woodsdweller: I would not opt for the 25 auto. I have one and shoot and carry it occassionally but unless you know exactly what you are doing with that caliber and can do it under the most stressful of situations, get something larger. The 25 is certainly not a one or even two shot fight stopper although many, many people were shot dead with those things long before inexpensive 380s and 9mms became more readily available. I think that at one time, the 22lr from pocket rockets and the 25 acp held the record for having killed the most people in the US. If it turns out that a 25 is all you have in your pocket when you need something, then understand that it's greatest effect may be as a contact weapon where the muzzleblast can impart significant damage as well.
For your other thoughts, I still like the Tokarev pistol. You can get them in two calibers these days, the original 7.62x25mm and the 9mm. They are sold both ways and if you purchase in one caliber you can always find barrels in the other caliber. In addition, you used to be able to find barrels for them in 38 Super Auto. Now, the Tok is an all steel but fairly small and lightweight semi-auto. They are not the prettiest but they are rugged as all get out. I have never suffered a malfunction unless I used crummy ammo that got the piece so dirty it just wouldn't chamber. You can prolly still find Toks for under $125 and with a bunch of extra magazines and a different caliber barrel you could easily be looking at a 2 caliber handgun for under $200, and that would prolly include ammo. If you choose this route, try and find a Polish made Tok - they have a more reliable safety set-up and are better finished inside and out than the Chinese pieces. If you can find an original Russkie TT-33, that's even better. HTH. Mikey.
