As you know, there are different sizes of pistols and many calibers to choose from. This week let’s look at two totally different sizes of pistols. In years gone by, manufacturers have made pistols for every possible need. There was a pistol made just for carrying in your vest pocket, called the Baby Browning. This was a tiny pistol about the size of a pack of cigarettes. The caliber was 6.35mm or 25acp. Whenever a pistol was to be carried out of sight, many would opt for this little power house for protection. The word “powerhouse” is actually meant to be a joke, for the little Browning was anything but a powerhouse. This pistol has been said to be of very little use to stop an attacker because of its small-power bullet. It uses a 50-grain bullet and goes about 800 fps (feet-per-second).

In 1968, President Johnson signed a law that prohibited the importation of the Browning from Belgium because of the events that took place with the Kennedy assassination. The popularity of this small pistol caused another company to make an exact copy of the Baby Browning, called Bauer. The hopes to sell many of these copies fell short because the U.S. buyers wanted the original Browning. The Bauer was produced in the early 70s and was taken out of production shortly thereafter because of poor sales. The Bauer was a very good pistol, well-made out of stainless steel. The removal of these pistols from the market made both very collectable with gun enthusiasts, the Baby Browning demanding more money because of its originality. The Baby Browning will bring on the market somewhere between $300-$600, according to the condition of the individual pistol. The Bauer will fetch around $150-$250. I will insert here that gun values can change with the weather, up and down. The gun will bring what a buyer will pay for it.

I now want to bring in a pistol of much larger size and power, just to illustrate the differences in the actual sizes of both pistols. This pistol was used from WWI to the present in different countries because of its powerful bullet and strong action. This pistol has been copied and produced by many countries, only making a few changes to its original design. I am talking about the 1911 Colt pistol and 1911A1 caliber .45 ACP. The .45 in the accompanying picture is a version of the 1911, but has many changes that have been made to make it a more accurate pistol. The pistol has been brought up to National Match standards by Colt in their custom shop. This pistol has been discontinued by Colt and has become an excellent collectable and demands a premium price. This pistol is called the Colt’s MK4/Series 70, Gold Cup National Match. The value of these .45s is like the other pistols: what shape it is in and other factors will affect prices.

I will say now that the rumors about the smaller .25 ACP Browning could possibly be partially true, but I had rather have it whenever I needed it than to be empty-handed. The much larger .45 ACP has a bullet that weighs 230 grains, and the velocity is around 850 fps. There is no comparison between the two pistols in brute power, the .45 wins hands-down in that department.

I will finish up this week’s column with the following statement:

The human body doesn’t do so well with foreign objects being propelled into it, such as a bullet, no matter what size it is. I had rather have the Baby Browning than a stick anytime.

Stay safe, and take your children out shooting. Teach safe gun-handling early in a child’s life, and it will never be forgotten.

Roger Sherrill lives in Ringgold. He can be reached at tandemjumper@catt.com.