Colt Junior .25 ACP
Some gun purchases happen because you’ve been searching for years. Others happen because the guys at your local gun store know you a little too well. That’s how this little .25 ACP pocket pistol followed me home.
The gun started life as an Astra Cub, a compact Spanish-made pistol from the 1960s or ’70s. Nickel-plated and equipped with an external hammer, manual safety and heel-style magazine release, it’s hardly a collector’s dream. But it does have one surprising trait: it shoots remarkably well. Despite tiny nickel-plated sights that are nearly impossible to see, this little pistol is capable of respectable groups at 10 yards.
Then came the interesting discovery.
For a time, Colt imported essentially the same pistol and sold it as the Colt Junior. While browsing EveryGunPart.com, I stumbled across a Colt Junior parts kit complete with Colt-marked slide and grips. Since the Astra and Colt versions are fundamentally the same gun, the pieces swap right over.
The result? A chance to build the Colt Junior without paying the premium that original Colt-marked examples often command.
It’s another reminder that half the fun of old guns is the hunt. Sometimes the most interesting projects start with a quirky pistol, a box of parts and a little imagination. In this case, a humble Astra Cub is about to become something a little more special. Stay tuned…
Want more videos from American Handgunner delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our FREE weekly email newsletters.
