go lame when they lose their original tension over time and use.
https://www.precisionsmallarms.com/spring-kit
So while you’re at it, you might as well get the Spring Kit and refurbish the entire pistol with all new springs, especially the Recoil Spring, so your Baby Browning runs like when it was new, right out of the box.
To learn more about the FN Baby Browning, you may want to take a look at this book: